Positive messages shared

Thanks to a grant from DCCCA, a statewide substance abuse prevention organization, the Allen County Multi-Agency Team was able to land New York-based inspirational speaker Shaun Derik, who delivered speeches ?advocating positive thinking, self-love, and clean living to students at schools in Iola, Humboldt and Moran. Among his proverbs: “Don’t just be good, be great.” “Practice makes better.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “Be brave.” “Choose your friends wisely.” “Don’t do drugs.” “What’s bigger — a car’s windshield or its rear-view mirror?”

“Now, there’s a reason why a windshield of a car is bigger than a rear-view mirror,” Derik told the packed bleachers at Iola Middle School, “and that’s because what’s in front of you is so much more important than what’s behind you. I don’t care what you did before you got here. I just care what kind of decisions you make from this moment on.”