'Today Is The Day'

'Today is the day!' That is what Mel Fisher said as he looked for the shipwreck, the Atocha. Every morning for 18 years, he woke up and determined that indeed he would accomplish his task. This example of positive persistence, is a lesson worth teaching. I want to share not just his achievement with them, but how he never gave up and did whatever it took to make it happen. Our last 2 weeks of school, we will put away the facts that we fill these brilliant little minds with and get out this story of a man who went after the treasure that he yearned for each and every day. No matter what hardships life threw at him he moved forward toward his goal.

My belief, like the plaque that hung in my kitchen as my own kids grew up, is that children are lamps to be lit, not vessels to be filled. So let's remind them that the world is full of possibilities when their efforts, dreams, and attitudes push them forward toward a worthwhile goal.

'Today is the day!' Not, I will do it tomorrow, or it won't work out, or I am not good enough, so why should I try. But, this is the day that I will find my treasure, live my life, work my butt off to make my life worth living.

Theodore Roosevelt said, 'Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.'

Fisher and Roosevelt both understood that, in life, we must work tirelessly, believe in our own abilities, and know that today we could see the fruits of our effort.

In Him,

Joyful
5-12-2010

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