Recently, one of America’s most symbolically significant holidays passed, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. With all the seeming retro-politics at large, it can feel very challenging to feel forward progress in the journey for equality and in the world we are raising our children in. Reading ANY of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s inspiring quotes can help lift us up and re-direct us on the path of constructive, pro-active, and continued commitment for change. The key aspect about humans and challenges and how we move forward isn’t necessarily the problems we face (as most have been generational/societal problems we have inherited). The key aspect about humans and the challenges we face is in the HOW do we PROBLEM-SOLVE? This question brings the responsibility of HOW back to ourselves. Changing things for the better, for the future, starts with now and with ourselves. As parents or mentors of the next generation, we have the moment-to-moment, day-to-day opportunity to practice problem solving in a way that can have positive impact in our lives right now and teach/mirror effective problem solving to the next generation. THIS IS HOW WE MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE. We commit to being the best, most compassionate and creative problem solvers we can be. Looking for some quick but deep inspiration to model your problem-solving attitude? Look no further than Dr. King’s eloquent and direct words. Start by being compassionate with yourself and the problem at hand. Approach problems with your full commitment AND love/kindness. Observe your approach to problem solving and notice what messages you are passing to your children about how to face and handle problems. Reach out for help. Be there for another. Strengthen your village and unite in the power of support and unity that comes from inclusive problem solving. Take pro-action today, now, to address a recurring problem in a new way. The forward momentum of progress in our individual lives AND the collective is available to us through the choices we make EVERY DAY. The power we hold as parents/mentors to influence and improve the efficacy of how we solve problems in the microcosm of our own family’s lives and in the macrocosm of the global world cannot be underestimated.