Dare To Be Successful



  DARE

  To be

  SUCCESSFUL

  A Parable to Find Meaning in Life, Build Self-Confidence, Overcome Low Self-Esteem, Set Goals and

  Land Your Dream Job

  John Barrett Hawkins

  Illustrations by

  Miguel Angel Quinteros

  © 2013 by John Barrett Hawkins

  All rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.

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  PART ONE: KNOWING GRACE

  Daniel Benson, an eighth-grade Life Science teacher, glanced around his classroom and wondered what happened to the passion he had once held for his work. He entered the teaching profession with high ideals and noble intentions, hoping to make a difference in the lives of young people; yet, after fifteen years of babysitting juvenile delinquents, he had become cynical. He no longer enjoyed his job or cared for the kids with whom he had to deal on a daily basis.

  Over the past decade everything had changed. His school, which had once been an ideal learning environment, now reminded him of a war zone or a prison. Windows were secured with iron bars. Guards with metal detectors were posted at every entrance to prevent kids from bringing guns or knives on campus. Teachers feared students who were disrespectful and sometimes even violent. Every year Daniel could rely on being assigned at least one unruly student who would turn his class upside-down and make learning impossible for the other kids.

  This year the problem child was Grace Gilmore, a foul-mouthed girl of fourteen with the worst attitude Daniel had ever seen. Grace epitomized everything that troubled him about today’s youth. She was overweight; her tongue, nose and eyebrows were pierced; and she wore provocative, revealing clothes that were inappropriate for a girl of any age. Worst of all she covered her body with ugly, sadistic, temporary tattoos. It seemed like every week she would apply some new, tasteless design that Daniel found disturbing.

  Daniel was repulsed by Grace’s appearance, but what bothered him even more was her behavior. She displayed no interest in learning. It seemed as though the only reason she showed up for Daniel’s science class was to create a disturbance and make his life miserable.

  During the past five months Grace had been late to class twenty times and was caught ditching on six other occasions. She cheated on her tests, smoked cigarettes in the girls’ restroom, slept in class, and deliberately did things to annoy her teacher and the other students. Grace had already been suspended from school twice for fighting and now was associating with the boys from 15th Street, a neighborhood gang that Daniel suspected of engaging in criminal activities.

  From Grace’s first day in his class, Daniel surmised that she was a bad kid. He did not want her in his classroom. He did not want to look at her. In fact, he did not even want her around the school. Daniel began to search for a reason to have Grace expelled, and it wasn’t long before she gave him one.

  One afternoon between classes Daniel was standing in the school hallway. He noticed three boys who he suspected to be gang members. To Daniel gang kids were an enigma. The way they dressed, the way they spoke, and the way they carried themselves were very foreign. He did not understand how a sub-culture based on violence, drug use, and other criminal activities had evolved in society or why the government was not doing something more to control it.

  Daniel watched as some of the other kids—the “normal” kids—went out of their way to avoid the boys as they walked by. They are afraid, Daniel thought. Then he spotted Grace in the distance. It appeared as though she was up to something. He moved to get a better look. A moment later the three boys changed positions to block his view, but they did not move fast enough. Daniel observed a smaller girl named Tina handing money to Grace and suspected that something was amiss. He started in their direction, but all four kids immediately took off running.

  Instead of chasing them, Daniel took the small girl to the office, where they met with the principal and the dean. They asked Tina why she gave Grace money, and she responded by saying that she was actually returning five dollars that Grace had loaned her the previous week. Daniel thought Tina was lying because she feared retribution from Grace and the other gang members. He felt that Tina might open up if he could ensure her safety.

  “Tina, we’ve received two anonymous notes stating that these boys are extorting money from other students,” Daniel stated firmly. “But we can’t do anything until someone comes forward. Now, I saw what happened. All you need to do is confirm it and all four of those kids will be expelled from the school permanently. They won’t hurt you ever again. I promise.”

  The young girl started crying, and between sobs told them everything. They learned that extortion by the male students had been going on for quite some time and that Grace had recently been recruited to extract money from the girls. One week earlier Grace punched Tina in the stomach and said she would beat her to a bloody mess every day if she did not pay up. Tina knew of at least five other girls who had received the same treatment and reported that all of them gave Grace their lunch money every day. Moreover, Tina said that Grace smoked pot and sold marijuana to other students.

  Extortion and drug dealing; the situation was graver than Daniel had imagined. The three men spent some time reviewing Grace’s permanent record. She had attended their middle school for more than a year and a half. During that time, her attendance, behavior, and grades had become progressively worse. Now she was a threat to other students. The teacher’s next course of action was crystal-clear.

  Daniel had Tina sign a sworn statement and filed a police report. Then he spoke to the dean and the principal about having Grace expelled. Her track record spoke for itself. It was obvious that she did not belong with Daniel’s good students. She needed to go to a school for troubled youths. The dean accepted Daniel’s recommendation for expulsion.

  Prior to Grace’s expulsion, Daniel felt obligated to meet with her parents to explain the seriousness of the incident. He went to her home and was surprised to find that it was elegant, well-kept, and in a very good neighborhood. A teenage boy answered the door and led Daniel to the family room. While Daniel waited for Grace’s parents, several polite, inquisitive children ranging in age from six to sixteen inquired about Grace. Their concern and affection for her was obvious, and Daniel wondered why Grace had not thrived in such a loving and supportive environment. As the evening unfolded, he learned the source of Grace Gilmore’s problems. It was a discovery that would change his life forever.

  Grace’s mother, Emilee, was in fact her mother by adoption. Emilee told Daniel that Grace came to her family at the age of five as the result of a horrible tragedy. Grace’s father, Max Gilmore, was convicted of murdering Grace’s birth mother, Kate, and sentenced to death by electrocution. In her will, Kate made it clear that if anything ever happened to her and Max, she wanted her close friend, Emilee, to become Grace’s guardian.

  Emilee described Grace as a bright, well-behaved little girl who was deeply loved by both of her parents. During the first few years following the tragedy, Emilee and her seven children attempted to fill the void left by the loss of Grace’s parents. They embraced Grace and treated her like a member of their family. According to Emilee, young Grace was initially very sad about the loss of her parents, but she possessed an internal resilience that enabled her t
o endure. She soon adopted Emilee as her mother, and they became inseparable. Grace helped her in the garden, with the housework, shopping and cooking. She was always sitting on Emilee’s lap and showering her with hugs of affection.

  Grace was equally as close and loving with her new siblings. She and her sisters took classes in ballet and gymnastics and developed a variety of song and dance routines they would perform for their family. Grace was full of life with a gregarious personality to which people were magnetically drawn.

  Unfortunately, everything changed shortly after Grace entered middle school. She had recently learned how to surf the Internet, and one day she Googled her birth parents’ names. She found a slew of gruesome newspaper articles about her father’s trial and conviction, and reading them ripped her apart. The profound shock seemed to sabotage her moral compass. Emilee and her family loved Grace immensely, but were at a loss when it came to understanding how to get her back on track.

  After the parent-teacher conference Daniel went for a long walk on the San Diego beach where he grew up. Thinking about Grace Gilmore, he was overwhelmed with feelings of personal guilt. Why had he been so quick to label her as a bad kid? Why had he been so callous toward the girl? Where was his compassion, his ability to become a positive influence in the lives of his students? Daniel faced the harsh realization that somewhere along the way he had lost his gift as a teacher.

  Daniel reflected on his life and his chosen profession. When he completed his university education, his intention was to become a high school career counselor. More than anything he wanted to help kids discover a path that would enable them to pursue their passions. Somehow he got sidetracked, and his ambitions were displaced by new priorities.

  In college Daniel fell in love with a wonderful woman, got married and quickly had two children. Supporting his family became his primary responsibility. He took the job as a middle school science teacher because it was the only work he could find in education. In the beginning, Daniel appreciated teaching for the sheer sake of teaching. He had always been fascinated by history’s great scientists and enjoyed sharing their discoveries with his students.

  The turning point came when Daniel was stabbed with a knife by a gang kid while breaking up a fight. A primary artery was cut and Daniel nearly bled to death. During the years that followed, neighborhood gangs became larger and more violent, and the teacher became increasingly despondent. He lost his desire to teach and to make a connection with his students. He also developed an irrational loathing for all inner-city kids, assuming they were part of the gang element that was making his job as a teacher miserable.

  The situation with Grace forced Daniel to take a hard look at himself. He was disgusted with what he found. The knifing incident had caused him to acquire some ugly character flaws. Instead of seeing an inner-city kid’s best attributes, he saw a future criminal; instead of searching for the reason why a child became a gang member, he automatically dismissed them as bad kids; instead of attempting to help the students who needed him the most, he wanted to send them away to schools for troubled youths. Daniel did not like the man—or the teacher—that he had become, and realized that he needed to make some major changes in his attitude.

  A sailboat entered the bay, and it caused Daniel to remember the summer following his high school graduation, a time in his life when helping others came naturally and he was certain that he was destined to become an outstanding teacher. At that point in his life, there was nothing that Daniel loved more than sailing. He began to reminisce, flashing back to the three most memorable months of his youth. With his father’s help eighteen-year-old Daniel landed a job as a deck hand aboard the tall ship, Awakening Grace, a boat owned and skippered by Free Spirit, an eccentric, sixty-year-old man of Native American descent.

  Free Spirit was a wealthy, retired businessman who devoted all of his time to helping troubled teenagers turn their lives around. Every summer he took ten teenage boys on a three-month sailing voyage where they communed with nature and learned the secrets of his incredible success. The program, called the “Last Chance,” was conceived by Free Spirit and a juvenile court judge. The California Youth Authority’s detention facilities had become a breeding ground for violent criminals, and the two men developed the program as a proactive rehabilitative alternative to criminal detention for adolescents.

  Free Spirit was a direct descendent of a long line of medicine men. In Free Spirit’s tribe the medicine man was the spiritual and inspirational leader, and the keeper of knowledge. His personal mission was to teach their ethereal wisdom to at-risk kids. The medicine men had passed down a set of guiding principles called the “Principles of Grace,” which when learned and consciously practiced on a daily basis, would enable a person to discover their purpose in life and empower them to achieve their highest potential. He had christened his ship Awakening Grace, because the goal of the Last Chance program was to awaken the grace within the troubled teenagers.

  Free Spirit was the most extraordinary individual Daniel had ever encountered. He reminisced about the day they met and the positive feelings that resulted from the job interview. They spent an entire afternoon together discussing their mutual love of nature, sailing and the Last Chance program.

  Daniel specifically recalled Free Spirit telling him: “My forefathers believed that human beings were created in the image of God. As such, we all possess the capacity for genius and divine inspiration. Yet, the actualization of that genius is not guaranteed. What makes it come alive is nobility of the heart.

  “Every person was born with special gifts and the potential for greatness. Life’s great adventure begins when we recognize that our gifts are for giving. When we use our talents for a noble purpose, we attain unity consciousness. In this transcendent state of being, our own consciousness connects with divine consciousness and miraculous things begin to happen. I want to help you develop an understanding that your life has no limits.

  “What I will be teaching this summer are principles that will enable you to identify your calling. You are here for a noble purpose. Now is the time to explore your strengths and weaknesses, to expand your imagination of what your ideal life can be, and to acquire the skills required to realize your unique potential.”

  On Daniel’s first day aboard the Awakening Grace, Free Spirit ignited a fire in his new deckhand. Daniel was excited about the knowledge he would gain on his summer job. Of course, he was expected to care for the ship and to teach the boys how to sail, but more importantly Daniel would also be given the responsibility of serving as a mentor. He was expected to learn the Principles of Grace, apply them in his own life, and set an example for the troubled adolescents.

  The ten juvenile delinquents that Daniel was expected to mentor had all been convicted of serious crimes. Yet, Free Spirit did not believe that any of them were bad kids. To him there was no such thing as a bad kid. He told Daniel that he suspected most of the boys had some kind of painful experience that caused them to feel unwanted by their peers or unloved by their parents. The need for belonging and appreciation and acceptance was the root cause of their juvenile delinquency.

  On the day of their scheduled voyage, Free Spirit gathered the kids on the beach where he had a fire blazing in a sand pit. He addressed the group: “The judge gave each of you the alternative of spending the summer with me on a sailboat, or being incarcerated in a juvenile facility. I have only one requirement. Prior to boarding my vessel, I expect each of you to leave all of your emotional baggage behind. You will be required to participate in a sacred cleansing ceremony called ‘burn away the past.’” Free Spirit handed each boy a pen and a notebook as he spoke. “I want you to write down every bad thing that has ever happened to you. Not the reason you were arrested. I don’t care about that. I’m talking about events where someone made you feel like you didn’t matter, made you feel bad about yourself, hurt your feelings, or physically attacked you. Anything and everything that you wish never occurred
. No one will read what you write. When you are done, crumple up the piece of paper and throw it in the fire. We are going to burn away all those terrible memories.”

  Each boy staked out his place on the beach and started writing in his notebook. It was not a difficult assignment. In fact, many of the teens liked the idea of burning away their past.

  A boy named Tommy wrote about the beatings he got from his alcoholic stepfather. Julio wrote about how his father left home when he was eleven, without even saying goodbye. Jason, who had always been small for his age, remembered all the times he had been picked on by bigger kids. Joey contemplated his mother’s suicide and how he always blamed himself for her death. Tayshaun wrote about his mother being a crack whore, and how much he hated her for leaving him at an orphanage. Flacco described the relentless teasing he had endured because he had a speech impediment. Bart wrote about both of his parents being in prison and the many foster homes in which he was forced to live. LeRoy wrote about attending a different school every year of his childhood and not having any friends because his father was in the military. Bobby thought about the favoritism that his parents showed to his brother, who was a straight-A student, and about feeling stupid because Bobby got poor grades in school. Frank remembered the way his neighbor had sexually abused him. Frank wrote a fake story because he didn’t want anyone to know about the abuse.

  When all of the boys had completed the assignment, Free Spirit instructed them to toss their pieces of paper into the fire and say, “Today I burn away the past and begin a new life.”

  On their first night aboard Awakening Grace the weathered sea captain gathered the youngsters on deck and told them the true story of Evgeny Kissin, the most famous musical prodigy of the present generation. From the age of one, young Evgeny could hum Bach melodies in perfect pitch; at six the child genius wrote his first symphony, and by thirteen he was performing in sold-out concert halls around the world.18

  Then Free Spirit referenced a medical text and explained to his charges how no child’s brain could develop fast enough to accomplish these amazing feats. So what was the secret of Evgeny Kissin’s extraordinary talents? Where did the intelligence come from? According to Free Spirit’s ancestors, the medicine men, there is something called “Universal Intelligence” that is the source of all knowledge, creativity and inspiration. This intelligence is pervasive throughout nature. It is present in all things—the earth, the animals, the plants, the water, the wind, and the cosmos, and it interconnects all living things at its source.

  The medicine men’s central belief is that our universe functions on a principle of unity, and they teach that every human being is born with unique talents and passions. When those innate abilities are expressed in a way that brings value or service to others (i.e. to promote unity), we connect with the Universal Intelligence, and it begins to guide our way.19 Evgeny Kissin became a musical genius, because he discovered his talent at a very young age, nurtured his gifts, and pursued his purpose in life with passion every day. As a result, a direct channel to the Universal Intelligence was opened to him, and incredible things began to happen.

  “Just like Evgeny Kissin there is a genius inside each of you. There is something special that you were born to do,” Free Spirit told the boys. “This summer you will learn twelve principles which will empower you to define that genius, and develop a future vision of the type of man you are capable of becoming.”

  The captain was a natural-born storyteller who drew on his personal experiences to illustrate the power of each principle. When he spoke of his tribe’s wisdom, the air was infused with a sense of mystery, wonder, and awe. Free Spirit was clearly a man who believed in miracles. He told the stories of his life in dazzling detail and cast a spell of inspiration that made everyone on board feel as though they could accomplish anything to which they set their minds.

  The Last Chance program provided the adolescents with a great deal of structure and discipline. Clear expectations were given to the kids from the very beginning, and Free Spirit enforced the ship’s rules in a fair and sensitive manner. Daily sailing adventures presented substantial challenges and required a sustained team effort. The sense of accomplishment the boys got from mastering these difficult challenges helped them develop personal self-confidence and a healthy respect for the contribution of others.

  During the evenings Free Spirit gathered the youngsters on deck and taught them the Principles of Grace. The first two principles connect with your purpose in life and connect with a meaningful vocation, encouraged the boys to give serious consideration to the type of person they would like to be when they grew up. A series of written exercises focused on exploring and defining their individual interests and talents. They were encouraged to identify their skills and desires and to consider altruistic ways of using them.

  The third principle, develop unity consciousness, at first seemed mysterious to the young lads, and the fourth, connect with your intuitive intelligence, was equally mystifying. Free Spirit explained, “The word ‘unity’ means oneness and ‘consciousness’ is awareness of your thoughts. Therefore, ‘unity consciousness’ is about disciplining yourself to have harmonious thoughts about everything in the universe. This all-loving state of being ignites your intuition and your inner genius. You’ll become more creative, have hunches or insights, and be blessed with epiphanies. You will begin to recognize meaningful coincidences and discern a pattern of events related to your goals. That’s your intuitive intelligence providing direction.

  “Another important Principle of Grace is believe in yourself and believe in your divinity. Albert Einstein once said, ‘I just want to think like God.’ That’s what happens when you believe that you are a divine being with divine capabilities. Brilliant ideas and spiritual guidance are your birthrights. We are all capable of tapping into God’s Universal Intelligence; the key that unlocks the door is noble intention. Selfishness or a sense of self-importance cuts off the flow of intelligence.33 The heart is the conduit between the spiritual realm and the physical realm. It’s about discovering what it is that you are passionate about and focusing that passion on serving God’s creations — the environment, the animals, or other people. It’s about developing nobility of the heart.

  “To become successful you must also learn to develop persistence and adaptability. Having a future vision for your life is only the first step. In order to fulfill your ambitions you must develop an ongoing commitment and simmering determination. It’s about giving your best every day. Even then you are likely to encounter rejections, setbacks, and disappointments. Here is where adaptability comes in. The great achievers develop problem-solving skills that enable them to overcome adversity and challenges.

  “Peak performance demands that you also connect with your cellular intelligence. When your body functions at peak efficiency, your mind functions at a higher level, and you have more energy to pursue your dreams. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and illegal drugs. Maintain a healthy bodyweight by eliminating man-made foods from your diet. Eat mostly foods found in nature, and exercise for an hour daily.”

  The next two principles, cultivate positive energy and eliminate negative energy, taught the boys to become conscious of every choice they make. The wise medicine man explained that our choices function like magnets in that negative choices will draw negative experiences into our lives, and positive choices will attract the people and circumstances needed to achieve our goals in life.34

  The skipper used a navigation anecdote when explaining the importance of the next principle, mapping the journey; “If you want to reach a specific destination on your life’s journey, you must first plot a course. On most sailing voyages, the currents and the winds can change unexpectedly and you will encounter unforeseen challenges. In order to reach your destination, you must constantly revise your course, become one with the ebb and flow of nature and embrace all adversity. Expect your plans to change and learn from your challenges.”


  When speaking about the connect with others principle, Free Spirit shared the medicine man’s belief that all of humanity is deeply interconnected. He encouraged the boys to seek out an influential mentor in their field of choice and to also mentor others who may need their help. Finally, he wanted them to learn the principle embrace the journey and to understand that a successful life is not defined by the attainment of goals or possessions, but by the integrity of the journey and the relationships they develop along the way.

  As the weeks passed, Daniel and the rest of the crew became increasingly fascinated by their captain’s belief system. They spent their days sailing, working on the boat, and learning to consciously apply this newfound wisdom. In time the unruly group of boys whom Daniel had overheard talking about rap music, violence and crime were looking inward, focusing on discovering their innate talents and wondering what their own heroic missions might be. Free Spirit’s stories and the lessons he taught made an indelible impression on everyone aboard Awakening Grace.

  A big part of Daniel’s job aboard the vessel was to teach the youngsters how to sail, and to his surprise he found that he was fairly good at it. During the first couple of weeks he taught them how to tie knots, weigh the anchor, and reef the sails. Once they mastered these basic responsibilities, he moved on to the more complex functions of manning the helm, tacking, and navigation. Observing the boys’ progress, the other three deckhands acknowledged Daniel’s skill as an instructor, his patience, and how much the kids seemed to admire him. In his role as sailing instructor Daniel felt a sense of inner confidence and pride that he had never known before.

  Free Spirit also recognized Daniel’s leadership and teaching abilities and rewarded his fine efforts by allowing him to skipper the Awakening Grace in a race against three other tall ships. The seventy-mile race from one island to another promised to be one of the most exciting days of Daniel’s life. Prior to pulling up the anchor, he gathered the miscreant crew on deck for a rousing pep talk and to explain their various assignments.

  “Aye, aye, Captain!” the boys shouted in unison, acknowledging that their sailing instructor was indeed a worthy leader.

  The other three ships in the race, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, were replicas from Christopher Columbus’ famous voyage. They were built for trade wind sailing, and the race started with ideal conditions, enabling them to take an early advantage. The Awakening Grace performed best when the wind was abeam (coming across the side of the ship), and Daniel said a silent prayer, hoping it would change direction. About an hour later the wind did change direction, but it was only abeam momentarily, on its way to a complete head wind. This development presented new challenges and opportunities for the sailors of the Awakening Grace.

  Sailing vessels cannot sail directly into the wind but must tack back and forth across it to move in a forward direction. The lead ship chose a long tack at seventy-five degrees off the headwind. Initially, Daniel followed its course and was pleased to reach a speed of six knots, but he quickly realized that he was not gaining enough distance. Then Daniel considered a short tack strategy. This plan would take his vessel twenty degrees closer to the wind and would cut several miles off their journey, but it would cost him two knots of speed; it was a risky play. Sailing closer to the wind was a more direct route to their destination, but the slower speed left little room for error. The strategy would require expert helmsman ship and precision teamwork. Before deciding whether or not to take the risk, Daniel asked Max, a boy with extraordinary math skills, to determine whether the new course would get them to the finish line faster. A few moments later Max emerged from the navigation room with a huge smile. “We might just beat them!” he exclaimed.

  For the next sixteen hours, Daniel steered the ship and barked out orders. Amazingly, after just ten weeks of training, the troubled youths proved that they were up to the challenge. They won the race, and in so doing, learned valuable lessons about teamwork and creating synergy. It was an exciting conclusion to a summer adventure that had been rewarding—physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually—to everyone aboard the Awakening Grace.

  As the summer waned to an end, Daniel became more introspective. He spent a lot of time thinking about the meaning of his own life and gave careful consideration to choosing a college major. Then early one morning, as he watched the sunrise, Daniel found himself reflecting on his ten weeks aboard the Awakening Grace.

  His favorite part of the Last Chance program was an exercise called the “Circle of Love.” The entire crew assembled on deck in a circle. Then one of the boys was called to the center, and the rest of the crew took turns talking about his attributes. One at a time the other crew members spoke about the boy in the center’s acts of kindness, the wonderful things about his personality, his strengths and his good deeds. No one was allowed to utter one negative remark about the boy in the center.36 Then, after every conceivable positive comment they could think of had been made, the boys would be left alone with a simple instruction. They were told to develop a future vision of themselves in which they used their passions and talents to enrich the lives of others. Free Spirit’s ancestors called this a “vision quest.”

  The day after the race Daniel was surprised to find himself in the center of the Circle of Love and even more surprised to hear what others thought of him. One by one the youngsters expressed their admiration.

  Tommy said, “You have incredible patience and humility. When I couldn’t understand how to tie a square knot and the other boys were teasing me, you admitted that it took you three months to learn that silly knot and then spent hours helping me.”

  Julio said, “I liked it when, after the race, you gave all the credit to your crew. We worked hard and you let all the other captains know it.”

  Jason said, “I think you’re a great teacher…not just about sailing, but also with school stuff.”

  Joey said, “I think you’re a great teacher, too. You’re very generous with your time. Every evening, even when you were tired, you helped me learn how to read.”

  Tayshaun said, “You’re really friendly and easy to talk to. Whenever I needed advice you were always there for me.”

  Flacco said, “You’re fun to be around. You tell funny jokes and always make us laugh.”

  Bart said, “You have incredible discipline. Every day you do what you say you are going to do. I realize what a good example this has been for me.”

  LeRoy said, “You have a lot of knowledge for your age. Whenever anyone has a question, you seem to know the answer.”

  Bobby said, “You’re an inspiring mentor. I like how you took the time to learn the Principles of Grace and taught them to us by example.”

  Frank said, “When we go home, I’m going to miss you so much. You’re like the big brother I never had. You’ve taught me so much this summer.”

  The outpouring of positive comments unleashed a torrent of emotion. As he left the Circle of Love, Daniel was sobbing uncontrollably as tears of joy rolled down his face.

  Then, Free Spirit said simply, “With great gifts comes great responsibility,” and he sent him on a vision quest.

  During his vision quest Daniel recalled something else his captain had said: “You’ll know your purpose in life when you find yourself doing something that you love, and at the same time find yourself serving others.”32 At that moment Daniel realized that he felt most purposeful and fulfilled when he was teaching the kids how to sail or helping them with their schoolwork. That morning Daniel connected with his future vision, promising himself: “I’m going to be the greatest, most inspirational teacher who ever lived.”

  On Daniel’s last day aboard the Awakening Grace, Free Spirit held a graduation ceremony. Every member of the crew was given 12 handwritten scrolls that contained the timeless wisdom of the medicine men. Daniel was the last person to leave the boat. Upon handing him the scrolls, Free Spirit gave a final instruction.

  “The key to succe
ss in life is ongoing personal development. Each generation is responsible for upgrading the Principles of Grace and sharing their discoveries with other people.”

  Grace Gilmore’s situation and his rush to judge her caused Daniel to spend the entire night thinking about his summer aboard the Awakening Grace, his lofty dreams, and his teaching ambitions. He wanted to recapture that passion and to fulfill the idealistic course he had charted so many years ago. Before leaving the beach, Daniel renewed a promise to himself. He vowed to eliminate negative energy, his own poor attitude and preconceived notions about others, and to perceive only the highest potential in all of his students. He connected with his intuition, acknowledging that Grace’s problems were identical in nature to those of the troubled youths he had taught to sail that summer. Daniel even considered the possibility that her name, Grace, was a meaningful coincidence—some sort of sign meant to help him get back on course.

  Daniel changed his mind about having Grace expelled from school. Now, more than anything else, he wanted to help her. He decided that for the remainder of the school year he would put aside the life science textbooks and teach his students the twelve principles that had once inspired him to pursue his own highest potential. The time had come for Daniel to teach the Principles of Grace.