Usain Bolt and the Lens of Ability

This quote, which hangs on the doors of our public library, came to mind in light of a recent conversation I had with a close friend. Our conversation was not about reading at all, but about being "able".  It stemmed from the linguistic understanding of disability as the opposite of ability and our shared agreement that there is a tremendous difference between having a disability vs. inability; and the difference between having an ability and being able. 

Why does it matter? I wasn't sure it did, until I started seriously pondering. That is when I realized I needed to share my thoughts with you. As per my nature, I like the lens of optimism and positivity. So, I started to think about some of my favorite people who are said to have "disabilities", and how I like to look at them from a different angle, the angle of abilities. Think about it. What if we were all seen from the lens of what we CANNOT do? 

An example: I love to run, that's no secret. But, put me up against Usain Bolt and my running "disability" will be highlighted tremendously. I can run, just not as fast as Usain. He's incredible on the track! But what if he were asked to do something that he's not great at? For this argument, let's say playing violin. If judged in that regard, his disability would be noticeable. When people are considered great at something, we don't tend to define them by what they cannot do. We define them by their ability; what they CAN do. You and I, most of us, are defined by what we CAN do. What we can't do, such as run at 27.78 miles per hour, does not usually factor in. 

Still, so often we do get stuck in what we can't do. We define others through this lens as well. What a defeating way to view our world! What would happen if we all adopted an ability mindset instead? When is the last time you took inventory of what you are able to do? What are your abilities? Go ahead, write down at least ten. I'll wait....

Now, when did you last appreciate those abilities of yours? Do you always act on them? I mean, on my list of ten abilities, I wrote that I think I can write in a way that helps others. Then I realized that I had not been on here consistently writing for others in quite some time. I have the ability, but I wasn't making the time to be able. What more am I capable of doing that I neglect to prioritize or even worse, deliberately stifle? 

A final thought: In my opening paragraph I noted that the initial discussion which led to this post centered around the fact that, "there is a tremendous difference between having an ability and being able." This brings me to the other piece that is haunting me in all of this. Consider Usain Bolt again. Someone found him and guided him to improve his ability. His story goes that he was playing soccer, and it was suggested that he consider sprinting. Watching Usain Bolt share his ability is like watching an incredible artform magically take shape. What if no one paid attention to notice the gift he had to share with the world? What if he wasn't able to be seen for any of the various reasons some of our students remain invisible? Poverty, housing insecurity, language barriers, academic struggles, etc...

How many kids are out there not being noticed for their abilities? Those abilities, if left untapped, will just disappear. Each child, each person we encounter has unique abilities. As parents and teachers let's find the abilities held by each child and student and exploit those abilities, guide them, and build them up. Let's pay special attention to those students who might hold an ability, but not the means to be able to perfect it on their own. Strive to be the means by which those you love are able to share their abilities with the world!

If you like what you read, please share my post and consider reading more of my thoughts and ideas in Connections Across the Student Desk, available on Amazon. Here is the link: Connections Across the Student Desk

For more work from amazing authors, podcasters and human beings, visit the X-Factor EDU Community.  Here is that link: X-Factor EDU

*(Quote from 1914, though often attributed to Mark Twain in 1945, the original author is not certified.)

Pam, Pennies and Purpose

I am a strong believer in the power of purpose. Feeling we have purpose brings a sense of value and belonging to everything we do. Purpose helps us to know we are where we are meant to be and opens our hearts to fully sharing ourselves with those around us. Our culture has decided that certain traits and characteristics hold value, and therefore provide purpose, while others do not. If our culture consistently got this right, this wouldn't be a problem. But instead, our culture gets pieces of this horribly wrong, and some of our children and adults suffer from a lack of feeling purposeful and valued because of that.

Think for a moment...if our culture were to put price tags on various traits, which traits would hold the heftiest tickets? I don't plan to answer this for you, but I will put a few traits on the docket to get you started, and I will suggest using price tags ranging from $10 to $1,000 to help you with your ranking. Remember, this is society's perception. It might be fun to make a separate ranking of your own perceptions of these traits as well.

☑ attitude

☑ age

☑ honesty

☑ athleticism

☑ appearance

☑ integrity

☑ monetary wealth

It would be difficult to find people that agree in their societal monetary determinations of the traits listed above. The answers and possibilities are determined by our perceptions and are as varied as the readers of this post. That's OK. Agreement is not the point. Societal value of personal characteristics is subjective and situational. (Just ask any comedian who now gets paid to do exactly what caused them to repeatedly get into trouble in grade school.) This is why it is so important that we, as the adults in the lives of children, help the children we love to find, see, understand, accept and internalize their personal purpose and value. 

As is my way, my mind goes to the ordinary and mundane to make a point. Let's take a look at cooking spray and the penny. 

Cooking Spray:  When my children were small and we would visit our friends, my children enjoyed the huge (to them at the time) hill that sloped up and away from the back of the house. That hill was used for running, rolling, and generally expending energy. One of their favorite activities on that hill was to slide down the hill in the Bilibo. The Bilibo was basically a bowl that was large enough for a child to sit in. The Bilibo was fun, sliding down the hill in the Bilibo was fun, but nothing beat when our friend would take out the aerosol can of cooking spray to coat the bottom of the vessel to bring it to warp speed! A little spritz of cooking spray and my children were flying down that hill with giggles increased exponentially. Our friend took a common everyday household staple and changed its purpose to create incredible fun. 

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  Item purpose is not one-dimensional. Neither is yours! In every situation your purpose will be defined and redefined by you and those around you. It feels terrible when you haven't yet found your purpose, and so your perception of your worth and value decreases. BUT, you don't know the perceptions of others!  And maybe, just maybe, you are fulfilling a purpose that goes beyond your awareness. Take a moment to consider the places in your life where you feel the least amount of connection to your purpose. Once you get that thought, now think like my friend, and look beyond the obvious. You may be fulfilling a purpose beyond your imagination!

A Pile of Pennies: My sister went to Tahiti for her honeymoon and left her parakeet with me for safekeeping. During its three-week stint in my dorm room at Trenton State College, that bird proved it was cut out for college life by being up all night. A few days in, my roommate and I gathered pennies to have near our beds. When the bird would wake us up with its chirping, a swift fling of a penny dinging the cage bars would quiet it for some time before it would begin again. This alternative to going outside and opening the cage door was a relationship saver. A simple pile of pennies, the very coin whose purpose is in question, served to stop the bird's chirping and keep our sanity. 

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  Sometimes purpose is subtle like that. Sometimes we are called just to be present to alleviate something that would otherwise cause tension, unhappiness or strife. We are that sharp "ding" of the bars that jolts someone back into kindness or compassion or much needed silence in a situation that would be fueled by verbalized adversity. We feel we are doing nothing and offering no purpose when in fact, we are the reason everyone is at peace.

Every human being holds value and worth beyond our understanding or any societal ranking. We may never know the purposes we hold beyond our own perceptions and awarenesses. Knowing that we hold purpose and value beyond our understanding insists that we have self-love and a faith that we are meant to be. Society does not assign your purpose, value or worth. Your very existence does!  You are meant to be! The children you love are meant to be! Don't let a day go by without remembering that and reminding others.

If you like what you read, please share my post and consider reading more of my thoughts and ideas in Connections Across the Student Desk, available on Amazon. Here is the link: Connections Across the Student Desk

For more work from amazing authors, podcasters and human beings, visit the X-Factor EDU Community.  Here is that link: X-Factor EDU