There's no question: losing an election is painful. Looking around the room on election night at the dejected volunteers and staff members who had invested hours of time and energy in the Massachusetts Dignity 2012 campaign, I knew there would be a necessary re-building and healing time.

As an individual who's looked up to for leadership in our movement, I had to quickly recover from my own disappointments and act like the role model I'm viewed as. Easier said than done, I learned.

I read a book about struggling at work, and I was reminded struggles are the result of taking a chance, of doing something new and different outside of one's comfort zone. I spent some time reading leadership advice from sports greats, and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said it most clearly, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."

The recovery was slow, but the most difficult part has passed. When I look at the activity all over the nation, I know the loss in Massachusetts marked the precipice of monumental change for the movement. We're involved in active campaigns all over New England. Groundbreaking Death with Dignity policy reform is underway in Vermont; New Jersey is considering a referendum to put Death with Dignity on the ballot for voters to decide. Connecticut is making a serious legislative attempt at policy reform, as is Massachusetts. Groups are organizing in Maine for a ballot initiative.

Change is on the horizon.

Throughout the week, we keep people up-to-date with information about the Death with Dignity movement and other topics related to end-of-life care through Facebook and Twitter. Below are highlights from this week.

Efforts regarding Death with Dignity:

• The Castleton Polling Institute examined Vermonters' views on end-of-life issues and found 68% of Vermont adults support Death with Dignity laws—including 83% support from those between the ages of 45 and 54.
• The Vermont House of Representatives is expected to consider the proposed Death with Dignity bill later this month or in early April.
• Letters of support for the proposed New Jersey Death with Dignity bill continued to pour into NJ.com.
• And on the flip side, doctors expressed their outrage about Montana lawmakers working to restrict conversations.

Throughout the week, we keep people up-to-date with information about the Death with Dignity movement and other topics related to end-of-life care through Facebook and Twitter. Below are highlights from this week.

Efforts regarding Death with Dignity:

• The California Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care heard testimony by former board member of the Death with Dignity National Center Mike White.
• Caring.com interviewed yours truly to help their readers learn more about the Death with Dignity National Center and the laws we support.
• A Barre Times Argus editorial took issue with the compromise which was struck on the proposed Vermont Death with Dignity bill.
• Assemblyman John Burzichelli responded to an ill researched and poorly written editorial on NJ.com about the Death with Dignity bill he sponsored.
• The largest opponent to Death with Dignity laws is the Catholic Church as an organization, but many Catholics don't agree with their Church's official stance on the matter.
• Disappointingly, after the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee tabled a bill which would have codified safeguards to guide doctor-patient conversations about assisted death last week, the House Judiciary Committee moved a bill forward which would explicitly ban doctors from helping their terminally ill patients die. I'll continue to track this and other bills related to Death with Dignity. Check back often.
• Wanda Morris, executive director of Dying with Dignity Canada, requested the national debate about Death with Dignity be based on facts instead of myths and fabrications.