Honouring Martin Luther King Jr. with YOUR dream.

Did you ever dream that you change the world?

Maybe you dreamed of being in the Justice League and catching evil villains.

Maybe you dreamed of being a doctor and finding a cure for cancer.

Maybe you dream of being someone like Jane Goodall and saving endangered species.

You know who else had a dream?

This guy – Martin Luther King Jr.

I have spent some time this fall honoured to be speaking at We Day across Canada with his son, Martin Luther King III. He is keeping his father’s legacy and spirit alive for my generation.  One of the messages he shared at We Day was a quote from educator Horace Mann:

“Be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for humanity.”

He went on to explain what this quote means to him:  Some of us will win victories in our communities. Some of us will win victories in our cities. Some of us will win victories in our provinces. Some of us will even win victories in our country. Some, may even win victories in our world.

“Be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for humanity.”

In other words – be ashamed to die until you have done a little something to make the world a little better than it was before you arrived. What this means to me is that we all need to do good in the world. “The world” can be your school, your community, your city too.  Being a respectful, compassionate, aware and active citizen is a big part of making the world a better place. Just knowing about the issues, concerns and problems in the world helps a lot because you need to know that there is a problem if you want to be part of the solution. For example, when you are aware of a problem like hunger or homelessness, you have a urge to do something about it because people who are affected by it don’t deserve it. You can go out and donate clothes and blankets to the homeless or participate or launch a food drive at work or school. That is something that makes a difference in other people’s lives every day. Don’t overlook the importance of doing little, random acts of kindness – simple things can make someone’s day. It could be something like holding the door open for someone or helping your parents or neighbour shovel the snow or saying thank you to your teacher or Principal for being so awesome. After you have done something kind for them, they will pass it on to someone else and it becomes a cycle.

Martin Luther King Jr dream was much more than a dream, it was a spark. A single spark that was ignited and grew stronger and bigger when it touched other people. There are sparks like his that never go out.

It all starts with a  spark. You have one, I know you do. Maybe you have identified it, maybe you haven’t. Martin Luther KIng Jr’s spark was human rights, non-violence and equality for all,regardless of the colour of their skin. He had a dream that all races could come together to go to school, to go to the same bathroom, restaurants and to go into the same neighbourhoods. He believed in freedom for every person in the world. In his famous speech he said that he had a dream that his “four children will not be judged by he colour of their skin, but the content of their character.”  He believed that people cannot judge you on other people’s looks but how they act.

In 1994, the US Congress decided that January 20th, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, would be officially called Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. It is a day that all Americans are encouraged to do something to serve their community. This day honours his memory, his work, his passion and his spark and is not just for people who live in the United States. If you believe in the power of community, if you believe that we all need to be compassionate and active citizens, if you believe that you can make a difference for someone – DO IT.

Take some time tomorrow and think about what matters to you. Think about who or what in your community needs help. If you can’t go out and DO something tomorrow, make a plan to take action. Make tomorrow the day that you commit to leave your community a little bit better.

So, how are you going to share Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy and spirit? How are you going to take action? Leave me a comment and let me know!