Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said the above quote during a 1964 speech at Oberlin College, but they ring true today nearly 50 years later.

I'm sure you have all guessed by now that I am an optimist, but MLK day brings it out in me more than many other days.

It is a day where we celebrate the legacy of a man who inspired everyone to dream. It is a day where we celebrate a man who gave everything for what he believed in. It is a day that many people get off from school and work, but choose to spend it serving others. And no matter who you are, that is a great legacy regardless of your thoughts on civil rights.

I spent the morning at the Unity Breakfast and listened to the words of Dr. Dudley Flood who spoke about inspiring generations of our youth to reach for their dreams by being heroes they can look to and model their lives after. It was a great message that I think everyone can learn from (and if you missed it, I'm sure the city and WHIG will show clips from it).

What has MLK and those he inspired led you to do in your own life? How did you spend Monday honoring the legacy he left behind? How will you use his work to affect what you do in the future?

Sure you may be facing struggles right now, but I hope you will find solace and inspiration in Dr. King's words from his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech in Memphis Tennesee in 1968: "Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars."