"At a recent seminar, a woman who helps run a community college stood up to ask a question.
"Well, the bad news," she said, "is that we have to let everyone in. And the truth is, many of these kids just can't be the leaders you're describing, can't make art. We need people to do manual work, and it's those people."
I couldn't believe it. I was speechless, then heartbroken. All I could think of was these young adults, trusting this woman to lead them, teach them, inspire them and push them, and instead being turned into 'those people.'
You know, the people who will flip burgers or sweep streets or fill out forms all day. The ones who will be brainwashed into going into debt, into buying more than they can afford, to living lives that quietly move from one assigned task or one debt payment to another. If they're lucky.
No, I said to her, trying to control my voice, no these are not those people. Not if you don't want them to be.
Everyone is capable of being generous, at least once. Everyone is capable of being original, inspiring and connected, at least once. And everyone is capable of leading, yes, even more than once.
When those that we've chosen to teach and lead write off people because of what they look like or where they live or who their parents are, it's a tragedy. Worse, we often write people off merely because they've been brainwashed into thinking that they have no ability to do more than they've been assigned. Well, if we brainwashed them into setting limits, I know we can teach them to ignore those limits."
When I read this, I said AMEN SETH. I love the idea of teaching kids that they can soar as high as they choose. America is great principally because we dare to exceed. When I was in Europe on a trip a few years ago, a guy once told me the difference between Americans and the rest of the world is that Americans feel that they always can and frankly deserve it!
My wife often tells my son when he thinks that he can't do something to repeat after her, "I am Thomas Magryta, I am awesome and I can do anything that I put my mind to!"
Why do we take the extra time to teach and learn? Because we can! Nothing more, nothing less.
Teach your children that they CAN and always lead by example!
