October is also National Bullying Prevention Month. We have all heard the term bullying, but what does it actually mean? Bullying is defined as unwanted aggressive behavior involving an observed or perceived power imbalance and repetition of behaviors or a high likelihood of repetition.

Bullying is unfortunately a reality for far too many in our communities, both young and old. Much like any other form of violence, bullying is not isolated to any particular age group, gender, or demographic. Just about every one of us can look back on our lives and recall a time when either we were personally bullied or witnessed one of our friends or schoolmates being bullied. It's hard to believe that with all the advancements and awareness, this type of behavior still exists, but it does. With the advent of social media, it has actually gotten much worse. This is because, unlike in the past, bullies not only impact your life on the playground or in the classroom; they can now follow you into your personal life due to the constant presence of social media.

There is good news in that we have learned a great deal about what creates bullies and how to neutralize their ability to isolate and intimidate. The key is for those in authority to respond to reports of bullying immediately to show, without question, that bullying will not be tolerated. That message needs to carry over into our homes through the lessons we teach our children, not only by what we say but also by our own actions and how we treat fellow adults. Bullying is, without question, a learned behavior. It is learned on the playground and in the classroom and carries over into the workplace and social interactions as adults. We need to send a strong message to our own children, a message of empathy and compassion, not ridicule and rumor.

However, this approach and the efforts to create a kinder, more compassionate society are only half of the equation. Regardless of our best efforts, we never have and never will purge our world of people and situations that will challenge us. Sometimes, life is hard. And to that, I share a word of wisdom from former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, and that word is: "Good."

That's right. It is good that we have hardships, as they make us stronger. It is good that the best things in life usually demand the most effort and sacrifice from us. It is good that there are difficult people and situations that we have to endure. It is in the hard that we find our strength. It is in the hard that we discover, cultivate, and sustain gratitude.

While we must continue our work toward more kindness, empathy, and compassion, we must also embark upon initiatives to improve our overall durability and that of our children. Even with our best efforts, we will be sending our youth out into a world that is often unkind and lacks empathy and compassion. Life isn't fair. It never was, and it never will be. The best we can hope to do is focus on what we can control (hint: The only thing we can control is ourselves), influence those in our proximity, and, through it all, never lose our sense of purpose.

Thirty-four years ago, I embarked upon a calling with the idealistic belief that I was going to change the world. I hope that I have made the community I served a better place, but I am under no illusion that I changed a great deal of anything. I would submit, however, that my greatest achievement has been that the world has not and never will change me.