six years ago I walked into a classroom filled with 21 students who had just
filled with 21 students who had just
filled with 21 students who had just received word that their friend had
received word that their friend had
received word that their friend had taken his own life to this day I
taken his own life to this day I
taken his own life to this day I struggled to articulate what we
struggled to articulate what we
struggled to articulate what we experienced together in that classroom
experienced together in that classroom
experienced together in that classroom and as time goes on one thing becomes
and as time goes on one thing becomes
and as time goes on one thing becomes increasingly clear to me as a teacher
increasingly clear to me as a teacher
increasingly clear to me as a teacher and that is it does not matter if you
and that is it does not matter if you
and that is it does not matter if you guys can check off all the boxes on the
guys can check off all the boxes on the
guys can check off all the boxes on the rubric of academic achievement if at the
rubric of academic achievement if at the
rubric of academic achievement if at the end of the day you find your life so
end of the day you find your life so
end of the day you find your life so overwhelming or bereft of meaning that
overwhelming or bereft of meaning that
overwhelming or bereft of meaning that self harm seems like a viable or even
self harm seems like a viable or even
self harm seems like a viable or even desirable option the transition from
desirable option the transition from
desirable option the transition from childhood to adulthood
childhood to adulthood
childhood to adulthood has always been difficult and awkward
has always been difficult and awkward
has always been difficult and awkward but you guys face novel challenges you
but you guys face novel challenges you
but you guys face novel challenges you live at a pace and in the midst of a
live at a pace and in the midst of a
live at a pace and in the midst of a complexity that is unprecedented and
complexity that is unprecedented and
complexity that is unprecedented and when we continue and we as adults
when we continue and we as adults
when we continue and we as adults continue to demand that you perform at
continue to demand that you perform at
continue to demand that you perform at the expense of your well-being without
the expense of your well-being without
the expense of your well-being without equipping you with the tools to cope we
equipping you with the tools to cope we
equipping you with the tools to cope we inadvertently push you towards seeking
artificial means of escaping your
artificial means of escaping your anxiety even if those means are self
anxiety even if those means are self
anxiety even if those means are self destructive wanting to escape your
destructive wanting to escape your
destructive wanting to escape your anxiety is something I am very familiar
anxiety is something I am very familiar
anxiety is something I am very familiar with when I was a sophomore in college I
with when I was a sophomore in college I
with when I was a sophomore in college I was in the middle of class and I got up
was in the middle of class and I got up
was in the middle of class and I got up out of my chair I walked out of the
out of my chair I walked out of the
out of my chair I walked out of the classroom I withdrew from school and
classroom I withdrew from school and
classroom I withdrew from school and shortly after I was on a plane to the
shortly after I was on a plane to the
shortly after I was on a plane to the other side of the world to live in a
other side of the world to live in a
other side of the world to live in a Buddhist
Buddhist
Buddhist Sterry and I’d convinced myself that
Sterry and I’d convinced myself that
Sterry and I’d convinced myself that this is where I was going to go to
this is where I was going to go to
this is where I was going to go to escape all of my problems and it didn’t
escape all of my problems and it didn’t
escape all of my problems and it didn’t take very long for my romanticized idea
take very long for my romanticized idea
take very long for my romanticized idea of living in a Buddhist monastery
of living in a Buddhist monastery
of living in a Buddhist monastery clashed with the day-to-day reality and
clashed with the day-to-day reality and
clashed with the day-to-day reality and soon I found myself even more anxious
soon I found myself even more anxious
soon I found myself even more anxious there and then I was here one night I
there and then I was here one night I
there and then I was here one night I opened my journal and I wrote I traveled
opened my journal and I wrote I traveled
opened my journal and I wrote I traveled almost 7,000 miles but my mind did not
almost 7,000 miles but my mind did not
almost 7,000 miles but my mind did not move and this came as a shock and
move and this came as a shock and
move and this came as a shock and disappointment
disappointment
disappointment because I had hoped that my mind would
because I had hoped that my mind would
because I had hoped that my mind would move away from the nagging sense of
move away from the nagging sense of
move away from the nagging sense of emptiness and anxiety that I felt I
emptiness and anxiety that I felt I
emptiness and anxiety that I felt I didn’t find peace in the Buddhist
didn’t find peace in the Buddhist
didn’t find peace in the Buddhist monastery but I did find I did uncover
monastery but I did find I did uncover
monastery but I did find I did uncover really an important life realization and
really an important life realization and
really an important life realization and that is that the world is a big big
that is that the world is a big big
that is that the world is a big big place but it’s not big enough for you to
place but it’s not big enough for you to
place but it’s not big enough for you to escape yourself and the real journey is
escape yourself and the real journey is
escape yourself and the real journey is not travelling to some faraway place the
not travelling to some faraway place the
not travelling to some faraway place the real journey is learning to explore the
real journey is learning to explore the
real journey is learning to explore the places close to you and within you that
places close to you and within you that
places close to you and within you that often remain hidden from sight I came
often remain hidden from sight I came
often remain hidden from sight I came home from the Buddhist monastery with my
home from the Buddhist monastery with my
home from the Buddhist monastery with my tail between my legs and I had to start
tail between my legs and I had to start
tail between my legs and I had to start over and a part of that process was
over and a part of that process was
over and a part of that process was beginning a practice called mindfulness
beginning a practice called mindfulness
beginning a practice called mindfulness to better explore my anxiety and it did
to better explore my anxiety and it did
to better explore my anxiety and it did not take long before I saw the
not take long before I saw the
not take long before I saw the transformative effects of that practice
transformative effects of that practice
transformative effects of that practice mindfulness broadly conceived is the
mindfulness broadly conceived is the
mindfulness broadly conceived is the process of attending moment to moment to
process of attending moment to moment to
process of attending moment to moment to your present experience non-judgmentally
your present experience non-judgmentally
your present experience non-judgmentally and in the last two years I have as now
and in the last two years I have as now
and in the last two years I have as now as a teacher and well-being coordinate
as a teacher and well-being coordinate
as a teacher and well-being coordinate I have tried to share this process of
I have tried to share this process of
I have tried to share this process of attending to president experience with
attending to president experience with
attending to president experience with students I’ve been in many classrooms
students I’ve been in many classrooms
students I’ve been in many classrooms around the school and I’m always trying
around the school and I’m always trying
around the school and I’m always trying to find ways to help students become
to find ways to help students become
to find ways to help students become more mindful of how they eat sleep and
more mindful of how they eat sleep and
more mindful of how they eat sleep and move I ask students to pay closer
move I ask students to pay closer
move I ask students to pay closer attention to how they talk to themselves
attention to how they talk to themselves
attention to how they talk to themselves about their own experience and if that
about their own experience and if that
about their own experience and if that voice in their head leads them to a
voice in their head leads them to a
voice in their head leads them to a better place or if it’s ultimately life
better place or if it’s ultimately life
better place or if it’s ultimately life negating I asked students to attend more
negating I asked students to attend more
negating I asked students to attend more closely to their relationships and if
closely to their relationships and if
closely to their relationships and if they surround people surround themselves
they surround people surround themselves
they surround people surround themselves with people who add value to their lives
with people who add value to their lives
with people who add value to their lives and if they in turn add value to the
and if they in turn add value to the
and if they in turn add value to the lives of those around them and last I
lives of those around them and last I
lives of those around them and last I asked students to become more aware of
asked students to become more aware of
asked students to become more aware of their overall sense of meaning and
their overall sense of meaning and
their overall sense of meaning and purpose and with my own students I asked
purpose and with my own students I asked
purpose and with my own students I asked them to articulate their personal
them to articulate their personal
them to articulate their personal philosophy and then to break it down
philosophy and then to break it down
philosophy and then to break it down into three words or less and write it
into three words or less and write it
into three words or less and write it down on a piece of paper put it in your
down on a piece of paper put it in your
down on a piece of paper put it in your backpack put it on a nightstand put it
backpack put it on a nightstand put it
backpack put it on a nightstand put it on your bathroom mirror so that everyday
on your bathroom mirror so that everyday
on your bathroom mirror so that everyday you have a reminder to gauge your
you have a reminder to gauge your
you have a reminder to gauge your thoughts your words and your actions
thoughts your words and your actions
thoughts your words and your actions with what you believe to be most
with what you believe to be most
with what you believe to be most valuable meaningful and true and last I
valuable meaningful and true and last I
valuable meaningful and true and last I have introduced a number of students to
have introduced a number of students to
have introduced a number of students to the basic practice of mindfulness of
the basic practice of mindfulness of
the basic practice of mindfulness of breath and I want to take a minute or
breath and I want to take a minute or
breath and I want to take a minute or two and allow you to experience what
two and allow you to experience what
two and allow you to experience what that might be like so if you all could
that might be like so if you all could
that might be like so if you all could sit up a little bit in your chairs in a
sit up a little bit in your chairs in a
sit up a little bit in your chairs in a posture that is attentive but not tense
posture that is attentive but not tense
posture that is attentive but not tense I just want you to take your left hand
I just want you to take your left hand
I just want you to take your left hand and put it on your chest and your right
and put it on your chest and your right
and put it on your chest and your right hand on your lower abdomen
I want you to take a moment and just
I want you to take a moment and just feel what it’s like to breathe
and I want you to notice where your
and I want you to notice where your breath is most vivid for you maybe it’s
breath is most vivid for you maybe it’s
breath is most vivid for you maybe it’s at your nostrils or in your throat maybe
at your nostrils or in your throat maybe
at your nostrils or in your throat maybe it’s in your chest or your lower abdomen
I want you to notice the quality of your
I want you to notice the quality of your breath is it heavier light
shallow or deep maybe it’s fast maybe
shallow or deep maybe it’s fast maybe it’s slow
the reason why we start with the breath
the reason why we start with the breath is because it doesn’t matter how far
is because it doesn’t matter how far
is because it doesn’t matter how far from yourself you think you’ve drifted
from yourself you think you’ve drifted
from yourself you think you’ve drifted your breath always invites you back home
your breath always invites you back home
your breath always invites you back home to the present moment and as I’ve
to the present moment and as I’ve
to the present moment and as I’ve learned since practicing mindfulness the
learned since practicing mindfulness the
learned since practicing mindfulness the present moment is where we experience
present moment is where we experience
present moment is where we experience joy happiness in connection put your
joy happiness in connection put your
joy happiness in connection put your hands down if you want conversations
hands down if you want conversations
hands down if you want conversations surrounding the aims of Education almost
surrounding the aims of Education almost
surrounding the aims of Education almost always focus on the question of what
always focus on the question of what
always focus on the question of what knowledge is of most worth and as
knowledge is of most worth and as
knowledge is of most worth and as teachers were charged with the task of
teachers were charged with the task of
teachers were charged with the task of equipping you with the necessary
equipping you with the necessary
equipping you with the necessary knowledge to be college and career-ready
knowledge to be college and career-ready
knowledge to be college and career-ready and this is a very important goal but in
and this is a very important goal but in
and this is a very important goal but in our concern with knowledge we cannot
our concern with knowledge we cannot
our concern with knowledge we cannot forget about wisdom because wisdom is
forget about wisdom because wisdom is
forget about wisdom because wisdom is understanding why our lives are
understanding why our lives are
understanding why our lives are important and worth living and we are
important and worth living and we are
important and worth living and we are wise in proportion to the amount of time
wise in proportion to the amount of time
wise in proportion to the amount of time we can spend living in the present
we can spend living in the present
we can spend living in the present moment it’s my hope that all teachers
moment it’s my hope that all teachers
moment it’s my hope that all teachers all educators all schools start taking
all educators all schools start taking
all educators all schools start taking students need for wisdom as seriously as
students need for wisdom as seriously as
students need for wisdom as seriously as they take students need for college
they take students need for college
they take students need for college admission and future employment it’s
admission and future employment it’s
admission and future employment it’s been six years since I walked into that
been six years since I walked into that
been six years since I walked into that classroom but I still return to it it’s
classroom but I still return to it it’s
classroom but I still return to it it’s uncomfortable as that might be because
uncomfortable as that might be because
uncomfortable as that might be because it’s a reminder to me as a person and
it’s a reminder to me as a person and
it’s a reminder to me as a person and more importantly as a teacher that my
more importantly as a teacher that my
more importantly as a teacher that my job is not just to equip you with
job is not just to equip you with
job is not just to equip you with knowledge it’s to help you become aware
knowledge it’s to help you become aware
knowledge it’s to help you become aware of a reason that excites you and pulls
of a reason that excites you and pulls
of a reason that excites you and pulls you out of bed in the morning
you out of bed in the morning
you out of bed in the morning mindfulness is not a panacea but it is a
mindfulness is not a panacea but it is a
mindfulness is not a panacea but it is a promising place to start helping young
promising place to start helping young
promising place to start helping young adults reclaim their sanity and their
adults reclaim their sanity and their
adults reclaim their sanity and their well-being thank you
well-being thank you
well-being thank you [Applause]
”
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