Sanjaya proves again that he is a star at the White House Correspondents' dinner. His contagious smile says it all. I had to laugh when I noticed his boyish grin on the front page of people.com. After being ousted from American Idol, he is now more popular than some of the past winners. Politicians and celebrities are eager to meet him. Sanjaya reminds me of all of those children's books where the main character just keeps on going regardless of overwhelming obstacles that keep getting in his way.
It's all about having a positive attitude and not running away when the going gets rough. It's that "I think I can" mentality that we try so hard to instill in all of our students. I can just hear it now. "Where's your Sanjaya? Get back up and dust yourself off." Sanjaya could easily become a household word for putting on a happy face and going after your dream.
Sanjaya also shows that following your dream can lead you down unexpected paths. Having an attitude that considers different options gives so much flexibility to life. Maybe telling kids that they can be anything they want to be is not the way to go. Perhaps it is more exciting to encourage them to think of all of the possibilities.