Richard V. Eastman
This workbook is an opportunity for you to learn what you want at your own pace. Its purpose is to help you discover and believe that, "Every problem has a solution."
John W. Gardner has the right idea, He said, "The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursuing his own education."
We learn to cook by cooking, sing by singing, paint by painting; so life can become doing what we are good at, and what we enjoy.
H.G. Wells said, "Our educational system seems to have developed a community of faith and obedience. It should be replaced with knowledge and the will to make a difference."
This workbook suggests that you focus on powerful words that improve your social and communication skills.
You will find when you pick, choose and design, at least part of your education you will begin to believe, "1 can do anything I set my mind to."
I believe you are capable of learning more than you realize, and at a speed that will surprise you. Practice with these education tools will give you: "I can do this attitude."
Richard Eastman has lived a life that few can imagine. Because of his experience and twenty years as a Youth Counselor he has great faith in young people.
He believes that anything they can describe on paper must be encouraged; even if it is wrong. Students must learn to love the sound of their own words. "Man is born free," but parents and teachers stifle growth with fears they invent and too many expectations.
We over-manage because we think only our experience is correct. But, ten years experience is often, only one-year experience, without new habits, repeated ten times. The truth is, having faith in our children will help them rise to a level, where we can learn with, and from each other.
The most important thing you can do while young is to find your obsession. I suggest find what interests you most, and go for it. When I say this, students usually look at me–confused–and say, "How do I find my obsession? I don''t even know what I want to do tomorrow!
My answer is "it''s easy." All you need to do is listen to your own thinking. What you think is a recording who you are, your experience, and your dreams. You will not believe this at first, but you will begin to believe it when you practice listening to yourself-on paper. If you write what you are thinking as fast as you can for short periods of time, you will discover things you did not know about yourself.
Turn to the quotations on page 53 if you want some interesting reasons for writing. Writing is a source of all kinds of information. Socrates famous statement “Know thyself” can be discovered through the act of writing.
Writing will change your life in many ways.
- It will dramatically improve your reading ability.
- It will help you learn from your mistakes, your history, your experience.
- It will help you find and focus on what you value.
- It will help you discover what you want to do with your life
- It will help you get in the habit of focus on your interests or hobbies.
- It will help you think clearly about what you like to think.
- It will help you find wisdom from knowledge, only you, have discovered.
- It will help you improve the world you are going to live in.
- It will help prevent the bad habit we all have; thinking the same thoughts, endlessly, over and over and over.
- It will give you Freedom, instantly. When you write down your thoughts you''re free to move-on, to other things that interest you.
If your thoughts are given the respect they deserve by writing them down; your obsessions, your interests, will identify themselves.
I believe if you have some ideas you''re happy with, you should write them down before they are forgotten. There is something magic, something happens on the inside, when you say what is in your heart-on your mind. We all, some of us don''t realize it, have a need to give the world our two-cents worth, even if the world never reads it. It feels good to say what is on your mind. It is like the completion of a large picture puzzle. It''s a hand-crafted piece of work created with your own hands. It is a work of art you can be proud of. Your life can be a work of art. Study the nature of man. A good example is an infant, a perfect human being.
They listen to their body and react spontaneously to what they think and feel. They are learning at a fantastic speed because they have not yet allowed society to stifle their growth. Our society stifles the normal development of most of us. If we could remain child-like, and still responsible, we would eventually develop our own potential. Finding our God given ability and talent is our most important lifetime work. No one on this earth has the natural gift "you" have been given. Find it and use it; you''ll be glad you did.
