This is Jim Thorpe. Look closely at the photo, you can see that he's wearing different socks and shoes. This wasn't a fashion statement. It was the 1912 Olympics, and Jim, an American Indian from Oklahoma represented the U.S. in track and field. On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. Luckily, Jim ended up finding two shoes in a garbage can. That's the pair that he's wearing in the photo. But one of the shoes was too big, so he had to wear an extra sock. Wearing these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day!
As educators, this is a perfect reminder that we don't have to resign to the excuses that have held us back. It is also a reminder to our students that even though they face challenges, they can accept those challenges and work to rise above them. Life is not fair. It is often hard and uncaring, and will try to eat you and spit you out. The great question of life is not WHY is there suffering, pain, and hardship. The question is how do we, as individuals, stand up in the face of all of the hardship, suffering and pain, and find meaning and purpose in life. We do it by taking responsibility.
Whatever you woke up with this morning, whether it is a stolen shoe, a flat tire, or a broken relationship; don't let it stop you from running your race. The first step to finding meaning and purpose is to get over the excuses and get on with living. We can have excuses or we can have results...but we can't have both. Our students are depending on us to run OUR race so we can help them run THEIRS. Let's commit to do EVERYTHING in our power (no Excuses) to help ALL of them succeed.