Last night we watched the Hilary Swank movie, Freedom Writers.
It’s in the same category of Gridiron Gang, starring The Rock, which I mentioned last week.
Freedom Writers is the true story of a beginning teacher named Erin Gruwell who makes a difference in the lives of teenage gang members forced to integrate in her classroom in Long Beach, California in 1994.
The movie is inspiring on many levels, but to me personally because the teacher uses writing and reading to help transform these “unteachable, at-risk” youths.
When Gruwell discovers that the teenagers have no idea what the Holocaust was, she works three jobs to raise the money to buy the kids copies of Anne Frank’s famous diary, The Diary of a Young Girl.
The youths read it, transfixed by the story, and enraged by the ending of it.
In one hypnotic scene, the kids get excited about bringing to their class Miep Gies, the woman who hid Anne Frank.
They manage to raise the money and actually bring her to class, to speak to them. Miep tells them, “You are the real heroes today.”
Freedom Writers is a powerful movie with an inspiring message. It’s on DVD. I suggest you get it and watch it.
For information on the foundation Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers started, including how to contribute to their efforts to create change in the school system, see www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/
If you want to know how you can help troubled teenagers when you see movies like Freedom Writers and Gridiron Gang, consider that peace begins with you.
Scientific research has defined a powerful new ”technology of peace” that can help you here. You can take world peace into your own hands with it. There is a lot of free information (including a downloadable mini-book) that explains the scientific studies behind this method.
I think you’ll find it’s one of the most amazing sites on the Web. It gives you a tool to help create peace. To see it, just click here: www.CreatePermanentPeace.com
Ao Akua,
Joe
www.mrfire.com
PS — As I watched the Freedom Writers movie, I kept “cleaning”, ala the ho’oponopono method described in the book, Zero Limits. There were some tough scenes to watch, but clearing helped. Keep in mind that all change happens within first, and then appears on the outside later. It all begins with you.
4 Comments
Sunds like an interrestuing movie. I’ll check it out.
The CreatePermanentPeace.com site posed a very interesting question…
“Do you know the cause of terrorism?
Or how to dissolve terrorism at its root?”
Hmmm…well I think the cause of it is fear.
And the source of all our fear comes from our own uncontrolled minds or “delusions”…
A terrorist is simply taking action to compensate for their inappropriate thoughts and focus. They are taking action to try and alleviate their fear; which has produced the anxiety and the anger that they feel.
They are taking action to try and alleviate the fear that they center their lives around and focus on daily. They live in a culture of fear. They meditate religiously upon it which adds powerful vibration to it and therefore it grows and brings anxiety until they feel that they have no other oprions than to act out.
“Anxiety is the mark of spiritual insecurity.” – Thomas Merton
Of course, we can counter these negative vibrations with the ho’oponopono method and with our own happy lives and emissions of love.
“Train yourself…to regard seeming evil as being only that which is undeveloped.” – Wallace Wattles
If we all spread the movement; introduced, taught and most importantly, live the Law of Attraction with faith, love and gratitude, we can create vibrations that will penetrate in to the individual that is undeveloped in [contemplating] the body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment: restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with suffering.
It will be as the Buddhist story of the salt crystal…
“Suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into a small amount of water in a cup. What do you think? Would the water in the cup become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?”
“Yes, lord. Why is that? There being only a small amount of water in the cup, it would become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink.”
“Now suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into the River Ganges. What do you think? Would the water in the River Ganges become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?”
“No, lord. Why is that? There being a great mass of water in the River Ganges, it would not become salty because of the salt crystal or unfit to drink.” –
We can achieve…nay, are in the beginning stages of a new era in human development and potential. I truly believe that we can be that mass of water which engulfs the undeveloped and negates their fear by dissolving it within a sea of love and gratitude.
Today, the entire planet is beginning to experience a revival of the old teachings.
Join the revival.
Buy copies of Joe’s Zero Limits book for the people in your lives. Not all of them will accept and put into practice, but others will. Education is the key. Together, we can turn this spiritually illiterate world into a literate one.
But even more important is for everyone that has the knowledge to put it in to practice with ho’oponopono.
Then, one day we will all be able to say-
Pono au, lokahi ao, holo’oko’a!!
Translations; I am in excellence, enlightened, and in unity with the universe!!
Carl
P.S. – You can pre-order your copy today on Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Limits-Secret-Hawaiian-System/dp/0470101474
What really moves me is how you embrace the culture to change the culture. So much of the religious training that I’ve recieved has been about “downing” the culture and staying away from it, rather than, embracing it for change. This is one example, love the way you use the movie to further the knowledge of your learners. You are a master Dr. Joe.
Funny how things work…I just ordered that movie, yesterday! I was a teacher and a director at an “at-risk” school. Those kids taught me far more than I taught them. A year ago, the school closed. On the last day, I told them, “The schools where you attend, next fall, think you are coming to them to learn. The truth is, you are going out to teach.” The stories behind how each came to be placed at an “at-risk” school were profoundly touching and mesmerising. Every morning, when I arrived, I put on meditation music. One by one, they would find their way into the room, telling me how much they liked the soothing sounds. I finally had a “class before class” where we all spoke of metaphysical things. They would beg me to keep teaching, but I would laugh and tell them the schools did not allow it. I could only do it before or after school hours. I was amazed at how many either came early or stayed late, just so they could ask questions and listen to discussions of spiritual matters. Teaching at such a school is quite a blessing. And, as I said, it was I who walked away the student. I continue to stay in touch with many of those kids, and I smile when I hear of all their successes. All they ever needed was someone to say, “You are worthy.” They are!
God Bless–