MLK Jr. Celebration at Francis Parker, San Diego, CA.

This morning I had the pleasure of speaking to over 500 students at Francis Parker Middle and High School!  I had a very respectful and captive audience of extremely motivated and talented students who know doubt will make an impact on their community.  I was asked to speak to honor and celebrate the life and service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and share why his birthday needs to be a "day on" and not a "day off" from school.

The focal point of my message was that the students at the school have a choice in the way they want to live their lives and to think about the world wide impact they can have if they apply themselves to make a difference for mankind.  I shared that there are three chairs that every young person sits in throughout their life.

• The first chair is the chair of the cynic!  The cynic is always talking about what they don't have instead of what they do have.  The cynic leads with negative motives and tries to bring down others to promote themselves.  With the cynic nothing you do is right or worthy of praise!
• The second chair is the chair of the camper!  The camper decides to "camp" at a certain point in their life and never has the motivation to go the extra mile.  The camper can do more with their life but would rather take the easy road.  The road of least resistance!
• The last chair is the chair of the champion!  The champion believes that if they can dream it...they can receive it.  The champion never gives up and does their best to be their best despite obstacles that may come up in their life.  A champion continues to be the best they can be and stays focused on their mission and vision.

Overall, I believe that my message was well received and at least 100 students personally came up to me after the presentation and shared how much the message meant to them.  One student said; "Thank you for your message...it really touched me and I discovered that all these years I have been sitting in the chair of the camper and letting my life get influenced by the cynics.  Today, I realize is the day I move my seat and become a champion!"  I was told as a young man that if I make a difference to just one person for one moment that I have done my part.  I know that many students were impacted by my words and I hope gained a deeper appreciation for Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as the importance of developing their full potential.

I hope to return to Francis Parker and to continue to support student excellence everywhere!