Final Blog

Blog 12/3

Goal Setting & Decision Making

This week we heard from the BYUSA President Chris Peterson. He discussed with us about setting goals and making decisions. I really enjoyed the hour, listening to all of Chris's insights and really getting the feeling that I was gaining knowledge of core principles that would help me to gain inner clarity.

Chris focused his attention to something that I found very useful, that of thinking. Our thoughts determine our actions which makes them all the more important.

Teamwork

I will start by saying I loved this lecture! I was really able to connect to the message and I was inspired because I knew of the truth that was being spoken. Such a simple idea is so revolutionary. TEAMWORK. The concept is rather extraordinary, pulling together to accomplish great things. The possibilities are endless for the benefits that a group could reap if they implemented this practice effectively into anything. Now, in the past, I haven't had the best experience with teamwork and I have found it to be rather painstaking to attempt to pull everyone together to agree, but I'm excited to explore ideas that are more effective. I'll preface my thoughts about this lecture by giving a little background of my previous weekend. The few days before this lecture, I was attending a retreat in Heber, Utah called "Inner Child". I know it sounds silly, but the experience I had this last weekend has a profound impact onto my life. What it ultimately comes down to is dispelling fear from my life- because it does not serve me. In the past I would goofy thoughts that would keep me from accomplishing things, and above all giving and receiving love. But through this retreat, I was able to open up and realize the beauty in others and in myself. In a house with 14 people, we spent 4 days really getting to know each other. Realizing how each of us was holding ourselves captive by things in our life that we wished to be free from. It was such an eye opening experience to feel the pain that others feel, but keep so hidden. Though letting these things go, we all were able to come so close and develop a level of confidence and enthusiasm for life that is beyond description. It has led me to feel a great amount of excitement to the opportunities and joys that this life has to offer. I may sound like a hippy saying this but so much is possible though love. Affirming others that you truly care about them and their success leads to effort and dedication that is superior to all else. We are all in this together, as brothers and sisters, we can work together to live the life we have all imagined. There is so much strength in teamwork and relationships.

I want to transform my surface relationships into solid and significant ones. I have people in my life that are indispensable to my progress and accomplishment in my life. I seek to do the same for them. They are so priceless to me that I am willing to sacrifice whatever it takes for their benefit.

A quote that the speaker said that I particularly enjoyed was "if you don't love the people on your team, you won't find success." I find this so important to have a firm understanding of. When working with others whether they be peers, friends, or family- if you have no concern for their wellbeing or love for them, then they will in turn offer you no concern. This sort of dynamic leads to very weak and ineffective connections. If we learn to support, encourage, and guide others to be their very best- then the obstacles we face will be so easily triumphed.

My resolution in my leadership role as a friend and a humanitarian is to show others their potential thorough love and encouragement.

Ethical Leadership

"Ethical leadership is knowing your core values and having the courage to live them in every aspect of your life."

This week we heard from Steve Baker on ethical leadership. This topic sparked my interest because it gets down to the core of who we are as individuals. It led me to question what my core values are. I realized that I need to do a little work on determining them with the upmost certainty so I can stand by them unwaveringly. I seem to think that values are determined trough life experience. I mean I feel like my core moral code of ethics is not something I could just formulate in one blog post and then stick to it for the rest of my life. But rather I know by staying true to who I am and what I believe now, will lead me to places in life where I can grow my moral understanding through experience. For example, this past few weeks I have been volunteering at the Mountainland Headstart (a non-profit pre-school). Through this volunteering I have gained a much better understanding about the importance of my role in those children's lives. They really don't have a voice, and it is up to those of us who can speak for them to do so. It has cleared up hazy thoughts that rationalized that I could have little impact on a child's life because "things just are the way they are". By exposing myself to the world, I am realizing that my perceptions mostly always change- and my sense of morality, or what is right, is strengthened. One of the questions that was raised during the lecture was whether or now keeping one's integrity is "worth it"? The answer apparently is "absolutely" but I feel it deserves a little better understanding. From my very limited experience in this life, I have realized that when you are honest with yourself and others and do your best to fulfill your positive intentions the universe seems to conspire for the good of yourself and others. It sounds a little magical and silly, but this idea of karma (doing the right thing will come back to benefit you) really does hold true. If not only in the fact that by doing what I know is right, my entire attitude changes for the better and the adversities of life seem so trivial. In my leadership role, whether that be a son, friend, self, student, or humanitarian- inspiration is key. In order to effectively inspire others- an overall sense of good intentions and integrity is key in successfully driving your cause forward. Although, I will make mistakes because reality does not transcend my perfect intentions, I can feel confident in knowing that my intentions were good and I tried my very best. Something that I am struggling with that I think relates to this idea of personal integrity is self discipline. I find it difficult to stay true to what I know is right, what I know I should do, how I know I should act, and how I know I should think. I seem to wavering in my actions. Integrity calls for self-dicipline. I am seeking to develop this sense of "courage" that will allow me to be true and constant. Once I do, trust, respect, peace, and happiness will radiate in me and others I lead. I must begin now, to be who I know I must- giving no regard to fear.

Servant Leadership

I wasn't able to attend class on Monday, but I did get the principles of what was discussed during Wednesday's Lab presentation that Macy gave. This topic in particular is pretty close to my heart. The idea of humble leadership, showing others their potential and lifting them up to reach it, is, to me, among the greatest human attainment. It exemplifies to me what Jesus Christ represents to Christians across the world. A profound love that enables us to sacrifice our own will to fulfill the will of others". It reminds me of a great scripture "greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for a friend." Seeing how the physical surrender of my life will not save anyone, I must look to understand the principle this scripture offers and implement it into my life. I see it this way "greater love hath no soul than they devote their works to another". Because at the end of the day, something inside of me affirms that that is what Christ would have me do. I know it is right. Macy highlighted some characteristics of a servant leaders that I wish to evaluate, and implement into my own life and leadership role.

• Involved Opportunities to be a servant leader arise when we become involved. Instead of being so overwhelmed with the daily grind, thinking "I don't have time for that, this is far more important"- I must realize the balance that my life needs in areas academically, physically, leadership-ically :) , and spiritually. I am resolving to make more time for getting involved and helping others. I can do this by being more organized in my time management and scheduling out specific times that I have free to do service/work on service opportunities.
• No Glory above all. The idea that leadership/service is about me and my needs is incredibly vain. Humility will open so many doors and accomplish so much. It is absolutely required for being a servant leader.
• Sacrifice Needs I think there is a distinction to be made in my everyday thinking between my needs and my wants/feel like needs but really aren't. I desire to shift my focus away from things I do not truly need in my life. By doing this I think it will cleanse mind/attitude- opening the door for more effective opportunities to serve. I can start by eliminating small things in my life that aren't doing me or any others any good.
• Let Others Grow Something that is hard to realize is that I cannot grow for others. Dropping a week's supply of food in a starving village will not be nearly as beneficial as to focusing on a system that will allow the village to bring themselves out of poverty.
• Love I wish was a simpler concept. But the idea in my life is harboring a sincere love for those I wish to serve. By taking into account the concerns of others, I can sincerely share in the pain of their affliction and I can focus my attention on how I can contribute to consolation.
• Quiet Dignity/Grace I feel like this comes with doing the above. It's not something I should focus on creating but rather something that come naturally when one becomes a servant leader. This is a good tool, although, in recognizing other servant leaders to share in your objective.

This week at the Students for International development meeting, my eyes were opened to the value of an education. In a group activity, using the staircase in the JFSB, we created a visual representation of access to an education in developing countries. While most of the group ascended to the 1st - 3rd grade level of education, only one (out of about 50) made it to the top where he received a college education. In hindsight, all 50 of the BYU students participating in the activity had made it to the top, and most of them hadn't realized this. I take for granted my access to an education. The opportunities for knowledge provided in my life are very rare elsewhere in the world. I feel like it is my responsibility to use what I have been given to give to others.

"Leadership is the special quality which enables people to stand up and pull the rest of us over the horizon."

Conflict Resolution

Monday's lecture was given by Sterling May on conflict Resolution. I am going to use the guidelines he gave to relate to some family issues I have. In context, I struggle with getting along with my parents. I love them and I have a profound sense of gratitude for all that they have done for me in my life, but we don't really see eye to eye. This is something that I'm sure will come up in future relationships. The question that I wish to pose then is: how do you get along with people, showing them love and respect, even though you disagree? I'm sure there isn't a simple answer, but maybe some of the points Sterling highlighted will give me some ground to work with. First of all he said "[I] need the wind" which in the context of his story meant that we need trials and conflicts to make us more resilient in nature. Secondly, he said that "conflict is in direct opposition to [my] growth". This suggests that there is no way I can improve my relationship with my parents if I cannot find a way to resolve or sooth my conflict with them. This is hard to realize sometimes. I tend to think of the situation in terms of "My Parent's Conflict" inhibiting "My Growth". In this light, there is no "me" in the equation. This suggests that I am somehow not apart of the problem, but rather a victim of their parenting. That notion is not true. I am very much apart of this equation and it is through the changing of my attitudes and behavior on the situation that things will get better. Maybe not ideally, but better. My goal is to have them understand my gratitude for them and not see deviance as an attack on them but rather a difference in opinion. Of course, this will not be an easy task. Something Sterling said that I liked in particular was "know yourself". I didn't write any notes down under the statement so he mustn't have gone into the matter too deeply. For me, it doesn't make a lot of sense to characterize others in a conflict if you don't have some insight into who you are. Referring to my Myer-Briggs test results, it lists a few challenges that my personality type faces with others, they are:

1) "[I] have a difficult time speaking up, leading others to believe I have nothing to say or do not care"
2) "too perfectionist" - I think of this in regards to my ideals. Sometimes I have too great of expectations.
3) "[I] may fail to influence or convince others of the merit of my ideas"

So now that I know a couple of specific communication challenges I face, I can get a better idea of how to confront situations with people I disagree. To comment on these specific challenges, I can easily see these tendencies of my personality. In most of my conflicts, especially my parents, there is a lack of communication- and when there is communication, I tend to mold my ideas/opinions to what others (my parents) want to hear because I rationalize that "it's best not to push the issue and let them think they are right" (I do this to avoid the conflict). Unfortunately, though, just because I avoid a conflict doesn't mean it goes away. It is my personality type to internalize my feelings to keep them justified because I know others will not respond well to my disagreements. To some degree, this is good and bad. Sometimes you have to work with others despite disagreements, and you shouldn't go around emphasizing conflicts at every turn. But on the other hand, when I feel someone is sincerely wrong and I disagree with their behavior, especially authorities that have control over my life (like my parents), I allow feelings of resentment and anger to foster. This is obviously not effective or healthy for my relationship with my parents. Although, I may be justified in disagreeing with them, I know that anger is not the solution to coping with the issue.

Sterling listed five methods of action in Conflict Resolution that I wish to comment on. The choices are:
1) Competing - neglecting others concerns.
2) Accommodating - neglecting your own concerns.
3) Compromising - giving up more than competition but less than accommodating.
4) Collaborating - satisfies all members.
5) Avoiding - buys time but also may not resolve the conflict.

Based my thoughts above, I noticed that compromising and collaborating are the only two I haven't tried out. So what do you do when the other party is unwilling to compromise? Give up? Get angry and retreat? No. Sterling said that when dealing with our feelings in situations of conflict we must "acknowledge, deny, put them on the table, or leave them at the door". Finding which is most appropriate for each situation is a delicate balancing game. But having this conversation with myself makes me more educated when playing it.

In regards to my leadership position. These principles will come into play with those that I am not familiar with as well. I feel like acknowledging others concerns and not focusing completely on my own is a good goal to make, if I wish to improve my relationships. It seems to be our/my human nature to also think about "I"- this idea opposes principles of service. Seeing how my leadership role revolves around those concepts- I would be doing myself a favor by actively thinking about others concerns (while still respecting my own). This idea was the foundation of my Leadership book. It characterized being "inside of the box" as only seeing yourself and seeing others as objects- and encouraged getting "out of the box" by seeing others as what they really are... people, with similar concerns as my own. This goal will be the premise of my leadership role over the coming week. I will refer to it in the future.

Public Speaking (WILL MAKE UP BLOG SOON)

-Las Vegas (Campaign)

Time Management

This week we heard from Professor Wadsworth on Time Management. This being something I've struggled with for a long time, her lecture gave me some good ideas to take some first steps in managing my time effectively.

She had us list some of our roles:

• Student This includes doing my homework and striving for knowledge.
• Employee Doing all of my jobs on time and affirming other employees that I am an available resource. (Being organized and completing my jobs on time)
• Son/Brother Letting my family know that I love them, and setting a positive example. (Mostly communicating with home and doing what is good)
• Friend Showing love and care for my friends. Encouraging them to reach their potential and being there for them in times of need. (Sending letters, Making things for them, Socializing)
• Self Affirming my spirituality. Growing as a person. (Reading for pleasure, Assessing the "big picture" of my life.)
• Leader/Others Working on leadership opportunities and serving others.

Professor Wadsworth outlines how to cope with stress effectively by giving us a spectrum of effectively.

Low Stress (Lethargy/Low Performance) - - - Moderate Stress (High Motivation/Energy- High Performance) - - - High Stress (Panic/Indecision - Low Performance)

"We are so used to being reactive rather than proactive"

In order to cope with stress, we must first identify it. Sources of stress include relationships, family problems, financial problems, health problems, school problems, difficult decisions, and personal worry. I particularly enjoyed one insight she gay that went something like this "Society expects you from ages 18-25 to choose your major trajectory in life including a job, family, etc. when you're only 1/4 through your life. Of course you're going to be stressed!"

Negative things I do to cope with stress: procrastinating, sleeping (too much), eating unhealthy comfort foods, getting anger, or becoming despondent.

More healthy options to deal when I am overwhelmed is to: exercise, listen to music, talk with others, read, or do service.

Doing something constructive means you're not really wasting your time.

"If you wait for something to happen, I promise you, it won't happen" - This is something that I definitely need to work on! I live my life ignoring responsibilities under the false assumption that things will just happen. But in reality, they will not. I must determine my values, goals, objectives- and work toward accomplishing them.

Commenting on multi-tasking- Wadsworth said that "It's very ineffective to split your mind into different tasks". I think by putting all of my energy into one objective (capitalizing on my productivity cycle) then I will be able to get things done quicker and of greater worth.

The professor also gave some great potential solutions to the different tasks that we face in our lives. When dealing with an unpleasant task - I could do it right when it is assigned, or find someone else to help/work on it with. Overwhelming tasks - can be resolved by dividing them up and conquering them. She also noted that when you start these large tasks, ride the momentum. If there is an unclear goal then I must ask/seek for clarification and then define my own goals. (By sitting down and determining my own goals for an assignment, I think I could develop more will power and motivation to complete it because I've set an expectation for myself.)

"You outta feel proud of yourself when you accomplish something! Tell yourself good job!"

To up her presentation she gave a final quote that I thought was very true that I've never thought about before:

"If you have a happy life, it's not because you found it that way, it's because you MADE it that way."

These tips are very applicable to my life and my leadership role. Focusing on doing important work when it's not urgent but rather when I have scheduled in advance will greatly reduce that stress that comes with procrastination. Also, determining my goals about particular assignments will give me the direction and motivation that I need to do quality work.

Divine Centered Leadership

Monday Lecture: "Divine Centered Leadership"
One principle that was talked about that I enjoyed was the idea of seeing the potential in others. It goes that if you have an open mind to the talents and possibilities of those you are surrounded by, not only can you help them grow as an individual, but you can become a more effective leader by working with others and not taking on everything by yourself. I enjoy this idea because I have seen how others seeing potential in me has allowed me to grow and has improved my self-value. For example, as a sophomore in high school, my friends (who were mostly the year above me) encouraged me to run for student government, and affirmed me that I would do a great job. Only having been at that particular school for one year, I was hesitant because I didn't know very many kids. The idea of putting on a full-fledged campaign promoting my name really intimidated me. "I am probably not the best person for this job. All these other kids have been in the program for years" I thought to myself in self-doubt. But it was because my friends were mature and concerned enough to see the light in me. I decided to run and I won a spot in the student government. I felt quite accomplished. It turns out that my friends lit a fire in me. I began putting in much more effort in to everything that I did. They were great examples to me. They challenged themselves academically, heavily involved in school, were incredibly genuine and compassionate; it was pretty extraordinary to me and I wanted to be a product of their example. Turns out, I became just that. I attribute some of my great accomplishment in life to the humble example that my high school friends were to me. Setting a bar for me that they knew I was more than capable of reaching. Because of their influence in my life, I hope and strive to do the same for those I can inspire. Whenever I meet someone new, I focus on their light and potential. Being negative and judgmental is crippling beyond what we can imagine and is a great disservice to others. To use the scriptures as an example, I envision those who are judging with a sharp eye to be those who tried to draw Lehi and his family away from the iron rod; to face ultimately a vain life filled with falsehoods and sorrows. Whereas Lehi, standing and partaking of the fruit of the tree of life, is a man who sees that good and potential in his children and wants so desperately for all of them to share in the love of God. I would never want to attributed to a group of people who led others into the darkness and corruption of man. Instead, I aim to be the type of friend that someone can look back on and say "he was such a great influence on my life". I feel that in the end, a more silent and humble type of leadership is what can have profound impacts on others life. Because not only are you trying to lead people in the right direction, but they are praising you for showing them the light and helping them to realize something they possibly otherwise would have never found.




Sid Meeting: This week at the Students for International Development meeting, we sat in specialized forums according to our interests in development. My group accounted for those involved in the fight against poverty. Each person in the group got to speak on how they are staking their claim in development and it was rather extraordinary to see how much passion these individuals had. Many spoke of internships they have participating in which brought them to the front lines of global problems. One recurring theme during this group was the abundant resources available for those interested in vesting themselves in making a difference globally. One director over an internship said "You can do anything, and I mean anything, and BYU can help you pay for it. I only realized this my senior year too, I wished I would have known earlier." This inspired me to be thankful that i've made decisions to inquire about my opportunities to get involved, because I know in the long run they will open many doors and lead to great productivity. More simply, I feel very privileged to be where I am now. At a university that is dedicated to helping their students follow their dreams. Also at this meeting was a man named Scott Jackson, representative of the Clinton Global Initiative, introduced how this organization sought to collaborate student led efforts on campus. He suggested that there are so many resources on campus, people willing to help people. I spoke to him about my work with NIKA, and my desire to expand the effort on campus. We've exchanged contact information and I am excited to see how to move this effort forward.


Goals for the next week in regards to my personal life and leadership role:
- Do a random act of service for someone in my dorm.
- Get organized.
- Write one letter to someone back home.
- Go on a run every night.
- Remind myself to "be the change I wish to see in the world"
- Standing up for what I believe.
- Encourage those around me of their potential.

Myer-Briggs Type Indicator

This is by far one of the most interesting tests I have ever taken. I found it pretty extraordinary that a computer could tell me exactly what I am good at and how I could find the most success in a career. At first I was reserved to think that a machine would be able to control my life, but now I see how this can be a great resource in preparing me to fulfilling my life purpose.

Here are my results:

INFP:

- I prefer to focus on the inner world of ideas and impressions.

- I take in information from patterns and the pig picture, focusing on future possibilities.

- I tend to make decisions based primarily on values and on subjective evaluation of person-centered concerns.

- Lastly, I prefer a flexible and spontaneous approach to life and wish to keep my options open.

In these results I scored "clear" in all sections in regards to my clarity of preferences.

Some of my strengths,

- Helping others develop or learn

- Working on projects that are personally meaningful

- Expressing creativity through writing or visual arts

- Focusing on future possibilities for a person or a situation.

- Working at tasks that allow you to step back and see the big picture and how all the pieces fit together.

All of these are dead on. I love to serve others, and I tend to focus on things that are creative, optimistic, meaningful, and clear.

Work Environment:

- Private time for long periods without interruption.

- Work has meaning beyond the paycheck.

- Offers opportunities to work in harmony with others who share your values.

-Fosters cooperation and helping.

- Trusts people to work autonomously without close supervision.

I definitely see myself finding a career that is very flexible, and has a positive and meaningful aura to it. Money is not my main motivation.

Here are a couple of strategies that I need to overcome:

- Missed opportunities due to reluctance of taking necessary steps for networking.

- Hesitate to sell potential contributions during an interview.

- May not appear sufficiently task oriented.

- May put off decisions.

- Overwhelm myself with possibilities.

I agree completely, these are all things that I have struggled with in the past, but It is nice to see them written, along with suggested steps to overcome them.

Potential Careers:

1. Commercial Art Director

2. Social Science Research Assistant

3. Psychiatrist

4. Musician, singer, music director

5. Technical Writer

6. Writer

7. Artist/Visual Artist

8. Graphic Designer

Knowing my strengths and weaknesses offer vital information for me to go forward with understanding and confidence.

experimenting with my demon.

Insight from BRILLIANT Ted Talk.

Creative minds must watch.

It's a good life.

Monday's Lecture: September 20, 2010

"How can we get them to think they are better than they think they can be".

This quote comes from the clip of Invictus that Adrian played. I feel this question is highly relevant to leadership. If we want people to follow us, our individual efforts are not solely the means by which this will be accomplished. There must be a significant portion of persuasion that stems from the followers own mind. If you saw Inception, maybe it will be clearer in that context. In the movie, Cobb (Leonardo Decaprio) focuses on convincing his client to do what he wants (Break up his Father's large corporation) by positioning his client to make the decision on his own. This proved to be much more influential rather than Cobb trying to convince him by means of his own ideas. If we recognize this concept, itthen becomes our aim, as leaders, to persuade using methods we feel will resonate with those who come along with us. I find we can do this sometimes through reasoning, emotions, and example. There is something, throughout this process, that appeals or "clicks" with those following. Perhaps saying "this seems true" or "It just feels right". So how do we provoke these thoughts? The answer to that is not always clear. People are different, and they open up differently. In the end though, we must break through these barriers to move our cause forward.There are instances, like the above quote suggests, that individuals become paralyzed in doubt, lack of confidence, and inaction. Although some think "I am not very good" or "Look how much better they are", the truth of the matter is that the individual has the greatest potential in the world to do great things. (Especially in a World like ours- with so many privileges that others are not afforded; Education, housing, freedom from hunger, or healthcare just to name a few). Great minds like Thomas Edison realized this, he quotes "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." I challenge you to try this concept out sometime. Forget about all thoughts and circumstances that you feel limit and paralyze you- and experiment what things you are capable of accomplishing. We must free the minds of those we lead and allow them to understand for themselves their true potential. Imagine aworld where many lived according to their potential. It seems to me it would be a much grander place.

**If you are questioning why I didn't focus much content on the specifics of Adrian's lecture it is because I struggled connecting fully with it. But I did enjoy how he decoded how we can learn about leadership through the movie Invictus.

Interview:

I interviewed Lucy Brimhall of SID (Students for International Development); A club here on campus at BYU. (http://kennedy.byu.edu/student/sid/#)

I went to a club meeting on Thursday, where we heard from a man named Bishnu Adhikari from Choice Humanitarian who gave an extraordinary lecture on humanitarian work. He spoke about the need for sustainable improvemnts to poverty, not just one time projects. E-mail me if this interests you and you want my notes (mattpayne88@gmail.com). It was also highlighted at the meeting Bishnu's idea that "It's not about buildings, schools, or governments . . . It's about people." I really like this perspective. I know if we saw the world full of our brothers and sisters individually, I think so many misconceptions, as well as large amounts of apathy to those around us, would dissolve. Anyways, after the meeting, I asked Lucy if she would be willing to be interviewed on her leadership role as Co-President of SID. Here are some of the things I really liked from my interview with her:

Why did you get involved with SID?

"Me and my friends started a club called New Global Citizens in high school which got me very interested about poverty- so when I came to college I searched for anything that resembled that experience. I joined a whole slew of clubs and narrowed it down to this one."

[It is interesting to me how things that inspireus have a profound impact on us for the rest of our lives. For instance, Lucy's interest in poverty in High School transforming into a very dynamic and involved leadership position in college.]

What motivates you to be involved with international development?

"I had this idea before I went to Romania, but even moreso when I came back. I have been put in the right country, the right church, the right family, I have a higher education, I have the opportunity to do whatever I want. I feel like I need to capitalize on that opportunity, to give my blessings to those who don't have them."

[This is what inspires me most about Lucy. She recognizes how privileged she is, but instead of capitalizing on her blessings for her own self advancement- she seeks out to give back to those who weren't afforded such opportunity]

What advice would you have for someone beginning this journey of making an impact, and gaining valuable knowledge about the world?

"Get involved. I'm not an expert on International Development, but I do love it. I have put myself out there, despite not being the most educated on the topic. I get to know people, talk to them, and opportunities have opened up because I have gotten involved."

Analysis:

Lucy is a humble and confident leader. She doesn't let the fact that she may not be a connoisseur of international development hinder her from putting forth her best effort. Her method of leadership is to "convince others to convince themselves". She attempts to re-create the transformation of understanding that she goes through, for those she wishes to lead. For example, she is apart of a campus wide event called the Hunger Banquet, which presents a visual representation of how hunger exists in the world. This in turn allows others to better understand the shocking nature of the problem and can inspire them to action. Lucy leads a club that draws participation from hundreds of students and highlights some very real global issues. Coordinating these humanitarian events throughout the year and leading the Students for International development club endows Lucy as a vehicle to inspire others to do good in the world. I have learned from Lucy that doors will open if you go confidently in the direction of your passion. Also, that it seems like we have been placed in such circumstances that are incredibly privileged- we mustn't take advantage of these means, but instead use them as a vehicle to spread the message of service that Christ offers us.

Thank you Lucy for your time and inspiration.

"Facets of my life . . . One of which, A --> B."

Lecture On Monday: (Nathan Ward)

"The best leaders inspire." Instead of threatening and cajoling. Shocking, isn't it. It seems to me, within my own life, that I accomplish things in a much grander fashion when i have been inspired to action. Inspiration breeds enthusiasm and purpose- two things that are like fuel to the fire of getting things done. In the future when I am faced with leadership obstacles, this knowledge will come in handy.

Group Presentations:

I feel like I gained some valuable knowledge after researching Blake Mycoskie of TOMS shoes. I learned what it really takes to make an effective leader in our current generation. It takes compassion, passion, and determination. I love that Blake's company is offering an example of social responsibility. Or the idea that it is good to help people who cannothelp themselves. It has always seemed odd to me that everyone seems to be focused more on their own self-interests than anything else. Blake truly has accomplished his dream of"being the change" that he wishes to see in the world. If Kim or Katieare reading this (by happens chance) I just wanted to say thank you for your support and patience!

S E R V I C E : Probably the most important thing.

This week, my friend Brayden asked me to design a shirt for the contemporary dance company at BYU. Him and his mentor were excited about the design- and it made me appreciate the idea that we all have talents to share with each-other. I think that this type of service encourages people to realize that if we work off each-other talents, then we can get so much farther than wewould have by ourselves.

FREE CD'S: So basically something that I have been doing for a really long time is burning music for my friends. (Now disregardwhether or not you believe in the morals of music sharing).This week, when one of my favorite artists Brandon Flowers of The Killers came out with his debut album "FLAMINGO" - I had a desire to share it with others. So before class one day this week, I burned 4 copies of it, put them in CD sleeves with the album artwork. I wrote FREE on the front and left them in random places around campus. I imagine some recognized who it was, and picked them up.

This week my roomate/childhood friend was having abusy week, so I made his bed. He really appreciated it.

Random acts of service, no matter how obscure, creategood karma. It shifts the focus from worrying about your own selfish desires and allows you to shift your concern to others.

LEADERSHIP ROLE ON CAMPUS:

This week, I joined theStudents for International Development club. Because I am very interested in global poverty, I felt this would be a good avenue to explore ways I could help. I went to a meeting and learned a great deal.

They played an excellent video that exposes some misconceptions to global suffering and poverty. If you have 15 minutes spare time- I really encourage you to watch this. It is very influential: She has a very thick accent, but you eventually get over it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zvrGiPkVcs

At the SID Meeting, I found out I had an opportunity to present the board members with a cause that I am passionate about. I plan on in the coming week, coming up with a presentation on NIKA WATER. I will be posting further about this cause. But essentially what it is is a for-profit water bottle company that donates 100% of it's profits to poverty alleviation. This week I did some research into some options to initiate this cause onto the college campus. I am really excited about this and look forward to telling you more about it as well as possibly getting your help!

Till next time,

Matthew

You were born...

JUST A THOUGHT:

A pretty incredible song by a new band "Cloud Cult".

These are lyrics from their new song "You were born."

"You were born into a strange world.

Like a candle, you were meant to share the fire...

You were born to change this life.

You were born to chase the light."

I always get so lost in my own mind as to what my personal purpose is. I know I want to do good. But too often the uncertainty of the everyday can lead me to paralyze my own good intentions. But this song puts into such simple terms. I am a candle. I seek light, as well as the ability to share it. The winds of the world will seek to extinguish my fire, but I mustn't retire. If I were to compare the world to the confines of a dark room- I know I must not lay lost in a corner with a flickering light. I instead must stand tall, disregarding all certainty, and allow my candle to serve it's purpose. I think i'd be amazed at how much there is to be discovered.

9/8

Leadership to me is sacrifice and service. I feel I must sacrifice my own selfish desires and replace them with genuine concern for others. I do this through service. I have found that it is in the joy and gratitude of others that I have found fulfillment and purpose beyond imagination. For example, in high school I was greatly humbled by my opportunity to work with disabled children. I saw how my daily actions were directly affecting the life of another soul. It was quite extraordinary. In class last week Macy recited a quote by Gordon B. Hinkley that said "You can be a leader. . . You must be a leader". I have strong knowledge of this simple truth and I desire to share it with others. We have a responsibility, like our prophet says, to step up and be servants. I sometimes fear of being peculiar. Because others make it seem that they are perfectly content in life without making sacrifice, only concerned for themselves and perhaps their family. But my fear subsides when I feel the hearts of the millions suffering, dying, and pleading for help. Thousands of human beings (our brothers and sisters) will not live throughout this week. While many of us, the most privileged and able beings of this world, will recede to ignorance while we pursue selfish pleasure. I feel the crime we are committing against humanity every day. We have the greatest capacity to solve the problems of our modern world- and we must. Despite what our friends, neighbors, or family are doing. We know better. I know better. This is why I plan on dedicating a life of humble service to humanity. By no means do I mention this in pride, or assume I am somehow better than those around me. I am not. I have a firm belief that "One can change the world." I know that individually, now matter what other things occupy our lives, we can make time to serve others. We all have our own paths and purpose. We will have great opportunity to serve others in the awfully short existence- we must seize it. In regards to my leadership at this stage in my life- I am enthralled by the array of opportunities for service here at BYU. I see so many people willing to help and so many programs to do so effectively. In my search for a leadership role that is best for me I have come across a club called "Service to the World" who operates through Y Serve. "This program works with LDS Humanitarian Services to organize service projects that help meet worldwide humanitarian needs. Volunteers help organize, plan, and execute the service projects." I have emailed the program directors about my interest in being apart of this club. Although I have not officially obtained a leadership role on campus, I see so many open doors. I will be updating you on where I am directed to serve and where opportunities arise. I want to leave you with a experience in service I had earlier this week. The time for me to do my laundry had dreadfully and imminently made its way into my life. Contemplating how much I missed seeing my clothes magically cleaned and on hangers (by no effort of myself) back home, I filled my basket with dirty clothes and proceeded to the basement laundry room in my dorm. Not long after I had put my 3 loads into the washers, I got a call from my aunt wanting to take me out to dinner. When I got back later that night, I was surprised to find my wet laundry on three different areas of the dirty laundry floor. I guess I just wasn't familiar with the inner workings of the college laundry process. Although I wasn't expecting anyone to put my clothes into the dryer or make room for them on the clean table, I just felt this sense of disconnect from the others in my dorm; as if we were in it for ourselves- a "dog eat dog world". I rationalized that it was labor day, so people were anxious with so many people doing laundry that they wanted to just get theirs done. As I was folding my clean laundry later that evening, a thought came to my head. It was a sort of instantaneous thought of "Be the change you wish to see in the world"; but not the actual words, more just the understanding that embodied the phrase. So when I was completed with my laundry, I proceeded to put wet clothes into the dryer, fold those that were already dry, and sweep up the dirty laundry room floor. Someone walked in to find their laundry more complete than they were expecting. I could tell this kid was so grateful- he kept telling me how much he appreciated it. I felt a simple spirit in helping these other kids with their laundry (although some may have seen it as creepy) I felt that it took away from that "dog eat dog" process of doing laundry. I know this is simple, but the principle remains true to life. "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."-Ghandi

Till next time.

"It hit me square in the face"

College. Enough said. I am joining this blog in order to fulfil a requirement for my leadership class. I am greatly looking forward to all that BYU has to offer in order to help me grow as a leader. I am looking forward to the humble service opportunities that await me. Time will tell of the hopefully great experience this next year will be.

All is well.

Matthew Payne