Lina Racicot | My Devotion to the Improvement of the Next Generation

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My Journey to #AchieveMore

I see the pain in the eyes of the homeless man begging for change as he lays against the brick wall of the Dollar Store. I see the pain of the mother who lost her son to a heroin overdose who didn't even know he had a problem. I remember my own pain of losing Sterling and cringe when I think of how he was once like the homeless man and how he died alone. What my eyes have seen, and my heart has felt drives me to achieve more and be more. Yet, what motivates me far more than anything is the joy I see in the eyes of my grandchildren and the sound of their laughter. I bask in the knowledge that I have the chance to reveal to another generation the importance of love, trust and acceptance. If only that homeless man knew how important he was, if only that son remembered how loved he was, if only Sterling realized how special he was. All this motivates me to give that homeless man a few dollars, to hug that mother who lost her son and to make myself vulnerable to teach more, learn more and be more. I find myself training my students to recognize the devastating effects of childhood trauma. I've shared Sterling's story in my book Living with the Little Devil Man by Lina Lisetta (my pen name). I spend time working with the addiction task force, researching interventions and presenting on the psychology of addiction. I listen to the voices of those who have experienced far more than I and learn life's lessons. At the end of the day, I circle back to what drives me to achieve more and remember what's most important, to help others and the devotion to the next generation.

What Drives You to #AchieveMore?

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