Dear Community,

We have the choice to hold everyone to a high standard by expecting the best and awaiting maximum performance, even if the goals are unrealistic. We could also meet people where they are, not where we want them to be. 

How could we create a culture within our families, schools, communities, and perhaps society at large that focuses on mutual support, recognizes each person’s value and capacity, while offering healthy challenges to promote self-growth? 

Growth initiated by personal desire, rather than imposed by a system, tends to reduce stress responses, emotional cut-offs, anxiety, depression, personal insecurities, negative self-talk, and self-inhibiting thoughts.
By unlocking inner motivation, individuals tend to perform better, be more resilient when challenges arise, and remain more open to constructive feedback. People also tend to hold themselves more accountable & are incentivized to maintain a culture of integrity. 

By combining rigor & authority to compassion & patience, we can create a mode of functioning that embraces a variety of inter-personal trends. Let’s call people in rather than call people out. Let’s include people rather than imposing thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions on them. This is a tricky practice, but practicing is a good way to grow & gain perspective.

Personal practice: try utilizing some of the following phrases when being in a situation that is not ideal and/or too many opinions are getting in the way.

• You tried this today, but the outcome wasn’t really what you intended. What did you learn during the process? 
  
• What are we learning as a family in this moment? Let’s take turns voicing up what is working & what needs to be changed.
  
• We had a mishap, we made a mistake, this didn’t work out just like we planned. How do we wish to move forward as a team?