I have immense love and respect for individuals who have the courage to defy norms, refuse to fit in, and open up more possibilities and opportunities for themselves and others. Maya Ma'am of Tattwa (NIOS school) is one of those remarkable people who did that eons ago. In a time when what was deemed "normal" only considered specific perspectives, she chose to accept the diversity in learners. It's even more inspiring when dear friends are associates of this vision. What more can we ask for? #AcceptingDiversity is all about helping our nervous system slow down, take time, and get curious to understand another perspective. As we take time to understand, we must do so without blaming or shaming other perspectives. It's also crucial not to blame and shame ourselves for not knowing something yet. We are all in a constant state of learning. Blaming and shaming the process only leads to pain within and around us. As we strive to raise children who take responsibility, we need to slow down. Responsibility is the ability to choose our responses. But what if there are diverse choices and perspectives? Choosing takes time, especially when there's more unknown in front of us now than ever before. We live in a time of information abundance, and having many choices and perspectives is not the issue. The problem arises when we can't slow down to understand each of them. The rush, the urgency to figure it all out, inevitably leads to anxiety. We might feel like failures if we can't figure things out within a specific timeframe, as is often the case with the schooling system. To put it in perspective, consider walking into an ice cream parlor or coffee shop 20 years ago. Choosing would take 2 seconds, as there were limited options. Today, with countless flavors, combos, toppings, and brands, choosing takes much longer. There's so much we don't know about each choice. It takes time to make a decision. Additionally, after making a choice, we might second-guess ourselves, wondering if the other option was better. This abundance of choices and the need to have it all can lead to burnout or breakdown. Expecting children to know exactly what subjects they want to study, which field to pursue, what career path to choose, which college to attend, and more is not easy. Pushing them to make these decisions when they're still exploring and bombarding them with endless options and solutions will only induce anxiety. So, I urge everyone to slow down. How can we engage in conversations when we're not aiming for definite solutions? How can we discuss things and be okay with not knowing it all or figuring it all out at once? As parents, let's not be too harsh on ourselves either. Comparing our childhood experiences to those of our children won't work, as the world has changed significantly. Let's meet our children where they are, not where we want them to be or where we are.
