It has been a challenging month and a challenging year so far. I decided to share this from my collectcion to headline a sense of hope as I also hereby present some #RandomThoughts for the Week on Iran and some uplifting thoughts as I look forward to sharing some opening thoughts for the quarter:
It was James Baldwin who most brilliantly captured this tension in Notes of a Native Son. He said,
“It began to seem that one would have to hold in mind forever two ideas which seemed to be in opposition. The first idea was acceptance, the acceptance, totally without rancor, of life as it is, and men as they are: in light of this idea it goes without saying that injustice is commonplace. But this did not mean that one could be complacent, for the second idea was of equal power: that one must never, in one’s own life, accept these injustices as commonplace but one must fight them with all one’s strength.”
So let us forget the small minded people who reject the philosophy that would help not only make them happier, but help make the world a better place. Instead, let us aim all our energy and effort at that seemingly contradictory idea. Accept life for what it is without even a hint of bitterness while we do everything we can to improve and change injustice whenever it is within our collective power.
- Stay Focused on the Future
Let the past guide you, but never let it consume you. The mistakes of yesterday should be lessons, not reasons for despair. - Believe in Yourself
You are in control of your life. Even in the most difficult moments, you still get to decide what to do. Believe in your ability to reach your goals. - Celebrate Others
Jealousy of others’ success will just slow you down. Instead of resenting what others achieve, see it as something to celebrate. After all, every time someone reaches their goal, it’s proof that goals are reachable. You can achieve yours, too, if you stay focused and positive. - Have Smaller Goals Within the Larger Goal
To keep yourself going, give yourself milestones you want to reach. In a lot of ways, reaching a big goal is like running a marathon. You can’t focus on all 26.2 miles of it at once. Instead, it’s better to focus on one mile at a time. - Be Grateful
Take time to recognize what you have instead of obsessing about what you don’t have. It will help you stay grounded and keep you thinking about the positive.
