A Better Perception of the World

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Denis_Bonneau]Denis Bonneau

My daughter came home from school the other day with a chip on her shoulder. When I asked her what was wrong, she blurted out with a serious frown on her face, "I hate Canada". Usually, she is a strong flag waver. When I asked her why she felt this way she brought up the latest shooting in a Toronto school. She said that the killings are getting ever closer to home. Of course I was taken aback by what she said but realized that her declared hatred of Canada was actually her way of expressing fear, so you won't find a rant on patriotism here.

My daughter is only nine. In my school years there was plenty of bullying and fights but the last thing I had to think about was whether or not some schmuck with a bad attitude was going to show up in school and start blasting away. But this is the reality for kids today. The schools do what they can to protect the kids. They make a valiant effort to keep the kids safe. They practice lockdowns, a foreign concept to someone like me who grew up in the seventies. They also make stronger efforts to identify kids with social issues, and teach ways to stop bullying. But I was forced to ask myself the obvious question: What can I do to make sure that this kind of thing never happens in her school? The answer was a bit discouraging.

It was clear to me that my daughter needed something to empower her, to make her feel and know that she could influence the state of the world in a positive way and not end up on the long list of life's victims. I suggested that the best way to counter her bad feelings might be to perform a good deed for someone else. The immediate benefit of a good deed might only be visible to the person performing the act and the person on the receiving end of it, but the cumulative effect over time could be astounding, as the receiver could become the giver etc etc. She seemed to take this in and I can only hope that she will remember my words, and better yet, put them into action.

After talking to her about this, it occurred to me that my advice wasn't only relevant for her. It applied to me as well. If ever there was a time that I couldn't see the good in the world, than I should perform a good act, making it undeniably real. Putting it into practice will not only help my perception, but will demonstrate and encourage my daughter to do the same. Will it work? I'll get back to you in ten years.

Article originally published on my blogsite at http://dennysdigs.blogspot.com

Author is a 42 year old Canadian with a working background in military affairs, experience as a single father, etc.