Can the possibility of something good happening in the future, change your behavior today? You better believe it!

It’s a tiny little word. Yet it can make all the difference in someone’s life. That word is simply…hope. No story illustrates the power of hope more than that of Eugene Land and a group of poor, inner-city kids.

Parade magazine reported that Land, a self-made millionaire, was asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth graders in East Harlem. What could he say to encourage some of the poorest children in America…who most likely would eventually drop out of school? Yet he had an inspiration.

He made a bold announcement, “Stay in school and I’ll help pay for the college tuition for every one of you.”

From that moment forward, the lives of these children changed forever. As one student said, “I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling.” Indeed…nearly 90 percent went on to graduate high school.

Giving someone hope is like giving them fuel to empower their future.

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