Her name is Tanya Walters. She’s a school bus driver in Los Angeles. I met her while speaking in California in February and I call her a real life JOY.
Like Joy, the bus driver, in The Energy Bus, Tanya is making a difference in the lives of her passengers. One day after realizing that most of her students were failing in school she decided to challenge them to do better. She challenged them to study harder, focus more and improve their grades. When they succeeded she took them on a trip on a marine biology cruise which led to the idea of a summer bus trip around the country. The purpose was to expose children to a world and life beyond the toughest streets in Los Angeles. She succeeded and now 7 trips later her non-profit, God Parents Youth Organization, has evolved into a powerful mentoring/ touring program that takes children to colleges and historical sites around the country and was recently featured on Oprah. You can watch the inspiring Oprah segment here: www.godparentsclub.org
So why am I writing about Tanya besides the fact that I have been thinking a lot about bus drivers lately? :)
My hope is that she will inspire you to be a driver of positive change at work, at home, and in your life. Tanya could have just continued driving her bus without doing anything meaningful. But instead she chose to drive with purpose. She chose to use her work to make a difference and have a greater impact on her passengers. Instead of letting the world influence her Tanya decided to influence the world.
Tanya represents the choice we all have—to drive through life with apathy and indifference or to drive with joy and purpose. Like Tanya we can all be a real Joy. We can uplift, empower, encourage, teach, praise and generate real positive change at work and in the people we interact with every day. We can all choose to be bus drivers and positively impact the people on our bus.
Today I encourage you to ask yourself if you are going through the motions or driving with purpose. Ask yourself how you can make a greater impact at work. Think about how you can make a difference in the lives of your customers and employees. What actions can you take that will uplift, encourage, serve and inspire? Think about how you can invite your family and kids on the bus as well. Then grab the steering wheel, step on the gas pedal and start driving. As Rosa Parks and Tanya have taught us, one small action on a bus can have a profound and lasting impact on people’s lives.
What action will you take today?
Share your thoughts HERE and feel free to email Tanya Walters at twalters@godparentsclub.org and wish her all the best as she embarks on a new bus trip June 20th.
Stay Positive!
-Jon
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