Hope springs eternal for everyone of us

Leaping into 2013 (like Felix Baumgartner).

As I look back at 2012 and forward into 2013, the one thing that keeps coming to mind is hope and one of my favorite movie quotes.

At the end of the movie Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne — in a letter to Red, played by Morgan Freeman — writes “Remember Red, hope is a good thing. maybe the best of good things. and no good thing ever dies.”

It has always been one of my favorite quotes, but it takes on a different meaning for me now, because I see 2012 having been such a divisive year.

So, personally, professionally and politically, I look forward to 2013 with a sense of hope.

>> Hope that I can be a better husband, father and human being.

>> Hope that 2013 brings a sense of normalcy for all who work at the Mississippi Business Journal.

>> Hope for Mississippi that we can put down our petty differences and find common ground for all of our good.

>> Hope for America that we can all appreciate how great our country is even when we disagree with our leaders — Remember Chicken Little.

And this leads me to another one of my favorite movie quotes, which comes from the guru of all gurus — Yoda.

In order for us to have hope we must be able to be open to and affect change for ourselves and our communities and our nation.

“Do or do not; there is no try,” the great Yoda says.

So go forth and be a good force in 2013.