Ready for School

There was a story on the local news about getting ready for school. Part of it had to do with getting school supplies, preparing buildings and classrooms, but there was an additional story attached to the segment. It showed county law enforcement officers practicing shooting and learning how to safely enter a school building where there is violence before backup arrives.

So often we think of violence as being a sudden, intense, overt action. One of the definitions of violence also is injury - as to distortion of meaning or fact. It is this type of internal violence that can lead to the overt actions that we construe as violence. When we treat others or ourselves without dignity and respect as individuals, we are committing an act of violence. Treating a person as an object rather than as a precious, unique, one of a kind event is a distortion of meaning or fact - by definition an act of violence. It results in injury.

Treating each other and ourselves with dignity means that we define ourselves positively within and allow others to define themselves that way also. Respect means that we look past the first impression or stereotypical reaction to see and acknowledge that definition of dignity.

Most of us choose to believe that we are good human beings. If we believe this then we must act like we believe it. When we allow situations to influence our actions toward others, we violate our own sense of personal dignity and violate others as well. How we treat others is a direct reflection of how we feel about ourselves at that moment.

Taking a few moments to become aware of this sense of identity sets the tone for our personal integrity. Most people think of integrity as being of sound moral character. There is another definition however - that is the state of being whole and undiminished.

So here is another readiness exercise for school, work, or the simple act of daily living. To define ourselves positively, look beyond appearances to acknowledge that definition in others, and ourselves and hold on to that vision, keeping it whole and undiminished. When we do this, we will be treating ourselves with dignity, respect, and integrity. If we are true to ourselves we cannot help but treat others in this way also. When we define ourselves we define our world. And this may be where healing begins. It is Food For Thought. nnn* Excerpted from my book School Mobbing and Emotional Abuse: See It - Stop It - Prevent It with Dignity and Respect