Are you willing to take the Challenge?

Those that know me well, know that I can be pretty sappy. I am the friend that cries at all Hallmark movies, I may even shed a tear at a touching commerical. I am drawn to things that are emotional . For example, if I say a book was good... it usually means that the story was based on some emotionally charged crisis, where someone was unfairly treated and had to climb a major hurdle to find hope. So... with that being said, bear with me during this blog while I write about Rachel's Challenge...

Yesterday, Queensbury High School hosted a presentation called, "Rachel's Challenge." Nick was going to be taking 2 of his classes to this presentation. Since I, too, live in the school world, I had heard of this presentation and was anxious to see it myself. I joined the "parents presentation" in the evening and found myself so moved and touched that I now feel the need to share this challenge with whoever finds themselves reading this little blog.

Rachel Scott was the 1st student killed at the Columbine High School shooting back in 1999. In her 17 years of live, she had made it her mission to treat others with kindness and truly felt that by doing this simple act, over and over, that she could touch many. In a high school English essay that she wrote just weeks before her death, she created a theory that in essence said... "if she could treat others with kindness, that it could create a change reaction of kindness and compassion." It was almost eary to hear about how she had shared with all her close friends and family that she knew that she would die young, but that she was at peace with it because she knew it was her calling to reach out to millions of people and touch their lives.

In this presentation, they asked you to accept 5 challenges and apply them to your own life. By accepting these challenges, one can make an incredible difference in thier own life and in others by creating a chain reaction. Her 5 challenges were...
1. Eliminate Prejudice. You can do this by always looking for the best in others.
2. Dare to Dream. Set goals and keep a journal. (or just blog...)
3. Choose Positive Influences.
4. Use kind words.
5. Start your own chain reaction.

Ok, now I am going to sound really cheezy... but just think. If we all found the best in others, exposed ourselves to good things and used kind words with others and then what if they went on to do the same... imagine what it would create!

I highly encourage you to check out their website.

http://www.rachelschallenge.com/

If you work with youths, you must share with them her story and ask them to accept this challenge. The presentation was amazing... maybe you can find a way to bring it to your area for youth's to see.