Friday, July 26, 2013

Investing in the Future....

This blog is a reprint of a post I wrote on  February 27, 2012.  I changed the title for this reprinting because of a major legislative issue making the headlines in Missouri news. HB253 will benefit only the very wealthy in Missouri and will be harmful to public schools as well as every other program in Missouri  that receives state funding. 

Each of us must be diligent to devote the time required to research this issue rather than let our minds "latch on" to the first well-done commercial or catchy headline we see. We are bombarded with so much information every time we turn on the computer or walk by a television that happens to be on hitting us with 15 second sound bytes of information, that it's difficult to focus on the actual issues at hand.

With so much information out there, it's difficult to sort fact from fiction, but it's vital that conscientious citizens take responsibility and base their decisions on factual information. When you've finished reading this, whether you are a fellow Missourian, or not, I encourage you to visit http://www.missourifuture.net/ and take a look at the information provided there as well as the list of groups and associations who are committed to making good things happen for the kids of Missouri! 

We are at a crossroads in Missouri.  We must  put divisions aside and make the effort to do what's best for everyone concerned, especially when it involves our children....our future.


Here's the blog....

Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen,
but give us the determination to make the right things happen 
-- Peter Marshall

Over the years, I've spent quite a bit of time as an advocate for public education.  I do this because I believe, as many of our founding fathers did, that an uneducated public is a quick way to put an end to a free society. I do this because I have grandchildren who will attend public schools.  I do this because I want to remind our legislators that when they appropriate money for public education, it's not "paying for" education for our students, it's "investing in the education of" our students.

And, let's just talk about the "return on investment" when it comes to our kids! 

The students enrolled in our high schools right now will be the teachers, doctors, truck drivers, law enforcement officers, soldiers, parents, farmers, engineers, business owners and a myriad of other professionals who  will be the first in line to take the torch of leadership from our generation.  As we "age out" of the work force and "into" retirement, home health care, nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living communities, it is the students we're investing in right now who will "run the show"!

I want them to do well!

I have been very busy, personally and professionally, but when it comes to doing what's right for the 900,000 children in the state of Missouri, I feel a strong sense of urgency when it comes to legislative issues affecting education!  I think they are worth the investment!

At the Missouri School Boards Association Governmental Relations Center, in Jefferson City, there is a quote on the wall that reads: "Education is the foundation of democracy."  This quote, long attributed to Thomas Jefferson sums up my strong feelings regarding public education. 

Thomas Jefferson believed in a society where talent and virtue should be educated regardless of wealth, birth or any other condition.  He believed that democracy could not long exist without education. He believed the education of our children should come at the common expense of our people. He also believed that without wise elected officials at every level, our education system could not thrive. 

Thomas Jefferson saw public education, quite literally, as the means of insuring political liberty for every generation!

My challenge to you is to go online right now and start gathering information about legislation you're interested in. Whether it's education, [such as the issue I mentioned earlier] or another area that affects your life,  see to it that your voice is heard in your state capitol and in the nation's capitol. Develop a determination within you to give your best, do your best, and to encourage others to do the same.

Blessings!

Sharon

Some good sites to visit if you're interested in the education of our future leaders.











Tuesday, July 23, 2013

It's all about perception....

We don't see things as they are. 
We see things as we are.
Anais Nin

It has been my experience in getting to know people that those individuals who always look for negative things are the same people who seem to be in a constant battle with managing the simple details of life. They seem to be critical of nearly everyone around them and they seem to have a "better way" of doing everything yet managing their own life seems to be an insurmountable task.

I'm not trying to draw attention to anyone in particular, and it's factual to say that there are times when I let negative influences affect me.  There have been times when I feel as though life situations "catch up" to me and knock me to the ground....sometimes, it seems, literally!


When I find myself focusing on overwhelming, negative things,  the attention I pay to those bad things coming my way  sets the tone for how I see other situations and other people.  When I'm feeling negative, I see things that really aren't so bad at all as big, bad, terrible things!

I attempt to remind myself at those times of the Anais Nin's quote above: "We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are." 

It's those times when I pray, do some self-talk and reflect on my life.  Changing my own attitude, counting my blessings, and focusing on good things...true things...beautiful things......helps me see more good, true, and beautiful things in the world around me.

Try focusing on the good and counting your blessings in the face of overwhelming, negative issues and let me know what happens!

Blessings,

Sharon