Rethinking Introspection

The Search for Truth

The temptations that adolescents (and everyone else) face can reveal their truest desires. Powerful, honest longings are often concealed deep within their hearts like treasures hidden in darkness. They can tell them about their place and purpose in this world if only they will have the patience to delay their urges to seek immediate gratification. Too often, sincere desires are momentarily placated by temporal things and pushed just below the surface of consciousness. Yet, if you can teach students to resist temptation or at least fight it long enough to ask some tough questions, progress can be made toward uncovering the real person. Some questions that will help encourage introspection include:

• What am I really looking for in this place?
• What do I hope will happen if I do this thing?
• What is missing in my life that I wish were here now?
• What do I fear will happen if I decide not to do this thing?

Rethinking the Journey IV

Bruce Feiler, host of PBS's Walking the Bible miniseries, eloquently reflected that, "Some journeys we choose to go on...some journeys choose us." It's probably truer than most of us realize. Which journeys in your life have you felt an urge to begin? Which journeys have chosen you?

Many of you who work with students know that they come in and out of your life. Some we are able to stay in touch with, while others continue down a path that doesn’t intersect with ours again. That’s okay. That’s the way it’s meant to be. I don’t know what has become of many of my students. Occasionally they cross my mind, but they are on a journey all their own. What I do know is that while I was in a position of influence over these young lives, I fought for their hearts in a way that has been passed down to us through the great stories of yesterday and today.