One of our parents, who has become a dear friend, recently sent me an article by Dr. Tim Elmore. He is the founder and director of Growing Leaders, a nonprofit organization created to develop emerging leaders. While I have no delusions of becoming one of his success stories, I have loved his daily insight in this and other areas of life. So much of what he writes can be applied to so many situations, and at this time when we’re all thinking of next year, his most recent blog really struck a chord with me. Please review an excerpt from “How Much Do You Believe?” and see if you agree.
How much do you have to believe in something before you talk to someone about it? That question is a great grid for determining how deeply you believe in an idea or principle. You would likely never talk to a stranger downtown in a big city—unless you lost your child. Suddenly, you’ll talk to anyone who will listen and help. You also probably wouldn’t talk to a person who lived in another neighborhood that you’ve never met, unless you saw their house on fire. Suddenly, it changes everything. …The reason you would talk to those people is because you feel strongly about your child and the safety of people. That is a conviction in your life. Convictions are deeper than ideas or opinions. They are strongly held beliefs that you take action for ….
Last year, I urged our readers to be as passionate telling people about Darlington as they would be about the latest, greatest movie they’d seen. Of course, Dr. Elmore puts it a lot more eloquently than I—and really brings home the fact that when we feel strongly about something, we talk and act. I ask you today to think about the year your child has had so far. Is he more confident than he was in August? Does she enjoy reading more than she once did? Have they grown more enthusiastic about being kind to other and sharing? How many “light bulbs” of learning have you witnessed in them? Can you truly count the many ways they’ve grown in only 4 ½ months?
I haven’t seen a parent here yet who doesn’t have a deep conviction about the welfare and education of his or her child. I hear daily success stories of future leaders as they accomplish their “elementary” goals. My passion about what happens at Darlington's Lower School is immeasurable and I shout it to anyone who’ll listen! Please speak your belief, champion your child, and be a beacon of your conviction!
