By Johnny Jackson
jjackson@henryherald.com

Joseph B. Washington dared the crowd of students to challenge themselves to want, and accept, better than average.

Washington engaged students Thursday at Luella High School, giving them tips on how to grow into successful, respectable adults.

Janay Pettigrew, a quiet and petite, 18-year-old senior at the school, said she now believes in herself. She came to that firm conclusion several months ago, after hearing Washington tell her class what it takes to achieve success in life.

“He said, you don’t have to be afraid to come out of your shell. You can be more than what you are,” Pettigrew said. “I started [coming out of my shell] when I heard him speak.”

Washington, the author of “Breaking the Spirit of Average,” is the president and CEO of Altanta-based, The Joseph Washington Group, Inc., which specializes in assisting companies and organizations in developing positive workplace cultures.

The San Diego-native introduced himself Thursday by telling students about his personal challenges as a youngster, who struggled with stuttering. Washington, now a father and husband, said he overcame his speech impediment and developed a confidence that has led him to a 20-year career in motivational speaking and corporate management.

Washington first spoke to students in the school’s Career, Technical & Agricultural Education and Career & Technical Instruction programs last fall, during career-day activities. There, he met Pettigrew and other student leaders, who invited him to deliver his message to the entire student body of some 2,200 pupils.

“Today is a defining moment in your life, when you make the decision on what you want to be,” Washington told the students. “The possibilities are whatever you want them to be, today.”

He talked about his “seven principles of an average breaker.” He said students can break the average mold for themselves by breaking down those principles — by adopting a positive attitude, by valuing their time, by enlisting the help of mentors, by reading and educating themselves on a daily basis, by anticipating challenges and opposition, by guarding their goals and pursuing them, and by empowering themselves through a belief system.

“We’re fortunate to have a gentleman who can speak from an experience that he’s had, and has been successful in life,” added Luella Principal George Eckerle. “Each person will receive the message differently, but it’s good for them to hear it.”