01/20/2026
Today, January 19, 2026, marks the 40th anniversary of the first nationwide observance and celebration of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) as a federal holiday.
On this day each year, our social media feeds are flooded with clips and quotes that show a very palatable MLK. I love those quotes as much as the next person. They are inspiring and keep us focused on the main things: hope, faith, love, community, and humanity.
However, some of my favorite clips and quotes (such as the clip included in this post) are those that showed Dr. King’s vulnerability and utter frustration in fighting for something that we never should have needed to fight for in the first place. It showed his weariness, the fact that he never wanted to be a martyr, but he was fighting for a better life for all people, including himself and his family.
Being a person of purpose and a change maker often requires vacillating between multiple realities and truths.
We are hopeful, yet discouraged.
We are determined, yet weary.
We make progress, only to feel like the progress isn’t enough or is met with opposition at every side.
This does not mean that we give up, but it is a reminder to embrace our humanity, to implement rest as a practice, to stay in loving community and to give ourselves grace.
Read our “Love Letter to Changemakers” on goodsuccessnetwork.com or using the link in our bio.
