Putting Love into action

Rich, over at Bouncing Back left me a video yesterday and I wanted to share it, along with the thinking Rich kick-started with leaving this gem in my Comment Box.

See, the speaker in this Ted Talk's video is 12 years old. Her first book was published when she was 7 -- yup 7 -- and it continues to create ripples in the world as she travels around the country speaking in schools and Universities and at a Ted Talks conference. Imagine, a 12 year old with something to teach adults.

And that's the point of Adora Svitak's message. Children have lots to teach adults because learning, she suggests, should be reciprocal. "...you need to listen and learn from kids and trust us and expect more from us. You must lend an ear today, because we are the leaders of tomorrow, which means we're going to be taking care of you when you're old and senile. No, just kidding. No, really, we are going to be the next generation, the ones who will bring this world forward."

Imagine, a world where adults trust kids. If 'giving is receiving' that would suggest kids would trust adults not to do things that limit their imaginations, stunt their growth and inhibit their creativity.

Kids would trust adults not to destroy the environment, deplete the ocean's, pollute the air and poke holes in the ozone layer.

Kids would know, without a doubt, this is a safe and wonderful world we live in. They would know, 'My future is rosy because the adults of my world are not out there waging war, poaching bears and tigers and elephants, making drugs and putting children and women and everyone else in harm's way with their insistence that they have the answers and there is no other way than their way.'

They would never have to question, 'why' do we do that. Why do we scream and yell and fight and support bigotry and cruelty and racism and all kinds of 'ism' that create chisms of hatred and distrust and fear here on earth. They would know that everything we do is with the intent of leaving this precious planet in a better state than how we found it. They would know that heaven isn't beyond the end of life, it is life.

Our children would know, without a doubt, that we, the adults, the leaders and followers, the citizens of planet earth, their parents, their teachers, guardians, mentors are keenly involved in keeping the world safe, for every creature, plant, body of water, mass of land and animate and inanimate object on this fragile ecosystem spinning in space.

They would never have to fear our intent. They would know we are invested in saving the world by creating value in everything we do, every word we speak, every place we go, thing we build, or don't built, in everything we do on and to and in this planet earth.

Because they would know, we always have the best interests of humankind and all of 'kind' at heart. They would know we are listening and learning, measuring what we do against its impact upon our neighbours, near and far. Upon those we love, those we brought into this world upon the sacred trust of the miracle of life we connected into when we were born, and that connects us for time eternal through the children we bring into this world.

They would know, we are continually investing the best of ourselves so that our children know, they can trust us to do the right thing no matter the cost, the circumstances, the situation.

Because we would know, when we do the right thing, we teach our children how to do the right thing too.

And what can be better than that?

Thank you Rich. And thank you Adora Svitak. Thank you for reminding me that there is much I can learn from my children, much I can learn from all children. You have reminded me to 'listen up', to get moving and doing and being all I'm meant to be -- to trust in the most important lesson of all, a lessson my children have taught me time and time again -- Putting Love into action requires my actions to be Loving.