Scripture: “We will not hide them from their children but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Psalms 8:4 ESV).

In honor of Black History Month and to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s holiday, I watched several of Dr. King’s famous speeches on YouTube. I am inspired by all his speeches, but one speech resonated with me. It was the speech he delivered on October 26, 1967, at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia, PA titled “What is Your Life’s Blueprint? Dr. King shared with his young audience stating, “This is a most important and crucial period in your lives. For what you do now and what you decide now at this age may well determine which way your life shall go.”

I often reflect on my own childhood and growing up under my late mother’s guidance. I remember my mother would always say, “If you are going to do something, do it right.” I didn’t have a lot of material things growing up, but she could wash and iron “hand-me downs” until they looked new; she always kept my hair combed and face shining with Vaseline; and she always encouraged me to study hard, go to church, stay out of trouble; and as I became older, she encouraged me to save and manage my money well. My mother did her very best with what she had. Whether she realized it or not, she was instilling a sense of excellence or life’s blueprint within me. What I might have considered harsh treatment at that time, I truly appreciate and value her guidance today.

In this speech, Dr. King provided the following blueprint for life:

1. A deep belief in your own dignity, your own worth, and your own “somebodiness.”
2. You must have as the basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor.
3. There must be a commitment to the eternal principles of beauty, love, and justice.

I was watching a basketball game and at the conclusion of the game, the leading scorer landed 38 points; however, his team still came up short losing the game. I believe this player did his best; however, sometimes our best does not mean we will always win the game or come out on top.  Maybe our blueprint is to always do our best and display a spirit of excellence, but not always getting the promotion or the recognition we feel we deserve. Dr. King so eloquently stated, “If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures; sweep streets like Beethoven composed music; sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry; sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper.”

What is your life’s blueprint? Will it be loving and respecting others, a warm smile, a sense of family, meaningful friendships, acts of service, being good stewards of skills and resources that God has provided, or maybe it is the ability to encourage, motivate, and empower others. My prayer is to create a blueprint filled with love, respect, kindness, equality and justice that the next generation can model and pass on to their children and their children’s children.