Rachel Joy Scott was the first victim of the Columbine High School shooting tragedy on April 20, 1999. During her short lifetime, she kept several diaries and essays, each keeping to a similar theme that she would change the world. Posthumously, she has. Her family and friends operate Rachel's Challenge, an inspirational outreach program with the goal of starting a chain reaction of kindness. Whether you are a senior in high school or a senior citizen, you can accept Rachel's Challenge.
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- 1Learn Rachel's story. Do a little research of who she was, what she did, and what she wrote. Read her essay, "My Ethics, My Code of Life", at http://www.rachelschallenge.org/LearnMore/RachelsEssay.php. This was written just weeks before the Columbine shootings. Understand what she stood for and how she reflected what she stood for. Learn about her random acts of kindness - one of which saved the life of a student who, unknown to Rachel, was planning on committing suicide. Watch videos on YouTube or the official Challenge website that explain more about who she was.
- 2Eliminate prejudice. Learn to find the good in everybody, and understand that first impressions are meaningless. A person could be having an off day, and if you judge them without getting to know them, you are being prejudiced. Ignore the negative things about a person, and stick to looking for and admiring their positive traits.
Eliminate prejudice. - 3Dream big. Set goals for yourself, even if you don't think you will ever meet them all. Keep a journal, and write something in it every day. Your entry doesn't have to be a summary of your day, it can be a thought process, a poem, or even a drawing.
Dream big. - 4Choose positive influences. Pick your own influences that leave a positive, happy feeling in you. Don't let somebody else choose your influences for you. Keep positivity in your influences, and leave negative, angry, hate-based influences out of your life. Don't be afraid to stand up for what you truly believe in.
Choose positive influences. - 5Commit random acts of kindness. Use kind words. Mockery, discrimination, and careless words can leave a fatal impact on one's emotional state. Random acts of kindness, while usually small, can create a huge impact, leaving both you and your kindness recipient in a good mood.
Commit random acts of kindness. - 6Start a chain reaction of compassion. Tell your loved ones that you care about them and love them deeply. Be a courteous, helpful, and forgiving leader. Steer away from rumors and gossip, no matter how tempting it may seem. Reach out to people you normally wouldn't reach out to, and find ways to make their day just a little bit better. Encourage your friends, peers, colleagues, coworkers, and family members to accept Rachel's Challenge and spread the compassion and kindness.
Start a chain reaction of compassion. - 7Become a Friend of Rachel (FOR). Contact a school guidance counselor or your boss or human resource manager and bring up the idea of scheduling a Rachel's Challenge speaker to visit your school or workplace. Sign the official pledge at http://www.rachelschallenge.org/ContactUs/AcceptRachelsChallenge.php, and start a Rachel's Challenge club at your school.
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- Wikipedia, Rachel's Challenge, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel's_Challenge – research source
- Official website of Rachel's Challenge, http://www.rachelschallenge.org/ – research source
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Last edited:
July 28, 2012 by Silver Diadem
Categories:
Featured Articles | Happiness & Optimism | Personal Development
