Just because Fate doesn’t deal you the right cards, it doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential. – Les Brown
Success is not measured by the position one has reached in life, rather by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed. – Booker T. Washington
A high school teacher friend of mine asked me to speak to a group of 30 of his kids today about my approach to jobs, careers, mission in life, etc.
These were all kids from an inner city charter school, visiting another charter school here in Northfield. Many had never been to a small town out of the metro area before.
I felt obligated to do it, even though I really didn’t want to. I was way behind on work, I didn’t have much sleep last night, and I didn’t want to take the time to prepare. But I did it and it went ok, far as I could tell. Some kids fell asleep, but most were attentive.
So when I read these quotes tonight, I started thinking about the cards these kids have been dealt, the obstacles they face. Most have it much tougher economically than I did, or that my kids have had. But most have it way better economically than most kids around the world.
And it made me realize how relative terms like ‘obstacles’ and phrases like ‘the right cards’ are. And how easy it would be for me to unwittingly convey bias or pity or a sense of superiority towards these kids.