I never cease to be amazed at the human spirit. The ability to thrive in the face of
adversity. The ability to move on after
tragedy. What propels us on? What makes
us move forward when all the signs of the times tell us that we need to stay in
one place? The world says find an area
of comfort and stay there. Hunker down.
Enjoy your time. Don’t make waves
and don’t rock the boat. If only it were
that easy.
What gives you flow?
Is it finding an activity that stimulates your mind and beckons you to
master it? Is it creating a work of art,
knowing no one else has ever seen it the same way? Is it spending time with a loved one, feeling
the sense that time stands still and savoring every moment with them? Flow is an amazing thing. It even appears at times when you have no
energy or you “don’t feel like it.” I
remember times that I have not wanted to go the gym or work out and I told
myself to “move it!”, only to discover it was exactly what my body needed.
An abundant life is a series or ups and downs, of joys and
sorrows. But every moment is to be experienced, both good and bad. How can you take out the bad experiences and
say you have lived a complete life? Without the bad, life would be a fairy tale
and we all know those don’t exist. Life is a series of choices. Those choices lead to situations that test
us, try our patience, and show what we are made of to the world. How we accept the challenges that come our
way tells a lot about our character.
I am in the midst of a job that I love. Every day is a new challenge; a bridge I have
never crossed. But the assurance that I am experiencing the life I was meant to
live keeps me going. Although there are
many people smarter than me and more talented with much more experience, I
relish the thought of being the underdog.
I get excited at the future and possibilities that lie ahead. Sometimes I wonder if someone who is 46 years
old should start a second career. I was
10 years away from retirement as a public school teacher. Wouldn’t it have been so much easier to coast
through those years, retire at 55 and sit in my rocking chair awaiting
death? Possibly. But that has never been the way I operated.
I relish each new challenge.
I get excited at facing things I have never experienced . I love meeting new people, especially those
who share an excitement for learning, for expanding diversity in STEM, and
those who also cheer for the underdog. As
far as work goes, I have found the flow that I always desired. I have found the career that gets me out of
the bed every morning and helps me face the day, knowing I am making a
difference. I have many goals, and some
days I am not sure I will reach them all. But my enthusiasm, my trust in God’s
higher purpose, and my belief in the power of education to transform the world
compels me to keep going.
Every day is a new day, a new challenge, and a new
vision. Every day is a chance to fulfill
that journey I started over 20 years ago, when the first inclination to be a
college professor entered my mind. I am at peace knowing I have reached the “beginning”
of my journey. I am at the trailhead looking over the mountains to come.
I take a deep breath and move ahead, knowing each step
moves me forward through this new life. May I never lose this hunger for knowledge or
this thirst for fulfillment. May I never
settle for coasting through life, always striving to meet every challenge that
comes my way with perseverance and resolve.
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