What are the mountains in your life? ⛰️ I asked my students this question to preview the new novel we are reading, Tuesdays with Morrie, a story about an amazing elderly man who is dying from ALS. As we discussed the students' obstacles — some small (little brothers and basketball tryouts) and some big (racism and depression) — I realized, as did each one of those 5/6th graders, that we all have our own mountains to climb. But one of the most empowering things we can do for ourselves is the one thing that seems counterintuitive — run TOWARDS the mountains. Not away. Life will undoubtedly bring us hardship, pain, trials, mistreatment, failure, and brokenness. But it is in the moments where we move forward, even if it is one small step at a time, that we learn the most about ourselves, our resilience, and our fight. Yes, it's hard to move towards the messiness or the pain. Yes, we will fall down, again and again. But moving towards where it hurts provides clarity and gives us strength. Just like Morrie in our story, he leaned into the fact that he was dying. He embraced it. And it is his lessons on how to LIVE that we remember most of all. So that's my challenge to you — Ask yourself, "What are my mountains?" + start walking towards them, open-armed. #embracethemess #runtowards #livefearless #bebold #marisadonnelly #tuesdayswithmorrie #inspirationforyou https://www.instagram.com/p/CKCC7tPlCwX/?igshid=1t7wxg1dtqyp6