The best you can do for positive change is to respectfully advocate for that change with words and action.
Making your advocacy public lets others know what you desire and why you desire that change.
When you publicly share your thoughts, you also invite critique, new ideas, revision, and enrichment.
To stay quiet when you see potential is to dismiss that potential.
To speak up gives the potential wings.
To give up stymies what can be.
To persevere makes what can be possible.
I started advocating at an early age to the happiness and sometimes frustration of my family members, educators, leaders, and bosses. I like to try new ideas and make things better if I can.
I especially like this forward movement when I work with complementary thinkers and teammates--people willing to speak honestly and work together toward similar goals, goals greater than ourselves. That's rich, rewarding endeavor.
Each time I advocate, I learn. It's never easy. The only regrets I have from past advocacy is regret related to some sensitivity, strong words, and impatience. Sensitivity, strong words, and impatience play a role, in part, in advocacy, but disrespect and indignity never play a positive role.
Advocacy takes patience, perseverance, passion, heart, and skill. As I think about this, I wonder how we prepare our students for the kinds of advocacy they'll promote to better their lives and their world.
Any thoughts?
