Complacency, a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements, kills more dreams than a lack of experiences ever will. “You have to outlast them.” Appreciate your rest when it comes, but always know that it is temporary. Got to love the moment no matter what it is. This process sheds light into the mindset of our summer tour, especially the Alaskan one. It’s easy to take all these experiences, tally them up, check off the boxes, and then move on, settling for just living them. However, you know what’s hard? Allowing what you see, what you experience, what you live, and what you love to make you better, especially when you have not already done that on a consistent basis. It’s funny though because everybody used to do it when we were young kids. It did not matter what it was. If it was fun, we were going to learn. Not only learn but more importantly try it for ourselves, accidentally developing a mindset that creates desire, a “growth mindset,” not just physically but mentally as well.

So as the summer trip comes to an epic close, I would first and foremost like to thank everybody who made a dream into a reality. I hope I shed some light into what your gracious support does for our family but more importantly the kids we are blessed to welcome into it. Secondly, I want to present a challenge to the kids who experienced the trip and maybe even to those who watched it. Do what you can to tap into the mindset my Dad accurately called “the growth mindset” because if you can consistently do what’s hard long enough, eventually it will become easy. I know some of you already know this, so thank you for sharing the resources you’ve built because of it. It’s priceless, and it takes a village to raise a child.