Restoring the Spirit
 The Meaning of a Life Well-lived

                                                                                                                                              Timothy Stagich, Ph.D.

       Have we lost the spirit? Have we forgotten the meaning and mission of what we are here to accomplish? Or, are we just content to plod along each day from one pay check to the next hoping to build on that nest egg that seems to be growing smaller by the day? There certainly is a sense of futility our there as we see our hard earned money disappear with the depreciation of the dollar, the demise of a strong economy and the devaluation of our savings. Just as we think we are building something valuable and tangible for ourselves that will last through retirement everything falls apart with the collapse of the economy, loss of jobs and bills left unpaid. And, for every one of us who has to learn to live on less there are two others who are just trying to get by one day at a time.

       So, what is the answer? How do we regain our spirit and find greater meaning and mission in a world that seems to be on a path of self-destruction. The answer lies in the belief that each person can make a difference, and if we want to change the world, we must find ways to change ourselves and our present patterns of behavior. In almost every area of society we have lost the real meaning, mission and spirit of what our institutions have been founded on. In government we have forgotten the democratic values upon which our great nation was built as we undermine equality, our middle class and our poor people in favor of greater benefits for the rich and the privileged. In business, we have forgotten how to protect free enterprise, fair business practices and our consumers as we reward the greed and the excesses of Wall Street at the expense of Main Street. And, in education we have lost our focus on what the real purpose of education is as we have sacrificed teaching the values of real leadership and teamwork in favor of developing raw technical skills that are becoming increasingly obsolete in an over-aggressive and accelerated economy. We are marketing and selling ourselves into economic catastrophe. It is time to figure out better ways to make those great sounding mission statements and our organizations work in a practical way for the well-being of society and not just profits and the ever increasing paychecks.

       There is a great amount of hypocrisy throughout society as we talk about the virtues of prudence, justice, equality and temperance and practice unbridled self-interest, greed, power, and business dominance. And, no one is begrudging those who have achieved wealth or continue to profit off of their celebrity as these benefits also have their down side and responsibilities. However, it is the great lack of any sense of proportion in these matters that seems to be the most disturbing trend in American society. We pay our sports heroes millions of dollars to play while many of our teachers and nurses make just enough to live on and pay the rent. And, many of these sports figures have been far from shining examples for society as they are involved in everything from drugs to steroids while our teachers and nurses serve for the benefit of our youth and the community. And, there is a very disturbing trend to reward celebrity just for the sake of celebrity while the real heroes in society and in foreign wars often go unnoticed. And, on Wall Street we pay executives millions in bonuses while the hard working middle class on Main Street are making just about enough to survive if they can keep their jobs.

       In education, we talk about the importance of learning and being open to new ideas as disciplines in higher education become increasingly narrow with less interaction among related and unrelated fields of knowledge. And, in research we are taught about the importance of valid as well as reliable research as studies become increasingly one-dimensional and insignificant in terms of meaningful results. And, this contradiction is carried over into society in the form of narrow research that produces questionable results to support weak medical studies and drugs that should never be allowed on the market with side effects that are often devastating. Finally, with the increasing cost of education, students are often forced to seek out the highest paying jobs on Wall Street in order to pay off their huge student loans. And, instead of fulfilling the ideals of those who hope to improve the world, they immediately become part of the daily grind to squeeze out profits to reward the richest and the greediest elements of society.

       We must work to find ways to give our next generation of workers and leaders a better chance to fulfill the promises of a life well-lived that is built upon prudence, equality, justice, fairness, temperance and the ability and desire to serve others. In our present narrow and competitive system of education and a society built upon the excesses of wealth, this great promise is difficult if not impossible to achieve (See Collaborative Teamwork). We need to educate, teach and develop the leaders of the future through lessons and curriculum in collaborative leadership, team building, and critical thinking. And, within a context of values that help students to think of others first, there is a better chance that the next generation of leaders will inspire by actions and lead by example (See Cultural Context). This effort to instill the values that have made our leaders great in the past can work for us in the future (See Leadership and Democracy). These values of equality, prudence, justice and service will work if we are able to eliminate the disturbing trends that contradict our great mission statements and the real meaning of what we are here to achieve for ourselves, our families and society – a life well-lived.

 Copyright 2009, Global Leadership Resources: For teaching or classroom use only.

                                                                                 Discussion Questions

  1. What patterns of behavior in business, education and government must be changed in order to “Restore the Spirit” in American Society?
  2. What are the values that reflect “a life well-lived”? How can we make these values work for us in business, education and government?
  3. Why have so many people in American society been consumed by the excesses of wealth and celebrity? Why is this trend harmful in a democratic society?
  4. Identify and discuss some of the hypocritical trends in society? How can we change them and make a difference?
  5. What can be done in education to give our next generation of workers and leaders a better chance to fulfill the promises of a life well-lived?
  6. Discuss the values of equality, prudence, fairness, temperance and service and how they can best be applied in business, education and government.
  7. How can we change curriculum to help our students become better leaders and citizens with a sense of service and values that support a democratic society?

 


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