My 2015 New Year's Wish

The world around us is full of so much pain and anger. There are storms of injustice brewing off in the distance and seeds of hatred being planted in the minds of those who are innocent and impressionable. We are lashing out at each other through our words and actions. We are listening to be heard rather than listening for the words left unspoken. We are elevating that which is broken and fast tracking fury with leaders for whom we crave perfection. Spiraling out of our control, the wildfire of our rage needs tampered. Compassion must emerge and sustainable solutions must be harvested leveraging the tools of creativity and innovation.

We must peacefully demonstrate and seek opportunities to elevate voices of logic. We must awaken the leader within each of us. We have strengths that we must nurture. We have passion and purpose to be discovered and embraced. We must be vulnerable, willing to fail in the pursuit of something greater. We have to be willing to acknowledge our weaknesses, celebrate our unique contributions and fully leverage our collective assets.

Those for whom we have held up as heroes in our history are examples of vision, empathy and action. They assumed leadership roles in times of distress and conquered fears in times of uncertainty. They rose to the occasion leading movements fueled by a desire for change despite critics on the sidelines. They galvanized local and global communities with their charisma. They remained steadfast in their values and respectful in their relations.

A new wave of leadership must emerge, leadership that sweeps out the prejudice and inequalities, the hurtful words and actions that bruise our souls and quiet our hearts. We are yearning for leadership that calls on us to weave together the threads of love, forgiveness and compassion into a tapestry that reminds us of the beauty found in humanity. The choice is ours to make, to reach out for the hand of a neighbor and walk forward, lifting a spirit of unity that emerges like a sunbeam out of our clouded past.

As a new year approaches, I challenge us all to pause and reflect on the legacy that we are individually and collectively evolving. Is it a legacy that we are proud of? How can we use our power of choice to advance consequences of change? In what ways can we lift our voices and share the breadth of hope? Where can we spread joy and continually discover the gifts we have to offer?

Let's commit to not allowing the seeds of doubt to take root in our minds and instead harvest the fruits grown in the labor of our love, the passion and purpose that we were born to fulfill.