Competition is not a bad thing.  On the contrary, it can be a wonderful motivation for excellence.  However, making everything competitive is not the best idea for children if introduced into their lives at too early an age.

I remember becoming aware of this issue when my children were in 2nd Grade and Kindergarten of elementary school.  There was a talent show/competition at their new school the week after we had arrived in California.  It was something I wanted to be a part of, so I decided to get involved.

The following school year, I joined the PTA and volunteered to run the Talent Show.  Having been in music and theatre projects for years, they welcomed me and were eager to help out.  Working with these parents was a wonderful experience.  They were willing and ready to pitch in wherever and whenever they were needed.  However, they wanted it to be a competition.  I didn’t think it needed to be, but didn’t argue.  I decided that we would just have many categories and many prizes.

It so happened that a pair of sisters in the school were actually professionals.  Knowing that they would undoubtedly win, I felt that we needed for everyone to feel that they were just as much a part of things as they were.  Otherwise, it would just have been another showcase for these two students.

The show was a great success.  Everyone did their best.  At the end of the show, the judges handed out the ribbons.  Each student had a chance to take a bow and get applause from the audience.

The Talent Show Contest’s success was due to the fact that everyone was valued.  Each student received a ribbon of some kind.  Everyone was included in a big finale.   Being a part of the cast was of the utmost importance.  Belonging was the focus and it gave each of the children a chance to have their moment on stage. Competition was not the main reason for the show, and THAT was the most important thing of all.

I am an idealist. I happen to be a Christian.  I celebrate Christmas.  My Jewish friends celebrate Hanukkah.  My Muslim friends celebrate Eid-e-Milad. There are many religions, and each of them have many other celebrations, but Hanukkah and Christmas and  Eid-e-Milad are in December, and it is December as I am writing this.  It occurred to me that we often zero in on the differences between ourselves and others when there are so many things we have in common.  Other believers and those who are not believers in any particular faith, all have the same physical bodies and the same basic needs to simply live.

Why then, do we often insist that our way of being part of an organized religion or spiritual path are superior to those who are different from ourselves?  Most of us are born into the belief of our families in different parts of the world where the prevalent way of worship is passed on from generation to generation.  Geography plays a large role in what a person believes in.  It is something to think about.

Why not focus on the ways of love, such as goodness and kindness and compassion?  These are things that can bind people together for the good of all. I prefer to think that these are the things we all should concentrate on, because it is the one thing that should be a part of every path of living a good life.

Let’s try to be a part of the solution to the disagreements and negative thoughts toward people who are different from ourselves.  Then perhaps, the world will be better place for all of us to live and love and worship in a way that will please God and bring peace to all the world.

There just might be something necessary in having “quiet time” in our lives.  I have believed this for some time now, and I find myself craving it more and more as I get older.  It reminds me of a conversation I had with a teacher in a high school many years ago.  I was about to do a presentation and we were just chatting beforehand.  She told me about a practice she had started with her students at the beginning of that year.  At the opening of each class that first day, she had introduced a period of silence in which the students could think or not think or just sit if they wanted.  However, they were not allowed “do” anything.  There would be no disruptions and no talking or communication of any kind.

They balked at the idea, but she insisted.  So everyday, the students would come in and sit down and not say a word.  I think she said it was for five minutes. That seems like a very long time when one is not used to it.  Soon, it became automatic, and that “quiet time” became a naturally occurring part of each lesson.

One day, she started her class without it.  And what a surprise she received from her students!  They were very upset and disturbed by this change and complained openly.  What she discovered was at first shocking, but then deeply satisfying.  They had come to crave those precious moments of peace in their day.  It was a revelation.  And this concept found a welcome place in my mind.

As time has gone on, I have found articles and seen videos regarding the use of creating empty space in our minds.  There is something going on in this inactive state, whether it be prayer or meditation of some kind.  But it seems that beyond this silence, there is a yearning.  I believe that it is, in fact, a need we have as human beings.  Getting in touch with ourselves through silence is perhaps the path to finding out who we truly are.  Don’t you think that it is a discovery worth knowing?

When I think about all the deep unrest and fear in this world, I am reminded that one cannot hold two opposing mindsets at the same time.  If one chooses to be thankful for this life and all that it entails, it is nearly impossible to feel anything but happy.  Gratitude is at the very heart of peace.  Try it for yourself, if you don’t already know this to be true.

Just try to bring to mind all that causes you to feel gratitude.  Whenever I begin my day by doing this, I find that one thing leads to another and I finally have to stop myself and go on with the day’s routine.  This is powerful and important to remember when anxious about what is happening in our own lives and of those we care about and love.  Negative thoughts can only produce more distress, and never will give rise to a positive outcome.

It would behoove each of us to try to start our day in this manner, if for no other reason than healthy self-interest.  Feeling bad about the details of our lives not only magnifies our problems, but indeed, can even create new ones.  The food that feeds our minds can be sweet and rich or full of garbage.  It is our choice.

Our brains are vital and dynamic and we can use them to create affirmations.  These affirmations can bolster the mindset we choose to hold.  This is how we can create peace and joy for ourselves and others.  We are in control of our thoughts and what we put into our minds and hearts.  That is exactly why one must choose his or her own path and not be led by those who do not have our best interests at heart.  There are many forces that will always be trying to gain access to our free will and use it for their own gain.

So, wake up in the morning and decide what kind of a world you want to live in.  Peace and joy are there waiting to be discovered, each and everyday.  All we have to do is be thankful.

The word “awesome” is commonly used to describe something good, or really cool.  However,  “awe” can, and perhaps should, be so much more than a casual term because there are experiences that require its usage to fully describe its meaning.  Maybe, this word could be reserved for the intense, breath-taking, moments that give our lives a capacity for pure joy and the buoyancy of the spirit that lives inside of every human being.

Awe is wonder-filled, full to the brim with wonder.  It is the kind of emotion one feels when watching the birth of a baby.  It is the experience of seeing the Grand Canyon or Michelangelo’s David.  Ordinary occurrences are transformed into extraordinary ones.  These events command the expression, “awesome.”

In an article, written by Paula Spencer Scott on this subject, “Feeling awe may be the secret to health and happiness.”  She quoted Albert Einstein, who described feelings of awe as “the source of all true art and science.”  I have felt awe when witnessing children’s capacity to react lovingly and compassionately when they have seen sorrow or distress in another person.  

Being in touch with nature is awe-inducing.  It has been known to relieve depression and boost one’s well-being.  Sharing awesome experiences can intensify them and bring great joy to both parties.  It is linked with physical and psychological healing.  Awe makes one happier and more peaceful and cooperative.

In this world of distractions and addiction to phones and other devices, we must make an effort to break away from these influences to feel the bliss of nature, art and other wonders in our lives. These are the ways to find the contentment that is sorely needed to counteract the negativity and stress of our daily routines.  These are moments that can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.  It’s worth the effort.  We might even find addictions that are good for us.  That would truly be “awesome.”