October 19, 2008
Optimism
I’ve needed to defend myself a lot more lately in these times of great tension because I’m an optimist by nature and find that more often than not, I am not understood.
So, I’ve been working to unpack the reality of optimism to help me understand its make-up and why it fills me so. The closest I get is that at its core there are two variables that one must have in order to be truly optimistic:
* Little to lose
* A loving community
When I plug in these variables to situations arising today, I come out optimistic. If I am missing anything, let me know. I will be eternally grateful and, yes, more optimistic! If it becomes contagious perhaps it will give birth to HOPE.
Possumus
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October 3, 2008
Marquita
Sister of St. Joseph’s St. James Academy High School class of 1958 recently celebrated its 50th class reunion in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I accompanied one of their favorite teachers there so she could join her former students for the weekend of festivities.
I was privileged to see up close the powerful impact one person truly has on another. Time and again I heard how an encouraging comment or nudge to try again or simply a smile literally changed the lives of her students. One by one they came to express gratitude to Sister Marquita, their science and math teacher. Marquita inspired life-long careers in engineering, mathematics, physics, or simply just knowing that they can think something through.
Whether we know it or not, we, too, make an impression on those who come in contact with us. The question we need to ask ourselves is, what is that impression? Be intentional about it.
Possumus
