I want to share two thoughts about life.  One, “life can beat you down, but letting it beat you, that’s a choice.” (The Last Champion)  Second, “life isn’t about what you can achieve; it’s about what you can become.” (American Underdog)  Both of these thoughts are life-affirming and have caused me to continue to re-evaluate the direction that my life is moving in.  Many  of us do things because we’ve been taught to be the best people we can be.  Some of us keep fighting to better ourselves, sometimes at the expense of others.  And still others believe that no matter how hard they try, they will never reach the highest pinnacle in their careers, their goals, their families, or their retirements.

I would like to offer another insight into what should really direct our lives.  When you connect your values and your courage, the air you breathe will be sweeter and will feel like a gift.  When you are rooted in the past and stand firm in the present, you will no longer drift through life.  When you do the courageous and challenging act, you will be filled with awe at the opportunity to do such an act.  Opening your heart and mind to the truth will make everything new in beauty and justice.  Your work will be more fulfilling when your purpose, passion, and way connect with leading, listening, and loving.

Timeless sacredness is from heaven, from the earth we walk on, and from within us.  There is a higher power that turns us from strangers into kin;  grace and wisdom are the foundations of everything in our lives.  With thoughtful discernment and empowered decisions, we will be grounded in who centers our hearts: Jesus Christ.  To see, hear, feel, and turn towards Him makes everything we do a gift to the world.  Just as some let life beat them down, others chose the opposite.  Just as some achieve for the sake of having a six-figure salary, a beautiful mansion, a Porsche in the driveway, and vacations around the world, thinking “the grass is greener on the other side,” others are satisfied to become more caring and loving people and live by more modest means.

As for me, I’ve had a hard life at times, but I have never been willing to let the hard things control who I am.  I have achieved many goals in my life; they have never over-shadowed what I was raised to be: a loving Christian who has tried to use her God-given talents to better the world and her students.  With God’s help, nothing has been impossible because His lantern has brightened my path, and His grace has allowed me to forgive.  The fact that the sun rose today says something about the human race.  A person, a tribe, or a nation has forgiven a hurtful act for us to see the rainbow after the storm.  I stand on the shoulders of those who made both good and bad decisions in the past, and I look to future generations to love others more than themselves.  I hope they will forgive all I didn’t do for them, as I pray they will forgive those who come after them.

Anna Hartt