SPEAK WELL OF YOUR COMMUNITY
I am involved with the Appleton Chamber of Commerce and also the Madison Chamber of
Commerce. I ran across an amazing letter written by a 17 year old girl from Hibbing Mn
last week. I contacted her and interviewed her on KLQP radio. Mia is wise beyond her
years and has a wonderful perspective on the power of your words and how your words can
affect your community in which you live. With her permission here is her letter.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21)
Whether or not you believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, this principle holds
true; words carry great power. A few kind words can make someone’s day, but
unfortunately, a few negative words can have the opposite effect.
Lately, I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about life in Hibbing, Minnesota
“There’s nothing to do here. There are no job opportunities. There’s nowhere to eat .”
In fact, I’ve even read articles outlining how horrible of a place Hibbing is.
Bottom line: our words are powerful, and instead of using them to build up our city, we’re using them to
tear it down.
The old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. So, if we’re not supporting Hibbing
with the power our words hold, we’re supporting Hibbing with the even greater power that
our actions hold. Right?
Wrong.
In my experience, this idea couldn’t be any further from the truth. We complain about not
having anything to do in Hibbing, but we refuse to do the things that are already available
to us.
When is the last time you dropped by our local bowling alley with your family? Instead of
supporting the local restaurants that are still here, we complain to our neighbors and
coworkers that Chipotle is an hour away.
Sound familiar?
So, what’s REALLY wrong with Hibbing?
It’s you.
It’s me
It’s us.
It’s the collective negative mindset of our city. By speaking, thinking and acting negatively
toward Hibbing, we are quite literally setting this town up for failure.
Here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be this way. We can turn Hibbing around and
accomplish amazing things ·· and it starts with you.
It starts by speaking life over the city. It starts by going for a walk downtown to browse
all of the amazing shops and restaurants.
Imagine what could happen if we start supporting our fellow Iron Rangers in the present
instead of complaining about what could have been.
I’m 17 years old, I just graduated high school , and I’ve never experienced Hibbing as many
of you might have. Maybe you remember when our city was full of life, friendliness, and
support. I don’t, but I want with my whole heart to experience an even better version of
Hibbing than has ever been.
I want my future children to grow up in a city filled with role models, joy, a sense of
community and prosperity
I want tourists to visit Hibbing and be amazed by our hospitality, culture, and history.
This starts with you. You- yes you.
You have the power to turn Hibbing into a city of great prosperity and peace. Stop by J J’s
Coffee and Cream for an ice cream cone, browse through the adorable clothes at Nina
Brook’s or go biking/hiking on one our gorgeous trails.
Your words and actions are more powerful than you’ ll ever know, so I want to challenge you
to use that power to build our city up instead of tearing it down.
To all the business owners in Hibbing, thank you for taking a risk believing in something
greater than yourself . I know that “there are other her cities that might have more potential
customers, cheaper rent or more charm.
I know that you might not be making a huge profit. Nonetheless, I thank you for giving our
little city a chance. I am optimistic that your hard work will soon pay off.
I love Hibbing.
I have high hopes for our city and every person in it . I hope that you will all join me as I
embark on my journey to prove those negative articles wrong.
Mia Baron Hibbing
So I to encourage everyone to use your words to build up your community, to get involved ,
to buy local. Thank people and businesses that are in your community that work hard to
make your community the best it can be. And as Ellen always says, “Be kind to one
another.”
“Death and life are in t he power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)
You can listen to my interview with Mia on podcast than click on interviews at www.klqpfm.com
