Choose Hope

Choose Hope

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness". - Desmond Tutu

The last few days have been difficult for us educators and parents as we saw the news out of Parkland, Florida and Stoneman Douglas High School. We all have ran the gamut of emotions: sadness, anger, frustration, worry. Then something happened that shifted everything. The students of Stoneman Douglas High School rose up and spoke out. Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky, David Hogg and countless other students brought light to darkness. After such heavy loss, they made a choice. They chose hope. In the toughest hours of their lives, they chose hope. Hope will motivate them and others to bring forth change that impacts lives. These young people will not be defined as victims, they seek to be victors. Hope is the faith that, together, we can make things better. It takes a great deal of courage to have hope and these young people have it in spades. They have provided our nation a reminder of the power of Hope.

No matter how dark things are in your life you have the choice to choose hope. Change your thinking. Refuse to swim in a sea of sorrow. Don't give in. Refuse to lose. Do not accept anything as permanent. Go one more round. Change your mindset. Believe things can get better. Never quit. Your history will not be your destiny! 

Follow your positive thinking with positive doing. Great leaders help people believe the impossible is possible which makes the impossible probable. Regardless of the losses you have experienced or the difficulties you are facing right now in your personal or professional life, as 2pac said "Keep your head up". Losses of any kind are never enjoyable, but the one loss we cannot afford to experience is the loss of hope. Whatever you are facing in life, look it in the eye and say you cannot defeat me. Take a stand! Overcome it!! You can do it!!! You are the change you wish to see within yourself and the world. Make it happen!

I've heard that people can live forty days without food, four days without water, four minutes without air, but only four seconds without hope. Hope is our energy, it's our fuel that keeps us going when the times get tough. Our strength and courage rest with the hope that resides within us all. It's imperative that we let that hope be the beacon of light we need at our darkest hours. After every dark night comes a bright day. Keep working to get a better tomorrow than you experienced today.  All change springs from the seed of hope deeply rooted in making the world a better place for you, for me, and for us all across the world.

Embrace hope. 

Together, we can make things better. 




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