Jennifer Bonn

BY JENNIFER BONN

There are some questions in life that have no right answer. Pondering these questions provides an opportunity for self reflection and forces us to think about different perspectives. How would you answer these questions? How can two people have different views of reality?

People view reality based on their belief system. Sometimes individuals welcome a view of reality for so long that they accept it as truth, even if it is false. Is there a way to slow down aging?

Eliminate stress, and put worry and fear in God’s hands. Exercise, eat well, laugh often, pray and cultivate community. A great deal of moisturizer can help, too. How should we deal with difficult people?

The first thing I always do is understand where the person’s words and actions are coming from. My reaction is to meet hatefulness with love and understanding. People are carrying all kinds of burdens. Unfortunately, with some people, hatefulness continues to flow no matter what you do. In this case, I limit interactions as much as possible. How can we make a difference?

The best way to make a difference is to look beyond yourself, and do what you can to serve others. Even the busiest people still have time to help others. Practice random acts of kindness at least once a day, and be generous with your smile. What are the keys to success?

One of the keys to success is failure; it makes you stronger and wiser. Another key to success is to stop comparing yourself to others. My definition of success is happiness. Make a list of what you want to achieve, and make a plan on how to accomplish those goals. Always keep a positive attitude. How do we continue to grow?

Realize that we can learn something from everyone. Learn from the words and actions of those you admire. Push yourself to do and learn new things. Why are children so much happier than adults?

Children approach everything they do with joy, while adults are more critical. Children treat everyone equally regardless of race, age or gender, while adults tend to judge by appearances. Children never feel the need to hurry. For them, it is acceptable to stop, observe their surroundings and inspect each of the 27 bugs they see on the ground. Life is full of wonders, and children want to experience them all. Adults can learn a lot about happiness that they may have forgotten from children.

Jennifer Bonn is a French teacher at Mount Paran Christian School, and is working on a book about lessons she learned in the classroom.