Finding My Voice: When the Perfect Plan Crumbles, the Adventure Begins

by Valerie Jarrett

I wish I had understood that hard work doesn’t always prevent failures, and that my failures do not define me. In fact, missteps often teach valuable lessons, and provide the resilience to bounce back stronger.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is overcoming fear. It’s willingness to risk failure, believing in your own resiliency to survive if you come up short.

Authentically caring is the most important political skill; people can tell

when you are genuinely interested in their lives.

I hope he keeps an open mind and an open heart and, instead of closing off from that

which is different or difficult, seeks to build connection and understanding. It’s through openness and empathy that we build community—one that isn’t just about personal gain but about the common good. Because how we treat one another influences the kind of community, and country, we create.