Glenn Stewart Coles, 9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8-924, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 9T3
Text Box: As humanity progresses, each generation tends to focus hope on its youth. Perhaps they will be the ones to change the world; perhaps they will be the ones to make things better. But what are we teaching the youth of today, and what guidance are we giving them to make positive change? The other day, as I sat at my desk pondering life, I heard a voice outside chanting a disturbing message. ‘I hate the world. I hate the world.’ I looked outside and saw two teenage girls walking past my house. One of them was obviously upset about something, and was conveying her feelings loudly and clearly. Her voice expressed not only her current thoughts, but also her belief that she must accept the world as it is. Then I read an article about a mass protest in Pakistan. About 5000 children, ages 8 to 12, were released from school to participate in a demonstration in which they burned a coffin and flags, chanting ‘Hang those who insulted the prophet’. I cannot imagine that the children organized this event on their own. They are being taught that killing is okay, and that reacting to an insult is good enough reason to kill. What sad thoughts to put in the minds of children. When I was a child, we had free run of the neighborhood. After school, we would go out to play, and were only expected to be home by dinner. Today, children must be driven or escorted everywhere, and some are not even allowed to play by themselves in the front yard. They are told not to trust strangers, and that the world is full of bad people. We are teaching our children to fear. Over the past few years, there has been a substantial increase in autism, and many children are termed as ‘attention deficient’. When children do not sit quietly in school, they are identified as problematic. When they dare to express their uniqueness and vibrate with the joy of childhood, they are considered disruptive and given drugs to calm them down. What we are really doing is suppressing their emotions and natural energy. There is a theory that we are currently witnessing an evolution of the human species, and that many children are special. Indigo children are defined as those with exceptional capabilities. Children who are hypersensitive, who view the world through different eyes, and who may have enhanced talents such as telepathy, are labeled as difficult and their growth is stifled. While many believe in the theory of evolution, most tend to believe that it occurred in the past. Few believe that humanity is currently experiencing evolution, and that our species is changing. Instead, we try to make children act and behave like automatons, following the rules and fitting in quietly. What should we be teaching our children? They should be taught to have high value of themselves, and to develop high self-esteem. They should be taught to hold others in high value, and to respect each and every person for their uniqueness. They should be encouraged to grow physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. They should be taught to respect life. The world is full of children. We must teach them to love and appreciate the uniqueness of every person, and to treat each other with respect and honor. We must teach our children well, and hope that they can express the joy and creativity and love that are necessary to change the world. We must hope that they can overcome hatred and anger and fear. We must hope that they can pass along positive qualities to their own children, and lead humanity towards a glorious future. © Copyright Glenn Stewart Coles, 2006 First Published March 5, 2006

Subscribe to

Weekly Inspirations

Teach Your Children Well

 

 

What are we teaching the youth of today?