“A Christmas Carol” – Hope for All Times
The ubiquity of “A Christmas Carol” is proof that its message of hope resonates with many. If we’re honest, some days we all identify a little with first-act Scrooge, yet we all have a dream to be our best selves. “A Christmas Carol” promises us that things can be better—that we can be better—if we take the time to listen and look inward.
Thankfully, Words Do Have Meaning
We’ve gotten used to a filtered version of reality, one where we can speak our opinions without seeing the immediate effects our words had on others. The thing is, though, our words do have an effect. They impact other people. They can hurt. They can comfort. They are powerful.
Seeking Compassion
What we need is a little more compassion. The willingness to set aside our personal fears and ignorance to better understand the pain, hurt, dreams, and hopes of others.
In Their Shoes
We need to understand the obstacles that face the student population we seek to serve. It could be that the proposed solutions are not effective because they do not remove the challenges affecting students or do not do enough to meet students where they are. By gaining an understanding of students and the community in which they live, we have an opportunity to search for creative answers designed to support student success.