Got burned

Last night, I received some disheartening news. One of the kids I have worked with received new criminal charges. I am not supposed to know so when he tells me for himself next week, I am to act surprised. I am still upset, but ultimately he made a bad choice and now he will have to deal with the consequences. You may be asking yourselves, "Why is Michelle putting this negative stuff out there? This is a motivational blog." This is why - this is a check for me. I need to read my Mission Statement every day. It is what helped me stop being angry and disappointed last night when I got the news. Because I like this kid and want him to succeed, I felt like he didn't care about what I might think about him doing something wrong. Truth is - it's not about me. Then, I had to ask myself, "Would I have done anything different with this kid had I known he might make this kind of choice?" Maybe - but I didn't know and I had faith in him that he would make good decisions going forward. I love my job and working with the kids and even though I cannot change them all, I am reminded of the "Starfish story". In short, this little girl come along this beach and finds all of these starfish on the shore and she picks each one up and throws it back into the ocean. An older gentleman comes upon her and tells her that she cannot possibly save them all. She very simply tells him she will try to save all she can. She keeps trying and giving it her all. Even though I got burned, I will continue to do the same. Sometimes we get burned to see what we are made of - whether we are in it for the short run or the long haul. I'm in it for the long haul.