Five Things that Inspired Me this Week

It has been one hectic week, and I am about to go out of town. (Yeah weekend away!) Normally, I would do a longer post on a particular topic. Today, I am sharing five stories that give me hope. Lately I have been realizing that a lot of my professional life has been motivated by anger. I have been really angry about how marginalized and oppressed people are treated in this country (the United States), and my work has been about changing that. Until now. I am exploring a new professional direction by pursuing my interest in counseling. It has been a huge shift in my life, and it has given me the space to feel hopeful and inspired again. I know this is a major privilege, and I am sure that I will be back in the advocacy arena someday. Right now, I am enjoying some peace. 

With that being said, I bring you five stories that have inspired me this week:

1. The story of Doctor Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who offers life-saving surgeries to women who have been brutally raped, a war tactic often used in this region. He has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize and rightfully so. I find his dedication and solve to be completely staggering.  
2. An interview that Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air on National Public Radio, did with Elizabeth Smart, a woman who survived a kidnapping and extensive brutal attacks for nine months when she was fourteen years old. She is now married, completing her college degree, and running the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. Her resilience and insight amaze me.
3. An interview that Jon Stewart, host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central, taped with Malala Yousafzia, a young woman who continues to speak out for education despite being shot in the head for it. When asked how she would have responded if a Taliban member had confronted her directly, she stated that she would have told him that she fights for education for herself and for other girls, even his daughters. THAT is incredibly wise. She was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
4. The article that features the top five college campaigns that champion the need for consent in sexual situations. A lot of articles I read about college campuses are the sensational ones. Football teams caught in gambling scandals. Fraternity members sending emails with guides to rape. Racist parties. All kinds of bad news. It was refreshing and heartening to find an article that highlights the amazing work that students are doing on campus.   
5. The recent bill passing in California that allows nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants to perform abortions, essentially expanding access to legal, safe abortion in this state. In a year that saw record numbers of bills passed to limit abortion access and a huge number of abortion providers close because of it, California’s legislation gives me hope.

What stories gave you hope or inspired you this week?

-          Lauren, hopeful about people as I move into the weekend