“I want my legacy to be the impact that I can have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa…I was just that girl, so all you have to do is dream all you can be in moments like this…” ~Caitlyn Clark
Several weeks ago, “March Madness” seemed to be taking over the country. To be honest, it was a refreshing distraction from all of the scary headlines that dominate the news.
People were caught up in the competition of women’s college basketball and specifically on the story of Iowa’s Caitlyn Clark, arguably one of college basketball’s greatest players ever.
Clark did something that doesn’t happen very often - breaking a record held by both men and women - scoring the most points by an individual player in a college career.
When you watch her play you know you are watching a once-in-a-generation athlete.
But I also found myself watching those who were watching her…The crowds were filled with young girls (and boys) and their families cheering on Clark and her teammates…A new respect for women’s athletic accomplishments seemed to be taking shape.
The positive energy was a welcome change…seeing fans come together and celebrate competition and good sportsmanship…all important characteristics that everyone, especially young people, need to see more often.
I also enjoyed reading more about Clark and seeing how her dreams for herself started when she was a very young girl. In elementary school she created a “vision board” of her goals and many of her “dreams” eventually became reality.
She also had a supportive family and coaches who pushed her to work hard and were there for her every step along the way. And she never forgot that she was playing a team sport and that working together, people can accomplish great things.
I recently came across a photo of myself as a young girl and as I looked at the little girl looking back at me, I reflected on who I was at that age…all of my own dreams and goals…and my family and teachers who added their positive words and encouragement to help me make many of those dreams a reality.
I also thought about everything that young lady would face in her future…all of the triumphs and the challenges: personal, professional and health-related…
Perhaps, most importantly, I remembered the confidence I had back then and the belief that I could be and do anything I wanted…thoughts that would be worn down and tested throughout the next several decades of my life.
The innocence of youth seems to disappear in our world today faster than ever and yet I wouldn’t trade living in a different time period as a woman...not for one second. So much has been accomplished and there are so many more opportunities for women than ever before…
Again, I went back to thinking of all of the young girls in the stands and watching Clark around the country. It was so comforting to see people uniting around a common cause that wasn’t about dividing us into separate groups or labels - instead everyone could embrace the positive message that hard work, healthy competition and a solid personal character really do still matter…for everyone, regardless of gender.
“Playing like a girl” was a put down when I was young, stating that boys and girls were not equals in athletics (which usually spills over into many other areas of life)…
Now it is uplifting to see some social progress and how positive we can be in our society, if we choose to be…
What would you say to yourself if you could go back in time? Hopefully, it would be words of encouragement and hope for the future…
Positive words should be on all of our vision boards…not just to say to others but also to say to ourselves…
What do you think?
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video…
Nine-year-old Kelvin Ellis Jr. of Louisiana had just received a dollar for good grades, the only dollar to his name. When he chose to give it away to a man he thought was homeless, he received a surprising reward. Steve Hartman has the story in "On the Road."
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
What I am watching…
I recently watched a movie I remember seeing in the movie theater in college, Fried Green Tomatoes.
On one of trapped housewife Evelyn Couch's (Kathy Bates) Wednesday nursing home visits, she encounters Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), a colorful old woman who brightens Evelyn's outlook by sharing tales from her past. As Ninny recounts the exploits of her free-spirited sister-in-law Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson), owner of a small Alabama café in the 1920s, and the bond Idgie shared with her friend Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker), Evelyn gains the confidence to change her own life for the better.
This movie had the perfect combination of comedy and drama and I loved watching it again!
This week’s TED Talk
May is Mental Health Awareness month. In honor of that, I want to share some of my favorite TED talks on that topic.
Kevin Breel didn't look like a depressed kid: team captain, at every party, funny and confident. But he tells the story of the night he realized that -- to save his own life -- he needed to say four simple words.
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here’s another one of my favorites, Adele and James Corden doing carpool karaoke...Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….