I am in a group counseling class, and part of the class requirement is to participate in a process group. A few weeks ago I shared that I typically find myself in leadership positions. My life has always seemed to follow the same patterns. Maybe it is because I'm pretty blunt about most things. Maybe my need for organization drives me to manage situations. Maybe I'm just a control freak. I don't know. But this got me thinking....
If I am a natural leader, what kind of leader am I?
Recently I came across a list of the top 100 people who changed the world. A LOT of the people on the list, I don't have a clue who they are. (history has never really been my strong point) Here are a few of the names I recognized on that list: Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King Jr, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Buddha, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa....and many many more. Through my processing I have learned the type of leader I want to be. I still have some work to do...
1. To communicate clearly, calmly, and effectively.
2. To commit to a sense of enthusiasm that is contagious
3. To value those I lead
4. To remain humble in even the most difficult situations. I will always have something to learn.
5. To not be afraid to get my hands dirty. The most effective leaders will lead by example. (note list above)
6. To commit to the success of everyone involved in any given task
7. To be willing to take risks
8. To be open minded, and able to admit when I'm wrong
9. To be reliable and consistent
10. To be patient. Everyone will not see things the way I do.
11. To be honest
12. To always keep perspective
Let's be honest, this list could go on and on and on. I'm sure I will continue to learn about leadership and about myself along the way. I just want to be the kind of person that people want to follow. I want people to look up to me because of my character and not my status.
Mar 7, 2012
Mar 6, 2012
The Flowers Are Starting to Bloom :)
Spring time amazes me. I wake up with the sun shining through my window and I am instantly in a good mood. It feels like the season of new life. Everything starts to bloom, the weather is nice, and the season of lent renews my spirit. For me, there is just something about spring time.
Back in October, God convicted me. I was well into my second semester of graduate school. I was working all the time. I feel like all the boyfriend and I ever did was go out to eat. (besides the bar scene, what do people my age do?) I started to feel so gross.
So, I joined the DeSoto Athletic Club (DAC). I had to meet with a personal trainer for an a general assessment. He showed me around the gym, talked about programs they run, and then finally I stepped onto every girls worse enemy....The Scale. I made it pretty clear that I was not interested in losing weight per say, but I was joining to take yoga classes. One of my best friends from college, Roxanne, introduced me to yoga during my undergrad. I fell in love. Afterwards I felt so relaxed and as if I could conquer the world. Though Yoga does not have a foundation in Christianity, its basis is Meditation. I have been teach my youth about spiritual disciplines on Wednesday nights, and the first one we talked about was Mediation. There is something about being still and centering your life around the creator that brings a person into deep relationship with him.
Well after the assessment, this trainer took me back into the office and in so many words told me that I needed to be doing a little more than yoga classes. They were just going to be a quick fix, but a healthy lifestyle would give me a better overall quality of life. I would like to say I wasn't offended, but that would be a lie. I left that day and over the course of the next few weeks, I got into a routine of my Yoga classes.
You know that busy time of the semester? Papers, finals, projects, group work.....it all seems to hit at once. I had become so stressed out, and it wasn't long before I realized how right that trainer was.(And as I think back now, I think God was using him to try to get through to me) Though Yoga is a good tool, it was a quick fix. After a class I would feel great, but I was not taking care of myself. I knew that God was speaking to me through out this time. I kept hearing him whisper. Your body is a temple. Live your life as an example. Take care of yourself. Self care is not selfish, you can not give what you do not have.
So by myself (and if you have ever gone to a gym that is an accomplishment in and of itself), I went to a Zumba class. And it changed my life. I am not sure if a lot of gyms are like this, but the DAC is pretty clicky. Everyone has friend there...except for me. No one is ever mean to me, but I do not have that support system there most people do. But I go anyways. It is my time. And God has used that time to teach me a number of things.
1. NEVER under estimate the things God will use to speak to you
2. Your body is a temple, and that means a lot more than dressing modestly.
3. When you allow yourself to become still before God, His voice becomes so much more clear.
3a. His voice moves you to action, period.
4. Often times business is used as an excuse to not take care of yourself (thanks, biggest loser: no excuses)
5. I have the most supportive boyfriend ever, and he has been a God sent. I have developed some amazing friendships in the past year or so, I'm eternally grateful.
It was not long after my Zumba experience; I joined Weight Watchers. Cardio classes and weight classes were beneficial, but with Weight Watchers I was able to start filling my body with nutrition. Throughout this experience, I have started to feel like a new person. God is using my journey to a healthy life as a tool to renew my spirit. I have started to bloom.
I had been thinking about this a lot lately. So, I wanted to share. As I have noticed the flowers start to bloom these past couple of weeks, it has given me a chance to really process this change of season in my own life. I am truly excited about the things God has in store.
Back in October, God convicted me. I was well into my second semester of graduate school. I was working all the time. I feel like all the boyfriend and I ever did was go out to eat. (besides the bar scene, what do people my age do?) I started to feel so gross.
So, I joined the DeSoto Athletic Club (DAC). I had to meet with a personal trainer for an a general assessment. He showed me around the gym, talked about programs they run, and then finally I stepped onto every girls worse enemy....The Scale. I made it pretty clear that I was not interested in losing weight per say, but I was joining to take yoga classes. One of my best friends from college, Roxanne, introduced me to yoga during my undergrad. I fell in love. Afterwards I felt so relaxed and as if I could conquer the world. Though Yoga does not have a foundation in Christianity, its basis is Meditation. I have been teach my youth about spiritual disciplines on Wednesday nights, and the first one we talked about was Mediation. There is something about being still and centering your life around the creator that brings a person into deep relationship with him.
Well after the assessment, this trainer took me back into the office and in so many words told me that I needed to be doing a little more than yoga classes. They were just going to be a quick fix, but a healthy lifestyle would give me a better overall quality of life. I would like to say I wasn't offended, but that would be a lie. I left that day and over the course of the next few weeks, I got into a routine of my Yoga classes.
You know that busy time of the semester? Papers, finals, projects, group work.....it all seems to hit at once. I had become so stressed out, and it wasn't long before I realized how right that trainer was.(And as I think back now, I think God was using him to try to get through to me) Though Yoga is a good tool, it was a quick fix. After a class I would feel great, but I was not taking care of myself. I knew that God was speaking to me through out this time. I kept hearing him whisper. Your body is a temple. Live your life as an example. Take care of yourself. Self care is not selfish, you can not give what you do not have.
So by myself (and if you have ever gone to a gym that is an accomplishment in and of itself), I went to a Zumba class. And it changed my life. I am not sure if a lot of gyms are like this, but the DAC is pretty clicky. Everyone has friend there...except for me. No one is ever mean to me, but I do not have that support system there most people do. But I go anyways. It is my time. And God has used that time to teach me a number of things.
1. NEVER under estimate the things God will use to speak to you
2. Your body is a temple, and that means a lot more than dressing modestly.
3. When you allow yourself to become still before God, His voice becomes so much more clear.
3a. His voice moves you to action, period.
5. I have the most supportive boyfriend ever, and he has been a God sent. I have developed some amazing friendships in the past year or so, I'm eternally grateful.
It was not long after my Zumba experience; I joined Weight Watchers. Cardio classes and weight classes were beneficial, but with Weight Watchers I was able to start filling my body with nutrition. Throughout this experience, I have started to feel like a new person. God is using my journey to a healthy life as a tool to renew my spirit. I have started to bloom.
I had been thinking about this a lot lately. So, I wanted to share. As I have noticed the flowers start to bloom these past couple of weeks, it has given me a chance to really process this change of season in my own life. I am truly excited about the things God has in store.
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