Pessimism: We have a problem, but we can’t solve it.
Optimism: We have a problem, and we can solve it.
Responsibility: We have a problem. Can I help solve it?
Initiative: We have a problem. Here’s how I’m solving it.
Adam Grant
I have been a member of this community for almost 20 years now. Time and time again, I find this current of optimism running through our community: we have a problem, and we can solve it. At times, it has been something immediate and pragmatic like a water leak or an outdated septic tank. Those practical problems will continue to show up as long as we gather in a building that needs our attention and care. But, this current of optimism shows up in other, less tangible but especially necessary ways. When we have become aware that we have not tended or cared for every individual in our community, when we have awakened to hurt that we have caused, when we have come to understand our limits and brokenness, I have seen us rise to bind wounds, educate ourselves, and commit hearts and minds to be better and do better for everyone who walks through our doors.
No doubt, that wave of effective optimism is driven by individuals influencing each other. Every time one of you says: we have a problem; can I help solve it? It is not lost on the rest of us. Every time one asks that question, it becomes a beacon of light for the rest of us. Can I help solve it, too?
And there’s nothing like seeing someone in action to light the fire of commitment in our lives. We have a problem, and here’s how I’m solving it. When I look around our community, I am at no loss for such living examples. I am so grateful for the human lights I get to rub elbows with in our community who are constantly creating this community of love and compassion, of justice and equity.
~Bob Patrick
