Colleen Hacker

Professor of physical education
Hometown: Lititz, Penn.

I believe that each of us is the beneficiary of a world of possibilities, potential and promise that someone or something else fosters within us. Each of us has benefited from a recognition or development of talents that we would have been unlikely to discover on our own. It may be as fleeting as a single conversation or as substantial as a loving or mentoring relationship. It may be through written or spoken word or by an encounter with wildlife, nature, music or sport. It may be someone else’s story or an actual life experience. It is as likely to be formal and intentional as it is informal and unexpected. For me, the most powerful influence was my association and relationship with remarkable people and literature (books, poetry, quotes, life stories). For others, it might be an idea that showed them that something larger than themselves, for themselves, was out there – something deeper and more meaningful. It might be a career path turned into a calling because of the powerful influence of a significant person or ideal. It might be a way to interact and influence the world simply by living our lives more intentionally and authentically. Whatever possibilities we envision for our lives, someone, through action, word or deed, has shown us that we’re worthy and that dreams can be achieved. No matter what, we stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us – people, who through their very lives, changed how we ultimately live ours.

It doesn’t start with us. That’s why being grateful, appreciative and aware is so important. When that awareness is opened for us, we are then confronted with the most powerful gift we have – the gift of choice. The choice to strive, to pursue, to uplift, to nurture and to serve with our own unique, signature strengths. We also face other options as well: the choice to settle for mediocrity over excellence, to destroy rather than create, or to criticize and condemn rather than inspire and improve. In the end, it all comes down to choice.