Be the Light

Today I’m reflecting on Amanda Gorman’s powerful poem, “The Hill We Climb,” which she powerfully delivered at President Biden’s inauguration last week.

I’m especially struck by her final three lines:

For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it

This is the call to action for our times.

In a world with so much pain and despair, our reflexes tell us to feel hopeless. But we must never forget that a better tomorrow is always possible.

In a world with so much inequity and injustice, our reflexes tell us to feel powerless. But we must never forget that we each have the power to be the change we desire.

A brighter future is possible, and we can each do our part to collectively illuminate our shared path forward.

I’m ready to see the light, to be the light, and to help others see it too. Are you with me?

More about changemaker Amanda Gorman

• Read the full text of the poem she delivered, The Hill We Climb.

• Check out her interview with James Corden — my favorite of the many she did last week. And listen for the “changemaker” mention at 9:20!

• Take a look at her forthcoming book, “Change Sings,” in which “a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, (where) they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves.” I’ve already ordered my copy — can’t wait!

Changemaker Challenge

Reflect on a “light” in your life right now — a reason to be hopeful — and share that light with someone else.

Bonus Read

Darren Walker President of the Ford Foundation shares his reflections on Gorman’s poem, and includes this call to action for us changemakers:

After a season of suffering comes an opportunity to heal. After a season of destruction, a responsibility to build anew—not to restore the world as it was, but to reimagine it, fairer and better, as it should and must be.