You always have time to create opportunities.
Life is like a puzzle box. It keeps us engaged and searching for the pieces that tell us how we can leave a legacy by helping our community. Some pieces are easy to find, others may be illusive, but women have wonderfully creative brains and we will stand up – or sit down -for what is right. When we think of the first woman who refused to give up their seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, most people think of Rosa Parks. There were actually several women who came before her; one of whom was Claudette Colvin.
According to the article, “Ten Little Known Black History Facts” posted on PBS.org, “It was March 2, 1955, when the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl refused to move to the back of the bus, nine months before Rosa Parks’ stand that launched the Montgomery bus boycott. Claudette Colvin’s stand didn’t stop there. Arrested and thrown in jail, she was one of four women who challenged the segregation law in court.”
A person’s legacy is not always determined by the “great things” he or she does. The small things he or she does that lead to significant shifts or great transformations often create it. Consider, Dolores Huerta who joined with Cesar Chavez to co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which eventually became the United Farm Workers (UFW), in order to unite farmers into a union that fights to protect their rights. She serves a labor leader and civil rights activist and has earned the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights and Presidential Medal of Freedom. She's still fighting for justice via her Dolores Huerta Foundation, run by one of her eleven kids.
Whether you choose to stand up for what you know is right or find your niche in a place where others may have overlooked, you have the pieces of the puzzle in front of you. You always have the time to create opportunities for others.
Be Mindful – Pay attention to what’s happening in the news and around you.
Reach Out & Ask Questions – Seek opportunities to learn from others.
Surround Yourself Positive Influencers – Increase your network, it can lead to greater resources.
Seek New Experiences – Travel, explore new places, hear new stories and meet new people.
Consider How Everything Could be Improved – Continuous improvement is not just a “buzzword.” Opportunities to make things better are all around us.
Leave a legacy that creates a better place to live, community and world.