July 2018
We are up against some trending tides of distracting destructive divisiveness. Ah, the limited always has a way of highlighting the Possible and prompting the counter to ‘rise up’. As Morgan Neville, director of
the documentary, ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’, demonstrates in his swift creative production, stating how this documentary asked itself to born sooner than the typical many year endeavor, “There was this
sense that the film should be done this year. . . everything just clicked. It felt like go, go, go do this”, (Indie Wire, A. Thompson, 7/2/18). The documentary examines the impact the life’s work of Fred Rogers had in influencing the direction of young developing minds by offering them attention, care,
connection, and, well, if I dare use the four-letter word, Love. Yay! This sorely needed dose of medicine -
This new wave, a turning tide, an application of attention to something more enduring than the mesmerizing entertainment of our hatred and fear. Take a daily dose of Mister Rogers and let it be the needed nutrient to fortify the bones and build healthy hearts.
I have heard that the film touches people regardless of sociopolitical affiliations, race, religion, gender, age, like the young man’s twitter commentary on the films disquieting effect in the loss of defense, “frigging faucet face”! Something so real, so pure, so true, can laser to the heart of human need, to
human longing, to the grief in what’s gone missing. We can trust this. But it will take real effort to remember, consistently, to stem the tide of automatic reaction and train in what that ‘frigging faucet face’ indicates – what is well and good in each of us!
This could be a classroom subject, a semester course, a study and an ongoing practice, a guiding template for the development of true leaders which
frames the very simple principles to which Fred Rogers remained steadfast:
Regard for the life of each human being, Recognizing the worth, significance, and value for the natural diversity in each life, (upon which a healthy system is dependent), Repeatedly paying attention to what is right, Righteous indignation and intolerance for the degradation of anyone, Relational Presence privileging no one above another
In the end, we all long to be seen, heard, and re-cognized as if among family, safe and sufficient. This is the resonate chord struck that reverberates in and between all hearts. To know our inherent worth creates the ground from which we are able to bring forth our unique expression into the world that
can concentrate a constructive connection for our collaborative creativity.
We then can choose which trending tide to ride, what if we let it be this one of 'Love' to determine the direction of our mind?
Just Imagine - what might this tide bring? What might land on the shore where Body meets Brain and our Next Behavior.
Take a daily dose of Mister Rogers and call me in the morning.
©2018 All Rights Reserved, Center for Healthy Habits, Ltd., Diane Renz, LPC