Lynne Westmoreland
My earliest recollections as a young child include memories of being very upset when I would see a dead bird or children being mean to another child or adults arguing violently without listening to each other. As that young child I hoped that the bird hadn’t suffered, the shamed child would not believe the mean things said to him or her and that the adults would “please, please stop fighting.”
I was often told that I was too sensitive and that I needed to toughen up –- these were the ways of the world. I could not believe that there was not another way to approach life that involved kindness, compassion, deep thought, and reverence for the earth, other humans, and all other animals that share this amazing journey with us. I believed that there was a higher purpose to all of our lives than what society and the media try to convince us of and that, somehow, I needed to find a way to live that reflected that belief and made it seem possible for others to find their “best self” as well.
I majored in piano performance and have spent 30 years playing and teaching piano. While I have always been dedicated to teaching students about compassion, critical thinking, integrity, and responsibility, I felt that there was something more that I could do to help myself and others lead a more examined life. Many things in my life kept me moving closer to this ideal. Discovering the Unitarian denomination, with its emphasis on the dignity and worth of each person, the interconnectedness of all of life, and our individual and collective responsibility to be part of the solution rather than the problem resonated deeply with me. Deeper still was my joy at discovering Buddhism, with its emphasis on quiet mind, beginner’s mind (always realizing that we have so much to learn every day through mindfulness), and respect for all of life through the practice of non-violent speech, action, intention, and consumption. The Buddhist aspect of right livelihood, which is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, captured my imagination more and more and I began to search for what would be the next chapter of my life. I considered becoming a therapist, a social worker, and a Unitarian minister. Those all would have been wonderful second careers, but I wanted more than a career –- I wanted to respond to my life’s work calling. I knew it involved caring for human and non-human animals, the environment, and examining how we had developed into a culture that had “forgotten who we are,” as my Buddhist teacher often discussed. I knew that advertising and the media had convinced us that our excessive wants and desires are actually needs, and I could observe that the more we accumulated materially, the more unhappy and unhealthy we seemed to become.
I could not imagine how I would bring all of these components together or how I could continue to teach, which I knew was a huge piece of right livelihood for me. Then I met Zoe Weil at the Green Festival in Washington, D.C. Her book Above All, Be Kind caught my eye, and the five or ten minute conversation I had with her changed my life. Zoe was kind in a way that was so deeply authentic that I knew I had not met just another “nice” person. A few months later I attended a Teaching for the 21st Century humane education workshop to make sure that IHE’s vision of education was truly aligned with my value system. I left that workshop knowing that I had found where I was supposed to be.
Completing IHE's Master of Education program has altered my life in more ways than I can name. It has at times been a roller coaster ride, alternating between deep sadness at the enormity of suffering in so many places and elation that there are so many in the world working for a better life for us all. Most importantly, this program has continually challenged me to adopt and model behavior that helps rather than hurts, nourishes rather than depletes, and loves rather than destroys.
There have been moments that I believed I was not up to the task of witnessing the suffering. I realize, however, that whether I witness it or not, the suffering exists. I also am aware that I cannot unknow what I now know. Actually, it is our healthy outrage that leads to deep commitment to change the mindset that has created these conditions of emotional and physical violence. There is no turning back. Once we have decided to open the door to this knowledge we have only two choices. We can turn our back and say “it’s not my problem” or we can roll up our sleeves and get to work.
I am now teaching the online course A Better World, A Meaningful Life and am a certified MOGO (Most Good Least Harm) facilitator for IHE. Doing this work feels like slipping my hand into a perfectly fitting glove. I am so grateful to have work that gives my life deep meaning and to have joined a community of people that act on their beliefs and work every day to create a world of more kindness, compassion, justice, fairness, joy, health, and sustainability.
Watch and share IHE President, Zoe Weil's TEDx talk -- an inspiring vision of how to create a just, compassionate, healthy world for all through solutionary education.
July 14, 2012 - 8:30 am to July 14, 2012 - 5:00 pm | Location: Institute for Humane Education
Live your values. Change the world. Choose MOGO! Our MOGO (most good) workshop is part retreat, part personal development, part educational experience, and 100% invaluable to anyone who wishes to make their lives a manifestation of their greatest vision for a more pea...
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