Like most everyone else, I’ve experienced some obstacles in my life. But I am extremely grateful for every single obstacle I’ve faced because it’s helped me to be more determined, to have more confidence, to learn about myself and to be more empathetic with others who struggle.
We should all be grateful for adversity in our lives because it helps us discover talents we didn’t know we possessed. So in that sense, the challenge is turned into a blessing. Thousands of year ago, Homer, the ancient Greek philosopher, gifted us with a thought that remains true even today: “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.” Horace 65-68 B.C.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting Colorado then you’ve seen those pristine clear mountain streams. The rocks in those streams are some of the world’s most beautiful stones. They tumbled down the mountainside to fall into the water by unseen forces—rain, snow, and earth’s imperceptible tremors. Those rocks that fell into the water by accident are each unique—some small, some large, different shapes and beautiful colors. All of the myriad of shapes and sizes and colors were created by the force of the water that flowed over time—changing the stone’s appearance little by little. Some of the rocks that rolled down didn’t make it into the water. They’re gray and ugly and have no distinguishable beauty and they sit alone unchanged and stagnant.
We’re just like those river stones. Our shapes, sizes and colors have been changed by the waters of life’s struggles and those struggles have made us more colorful and beautiful—unlike the ugly gray stones that were left unaffected by the stream.
What does this have to do with my District 84 campaign?
We have a lot of challenges in Texas to overcome in 2011, but we need to “reframe” the way we view those challenges. We need to think of our troubles as an opportunity to get “things” RIGHT. If we didn’t have these challenges, we might have never even thought about changing things. This quandary we’re in is an opening for fortuitous opportunity!!
We have a chance to reinvent our educational opportunities in Texas. We have an opening for realigning the way we do government. We have an opportunity to trust each other again!! We have an opportunity to send a positive message to Washington—LOOK HERE Y’ALL–this is the way Texas does things—watch us WORK–in times of trouble, we unite and work together—we don’t tear each other apart. Texas people have always been the strongest of people—fiercely independent pioneers who overcame every negative predicament and came back more resolute and “refueled” than before.
I’m not so naïve to think it will be easy—the first task is going to be to set priorities and then make sure that everyone is on board with those priorities. Then we need to align our actions with those priorities. It can’t be a band-aid and it can’t be a kneejerk response—it has to be ever so thoughtful, keeping in mind the future consequences of the changes we make. Just like a doctor with his/her patient, we need to treat the disease and not the symptoms.
Be thankful for our challenges in 2011—this is our opportunity to become a better state! And I hope to be a part of moving forward with those opportunities for all of us! My excitement grows everyday with every person I talk to, every new friend I make and every organization I speak to. I hope you catch my excitement and let me be your public servant in the Texas House
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