~:[CH13 - Day 122]:~ Every Opportunity

~:[CH13 - Day 122]:~ Every Opportunity

Today is one of my favorite units - character. As I introduce the character speech final, I always have an opportunity to reflect on what I need to change and adjust. It makes me think about the things I've been failing to do and what I need to change to make the most of every opportunity I am given. In life, we always lose our way at times and the question is, can we guide ourselves back on track? I question if I have taken every opportunity to be aware of what's around me and reach out to as many people as I could. What more could I have done to remedy a situation? Ultimately, how could I have made adjustments to be a better model for my students and those around me? As I talked about how our actions affects others, I thought about how what I do each day effects those around me, especially my students and athletes. As many points of corrections I found, today was also a day that I found more opportunities to give back to my athletes. For each of my athletes at dinner tonight, they found a way to make the most of an opportunity given to them, as they qualified for CIF. As good as an athlete may be, these moments are not a given and thus, appreciating this very moment is important, as commonplace as it may seem. It was a joy to sit back and see them enjoy the celebration, as I appreciated what I could do to honor their efforts and sacrifices through the year. Just like my journey with character, I know that through this season they questioned if they were on the right track. They probably battled the ups and downs, dealt with injury, and found moments when standing in this year's series of races in the rain, soaking as the rain poured down asking themselves, "what am I doing here?" In whatever we do, we'll face this same struggle. We'll wonder if we're on the right path, re-evaluate and find our way back to where we should be going. In all cases, I hope that we take every opportunity possible. For me, I hope that I can find a way to stay focused on my path ahead even when thing around me try to place obstacles in my path. I know that I must trust in myself knowing that I need to constantly remind myself and check that I am on the path that I hope to be. I hope that I am taking every opportunity to reach out to those who need it whether it be a friend, family member, student, athlete, or colleague. At the end of the day, I hope that I can find a way to take every opportunity I have it life to help others, support them, and help guide them to a place that will help them find their way. As we saw one inspirational video after another, I was inspired to take advantage of every opportunity that life gives me. In just a few weeks, these freshmen will deliver these speeches they are preparing and I hope that at the very least, they'll come to the conclusion that every opportunity given to them, is yet again another opportunity to better this world, in hopes that they see the importance of displaying good character in our daily lives.