Amanda Gorman's Secret Weapon

There is a marvelous conversation in Time magazine between Michelle Obama and Amanda Gorman.

She’s the young woman whose Inaugural poem moved and inspired so many of us.

You have these two brilliant, beautiful black women talking about suddenly becoming international symbols of hope and change.

I’m amazed at Gorman’s poise and wisdom.

At age 22, she’s already figured out some of life’s basic truths.

Like realizing that her stutter, which she always thought of as a weakness, was actually a strength.

It not only drove her to write, but it gave her a special understanding of how sounds and emphasis could make her speech even more powerful.   

Which we all experienced in her amazing performance.

But the revelation that will stay with me was something she had never told anyone before.

She said that starting six years ago, any time she wrote something that would be publicly performed, she told herself, “Write the Inaugural poem. Write something brave enough to be hopeful, and write something that is larger than yourself.”

And then she told Michelle, “I don’t think I would have had the courage to write that poem if I hadn’t lived every day of my life as if that was the place I was going to get.”

To me, that is what true success is really about.

Dreaming of doing something larger than yourself.

And making it happen.

That’s possible for any of us. No matter our gender, our background, or our age.

But Gorman also admitted it takes a village.

So think about it.

What’s your dream?

Are you living it every day of your life?

And who’s your village?

 Happy Valentine’s Day!