I walk a lot in Hoboken. I’m not necessarily going anywhere, just walking. I see a lot on these walks and it always makes me think. I see people who seem to have it easy—like the young adults on Stevens Institute of Technology who seem carefree as they walk along Washington Street laughing and joking with their friends all around them. And then I see others who don’t seem to have it easy at all—the years seem like they have been a bit longer and more challenging and that strain has taken a toll on them physically and beyond. Life is funny that way, you just don’t know, at any given point, what you are going to get.

One brownstone, on my daily walk down Hudson Street, has a rose garden. It’s not particularly grand but I am always captivated by the blooms. On this particular day, I could not believe how magnificent the roses looked—in mid-NOVEMBER! I’m not a master gardener, but shouldn’t roses be done blooming by now? The first frost already happened. I marveled at their beauty, but more impressive was their resilience, their persistence, and their grit!

Here’s what we need to learn from the roses—they never asked for permission, they don’t look for ideal conditions, they don’t see what other flowers are doing first, they don’t procrastinate, they just bloom! What do you and I need to do today to be just like the roses? No more excuses. What is the most important thing you could do for your career or yourself right now? Please put this in the #1 spot on your to-do list and do it first—just like the rose! Wake up. Bloom!

Let’s GO!! WE GOT THIS!
Beth Fitzgerald