The Challenge

Happy New Year to you and all your loved ones. 2008 has come upon us, and of course we all are reminded of Resolutions which we make and often do not keep. Resolution is defined as the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc. What have you resolved to do in 2008?

Reflecting back on 2007, it was a challenging year. Perhaps we have forgotten much of what happened through 2007, or perhaps you did not. I often need to be reminded. Here are just a few of the things which happened along 2007:

- Nancy Pelosi first female Speaker of the House
- Drama with Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Anna Nicole
- Virginia Tech gunman - 32 people killed
- the final book of Harry Potter
- Lead in China toys
- bridge collapse in Minnesota
- Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's record
- Michael Vick gets arrested for dog fighting
- the "surge" in Iraq appears to make progress
- California wildfires & a severe drought
- Al Gore wins a Nobel Prize for Global Warming film
- Subprime mortgage crashes
- Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto is killed
- and of course the expanded awareness of our own small community to what takes place on a local level.

Is it not interesting when we reflect on a previous year, how we tend to focus more on the bad things which happen, and often pass over the good things which happen?

I believe this will be our challenge for 2008. We must adjust our focus on the goals at hand and make a conscious decision to focus our thoughts on the positives of what 2008 holds for us. As many of you know, I have been quiet the last few weeks with minimal posts. I have watched the commentary. Many of my posts for 2007 revolved around revealing some facts and truths. This will not stop, as my foundational beliefs are in the rights of the people to lawfully receive information of their government entities and for the constituents to hold their elected representatives accountable.

The challenge for all of us in this political season will be to focus our efforts on a positive outcome for our community from this point forward. Yes, we have exposed some ugly points and events that have occurred. Accountability does not end, but it graduates to the next Evolution of stern commitment to moving forward with replacement, and permeating the positive vibe for 2008.

I challenge each of you as well to move to the Next Evolution. Our community, our school, and our children are ready for action. The action for 2008 should be to move forward in a spirit of unity, resolved in our beliefs, with an effort to reflect positively on our upcoming year.

I hope you will join me and welcome the Next Evolution!

Beliefs - Stand up for them or Suck.It.Up