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.
Wow this blog post was very powerful! I like how you related the lecture to not only your leadership position but also your past experiences in high school, and I can really relate to the positive impact friends can have. Just being at BYU I have had a lot of doubt in my abilities whether it is getting into the major I want, and doing well in my classes, for everything is so much more difficult than it was in high school, but my dormies reassure me of my strengths when I focus on all of my weaknesses. I am my biggest critic, as I know many other people are as well. And that is why friends are so important, because they see all the potential in us that we are too blind to see. My friends have been an answer to my prayers, and we can be an answer to someone else's prayer if we are a friend to them. As your friends have inspired you, I am sure you inspired other with your example being in your high school's student government.
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