Confidence and Appreciating the Little Things

Frank McCourt was a high school teacher who was originally from Ireland. His thick accent made him insecure when he taught. His students saw him as the easy A and pitied him in a way. Learning that he was the easy teacher made him start to re-evaluate his teaching styles. Frank was never going to be the typical high school teacher. He came from a poverty ridden childhood and had very few connections with his students but he could tell stories. He could get them to think in a different way and for themselves. "You have the right to think for yourself." High schoolers don't know or forget that they can think for themselves. We are all in charge of our own lives and can make our own decisions. Frank McCourt gained confidence in his teaching by challenging students and saw the impact he left on them and what they left with him.

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard is all about confidence. After she was kidnapped, she wasn't allowed to say her name. She was given a new name by her kidnappers and lost her identity. When she was finally able to talk to the police she couldn't even say her name. She hadn't said it in eighteen years but she still remembered it. She ended up writing it down and was finally able to go home. She slowly was able to be the person she should have been. She got her confidence back with her name.

While she was still kidnapped, Jaycee Dugard learned to live with her awful life and make the best of it. She had two children and she loved then. It didn't matter that their father was a sex offender who kidnapped and raped her. They were her children. She even had some compassion for her kidnappers wife, whom he ignored and prefered sleeping with Jaycee.

The Otherside of Heaven by John Groberg is about a missionary. He travels to a country where no one speaks english and fights to spread his faith. He is forced to face many challenges and give up many of the things we take for granted. He never gives up. "I not only can but I will." He learns to speak the new language and helps the people rebuild their community after a hurricane.