As you know, on Monday, we will have a day off in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Although we often use those days to catch up on sleep or our favorite television shows, it’s important to recognize the significance behind those days. There are some people in the world who don’t have days off. They live in constant suffering or fear. Martin Luther King, Jr. died fighting for a cause in which he greatly believed, and I can assure you that even on days when he was not working, he was always on guard—waiting for the next person who might challenge him.
Next week, I will be encouraging you to think about issues close to your own hearts—ones that you would be willing to defend even if you faced opposition. I’m not saying that any of you need to go to the lengths that Martin Luther King, Jr. did. I would never want you to be in harm's way. However, it’s so easy to get caught up in the daily habits of our schedules and then forget that we have a greater purpose on this planet: to make a difference. What mark do you want to leave on our world?
Changing the world is difficult. But I have had enough life experience to see how small positive changes by people—young and old—every day can make a large difference. There is nothing more powerful than a group of hopeful individuals looking to make this world better. Robert F. Kennedy once said, “It is from diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” The danger is when we acknowledge that something needs to be changed but then do nothing beyond that. Change requires not only thinking but acting. Action requires a plan. A plan requires dedicated people. Are you one of those dedicated people? I am.
-Ms. Sanford
Next week, I will be encouraging you to think about issues close to your own hearts—ones that you would be willing to defend even if you faced opposition. I’m not saying that any of you need to go to the lengths that Martin Luther King, Jr. did. I would never want you to be in harm's way. However, it’s so easy to get caught up in the daily habits of our schedules and then forget that we have a greater purpose on this planet: to make a difference. What mark do you want to leave on our world?
Changing the world is difficult. But I have had enough life experience to see how small positive changes by people—young and old—every day can make a large difference. There is nothing more powerful than a group of hopeful individuals looking to make this world better. Robert F. Kennedy once said, “It is from diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” The danger is when we acknowledge that something needs to be changed but then do nothing beyond that. Change requires not only thinking but acting. Action requires a plan. A plan requires dedicated people. Are you one of those dedicated people? I am.
-Ms. Sanford