I like to solve problems. I know it is a skill set, but it's also an obligation. I grew up with parents who believe that you don't simply complain: you try to find solutions and fix what's in front of you.
Interpretation
Solving problems is both a skill and a responsibility shaped by upbringing.
In this quote, Stacey Abrams emphasizes the importance of problem-solving not only as a personal skill but as a duty instilled by her parents. Growing up in an environment that encouraged proactive solutions rather than complaints, she highlights how our upbringing shapes our character and approach to challenges in life.
In practice
During a team meeting, I shared a quote by Stacey Abrams to encourage my colleagues to take initiative in addressing workplace challenges.
I grew up one of six children with working-class parents in the Deep South. My mother was a college librarian, and my father worked in a shipyard. I never saw them balance a checkbook, but they kept a roof over our heads and got all six of us into college.
I do not Google myself, I do not read comments, and I barely look myself in the eye when I look in the mirror.
My being a black woman is not a deficit. It is a strength. Because I could not be where I am had I not overcome so many other barriers. Which means you know I'm relentless, you know I'm persistent, and you know I'm smart.
The basis for sustainable progress is legal protections grounded in an awareness of how identity has been used to deny opportunity.
Here in Georgia, we continue to grapple with our own vestiges of hate. The image carved into Stone Mountain, like Confederate monuments across this state, stand as constant reminders of racism, intolerance, and division.
To achieve our goals of educating bold and ambitious children, we must invest in enriching, quality early child care and learning.
When I get up and work out, I'm working out just as much for my girls as I am for me, because I want them to see a mother who loves them dearly, who invests in them, but who also invests in herself. It's just as much about letting them know as young women that it is okay to put yourself a little higher on your priority list.
The way I look at it is that somebody in the world, no matter what your field is - teacher, violinist, football player - has to be the best. Why not me?
The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.
There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. We all have a choice. You can decide which type of person you want to be. I have always chosen to be in the first group.
Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.
Each morning sees some task begun, each evening sees it close; Something attempted, something done, has earned a night's repose.
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