I Swear: My Personal Manifesto

I write things down often because I believe in the power of the spoken and written word. Writing, to me then, can be sacred.

As I have grown as a person, I have become far busier. My time sometimes feels like it perpetually belongs to someone else. Between my career, my family, and my faith I find my days full and fast.

So I wrote this manifesto:

This is my vow to personal improvement, growth, and prosperity. I swear to submit to the following set of promises for my life:

1. God comes first

My faith in Jesus and the salvation that comes from the confession of my sin will remain paramount in my life. I choose never to compromise on this fact of life that Jesus is on the thrown. As long as he is on that throne, I will live in service of Him. God comes first.

2. I will serve my family

I promise to serve Alexandria, Austin, Brooklyn, London, and Kingston with everything in me. I will not compromise my family for success. No career, no job, no amount of money, no opportunity, no amount of fame, nothing in the world is worth this price. So I will not pay it. I will live in service of my family.

My vow is to make my wife feel protected, loved, and secure. I vow to speak and act gently to her. I vow to protect, love, and provide security for my children.

I will lead my home spiritually meaning I will cultivate my personal relationship with Jesus so that I may lead my family this way. I will lead my family physically which means that I will eat healthily and exercise in order to live a long life.

I will serve my family.

3. Education that changes everything

I vow to always be in service of the reinvention of school. I will write, think, and communicate in order to help people think radically differently about education, what school should look and feel like, and the role teachers and students play.

I will build solutions, programs, new schools, and companies that will change education forever because I know the impact of a great education.

I will innovate, fight for equity, and seek to activate and cultivate the gifts of the students and staff around me.

In service of reinvention, rethinking, and new ideas, I will work to create education that changes everything.

4. I will fight for justice

No matter where I go I will speak truth to power. I will stand up for those who are not able to stand up for themselves. I will work tirelessly to make sure that the playing field is level.

This means that I will always support and fight for the freedom and liberation of Black people and other oppressed groups of people.

I will not be silent. I will add to the collective conversation and action to bring about justice.

I will fight for justice.

5. Never pay the price

You’ve named your price in the language of this manifesto. Never pay this price. Never give up this fight. Never abandon the people or positive progress you will make by charting this path.

If the price you must pay to do anything, will cost you one of these items, get out.