What’s your “word” for 2023? We’re focusing on inspiration.

02.01.2023

There seems to be a new trend emerging over the last couple years; instead of setting resolutions that will likely be broken within a few weeks, people are choosing a guiding word to help structure their choices, decisions, and actions throughout the year. While the obvious word choice for PBS12 would be “Impact,” we think that “Inspiration” will prove to be a better guiding light.

Of course, impact is who we are at our core, as Impact Media for Colorado, but focusing our energy on things that are inspirational – content, stories, partnerships – allows us to bring that impact to life.

This past year I had the privilege of experiencing something that was truly inspirational. I was fortunate enough to participate in the Governor’s Fellowship program, where professionals can do a deep dive into state government and understand its inner workings. Through this program, I visited a correctional facility and spent the day chatting with several inmates whose stories were life changing.

Ever since I was a young child, I’ve been drawn to systems that require change. The prison system in our country, I think most would agree, is certainly one of those.

The stories I heard that day were inspirational in several ways.

  1. Watching new inmates walk in that day, I realized that every single one of them was a man of color. What does that say about our society? How do we ingest that observation and turn it into something reflective and actionable? I walked away from that experience inspired to do better for my community, to be more involved in facilitating opportunities for young people of color, and to use my position as an entrepreneur and leader to be a resource and connector for those in need.
     
  2. Hearing stories of hope and despair alike, you realize what impact the individual’s perspective has on their outlook. Even in the moments that seemed so dark, so helpless, so raw, there was always a light; the inspiration found in each unique story that acted as a catalyst for change and growth. And in those moments, at that turn of the story line, you could see the inspiration in the eyes of that inmate, driving them forward.
     
  3. The experience of prison becomes inspirational in itself. When one is stripped of all creature comforts and given only basic necessities, the lack of something becomes the inspiration for something else. I was surprised that there was a desire to learn, to admit wrongdoing, and want to be a better person, even though their life may be spent behind bars. The program that I witnessed was a male mentorship program, where the life inmates were mentoring the young men coming into the system. The hope was that if the young men could learn from the mentors, they would not become repeat offenders and could change their lives moving forward.
     

As we move into 2023 and we look within ourselves and to our community to provide that inspiration, what do you see? What inspiration can you take from the mundane things around you? What observations can you make, that maybe weren’t apparent before, and turn it into action?

I certainly know we at PBS12 will be leaning on each other and our community to create inspirational stories and content to share with you all, and we hope you’ll do the same.

Warmest regards,

Kristen Blessman
President and General Manager, PBS12

P.S. I invite you to reach out to me personally with your thoughts and ideas for making PBS12 the best public television service organization possible. My direct email is KristenBlessman@pbs12.org.