From 2 Sister's Newsletter:
Matthew McConaughey gave his acceptance speech for best actor. It was at that moment that I realized this year's Oscars ceremony was leaving me with more than just a few hours of mindless entertainment.
In his speech, Matthew said he needs three things to survive: someone to look up to, something to look forward to, and someone to chase. He acknowledged the first by saying he looks up to God, who taught him to be grateful. He looks forward to being with his father, who is celebrating in heaven with gumbo and who taught him how to be a man; his mother, who taught him how to respect himself and others; and his wife and children who give him courage.
The person Matthew is chasing is a future version of himself. He has set his sights on who he wants to be 10 years from now. He acknowledges that he might never catch up with that hero, but he wants to find out who that guy will turn out to be if he tries. It was this third thing that resonated with me as an educator. It's this kind of motivation that keeps us going and provides us with the drive to be successful and to become better versions of ourselves.
Finding a way to become better versions of ourselves can be hard to do. What if we adopted Matthew's strategy? What if we chased ourselves? What if we clearly envision the kind of teachers we want to be a day from now, a year from now, and even 10 years from now, and then pursue that version with fervor? Like Matthew, I can't wait to see what I'll be like if I try. What if this was our goal to instill this idea in students. Education helps us to get closer to the best, future version of ourselves.
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