The first day of Spring is March 20, and although much of the north east is still experiencing some colder weather, signs of warmer days are popping up all over. The sunshine lasts longer into the evening, the flowers begin to bloom, and soon, baseball will be back on TV and in local little league parks. For the dawning of the spring equinox, here are some quotations on growth for this season of young life and fresh starts.
“I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me” Tracee Ellis Ross
Actress, model, and fashion icon Tracee Ellis Ross has lived her life in the public eye from an early age, as her mother was the R&B Legend Diana Ross. Though Tracee has been an entertainer and an activist since the 80s, her most recent accomplishments have included her 2017 Golden Globe for her role in Black-Ish. Still, though, Ross has never been married, and in a heartfelt talk at a Glamour Summit, she explained how despite her long and impressive list of accomplishments, there is still a lot of room between her ideal life and where she is at present, without a spouse or children or a political claim to fame. However, in this quote, Ross explains how the distance between her present reality and her goals is only what she perceives it to be. Sure, it could be daunting, but it could also motivate her to keep trekking towards her goals.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Maya Angelou
There’s almost nothing that Maya Angelou didn’t do. She was the first woman to be a train conductor, she was a feisty civil rights leader, and one of America’s most beloved authors. Much of her activism had to do with inspiring action and participation from all who cared about racial justice, whether they were personally oppressed or not. At once, Angelou is encouraging people to do the best they can, but also to reevaluate what it means to do the best that you can as your knowledge, experience, and capabilities change.
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth” JFK
President John Kennedy handled one of the toughest eras in US history — the Cold War against the USSR. Before his tragic assassination, Kennedy was well known for his nontraditional approaches to foreign policy, domestic affairs, and White House happenings, and he was always looking for novel ideas to bring to novel problems. To him, doing the same thing over and over again precludes fresh ideas and stifles one’s ability to branch beyond the regular. When people aim to fit in, they fail to grow.