Home Of The Brave
Free & Brave Kids! What a beautiful combo.
Hey kiddo,
How’s it going? I hope you have a great 4th of July. Words can’t describe my conviction to help you live in a free and just world.
Last weekend I spent a lot of time pondering the phrases, “Home of the free” and “home of the brave.” They mean a lot to me, and I hope they will mean a lot to you too.
LAND OF THE FREE CHILDREN
Although we all occasionally feel inadequate, I want you to know that you have agency. Believe in it. YOU control your THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, and ACTIONS. You decide if you live, laugh, and love (haha). Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, but I’m serious. Make wise decisions, carve beautiful pathways, and create a spectacular life. No matter what happens, no one can take that away from you. Even during our darkest trials or against our most evil adversaries it’s important to believe that we can seek help, heal, change course, and help others.
We are all constantly making decisions small and large. Some decisions seem big but are actually quite meaningless, other decisions will feel small when they are truthfully remarkable.
Remember that TRUST is at the foundation of freedom and opportunities, and in this way, freedom is not passive. Many have fought for it, others have worked diligently for it, and others have carefully protected it.
What will you do with your freedom?
This is an important question because while you are free to make decisions, you are not free to choose the consequences. There’s a reason some dogs need to stay on a leash while others can roam freely without one. The dog off the leash is trusted to interact well with other dogs, people, and stay safe; while the dog on the leash is not. Some decisions will hurt your trustworthiness, but the great news is that there is time to rebuild it. A simple way to earn more trust from your peers and the adults in your life is to learn and grow new skills with integrity and love.
2. HOME OF THE BRAVE CHILDREN
Be brave. We need brave adults AND brave kids. Your integrity will be tested over and over again. Sometimes being brave will mean standing up, other times it will mean standing down. We will all make mistakes along the way, but please be brave. A girl who I went to highschool with loved the quote, “feel the fear and do it anyway.” I love the concept of feeling your feelings, but doing what you feel is right. I’ve heard people describe fear as the opposite of love. To me courage is both strength and love. Doesn’t the phrase “home of the brave” take on a whole new meaning when understood as the strong and loving.
I am not interested in shoving kids through a system to either ride the success of their ancestors or just stumble their way through life. I believe in creating a country of brave children. I require my students to do extremely difficult things because they’ll need the strength to survive the challenges and evil coming for them, to create a beautiful life, and to be a powerful force for good.
Children, know that you are not alone. There are brave people all around the world who are fighting to make the world a better place for you.
So, get a good set of tires, check your engine light, buckle your seat belt and be brave. We need you out here.