She Tried...

The following is an unedited essay that my daughter turned in for an English Class assignment:

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“Write something uplifting! I know you can do it. Just try.”

Staring at my computer screen, I was astonished at this outrageous request. Was my teacher serious? We have to write something uplifting in the middle of a pandemic, racial injustice protests, reproductive rights crisis, and general nightmare that is our current world?

"Laughable," I figured.

What’s uplifting in this world? We’ve got people dying every day; how is anything about that uplifting? Hovering my fingers over my keyboard hesitantly, I couldn’t even think of a place to start. Just try? Eventually, after zero progress, I got sick of the blaring white Google Document in my face, so I switched tabs into my Spotify music application.

Then, it dawned on me.

Where do I turn when the world seems to be in complete shambles? Where do I begin to express myself in times of trouble? Where do I go when my teacher gives me an unbelievable assignment that results in a massive headache?

Music!

Clicking “Play” on one of my playlists immediately snapped my spirits up. A smile spread across my face as George Michael serenaded me through my laptop speaker. The world around, full of disaster and depression, faded away. I was invincible as David Bowie sang to me, convincing me that maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright.

Inspired, my fingers began dancing across my computer, typing out words faster than my brain could even comprehend. Dozens of typos and grammatical errors flashed on my screen as I did nothing but write - and that was okay. I wrote with a passion and a drive which I never had before I listened to music. I was trying.

Amazed at how quickly everything came to light, I sat back and took my work in. How did I do that, man? Sure, I could send out a massive thank you to the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, and, while I am truly grateful for them, they weren’t the ones who got me to do that writing piece. They weren’t the ones who motivated me to get this done.

It was my teacher, who told me to “just try.”

It’s people like this, people like my teacher, people who push us forward to do what we don’t want to do, who make this world a little bit more bearable. Those people who can guide you to the light at the end of the tunnel, if not be that light themselves. And, in times like this, nobody means more than somebody nudging you, inspiring you, and convincing you to just try.

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The next day, my daughter’s teacher responded with four little words:

“You made me cry.”

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Please share this post with a teacher today...

© 2020. Gabriella Clark. All Rights Reserved.

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​John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.

Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John H. Clark III believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need.  And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
 
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}.
 
An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work!
 
An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life.
 
He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. 
 
Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets.  An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner: