You can do it

"Where are my scientists?" came the question to a room full of second graders.

Every hand went up. All 60 of them.

"Where are my mathematicians?" Same hands. All enthusiastically raised.

"Where are my artists, singers, painters and and dancers?"

It was Dr. Jackie Thompson, educational equity coordinator in Davis School District, who raised the questions and who got the unreserved response again -- all hands went up saying they could do art and music and whatever else she suggested.

"Who has dreams?" she asked at the end. And there were those same hands.

I watched, astounded. Every last child in that room believed they could be anything and do anything. They had total confidence in themselves in every area of their lives and their interests. They knew whatever needed doing, they could do it. Whatever options were open, they would take them. And succeed.

Ah, to be in second grade.

Second grade comes, you recall, before junior high and high school, when those interests and that confidence are sorely tested.

I remember one great disappointment from high school that rocked my world. It showed me that some things just plain were out of my control and sometimes I was just going to fail.

I recovered. But something was lost. Something that a lot of people have in second grade but don't have 10 or even five years later. Confidence, maybe. Perhaps faith. Surely hope.

I greatly admire people who still believe they can reach any goal.

Our country's president had that aura about him as he headed into the most difficult assignment anyone could take on. When this November's elections sent the message that he'd failed, I feared he would lose hope.

He's only worked harder.

That's my hope for all of us as we begin a new year.

Don't tell yourself you can't set a resolution because you've set one in the past and failed. Just make up your mind that it's something you want to do and do it. Don't think that because someone didn't give you what you'd hoped to get that you should give up all together. Just look for a different way to make that something happen. Don't tell youself you can't do something because it's too difficult or otherwise impossible. Just work harder and watch yourself succeed.

Believe in yourself. Become what you want to become.

In other words, be like a second grader.