Brian Jackson stood barely taller than many of the middle school students he was coaching at the moment. But he had no trouble getting the group of energetic students to listen.

It’s not everyday you get to shoot a real bow and arrow in the back of school. To be honest, with school security being in a heightened state, it’s not everywhere that you see this either. But this is Tahlequah, Okla., where they make conscious effort to preserve the traditions of life.

Indian life, that is. On the easternmost edge of the state, Tahlequah is the capital and the heart of the Cherokee Nation, where I went to gain inspiration and insight for the current ASBJ cover story, “Trail to Progress.”

It turned out to be an ideal place, not only because of its history (the town marks the end of the Trail of Tears) but also because of its spirit and optimism, which is imbued in people like Jackson, a Cherokee member.

Nearly banished to prison on drug charges, Jackson was given a second chance and has apparently made use of it by crisscrossing the country as a motivational speaker and winning not one but two Guinness World Records for blowing up hot water bottles no less.

The archery lessons he teaches the middle school students today is a fun activity that camouflages what he’s really trying to get across. “If I set the target too close, they’d maybe hit it on their first or second try,” he says. “But if I set it just beyond their reach they’ll keep trying and it’ll give them something to shoot for.”

It’s all about setting goals and working towards them, even ones that seem out of reach, Jackson says.

“I ask them how many people do you know who are Guinness World Record holders? Then I ask them how many do you know who’ve tried?”

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor