There are certain people in the world who make a mark so bold that their story is tattooed in our brains. Malala is one of those people. If you don’t remember, Malala is the young woman who was shot by the Taliban and lived. She wanted girls to be able to attend school, something that was culturally against Taliban philosophy. Since her recovery she has become a strong voice for human rights and an advocate for educating girls around the world.
Malala is currently in Nigeria. She is hoping to help aid the Nigerians get the girls who were kidnapped released. A news report showed her meeting with the families of the kidnapped girls. These parents traveled long distances and through dangerous territory to have this opportunity to meet with this young woman, a symbol of hope for what’s possible.
Today is Malala day. She is encouraging people around the world to post a simple declaration, “What are you stronger than?” This isn’t about playing can you top this, but each person making a declaration for their own life. The hope is that if we all start to share “what we’re stronger than” we can create a tsunami of hope, something desperately needed on our planet at this time.
Do you regularly think about “what you’re stronger than?” We seem to play to our weaknesses. We expose our vulnerabilities and place them center stage, if we were to pay more attention to our strengths our weaknesses would diminish. Why do we punctuate our weaknesses?
When our children have trouble in school we hire tutors and subscribe to afterschool mentoring. If they do well at something we allow them to carry on their merry way, when in reality, that’s the time to put extra time and effort into making that strength prominent in their lives. There’s a park where I enjoy reading. There’s a mother who brings her son to meet with a baseball coach improving what seems to be a talented athlete. Do you believe that if you build on one’s strengths that empowerment overflows to other areas of your life?
As you start your week, I hope you’ll focus on “what you’re stronger than” and make that your proclamation for the day. Use that strength as a springboard for empowering your health, your work, and your relationships. Reclaim the power you’ve given to your weaknesses and begin your day from a place of strength!
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Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 