Words from the Heart

Stand by Me (Image via RottenTomatoes.com) Not sure why it is, but I always seem to favor the underdog.  Since I was a kid, I felt drawn to those who were marginalized in one way or another. Perhaps, that is why I like the song, Stand by Me, so much.  I see it as the anthem for the underdog. In the Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith, he says "People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.  Fight for a few underdogs anyway."   Who might the underdogs be?  To me, they are those among us that are marginalized, who exist on the edges of our society.  They come from all walks of life, all economic, social, religious and cultural backgrounds.  Often, they have developed an abrasive personality because they have been mistreated by the world around them for too long. Sometimes they are so sweet and unassuming that they simply disappear even when they are only with us. As a teacher, I fight for the underdogs, often.  These are the students wh...

The fourth Paradoxical Commandment states:  The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway. How true!  There seems to be something in the human psyche that compels us to remember all the horrid, awful, sad, bad things in life, while forgetting the wonderful, amazing, inspirational and just plain, good!   Interestingly, I had this demonstrated to my in my class the other day. (I learn so much from my students!)  I had asked them to think of events that occurred during 2011.  They came up with a long list of every trauma, tragedy, earthquake, tornado and freak storm.  Not until I called their attention to it, did they think of anything positive, which for all of them was personal.  They admitted that they could not think of any good in the community or world.  How sad! The media gives 24/7 coverage to every horrific event, from volcanic eruptions to murders; they provide voyeuristic programming for those who want to watch...

Image by Quasifly via Flickr A situation happened recently that has made my heart break.  Out of nowhere, it seems, I learned that someone bore false witness against me.  After sitting with what was said about me for a few days, I have come to realize that the next two Paradoxical Commandments speak directly to this situation. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.  Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. How many times have you heard about someone who has done something good for others, only to have someone else say, "Ya, well, I heard that person did such and such awful thing," effectively killing the positive energy of the good deed?  Or, have you ever heard of someone succeeding, for instance, getting a new position in work, only to hear coworkers, people that, to this person's face, are all smiles and congratulations, whispering about how the person who got the new posi...

Cover of Anyway: the Paradoxical Commandments Several years ago, I came across a little book by Dr. Kent Keith called, Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments .  For me, these ten short principles became my resolutions for the years ahead. If you don't know the story of Dr. Keith and Anyway , allow me to share it with you. Back in the 60's, Kent Keith wrote the ten principles found in Anyway as a part of a booklet created for high school student leaders.  The commandments were a challenge to students, who were finding excuses to dropout and give up when things got tough. Time past, until one day, Dr. Keith learned that eight of the ten principles were hanging on the the wall of the children's home in Calcutta run be Mother Teresa.  His words had found their way around the world!   So, what are these principles that have traveled the world?  I plan to look at them singularly over the next month, renewing my commitment to them and, hopefully, inspiring others to ...