Do We Have a Dream?

Martin Luther King Jr. stood for concrete virtues and qualities including faith in God; love for all men, women, and children; and freedom for all mankind. And above all he had a dream. One major reason we commemorate him and honor him today is because he had a dream. But do we believe in it? Do we even remember it?

Though imperfect as all men are, King was a man of conviction. He had a dream. And it has been said that, “if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.” When King spoke, people believed that his dream, our dream, was possible: that one day “all of God’s children would be able to sing with new meaning:

‘My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!’”

“Let freedom ring!” Writing this earlier today and typing it now give me the chills.

King’s dream also emphasized that his:

“four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Is that dream being fulfilled? Are we more united today than we were on August the 28th of 1963? Are people judged by their character not their gender or skin color? Have you been reading this and thinking: “why is a white man writing about Martin Luther King Jr.?” Be honest.

On this day, after a long and controversial US election process, it is more evident to me than ever that our nations, our states, our communities, and our families are in desperate need of strong leadership: men and women of character; strong moral and spiritual conviction; and those willing to step out and sacrifice comfort to provide direction for our homes, our counties, our regions, and our world.

If you agree that our world needs better leaders and more of them, then become one of them. And help others do so as well. Let’s stop talking about it and do something about it. Let’s become the men and women of character that our nations need.

Be bold and encouraged. You don’t have to do it alone. Many organizations are feverishly working around the clock to love, serve, and empower others right here in the small town of Fond du Lac, WI – population of barely 40,000 people. And I know and trust that if they are here, then they are in many places. Four come to mind off the top of my head.

1. Thrive Church: to see people Thrive in life to become all God made them to be.
2. Life Enforcement: Take care of others with one small act of kindness at a time.
3. The Humanity Project: to break down barriers and racial stereotypes through education, relationship, and application.
4. Rosenblatt Leadership Development: to teach a man to fish (empower others), to see the inherent value in each unique individual and help draw out and multiply that talent; and to help others become financially free to spend more time with family, friends, pursuing their dreams, and serving their own communities.

Today I urge you, if you don’t have a role model or mentor with whom you meet regularly, find one. Every leader has one. Be accountable. Live with integrity. Join an organization in your community like Life Enforcement, Thrive Church, etc. If you don’t know of one, find one. If you can’t find one, reach out to one and see if you can start a new chapter of if they will help coach you to form your own. Don’t just talk about change. Be about it.

My point is that our world needs more men and women of sound principle like Martin Luther King Jr: people on fire and people committed to moving forward. Together.

So the last suggestions I have are that we do not dwell in the past; that we evaluate and learn from it; that we stop pointing fingers and own our part of the blame of where we are today – none of us is perfect (perhaps we judge or blame others too quickly); and that we take one giant leap forward. Together.

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Dan loves building relationships and encouraging others. He thrives when learning and sharing that knowledge. Nearly two years into marriage, he has A WHOLE lot more to learn and is enjoying this period in life as family takes second in his "Five F's" (see profile). Dan has led various sales teams, served as president of multiple organizations, taught in formal and informal classroom settings, and coached in athletics. He has also presented at leadership conferences and workshops. Dan currently works in sales and mentors a group of high schoolers looking to grow and excel.

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