Thought For The Day – Friday 24th January 2025
Pride In Our Work
On this World Education Day, it was very interesting to see wonderful and inspiring student art work at the Art department’s exhibition this week.
We take pride in our work.
We should take pride in our attitude and focus in lessons and what we produce in oracy, literacy, notes, revision resources, homework, extra-curricular opportunities and community contributions.
We take pride in our new school, the product of so much work. Happy new Sports Hall week!
We take pride in working for others: our family; our community; those in need.
Pride in our work is about doing good and being good.
Pride in our work is about staying healthy, looking after others, and ourselves.
Pride in our work is lifelong. We are proud of our journey.
Tennis player Madison Keys turned professional aged just fourteen. Now, nearly thirty, Madison has: won tournaments all around the world, including very recently; represented her country, the United States of America, at the Olympics; set up her own charity and foundation, “Kindness Wins”; represented as an advocate for women and girls; stood up to cyber bullying; “spread positive vibes”, on and off the court; always shown good humour, respect and grace; been a total role model. Madison married her partner, and now her coach, Bjorn in November 2024.
But in her career there has also been deep disappointments, tough losses, injuries, “Grand Slam” semi-final heartbreaks.
For work, and life, is never a straight line. Resilience, and humility and respect, is always needed.
But, there is a moment when all the work pays off. When intrinsic meets extrinsic.
Yesterday, in an epic semi-final, which finished at 12:11 a.m. Australian time, Madison reached her second ever “Grand Slam” final (the first was in September 2017) in a match which epitomised the formidable fearlessness, fighting spirit and flair of her outstanding career. There were happy tears at the end of a match which had many twists and turns, including where Madison was a set down and a match point down against a brilliant opponent.
It was the latest superb victory in an outstanding start to the tennis year by Madison, the product of winter training, both modifying her approach and changing her tennis racket, searching for the extra to make the difference.
Of digging deep for her comeback yesterday, Madison Keys said:
“I didn’t want to be in the same situation where I looked back at it and thought: ‘I should have gone for it.’ I didn’t want to have any regrets for not really laying it all out there… I kept telling myself, ‘Just try to get the next point’. Especially at the end of the match, I was just so focused on what I wanted to try to do.”
All. That. Work. Pride. Leaving it all out there. Tears of joy after match point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W11YRstE7js
“Kindness Wins”.
