This week we’ll flip our calendar page and leave 2016 behind, but this monumental year won’t be disappearing from our memories any time soon. Through my work with the Flawless Foundation, I collaborated with dozens of individuals and organizations doing their part to create a more compassionate, equitable, and accepting world and they left me with many reasons to be hopeful for 2017. In the advocacy world we have had promising research developments, legislative breakthroughs, and countless examples of dedicated people effecting positive change. Before we launch into another year, we took a look back and pulled together the most memorable moments and lessons we learned in 2016. These are the pearls of wisdom we will bring into 2017 to power our work to even greater heights.
“Compassion is our most powerful weapon. And we can all prescribe that.”
“When it comes to mental health and addiction, we need everybody to be part of the solution.”
Both of these messages, the first from the US Surgeon General, and the second from Patrick Kennedy, remind us that we each have the ability to be agents of compassion and understanding. The simple action of reaching out with kindness can make a huge difference for someone who is struggling. This issue is too big, and the stakes too high for any of us to be standing on the sidelines.
“How many of you feel that you might be a little healthier and happier with more emotional intelligence?” - Dr. Marc Brackett
The research coming out of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, lead by Dr. Marc Brackett, is undeniable: emotionally intelligent schools are safer and healthier, and students who have social-emotional skills demonstrate improved academic performance. If we want our kids to succeed, we need to prioritize the development of these skills in schools and at home. These findings give us much hope and represent Flawless prevention at its best.
There’s no limit to what we can accomplish “when a group of individuals puts their compassion into action by advocating for educated awareness about brain health issues.”
In late September, members of the advocacy community combined our voices and sparked important change in favor of more compassionate treatment toward those with disorders of the brain. We saw the power of social media and how much we can accomplish when we come together to give voice to an issue that is too often ignored or swept under the rug.
“How can I step up my love?” - Ari Nessel
This is the question that Ari Nessel, founder of The Pollination Project, asks himself during difficult times. I sat down to talk with Ari in June, just a day after the shootings in Orlando. His philosophy and words of wisdom inspired me then, and stayed with me throughout the rest of the year. Almost daily I repeat his question as a mantra.
“Kids do well if they can.” - Dr. Stuart Ablon
The prevailing assumption in education and parenting has been that kids with behavioral challenges are choosing to misbehave. Dr. Stuart Ablon of Think:Kids instead encourages us to view challenging behavior as the result of a skill deficit. This paradigm shift opens the door to increased trust and understanding, and creates opportunities to transform relationships.
This refrain in a heartwarming video from the students at The Meeting House is a simple phrase that exemplifies this organization’s commitment to embracing and welcoming everyone. This was an inspiring message of anti-bullying, particularly during an election season when adults were not serving as the best examples. As we go forward into a new year, we must remember that anti-bullying is not just a slogan or an ideal as kindness is something that we must practice in every aspect of our lives.
We all spent many months with the presidential campaign forefront in our minds. It brought out the worst in our media, politicians, and at times that negativity trickled down to the level of our communities and relationships. Nevertheless, this divisive period reaffirmed my belief that kindness and acceptance unify us, despite all outward differences and disagreements. We share a common humanity, and when we touch into that universal truth, we can engage with one another, even if it’s to disagree, from a place of respect and compassion.
“Don’t be ashamed and don’t be scared. If you admit how you feel, you can heal.” - DMC
In his brave and moving talk at the Kennedy Forum, the musician opened up about his mental health challenges, and about the very real fears that many face about talking about these issues. Eliminating the shame around brain disorders is vitally important. It’s clear that there is a collective longing for greater support and dialogue about this topic as we saw with the popularity of our blog about Sinead O’Connor, which reached close to 500k people.
I’m heading into 2017 inspired and hopeful. We have some ongoing challenges with changing the face of our cause but we have the tools to create a new paradigm. We have the means of getting our message out and amplifying our voice with research and data to strengthen our stance on a variety of issues. We have champions who are passionate about this human rights issue and as we know so well — when we stand together we move closer to a world where everyone is embraced by society and feels “Flawless”.
