Living in the Wake of School Shootings: Glennon Doyle’s Strategy to Do "the Next Right Thing" by Cindy Hlywa

Glennon Doyle is an author, activist, philanthropist and self-described “survivor of everything.” In devastating times, she recommends doing “the next right thing” as a way to move forward constructively, and maybe even gracefully.

As a teacher and parent, I’m overwhelmed in the wake of yet another school shooting. For years we’ve been bombarded with rhetoric about what our nation should do to end this madness, and still, another school shooting is bound to happen. I hope the young Parkland survivors can inspire our leaders to work through the complexities of background checks and mental health funding because these issues have tremendous importance. 

Within our own homes, schools and communities let’s also address the social and emotional skill deficits affecting many of the young people we know. For me, "the next right thing” looks like this:

• Listening to children, without multitasking, until they feel heard. 
• Being as inclusive as possible so that compassion and kindness are especially visible to those who struggle. 
• Teaching, and modeling, healthy coping skills every day.

What other “next right things” can we do? Share your ideas with us in the comments. This video is longer than 30 seconds, but we think it's worth it.

Photo: ArtToSelf.com