“Everything the light touches is our kingdom.” – The Lion King

 

Adults constantly feel the need to be educating their children, when in fact; our children can teach us too.   Just because something is small doesn’t mean it can’t have a big impact.   Today I had the pleasure of attending an assembly at my daughter’s school to celebrate their PRIDE program.  As identified, in the handout I received, PRIDE is a positive approach to student behaviors, behavior management, and bullying.  PRIDE stands for Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Excellence. 

Throughout the presentation, all students kindergarten to fifth grades got up in front the group and showed off the PRIDE posters they created.  Then a select set of students from each grade level spoke of a case where they used PRIDE, in their own lives, throughout the school year.  Generally the topics the students spoke about were very simple philosophies.  They declared respect for their dogs and cats, by taking care of them, many told of perseverance in a sports accomplishment and others expressed integrity when helping or loving others.   As I sat there, I guess I was expecting more.  I thought they should be tasked at having grander gestures and thought that the ideas they came up with seemed insignificant.  After I got home and really thought about it, I think we all can learn from those kids and the simple tasks they performed, I know I did.

After today’s presentation, I am reminded of a great line from the movie the Lion King (that is no coincidence, since they were playing Lion King Music during the presentation), when the king of the jungle says to his son, “Everything the light touches is our kingdom.”  Lions may be the in charge of the animal kingdom but humans are in charge of the WORLD.  As humans, we are responsible for everything and everywhere the light shines, in our own lives.  It’s up to all humans, as a group, to leave the world a little better than we found it. 

As individuals, we should all aim to live our lives, with perseverance, respect, integrity, determination and excellence.  Have PRIDE, take care of your surrounding and have respect for all the people that are part of it.  The students’ simplest acts of sharing an ice cream, having something nice to say about a sibling or loving and respecting a best friend, is what makes this world a better place.  It’s not about the big things, it about the little things we can do every day, that when put together make a big difference.

If each student, I saw today, performed just one little act, imagine what the WHOLE PRIDE of students has accomplished, this school year.   Just like the teamwork in a PRIDE of lions, these students each performed a minor deed that when put together made their environment a better place.  The concept of Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Excellence should be the mantra for everyone’s life, not just a project in school.  Take time to perform little acts that show your PRIDE and make your kingdom a better place.  Spend each day challenging yourself to find times where you exhibit examples of PRIDE.  The students from my daughter’s school are leaving their kingdom a little better than they found it, with their acts of PRIDE.  Just because something is small doesn’t mean it can’t have a big impact.