Dream Big

Today is the first day of school for millions of American children.  President Obama is going to deliver a speech encouraging children to take responsibility for their learning and dream big.   Amazingly some in America are suspicious of his motives, some fearful of the content of his speech and some see sinister political messages directed at the most vulnerable audience – our children!

Pardon me but we have sunk too low.  Perhaps we truly deserve the struggling systems that we have created.  Maybe we’re incapable of working together for the common good. 

In 1909 Frederick Cook and Robert Peary both claimed to have reached the North Pole. Neither offered any proof.  For years these claims were undisputed.  Despite this their respective supporters backed them, each side defending their position.  Today we know both claims were false.

Psychologists know that when the facts get in the way of our beliefs our brains are marvelously adept at dispensing with the facts.  We simply use this logic to get around the truth.

So what’s the truth here? 

We have a President who hopes to inspire and encourage children to value learning.  We have a political system that seeks to undermine even this small noble effort to make a difference.  We have a population so attached to their beliefs that the simplest action merits scrutiny and debate.

How can we collectively overcome our tendency to dispense with the facts whenever it’s convenient? 

We must all get over the need to be right.  Being right will not solve our problems, being right will not connect us to the common good, being right will only divide us.

Today I prefer to dream big and believe in the possibilities.  Without dreams nothing is possible.