http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXRhxxS0zqw&feature=youtu.be
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Self-Propelled
In my opinion, initiative is acting on an impulse or feeling to create progress. It means doing something without someone else having to tell you. It means accessing the creativity and intuition that you have in order to bring about a desired result. Initiative is important as a student and as a professional because its necessary in order to get ahead in the world. You have to take initiative to be a contributing and proactive member of a team. You have to show initiative to motivate and direct people as a leader. You have to demonstrate initiative to supersede expectations on the job.
Initiative Interview:
Q: What is initiative?
A: Taking it upon yourself to make a change o r a difference.
Q: How did you form this opinion?
A: If you want to see a change or better yourself, you need to show initiative and take matters into your own hands.
Q: Examples of initiative?
A: If someone is struggling with classes and have used resources available to them for the class (ex. study tables, tutoring, etc.), and then someone comes along and helps them get more organized and develop and strategy.
Q: Personal example?
A: Captain of lacrosse team in high school, took strides to improve flow of warm-up drills. Spoke with head coaches and teammates, and suggested new exercises. Decided to warm-up and then to stretch, rather than in the reverse order.
Q: Nervous or inhibitions?
A: Didn't know if it would be a good idea for the team even though felt that it would personally work. Wanted to try trial-and-error approach.
Q: Outcome?
A: Ended up implementing changes. Received positive feedback from team.
Learnings from Young Alumni Panel:
One of the most significant lessons that I took away from the panel discussion was to follow your passions. Several of the panelists mentioned that they started out in studies and jobs that didn't appeal to their interests. One panelist actually started a pet care company off a whim, and it eventually became very successful I was very impressed by the rapid advancement that these individuals made in their respective careers, and how they still took time to come speak with undergraduates. With the added perspective of the alumni as well as the feedback that I have received from the staff of BLF, I've learned and will continue devote my energy and time to things that are fulfilling and productive.
Overall, I understand that things won't happen unless I make them happen. Initiative allows us the opportunity to be the change that we want to see in the world. It is important for us to depend on each other, but at the end of the day, someone has to take action and why can't it be me? One thing I learned is that initiative has to be sustained by passion, since people evaluate results, not effort. I've learned that initiative shows a lot about who we are, manifested in the things we do when there's no external pressure. And there's a certain pride that we experience when an idea or effort works itself out.
I like thinking in metaphors: A spaceship must be internally propelled- nothing "pushes" the spacecraft to its limits. Once ignition gets it off the ground, only an internal fire will keep it going.
Initiative Interview:
Q: What is initiative?
A: Taking it upon yourself to make a change o r a difference.
Q: How did you form this opinion?
A: If you want to see a change or better yourself, you need to show initiative and take matters into your own hands.
Q: Examples of initiative?
A: If someone is struggling with classes and have used resources available to them for the class (ex. study tables, tutoring, etc.), and then someone comes along and helps them get more organized and develop and strategy.
Q: Personal example?
A: Captain of lacrosse team in high school, took strides to improve flow of warm-up drills. Spoke with head coaches and teammates, and suggested new exercises. Decided to warm-up and then to stretch, rather than in the reverse order.
Q: Nervous or inhibitions?
A: Didn't know if it would be a good idea for the team even though felt that it would personally work. Wanted to try trial-and-error approach.
Q: Outcome?
A: Ended up implementing changes. Received positive feedback from team.
Learnings from Young Alumni Panel:
One of the most significant lessons that I took away from the panel discussion was to follow your passions. Several of the panelists mentioned that they started out in studies and jobs that didn't appeal to their interests. One panelist actually started a pet care company off a whim, and it eventually became very successful I was very impressed by the rapid advancement that these individuals made in their respective careers, and how they still took time to come speak with undergraduates. With the added perspective of the alumni as well as the feedback that I have received from the staff of BLF, I've learned and will continue devote my energy and time to things that are fulfilling and productive.
Overall, I understand that things won't happen unless I make them happen. Initiative allows us the opportunity to be the change that we want to see in the world. It is important for us to depend on each other, but at the end of the day, someone has to take action and why can't it be me? One thing I learned is that initiative has to be sustained by passion, since people evaluate results, not effort. I've learned that initiative shows a lot about who we are, manifested in the things we do when there's no external pressure. And there's a certain pride that we experience when an idea or effort works itself out.
I like thinking in metaphors: A spaceship must be internally propelled- nothing "pushes" the spacecraft to its limits. Once ignition gets it off the ground, only an internal fire will keep it going.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, November 19, 2012
The Ever Elusive Seesaw
Balance has definitely been one of my most difficult struggles throughout my collegiate career. For some reason, I always seem to work on extremes. Freshman year I was extremely social. Sophomore year I was extremely isolated. Junior year I was extremely disengaged. And this year I have extreme case of Senioritis. Well, kind of. The craziest part is how many things I've tried to get balance. Freshman year was probably the year that I was most balanced, primarily because I was around people who did the same. I would socialize and meet people during the day, spend time with roommates during the evening and then do homework collaboratively at night. I got my work done and got the best grades of my career, while assuming leadership roles, and improving personally. I have used Google calendar, a planner, a wall calendar, post-it notes, writing on my hands, posting notices on my walls, phone/text reminders, and sheer memorization. My remaining organized I am more capable of committing time to different activities. I try to balance my time amongst things that I value most- family & friends, health, academics, self-improvement/spirituality, and fun!
I definitely believe balance is possible. The way we spend our time is a good way to evaluate our values. By doing things that make you happy, I think balance can be achieved. I think a self-assessment would be helpful to re-establishing balance in my life. Proactivity would give me the time that I need to try new things and to spend on areas of my life that have been ignored. One day, balance will be mine!
I definitely believe balance is possible. The way we spend our time is a good way to evaluate our values. By doing things that make you happy, I think balance can be achieved. I think a self-assessment would be helpful to re-establishing balance in my life. Proactivity would give me the time that I need to try new things and to spend on areas of my life that have been ignored. One day, balance will be mine!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Exploring the Other: A Cultural Exchange
This is by far one of the coolest blog prompts that we've been given so far. For this cultural exchange assignment, I was paired with Mariam Hussain, a Muslim. So, I took her to a church service at New Birth Christian Ministries and she invited me to Fast-A-Thon.I love new experiences and Fast-A-Thon was definitely one. First thing, I fasted all day. So, I didn't eat or drink anything from when I went to sleep until 5:30pm. That wasn't that bad, but it was still kind of tough, especially since I had a lunch meeting and couldn't eat. The actual event took place at the Performance Hall of the Union on Tuesday and was focused on raising awareness and support for those suffering in the tumult in Syria. The event was hosted by Unicef and the Muslim Student Association. Several students presented spoken word pieces. The keynote speaker gave a thorough presentation on the background and current situation in Syria, which was quite helpful for me. I learned that 36,000 people have died, including women, children, and civilians. The Syrians are greatly lacking in resources to care for the refugees's needs such as medical equipment and food. The regime of Bashar Assad has been brutal evident in the torturing and killing of celebrities, children, and any opposition.
Besides learning about the conflict, I also had the chance to sample Middle Eastern cuisine courtesy of Lavash Cafe. It was very good but a little spicy! I was able to observe some of the Muslim attendees perform one of their daily prayers. I never knew the men prayed separated from the women. I met some cool folks and learned a lot.
Besides learning about the conflict, I also had the chance to sample Middle Eastern cuisine courtesy of Lavash Cafe. It was very good but a little spicy! I was able to observe some of the Muslim attendees perform one of their daily prayers. I never knew the men prayed separated from the women. I met some cool folks and learned a lot.
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