Photo: Out enjoying a new day with my friend and former coworker Robert.

My personal motto is “every day is a new day” and my superpower is making it true haha! No matter what happens, if I take a shower and get a good night’s sleep, I can wake up the next day ready to move forward, make plans, solve problems, and be a better person. 

Yes, I get frustrated, angry, and disappointed sometimes. Sometimes I disappoint myself. Sometimes I realize that I messed something up or I’ve been doing something wrong for a long time. Sometimes I completely misunderstand something. The important thing is waking up the next day determined to change and improve.

Sometimes it’s too late to fix a problem or change something, but you can still learn from that experience and try to avoid that problem and do better in the future. I think that requires both hope and confidence, which come from experience with making changes and seeing the benefits. It also requires you to accept those things which you cannot change and move on.

That’s easier said than done, but talking to other people who are doing exactly that can be a great motivation. I’ve been fortunate to meet so many students over the past 10 years who are committed to moving on from past problems, improving themselves, and working towards a better future. It’s very inspiring and part of why I love my job!