Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is hard to believe that it has been over forty years since this great leader left us.  May we all take time to reflect and embrace how better off we are as a nation and people.  Of course it is not a perfect world and we are definitely at a crossroads in our nation in many ways.  However, if you stop for a minute and realize how influential Dr. King's message still is today, some forty years later then perhaps maybe, just maybe for a minute many can stop sweating the small stuff, and appreciate how we have grown as a whole, never perfect but better. 

I often reflect on the courage and strength it took for Dr. King to deliver his message and stand up for what was right as he was immersed into environments and experiences that he knew put his life and well being at risk.  You can talk about it, you can read about it, but that is not something that most could ever imagine doing, and for that I have always admired and respected the man we remember today, he was all about doing the right thing without thinking.  Yes, he had his stuff and was not always straight in the eyes of many, but who is?  If you claim to be perfect and pure in an imperfect world you may just be living in a false world and you know it.  I was fortunate to visit the King Center a few years back in Atlanta, Georgia http://www.thekingcenter.org/  and it was by far the highlight of my trip to Atlanta.  The center was established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King and is the living memorial dedicated to the legacy of the man we reflect on today.  It was a truly insightful and uplifting moment for me, and anyone who has learned from and been inspired by Dr. King's message you must go.  The center is in the heart of Atlanta  and spans several blocks that include the shotgun houses directly across from the childhood home of Dr. King, the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, and many other sites that will always carry on Dr. King's spirit and life's work!

As we remember a man that changed the quality of life for many, may we celebrate progress and opportunity, while we continue to move forward with the kind of intention, purpose, and action that Dr.King would be proud of!