Inspiration

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

I wake up every day with what I have planned for the day and as a general rule, God (whatever that means), has plans for me beyond my wildest imagination. Such was the case last Friday. I had been invited to and accepted the invitation to participate in Career Day 2012 at Excelsior Language Academy in Hialeah, Florida. I was asked by a woman whose enthusiasm for teaching inspires me and was looking forward to being a part of this event. I was there is my capacity as a Motivational Speaker. Other professions included News and Sports Producers, Fire Fighters, Armed Services Officers, Police Officers, Nurses, EMT's and others.

I had directions to the school with no expectation what I would find. I imagined a sprawling campus with ball fields. What I found was an oasis in an Industrial Complex of warehouses, trucks, semis, noise, machinery and chaos. There, in the midst of all of that was this center of love, caring, education, activity, hope, laughter and success.

As a Rabbi, Sober Coach and Addiction Counselor, I am accustomed to speaking to audiences of my peers which I enjoy, find challenging, but which do not, as a rule, leave me feeling terribly anxious. I was nervous. I was going to be speaking to students from 4th through 8th grades and know from my experience working with kids that they can see right through you in a heartbeat. Ms. Vera, the teacher who invited me, and Mrs. Cloud, her partner in producing Career Day 2012, asked me what I was going to speak on and I said that I did not know. They laughed thinking I was kidding, but I wasn't. I said that I would say a little prayer before going in and just hope to be honest, sincere, tell some of my story and listen to the students.

Well, that is what I did and from the first class to the last, I was blown away by the honesty, candor, hope, dreams, insights and willingness of the students. Their dreams include such high aspirations; doctors, lawyers, teachers, astronauts, scientists, car manufacturers, dancers, singers, reptile biologists, athletes, physical therapists and millionaires.


Sadly, there were both teachers and students in crises based on real life dysfunction, but there was an abundance of love and respect for each other. I was deeply moved by the caring that the faculty and students had for each other. I was there to motivate and inspire them and I have no idea whether or not I did. I do know that they inspired me. I left feeling a high that only drugs and alcohol used to create in me and now young people from 8-14 were able to create in me a soaring feeling of hope, joy, excitement and belief that these kids would become what they were dreaming. As so often happens in God's world, I show up with my plan and God brings me with God's plan. God's plan was far superior to mine.