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I sat down to read my Daily Stoic this morning and realized, yes, I was a couple of days behind. It happens.

The entry from November 18 was especially meaningful during this time of uncertainty, fear, mass misinformation, and outright craziness.

As you go through your day, here are four critical habits to keep in mind that may help you stay sane. I know they have helped me.

1. Accept only what is true
2. Work for the common good
3. Match our needs and wants with what is in our control
4. Embrace what nature has in store for us

Photo by David Hunter on Unsplash

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“This country has not seen and probably will never know the true level of sacrifice of our veterans. As a civilian I owe an unpayable debt to all our military. Going forward let’s not send our servicemen and women off to war or conflict zones unless it is overwhelmingly justifiable and on moral high ground. The men of WWII were the greatest generation, perhaps Korea the forgotten, Vietnam the trampled, Cold War unsung and Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan vets underestimated. Every generation has proved itself to be worthy to stand up to the precedent of the greatest generation. Going back to the Revolution American soldiers have been the best in the world. Let’s all take a remembrance for all veterans who served or are serving, peace time or wartime and gone or still with us. 11/11/16 May God Bless America and All Veterans.”
― Thomas M Smith

“Veterans are who make our land safe.They sacrifice their lives, so that we may enjoy ours. Without them, our lives; those of our children and of our grandchildren would be totally different.
I salute you and wish you god speed in your determination to make this country proud and safe.

Thank you.”
― Anthony T. Hincks

From my heart, thank you to all our veterans. You have done things that others would not so that all could have freedom. There is no higher calling of service.

Thank you.

BREAKING: JOE BIDEN WILL BE PRESIDENT-ELECT, NBC NEWS PROJECTS. https://t.co/gGS2tyKRy9 pic.twitter.com/s17hCZDvBR

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2020

The past four years in the United States of America has been… weird. So much division, so much hate, so much name calling on both sides of the aisle (and all the spaces between).

What has been disconcerting during this time has been the 45th President’s complicity in sowing division and hatred. He hasn’t been the unifying figure we need as President. Because, no matter where the candidate falls on the political spectrum, the President has to represent every citizen.

The 45th President failed miserably at this task.

After four days of ballot counting, the path for Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to become the 46th President has become more clear. Yes, there are still votes to count. Yes, there will absolutely be legal contentions from the Republican Party (none of which, at this time, seem to have any foundation).

It is far from over. There will still be work to do in the next four years and beyond. There are people who, legitimately, feel left out, overlooked, shunned, and forgotten by both sides of the political spectrum (and all the spaces between).

I’m just glad that, for now, we have a more reasoned leader at the helm.

And, I got to tell my daughter this morning that we will have a woman as our Vice President. Which was one of the coolest conversations I’ve been able to have with her yet.

Congratulations to my friends, @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris — our next President and Vice President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/febgqxUi1y

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2020

Congratulations, @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. Our two countries are close friends, partners, and allies. We share a relationship that’s unique on the world stage. I’m really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 7, 2020

We did it, @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/oCgeylsjB4

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 7, 2020

This is a BFD. Congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden. I’m looking forward to serving with you again. Thank you, Joe, and thank you, Beau.

— Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) November 7, 2020

Congratulations to President-elect Biden. I have prayed for our President most of my adult life. I will be praying for you and your success. Now is the time to heal deep wounds. Many are counting on you to lead the way.

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) November 7, 2020

JOE BIDEN DEFEATS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

The Associated Press declares Joe Biden the winner of a grueling campaign for the American presidency. He will lead a polarized nation through a historic collision of health, economic and social crises. #APracecall pic.twitter.com/lInwqjX3PB

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 7, 2020

America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country.

The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not.

I will keep the faith that you have placed in me. pic.twitter.com/moA9qhmjn8

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 7, 2020

My friends know I’m a huge fan of The West Wing. Yes, the show is twenty years old now and it’s a romanticized view of how a presidency should work. I’m aware of the flaws of the show, but I enjoy it, regardless.

As we near the presidential election of 2020, the cast of The West Wing gathered again for a reunion of sorts to promote voting. Odd, since most fans of The West Wing who would enjoy a reunion already vote.

The cast performed a staged reading of one of my favorite episodes of the show, Hartsfield’s Landing. The episode portrays the events in the few hours before the first primary votes are cast in Hartsfield’s Landing, a very small community where only 43 registered voters cast their ballots at 12:01 AM, always choosing the winning presidential candidate.

The lead-up to the vote includes a crisis between China and Taiwan an President Josiah Bartlett playing some chess with two of his staff members, Toby Ziegler and Sam Seaborn. Of course, he’s also playing chess with the Chinese.

As the President and Toby square off, they discuss Bartlett’s re-election campaign. The presumptive Republican nominee is a man who is, let’s say a little less brilliant than our esteemed Bartlett.

Toby insists that the President make this election about smart and not. Engaged and not. Heavyweight and not. He tells Bartlett, “you’re a heavyweight.”

This moment sticks with me. Every time I watch it, it hits me in the gut.

I am often confronted by a feeling that I have not done enough in my life. That I am meant to achieve something great and have not. That I have failed in any number of areas.

I am haunted by this phrase. “You’re a heavyweight.”

So many others have told me that they see greatness in me. This is hard to accept when you don’t feel greatness. Harder still when you don’t see any evidence.

I struggle daily with a burden I have placed on my own shoulders to be a “heavyweight” because I don’t really know what it means to be a “heavyweight” in any sense.

You may feel the same way. Perhaps you’ve felt like there was something you were supposed to do or even wanted to do and didn’t.

Trust me, I’m right there with you. I don’t know what I need to do to be a heavyweight, but I can’t escape from the feeling that I am one.

Likely, so are you. In our own ways, we are all heavyweights. There is something we have in us that is ours to fulfill. To be the best at. To command. To make happen.

It’s our purpose. And for each of us, it’s different and doesn’t look like anyone else’s. It’s our story to tell and we get to be the hero of that story.

We get to be the heavyweight. We get to tell our story in our way. And no one but us can tell us how to write it.

You’re a heavyweight.

Long live the heavyweights.

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

This is the type of story I don’t get to tell very often any more. Since I’m no longer in the classroom, my level of interaction with students is significantly reduced. When I do have the chance to speak with a former student, it always makes my day just a bit brighter.

Walking to my office this past Monday morning, a student from my first year in the classroom caught me on my way in. We chatted for a few minutes about life, school, the weird times of 2020, and then she says…

“So, I’m taking Calculus now. And I’m doing really well.”

First, a bit of background. When I met this student 5 years ago, life had thrown her quite a few curveballs. Things weren’t great and she was hurting. She was bright but had little confidence in her abilities.

I was her math teacher and, of course, she told me math was not for her.

What a load of hooey.

All through the year, she rose to every challenge I gave her. The following year, she moved to the advanced math class. And continued on that path into high school. And just to put all the concerns of you non-math folks out there, she excelled in every other area: music, speech, and other academics.

She’s a junior now. When she told me she was taking Calculus, she did so with what can only be described as a “poop-eating grin” (see, I kept it G-rated for you).

Why? Because she knew I would know what that meant.

I honestly have no clue what she plans to do with her future but I’m fairly certain that it won’t have anything to do with Calculus. Or perhaps any other higher-level mathematics course.

But, that’s not always important. Sometimes you do the hard things because they’re hard and you need to prove to yourself that you can do them.

Sometimes you climb the mountain just because it’s there. Just to say you’ve done it. Not because you’re trying to prove anything to anyone else other than yourself.

These are the moments I live for as an educator. This is why I do what I do. To inspire and empower the next generation. To help them believe they can do great and wonderful things.

I hope you do the same.

-MP

Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash