miracles

"If I conceive it then I can achieve it. And if I dream and believe it then I can be it."

When Joseph was young he wanted to be a lot of things. A pediatrician, a teacher, a fireman. He believed in each of those dreams. As he grew older, he changed. He realized that those childhood fantasies came with very hardwork. Work and diligence he found himself unwilling to do.

Joseph reached his senior year of high school with no real interest in attending college. He had taken all the performance exams but only because it was the norm. He had gone on a few college trips with his buddies for fun. Still his motivation was lacking.

But in one day, Joseph's life took an unexpected turn. He was leving the school late after lacrosse practice and saw one of his a girl he vaguely knew from class crying. Joseph sat down and talked to her. He quickly found out that her father had been laid off from his job, and the financials situation at home was becoming dire.

Joseph did his best to console her, but could only really help by giving her a ride home. That night he laid in his bed and his mind could not help but to ponder the girl's dilemma. Here was a girl with so much potential that was considering droppin g out of high school four months before graduation to help her family pay the bills. He was restless so he got out of bed and began searching the internet for solution.

The next day, joseph anxiously looked for the girl at school. When he finally spotted her, he bombarded her with all the information he had found about government assistance for her family, about legal rights for people that had been laid off, and about financial aid plans.

And there began his purpose. It started small, in that moment wanting to help that girl. But it sparked a passion. Jospeh became intrigued by the intricacies of the law, began to monitor first national then state legislation. He went to college and studied political science. He went to law school. He did public service law for seven years. He ran for a state office and served in the state legislature for ten years. He ran for Congress and served there for another seventeen years. He then was appointed to a Secretary of Labor.

That girl in high school had sparked a desire to reform employment law in a manner that protects the financial security of families. And now he is in a position where he can.

never let you down

"I'm talking to you, my many inspirations when I say I can't let you or self down."

I wake up every morning. I go to work. I work hard and come home. And sometimes its easy to get lost in the daily shuffle and then become discouraged by the monotony of life. I don't get lost.

I wake up with focus. There are people I adore that I am determined to make proud. There are people that I love that I want to take care of. There are people I respect that I want to impress. There are people that I work with that rely upon me. And there are things I want for my life that I have to work hard to achieve.

And I'm not saying those days don't come when I struggle to get out of the bed. Especially when its cold out. But I always get up. And I make the decision to face the day with enthusiasm, and to believe that each day brings new challenges and opportunities which strengthen us.