Month: April 2013

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Lessons from the Lottery

“Luck is when opportunity knocks, and you answer.”  Author Unknown 

Last night as I was cleaning the kitchen a commercial aired on TV advertising Lotto 649.  As the thought of purchasing a ticket ran through my mind, I stopped and asked why.  Why would I want to win the lottery? What would I do if I won?  When you ask others what they would do if they won the lottery, many people talk about living their dream, spending their time and money as they wish.  Dreams often include travel, moving to a new home, helping family, changing or altering careers, spending time with loved ones, and volunteering for meaningful causes.  Thanks to a professor at the University of Victoria, I now think differently about the lottery.

In 2009, I travelled to U-Vic for the Fresh Minds Symposium: a day showcasing university life for bright young minds.  Grade nine students had the opportunity to attend lectures on a variety of topics.  Unfortunately I do not remember the name of the professor I had the pleasure of listening to, but I do remember his story.  He started his lecture with a story about his personal background.  He shared with the students that he had only been at U-Vic for a couple of years.  Prior to that he lived in the Prairies with his family.  He was working full-time, managing his career and family commitments while feeling overwhelmed.  On his way home from work he decided to stop and buy a lottery ticket.  He dreamed of the day he could win the lottery and change his life.  He even decided to make a plan, asking himself what he would do if he won.  He had always loved Victoria and so he decided he would move there.  He had always wanted to do research and teach so he knew that even if he won millions, he would love to work for a local university once settling into Victoria.  With a plan in place he waited with anticipation, hoping he could escape his current reality and live the life he dreamed of.  Unfortunately he did not win.  However, he learned some lessons from the lottery.  He realized he was leaving his life to chance, and that he had the power to create the life he wanted even without winning millions.  Of course he had to take some risks that could be avoided with a million dollar cheque, yet he used his experience as the motivation to start living the life he wanted.  He applied to the University and within a couple of years he was able to achieve his goal of landing a job as a professor in Victoria.

When the commercial aired last night,  I stopped to think: Why would I buy a ticket? What would I do if I won?  Who could I help? How could I best spend my time? Where would I work? Where would my family live?  When I answer these questions I recognize that I have the opportunity to pursue many of these dreams now, rather than leaving them to chance.  My husband Shawn and I spent some time answering these questions.  While we may not be able to make drastic changes to our lives without the lottery funds, we can use this experience to guide us in the right direction. When we have a big decision to make, we can stop and ask which solution aligns best with our dream.  What do we want to learn? Where do we want to live? How can we best give back?  Do we really need a lottery ticket to make these changes?

So… while I wish you the absolute best of luck winning the lottery, I encourage you to stop and ask yourself ‘why’ before you purchase another ticket.  What are your really hoping for? What changes do you want to make? Are your dreams really best left to chance? Or can you make small changes today to live the life you really want.  If we can learn lessons from the lottery to make positive change, then really we have already won.

 

 

 

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The Bullying Games: An Inspiring and Creative Approach

Imagine a world in the future, where bullying ceases to exist.  Where those who commit a bullying crime are brought before a panel for two purposes: first to understand their own past and why they acted out towards another, and second, to make things right and apologize for the hurt they have caused.  Imagine a society that cares not only about the bullied, but about the bullies, wanting both sides to heal from the hurt. Imagine a world where everyone plays a role, and helps support one another, so we can recognize the unique and wonderful qualities that exist in each of us.  Imagine.

Last night, for two hours, I had the pleasure of living in this world.  Like a great movie that transforms you from realty, The Bullying Games fast forwarded the audience into the future, into a world where bullying is dealt with effectively.  Built on the premise of The Hunger Games, competing teams spoke of their crimes and competed with one another for the ultimate prize. Compassion, teamwork, understanding and forgiveness moved teams forward as they resolved realistic bullying issues. For two amazing hours, the cast of The Bullying Games entertained and educated their audience, challenging each person to act as a positive force.  While last night was the last scheduled performance of this amazing youth production, their was a buzz in the air as the show concluded.  The standing ovation marked the closing, yet the voices of the crowd repeatedly suggested that this must be a beginning.

Personally, I feel The Bullying Games is the most positive, effective, creative and inspiring approach to bullying that I have seen.  There is a synergy that exists when people come together focused on making a positive difference.  This production is the result of an inspiring story, where students and adults work together to create magic.

The story began with an amazing teacher, Dean Whitson, who wanted to engage his leadership students in a real project where they could develop leadership skills while making a positive difference.  The students and teacher participated in We Day in Vancouver, and left feeling inspired to do something in their community.  They decided to tackle the issue of bullying and began to brainstorm ideas.  Together, they decided that pink T-shirts were not enough, and they decided that they wanted to focus on the positive rather than the ‘Anti’ in Anti-Bullying Day.  With passion and excitement, they crafted up an idea where they could engage an entire school district to work together to create a production of music, martial arts, dance and song with a motivating, thought-provoking and informative look at bullying from both sides.

To begin, the class created Love is Louder Than Bullying shirts.  The leadership students then travelled to schools in Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Coquitlam, mentoring other leadership students who took the lead selling the shirts at their schools.  Thousands of shirts were sold.  With the profit made from shirt sales, the students hired a production company, ABC Let’s Act, to write and direct a play on bullying.  However, in the spirit of inclusion and realism, the students took further steps, to interview middle and high school students around the district to share what bullying really looks like.  They then shared their research with the Director, Mandy Tulloch, who then created a meaningful script.  Mandy opened auditions to all SD43 students and selected a phenomenal cast ranging from age 11-18 from a variety of schools, showcasing the amazing talent of youth in the community.  The final product was an absolutely brilliant production, entertaining and educating the audience through music, song and martial arts.

I love The Bullying Games for so many reasons.  Here are a few:

  • It demonstrates the magic that can happen when we work together
  • It started as idea, and gained momentum involving schools from all levels
  • It celebrates the talent of youth in the community
  • It recognizes that bullies and the bullied are both the victims, and sends powerful messages to both sides
  • It began as an idea, motivated not by political campaigns but by the genuine passion of youth wanting to make a difference
  • It is research based, dealing with real issues that kids face
  • It educates and inspires change, through entertainment
  • It teaches leadership skills to youth in a fun, engaging format
  • It is preventative rather than reactive
  • It is age appropriate for students K-12

While last night was the final performance, I cannot help but wonder if the momentum will continue.  The Bullying Games is simply too good to be over.  It is something that every child in BC should see.  Hopefully, the stars will continue to align, and that will become a possibility.

Imagine a world in the future where bullying ceases to exist.  Imagine a society that cares not only about the bullied, but about the bullies, wanting both sides to heal from the hurt. Imagine a world where everyone plays a role, and helps support one another, so we can recognize the unique and wonderful qualities that exist in each of us.  Imagine.  How do we get there?  The Bullying Games is a fantastic start.

I offer my sincere congratulations to the students, staff and community members who worked together to create such a magical and inspiring project.  For more information on The Bullying Games, contact Dean Whitson (dwhitson@sd43.bc.ca) at Terry Fox Secondary.