| Think back to your childhood for a moment. | | | | financially and socially is an important |
| Did anyone ever sit you down and talk with | | | | task, but it will not ensure their happiness. |
| you about how to live a joyful and passionate | | | | "Living a joyful and passionate |
| life? Was this a frequent topic of discussion | | | | life" needs to be added to the childhood |
| in the classroom, or at the dinner table? If | | | | curriculum.Unfortunately, schools aren't |
| so, then chances are good you came into | | | | likely to squeeze it in between history and |
| contact with a significantly advanced soul. | | | | gym class anytime soon. So how can we teach |
| Most of our childhood lessons are in fact | | | | these lessons at home? There are two |
| about being successful, not about being | | | | important avenues, and both are necessary for |
| happy. And the one, unfortunately, does not | | | | the greatest effect. First, provide your |
| necessarily lead to the other.In school, | | | | children with a living example. Practice the |
| lessons are about history, geography, | | | | art of living a joyful and passionate life |
| mathematics, grammar. The emphasis is | | | | however, whenever, and wherever you |
| ultimately on preparing each student for | | | | can.Second, engage your children in a dialog |
| future training in a trade, be it technical | | | | on the subject. You won't have all the |
| school, college, or even a Ph.D. program. The | | | | answers. You aren't supposed to. So explore |
| curriculum is concerned with financial | | | | the possibilities together. Talk to them |
| success, not happiness. And although | | | | openly about your greatest joys. Ask them |
| financial success can provide the most basic | | | | about their dreams. Experience those joys and |
| aspects of human satisfaction--food, | | | | dreams together, and explore new |
| clothing, shelter--beyond these the | | | | possibilities as they arise. This will jump |
| connection between money and happiness is | | | | start a wonderfully positive cycle of shared |
| tenuous at best.At home, most lessons are | | | | learning and growth.If you're having trouble |
| designed to promote socially acceptable ideas | | | | opening the conversation, try asking them |
| and behavior. Knowing how to fit in is a form | | | | what they think makes people happy and see |
| of social success. Children learn to eat with | | | | what they say. You might learn something. |
| utensils instead of their hands. They are | | | | (Remember what Paula Poundstone says: adults |
| reminded to say "please" and | | | | are always asking kids what they want to be |
| "thank you." They are instructed | | | | when they grow up because the grown-ups are |
| (hopefully) not to bite, not to hit, not to | | | | looking for ideas.)These conversations are |
| lie, not to steal. In short, they are | | | | pure gold. They will encourage your children |
| indoctrinated with the countless behavioral, | | | | to pursue a joyful life, and they will remind |
| moral, and legal codes of our inherited | | | | you to do the same. In fact, the |
| civilization.But here, again, learning how to | | | | conversations themselves are likely to be |
| "fit in" covers only the most basic | | | | among your greatest joys. Sharing your most |
| level of happiness. We are glad not to be | | | | profound inspirations with the people you |
| outcasts, but at the same time, "fitting | | | | love most in the world is about as joyful as |
| in" can be its own source of sadness and | | | | it gets. That's lesson number one. You can |
| disappointment. In the days before the modern | | | | build the rest of the syllabus together.--EM |
| feminist movement, how many women would have | | | | Sky has been a math instructor for The Johns |
| been happier as doctors or lawyers than they | | | | Hopkins University, a special effects |
| were being housewives? How many doctors and | | | | technician in Hollywood, a project manager |
| lawyers today would be happier as auto | | | | for BellSouth, and a rock climbing instructor |
| mechanics if they weren’t concerned | | | | in Atlanta. She even tried being a lawyer for |
| about their social "status"? What | | | | a while, but fortunately she came to her |
| percentage of each human lifetime is spent | | | | senses. Now she is an author, writing on |
| worrying about what other people | | | | business, life, and society for the whole |
| think?Teaching children to succeed both | | | | human being. |