Change and accountability go hand in hand. I work for a local gymnastics facility, and I see this daily. Students try a skill, receive a correction, and are responsible for applying it in their next attempt. As they improve, so does the team. The same is true in life. Our actions have consequences. We are responsible for observing them and applying those lessons so we can move forward.

Today, "unity" is a buzzword. But it's important to realize that unity doesn't lessen our individual burden to inspire change—it magnifies it. "Unity" conveys a sense of a monolithic whole. The danger in that idea is that we just have to go with the flow. "I don't have to create change; the group will do it for me." It's like the gymnast who doesn't practice perfect basics, yet expects their team to win.

I will not allow the thought of unity to lull me into complacency. The future is right around the corner, and I long for it to be bright. This can only happen if each of us is accountable for our own efforts to affect change in ourselves and those around us. So go out and grow!

Micha'elah Malmen

Performance Athletics Gymnastics

San Luis Obispo