“America is essentially a dream, a dream as yet unfulfilled. … Through our scientific and technological genius we have made of this world a neighborhood; now, through our moral and spiritual development, we must make of it a brotherhood. In a real sense, we must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools.”  Martin Luther King Jr. 1967

My week was filled with inspiration and sobered by empathy and responsibility. As we celebrate Dr King's 81st birthday, I was reminded of these inspirational words that are still so relevant and timeless. The images and news from Haiti humbles us and triggers our human desire to help. We all think about our common bond with each other, whether from Haiti or next door. The acts of kindness and generosity that are now occurring restore our faith in humankind. People from around the world are giving of themselves in selfless ways. Why does it take a tragedy to bring out the best in us?

It now appears that Haiti death toll may approach 30 Katrinas! It's hard to fathom. (If you are still looking for charities to help Haiti CLICK HERE)

I was with a number of UCLA students this week, trying to help them examine their options for life after college. Trying to assist them think through the relevance of college majors and career paths. Ahhhh to be a student again, safe from the realities of the cruel world. I never discount the anxiety of youth struggling with uncertainty and debt. But we concluded that ultimately listening to your heart and not your parents will help define one's life path. 🙂

"But listening to their heart may be too abstract. How can I help the students calm down and be less stressed out about their futures?", asked a student peer counselor. There needs to be pragmatism and focus to our education. All of us worry about whether what we are doing is the right thing. Whether what we are "majoring in" will give us the best outcomes. However, students and just about all of us need to ingest the same advice on a daily basis. Watch the tv, read the papers, pay attention. No matter what our circumstances, we see how fortunate we are to have choices and chances. We are so blessed to have the freedom to think and act. And to have the  great response-ability to help others. As students of life, we need to appreciate what we have not what we don't. Young people often think that choice is the enemy of commitment. And do not find joy and enjoyment in choice, and get caught up in the drama of it all. Choice is the goal of a democracy. Choice and freedom come with an obligation to cherish them and make the most of them. What we "major" in is of lesser consequence than what we decide to to do with our lives. Neither our majors or our jobs define us. How do we express our love and care for others? How do we help one another? In the end, that is how we will evaluate our lives and our level of success.

Lets take this frame of mind to be generous and supportive of the people of Haiti and also apply it to our networks, our offices, our churches, our circle of friends, and our families–everyday. Lets continue to reach out and mentor each other. Help each other find meaningful work and fulfillment. Assist one another to get through these trying times. Turning these neighborhoods into brother and sister hoods will take a lot of work and effort. As our hearts and minds go out to our brothers and sisters in Haiti, it should embolden our resolve to also help our brothers and sisters at home. As we listen to our hearts, we must get well beyond our feelings of empathy and goodwill, we must act upon them. Lets translate the emotional connection we feel to "strangers" in a foreign land, to people we know and love. It is this ongoing process of strengthening our relationships and connecting to new ones that will make Dr. King's dream a reality.

Oh deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day.

Thanks for reading. John