And yep, it can be learned.
It has become pretty clear to me these past few years that as humans, we have an epic amount of room for improvement. With an uncertain future lying ahead of all of us, what should we do? What can we do?
Knowing What Matters
Well, the University of Maryland is not only acknowledging the current challenges, but guiding students in the direction to help humanity. It’s not about how many Pottery Barn candle holders you have, or even what kind of car you drive. Today? Today, what matters is so much more than what fits in your cart. Natural disasters, global conflicts, a human pandemic – the last few years have been a coffee grinder experience that is impacting human behavior.
Mind the Gap
Remember Maslow’s need hierarchy? If you have a foundation of security, safety, love, and support, etc, your path forward leads to the supposed nirvana of self actualization. The stinger of his theory is that it’s linear and 2-dimensional. We’re not rulers. His thoughts on human development and behavior may be right, but he neglected to include the sub-foundation of opportunity, resources, and education required to even get on this tour.
Change the World, Really?
So when the University of Maryland (UMD) decided to double down on its mission to change the world with the addition of a broader Do Good mission, I was intrigued by their unique over-arching approach. I see UMD students, faculty and staff who are passionate, inspired, motivated, jazzed. Who are these people?
With forward thinking and problem solving leadership, UMD is leaning in for humanity and humanity is responding. Love breeds love. I could not be more proud of the collective force at UMD who are determined to help students be better humans. We all know it takes a village of unsung heroes, with a thoughtful leader like this guy.
Joy Found
There’s joy in learning about students like Marie, who started simply by opening her eyes and giving a shit. Read for yourself what else UMD students are bravely doing! May it give you a shred of hope for our collective future together. Here’s to more joy!