En Familia December 2022,
The beginning of the new year connects with the celebration of the birthday of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Our nation stops early in the year to reflect on Dr. King’s life, efforts, and contributions on behalf of civil rights through nonviolence. His powerful messages, even after these years, provide seeds of wisdom that propels the listener to action.
On 12 September 1962, Dr. King delivered a speech at the Park-Sheraton Hotel in New York City during the centennial anniversary of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. One of the most powerful lines in this speech says, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” While the statement speaks for itself, there are three elements for our ANSO members to consider carefully.
(Image Source: New York State Museum)
- There is risk in life: The fears and concerns of not fully knowing the whole staircase will be there. The desire to know how long, how steep, or how much of an effort it will take are questions that may rise to the surface. Still, taking the first step, with limited knowledge, opens the way to a new reality and fresh opportunities. It’s a matter of taking the risk and moving on.
- Grounded in trust: Faith comes from trust, confidence, or deep persuasion. While the word has a strong religious connotation, it portrays trustworthiness. Used in Dr. King’s sentence, faith creates tension to conceive a sense of trust when there is uncertainty about the staircase. Still, faith is what it takes to move on during this tension.
- More than one: Considering this sentence, the appearance of this walk is an individual journey. However, trusting implies being in a relationship of some sort. This relationship reveals the true nature of this sentence we have faith, take first steps, and climb the way up with others. Dr. King believed in this concept and lived by it. During the civil rights movement, marching was a way to join forces as an expression of nonviolence.
After the meaningful experience of our Western Leadership Symposium and the motivational messages of our presenters, Dr. King’s challenge is the perfect springboard to jump in 2023. Leadership, mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring are some of the first steps to take on this journey of investing in the present and future of our Sea Services. We may not know the whole staircase, but we know we are not alone on this journey. Join your local chapter, take the initiative, and participate in some of the events available this year while inviting others to join the journey. Together we build our strong ANSO family.