Law Is History and History is Law

This week, Juvenile Law Center and Temple Law Review are hosting a symposium reflecting on 50 years of children’s rights advocacy and how to use different strategies in the future. As we prepare for the symposium, I am sending an important message to law students – the future of the legal profession.  

When you first came up with the idea that you wanted to be lawyers, you had grandiose dreams about changing laws and upholding justice. Somewhere along the way we lost that vision. I want us to get back to those visions.  Let’s make history by making historic laws that help our youth who are entangled in the criminal justice system.

Remake yourselves into the visionary law students, lawyers and advocates that you dreamed we would be. Law is history and history is law. Lawyers are tasked with arguing to courts and legislators to make the Constitution a living, breathing document. Do this with passion and be the greatest lawyers you can be while making history while seeing historic laws being upheld. 
 

Make History While You Make Yourself

We should always have our eyes pointed toward history. It is the yardstick by which we should measure the progress of the world as well as our own lives. There is good history and there is bad history. History repeats itself, the question for you to answer is which side of history would you like to be on. We all have goals for which we are striving to achieve. What this means is that we have not reached fulfillment in our lives. In order to reach our plateau there are conditions and things about our lives that we need to change.

While doing this you must expand your range. YOU must try to do something that has never been done before. Remember that with each milestone that you reach, you are knocking on history's door.  

It doesn't require becoming a historic figure in order to make history. Just remind yourself that you are history in the making. 

With this in mind, envision yourself doing something paramount. Each one of us has something unique to offer to the world that only we as individuals can give. What is your gift or particular skill set? Have you even begun to tap that inner resource to develop your particular gift so that you can give that to the world? If the answer to this question is no, then you should heed this call to make history while remaking yourself. 

History is being made every day. We must begin to ask ourselves - where do we fit into this picture? Time is passing by each day. This is why you must create opportunities for yourself. Even if you work hard, then you can work even harder. It takes extra energy and motivation to excel to your fullest potential. Donot set your sights on being average - you must strive for greatness. Only you can reach the symbolic mountain peak. Capitalize off that character trait that makes you unique. There is something  
that only you can do in this life. That is your life purpose that you were born for. You must not abandon that. 

Even as you remake yourself, don't forget the picture that is bigger. As you go through this transformation it will be more difficult than anything you've ever encountered before. It requires you to challenge yourself in ways that will stretch you beyond your known limits. This puts you to the test of knowing for certain that there is no limit to what you can accomplish. With this realization you go into the world with the mentality that there is nothing you can't do. You will push yourself on to do more than you ever thought you could do. This re-invention of yourself is a historic point in your own individual life. As you do this, you will begin to look outside of your own self and see the change that you could effect in the larger world. In fact, you will soon see the many changes that are needed in this world. You will see empty gaps in contemporary history where your own efforts to change the world could fit into. 

This will require way more energy and effort than you had to put into remaking yourself. Now you will have to triple your efforts and work ethic. You must fly to new heights as you reach your zenith. Go to the distance as if your life depended on it. Broaden the scope beyond yourself because history has to be made. YOU don't have to become a politician, famous artist, or athlete to make history. It's everyday people who live ordinary civilian lives that make their own history by coming out of their shell and doing historic things in seemingly miraculous ways. So do you want to make history? Do you want to achieve greatness in your life? If so you must start by remaking yourself. I have laid out an embryo & the blueprint on how you as an individual can make your own history in this world. YOU must give life to this embryo by first changing those things about yourself that get in your own way of you reaching your potential in life. You have to overcome those personal obstacles that prevent you from totally believing in your ability to achieve 
greatness. Once you remake and redo those things about yourself then you can make history in the process from a local scale to a global scale. You were born into this world for a reason. This world needs what only you as an individual can do for it. That is your life purpose. As you come into this knowledge through wisdom and experience your life journey will then allow you to make history while remaking yourself.

Originally published digitally in The Writings of Bobby Bostic.