Our attitude is one of the single greatest contributors to our happiness and our success in life. Many of the paragons of science, the arts, sports, or any field, were successful not just due to inherent genius, but from having the correct attitude towards the obstacles which they inevitably faced. The determining factor between rising to a challenge and being crushed beneath it; between lashing out in anger and extending the palm of friendship; between suffocating under embarrassment or laughing at the comedy of one's own error, is holding in our mind the right attitude. But how do we learn to have the right attitude, and what even is the right attitude? The answers to these questions can seem elusive, but they stand in plain sight in our day-to-day lives if we take the time and the self-honesty to see them.
At Living Wisdom School, we endeavor not only to teach core subjects, such as math and science, but also the art of how to be happy. One of the surest ways to weigh the balloon of your own mind so that it never soars in the skies of inspiration is with the phrase, “No.” Now, the “No” we refer to here is not the necessity to create healthy boundaries, but rather that habituated response within us to reject life, to resist, or merely to wish things to be other than they are. For by rejecting life, with every thought of “I don’t want that to happen,” or “Why this?!” or “Oh, anything but this!” we create resistance within ourselves. Like pushing on the gas pedal of a car while simultaneously holding down the brakes with the other foot, resistance gains us nothing except exhaustion (pun intended), frustration, and – as is the case with the analogous brakes – burnout.
How can we learn to overcome resistance? If we are to believe the heroes of our modern media, it would seem the answer is through greater grit, determination, and steely-jawed will. But, recall the analogy of the car – if the car isn’t moving forward, simply pushing harder on the gas pedal may not be the most intelligent solution. It seems that the modern world has forgotten how to relax, and how to flow with life. What if, instead of pushing on the gas pedal harder, we simply released the brakes? What if we could change our perception of day-to-day life from being a series of obstacles (which are annoying at best and overwhelming and soul-crushing at worst) to feeling that life is like a flowing river: moving joyfully forward, effortlessly rolling over rocks and fallen trees; bubbling all the more merrily as it bounds down obstructions and leaps joyfully into the air when confronted with a seeming precipice – all while patiently, inevitably, winding its way towards its final destination: the sea.
How can we learn to live more in that state of flow, and less in the monotonous grind of daily resistance? It comes back to attitude. It is possible to cultivate a habit of joyful and eager participation with life, an outlook that embraces all the varied challenges rather than rejects them, but the question is how? One of the easiest ways to begin to taste this is by embracing a spirit of playfulness in life, by saying, “Yes, and!” as made famous by improvisational actors.
This year at Living Wisdom High School, we are exploring performing arts, not just with the lens of becoming competent performers (though perhaps we will!), but with the keen interest to learn to live better. We are embracing the unknown through cooperative improvisation, leaping into seemingly impossible situations with a smile, and learning to respond to what life throws at us with the phrase, “Yes, let’s!” Sometimes literally, and sometimes figuratively.
In meeting the uncertainty of a moment with dynamic energy and will, the students are learning that their attitude determines much of their experience of any given situation. Now, when the group is asked to perform some unwelcome but needed task, instead of grumbling, the unanimous response is occasionally a resounding, “Yes, let’s!” Once, when a student was asked to describe their feelings about math, a subject formerly allocated to the darkest dungeons of his antipathy, he responded with a smile, and just a touch of irony, “Yes, let’s!” There are even murmurs floating through the student body admitting that, though many of them weren’t particularly looking forward to Performing Arts, they are beginning to find it enjoyable. Perhaps it will be more than just enjoyable, but will help teach them how to live.
But don’t take our word for it. Try it for yourself. The principles of education apply to everyone, no matter your age, or how many letters precede your name. Try this simple homework assignment for a week, and see if it makes you happier: say, “yes” to life! Try to embrace whatever comes to you with a smile, and you just might find yourself laughing a little more than you used to, feeling a little more inspired, and perhaps you’ll be just a little happier than you were before.
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By Keshava Betts, teacher of Performing Arts, Biology, & English
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