After I watched the Mind & Life Institute videos and heard the Dalai Lama say that we needed to come together and collaborate, join forces to scale up and get these yogic and mindful tools into all schools, so that we can stop the violence and change the world, I started reaching out to everyone. Anyone I could find in the mindful, yoga, meditation, or sel (social and emotional learning) spaces. Some people didn’t reply (I don’t know why, and that made me sad, because we are all supposed to be on the same mission, so we should support each other), but some people did reply, and I like to focus on those people in this blog.
I’ve spoken to authors, teachers, politicians, speakers, all with a goal to spread mindfulness and help heal the planet. I am working on some exciting things with them now, like a gratitude journal, a kids peace conference and coalition, and a book and show for teens. It is those people that I want to express my gratitude to because I am learning so much from you, and because of your dedication to helping the next generation and making this world a better place for all of us.
A special shout out to all the new friends I interviewed as part of our Partners for Peace series, but especially to Dr. Chris Willard for emailing me after the Texas shooting when he knew I was upset, Ms. Whitney Stewart for interviewing me and saying she’ll work on a book with me, Helen Maffini for asking me to speak at the Mindfulness in Education Summit and agreeing to help me with the Kids Peace Conference, Congressman Tim Ryan for being such a huge advocate of health and wellness in schools, and Jennifer Miller for drawing me this OMazing illustration of me and Wuf (she even captured my trademark hoodie!) and agreeing to illustrate the gratitude journal with me.
It’s been a wonderful experience, and I want them to know how grateful I am that they are working with me towards a better tomorrow for kids. To the rest of you out there reading this, please pick up the phone, email, tweet, whatever, and support each other. We are on the same journey, so think how much fun it would be to be on the same team. Like each other’s FB, TW, and IG pages. Share each others posts and events. Comment on them. Cheer for one another. Add a page to your website which lists the others as resources, I did. Talk to each other and brainstorm ways to work together so we can get this message out far and wide, and reach as many kids, parents, teachers, health care practitioners, as we can as fast as possible.
Hurry up, the future of the world may depend on it.
Be Kind and Be Well,