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.