“The
skill is important, but the will is significant.” So said Dick
Vitale, as he announced my beloved Tarheels taking of the “the” out
of first ranked “The Ohio State” in last night’s basketball
match up. In academics as well, I say that the knowledge is important,
but the will is significant. Without the will, the student won’t,
no matter how much knowledge or skill she or he may have acquired. That
is what I mean by “wholeness education.” To become the
person she or he is capable of becoming, we have to help each student help
her/himself both acquire the knowledge, skill and will.
“The
skill is important, but the will is significant.” You know, we say
all semesters have an end. But, do they? Should they? When we
talk of a course’s end, when we end it on the down note of a fearful
final exam and the compilation of a final grade, do we leave a positive
message. Or, as the final frames of a Loony Toons cartoon says, “That’s
all folks!” Do we leave any lasting message at all? The
transmission of the information and the development of the skills may end, but I
think every course should have a forward movement, a sense of meaning and
wholeness not only in a student’s academic life, but her or his life in
general. I
always have wrestled with ways students could give meaning to their classroom
experience that would extend far beyond the calendar, grade, hours taken, and
information received. If we have too tightly wrapped up a class in the
information and the skill to use that information while not actively helping a
student help her/himself develop her or his will, the experience becomes
painfully empty and meaningless.
“The
skill is important, but the will is significant.” I am a devotee of
James Allen’s “As A Man Thinketh.” This little known
early 20th century philosopher focused on the significance of a
person’s will. He asserted we are what we think of ourselves and we
do with what we know in the manner of what we think of ourselves and
others. He goes further to declare that as long as we believe we are the
creatures thrown helplessly about by outside conditions, we will fail to become
the rightful masters of our own lives. But, if we will do the hard work of
reflecting continually to identify and modify obstructive negative beliefs and
attitudes, we will be astonished at the rapid transformation in our will that,
in turn, will produce an equally rapid transformation in the conditions of our
lives.
“The
skill is important, but the will is significant.” So, as a
wholeness teacher, I strongly feel that a course should have an ongoing
experience and a lasting memory. It should underline an ongoing principle
that defies the calendar of semesters and seasonal breaks. Each day I
write the “Words of the Day” on the white board for us to briefly
discuss. At the end of each semester I wish I was paid enough to give
each student a copy of Dr. Seuss' OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO. I, at least,
read it to them. It focuses on the significance of will. Then, I
end the class with a statement about donuts and holes: "As you
wander through life, whatever be your goals, be sure to keep your eye upon the
donut and not upon the hole." Now, for the first time, I
will give each of them this departing ethical testament as well. It may
be my most meaningful legacy of the class. Their attention in class has
usually been taken by practical details of doing assignments and getting grades.
I want to tell them about what I consider really important, that, as Dr. Seuss
says, it’s far more about who they are than what they know. It
allows me to articulate my hopes, blessings, concerns, and love to each
student. It’s a reminder for me what are the essentials in
life. It is a dimension of spirit that can bring great meaning and intensity
to their lives. It offers a model of with what I want to live: an
optimistic spirit, a fervor and enthusiasm for life, a sense of responsibility
and concern for others, and a sense of worthwhileness about themselves. I
want to reveal two truths to them too often hidden: “The skill is
important, but the will is significant” and being good is the best way to
feel good. It rests on a firm conviction that values are not only about
wants and needs, but beliefs, especially those about what is good and right and
what constitutes a worthy life. I suppose this testament reveals that I
am convinced that the purpose of an education goes beyond transmitting
information and securing a job; its purpose is to transform people. “The
skill is important, but the will is significant:”
:
May you always believe in
yourself.
May you always have
confidence in yourself.
May you always love
yourself.
May you always have faith
in yourself.
May you be smart and
strong enough to find a way around every obstacle
May you always convert an
obstacle into an opportunity.
May you always be willing
to take risks and do something new
May you always be
adventurous.
May you never place
limits on yourself.
May you always be resilient.
May you never be without
hope.
May you always give to
everything everything you've got.
May you always smile.
May you always hear the
birds singing.
May you always smell the
flowers.
May you always swoon at
nature's scenery.
May you always see the
sun even when it's raining.
May you live each day to
the fullest.
May you always laugh.
May you never doubt you
are lovable.
May you feel and express
gratitude.
May you appreciate the
people and the things you have in your life
May you give without
expecting a "thank you" in return.
May you cherish every
moment.
May you always learn and
grow.
May you never let unkind
or ungrateful people ruin your day.
May you never surrender
your integrity when the going gets tough.
May you always be kind to
others.
May you be resilient.
May you always love,
yourself and others
May you always be caring,
for yourself and others.
May you always be
compassionate and generous.
May you always forgive
others--for your sake.
May you always be happy.
May you always find
meaning and purpose in everything you think, feel, and do.
May you always be
physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually fit.
May you always find ways
to renew yourself.
And, may you do all this
when it counts, which is every day.
Do all this and, oh, the
places you'll go!
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis
Schmier
www.therandomthoughts.com
Department of History
www.newforums.com/L_Schmier.htm
(229-333-5947)
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/\"If you want to climb mountains \ /\
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