Will's Wisdom

This video is something that I think everyone should watch. Will Smith explains the importance of being passionate about something and being willing to do anything for it. Most of the things that he speaks about are common sense but often times people forget about this "wisdom". I like to watch this video every so often to refresh myself of how I want to live my life and to remotivate myself. Like I spoke about next week, I think that people are leaders through the ways they live their lives. To me Will Smith is an exceptional leader and is someone I like to follow. I highly reccommend this video to everyone! Enjoy! :)

Role Models

Lately I have had a lot of people come into my life who I really admire. These people all have a few things in common that make me look up to them. They are all positive, driven and interesting people. All of them are following their hearts and doing what makes them happy in life. I find myself constantly wanting to be in their presence. I believe that some people can be leaders without even trying. When a person lives their life in a positive way, others begin to notice this. Others begin learning from these role models and emulating their lives. I think that these role models are leaders without even trying. They motivate others to take risks and to lead the life that they want. This is a prime example that there are endless opportunites to possess and exude leadership qualities.

Colin Powell's 18 principles

I was reading this article earlier and it really made me realize how important it is for a leader to know how to balance his/her life. A leader must know how to have fun and have passions outside of work. People are more likely to follow and look up to someone who has a multi-dimensional life opposed to being a workaholic. Nobody wants to be aronud someone who is always extremely stressed and wound tight. Also, this connects with how the article said that attitude is contagious. It is important for the leader to stay optimistic to keep his followers in high spirits. If followers are happy then they are more likely to perform better when it comes to work because they will want to be there. I think that this aspect of leadership is often overlooked but it is so important to practice.

Dance is Leadership

Today in class we looked at leadership in the form of dance. We spoke about how there is a relationship between partners which is like realational leadership. We also discussed that there are always followers and leaders in dance. As we were watching the videos and having this discussion I kept thinking of the quote, "Dancing: a measure of confidence, not a measure of talent." I feel like this parallels perfectly with leadership. When it comes down to it, a person needs to have confidence to be a leader. Anybody can be a leader if they are willing to be confident and take a risk. The boy in the video showed a high volume of confidence by starting to dance alone. He took a risk that nobody else did. The boy didn't just go up an sway back and forth... he got up there and danced crazy. I feel like this reflects leadership perfectly. To be a successful leader you can't just half-ass your confidence, you have to go out on a limb and be willing to look dumb. Those who are most confident are the best of dancers.

The Next US

This past week in class the creators of The Next US came and spoke to our class. David and Susan travelled America and found people who are following their dreams and doing what they are passionate about. After studying abroad in Spain last semester, and seeing different ways of life I promised myself that I would live a life of happiness. Going to another country made me realize that the world has so much to offer and at the end of the day the only important thing is that you are happy. Although this is something that I believed prior to hearding Susan and David speak, it was so nice to see people who turned this belief into a reality. These people showed that it is possible to live my dream. My parents always told me that I could do anything I want in my life and I think that is the best thing you can tell a child.
After I graduate in May I plan on moving to Santorini, Greece to work during the high season and to make some money. I am passionate about travelling and learning about cultures but I don't know what kind of job could allow me to do this. The Next US has really inspired me to do some soul searching and figure out what I want to do.
I have seen too many adults that are "successful" by society's standards but they never seem to be happy and fulfilled. I have even had adults tell me of things they regret missing out on when they were younger. They didn't seize the day and take every opportunity presented to them. I want to make sure that when I am older I am successful and without regrets. When I think of success in my life I think of being healthy, happy and having the people I love near me.
This leadership class has given me more motivation to search for a passionate life. Often times in our society people think that straight out of college you should go into the business world, working 40+ hours a week and striving to make the most amount of money possible. Constantly having this belief around you and pushed on you can start making someone lose hope for their passion.
Today I met with a woman that I am going to start babysitting for. She told me how she went to school for engineering because that is what her parents pushed her to do and then out of college she got a mundane engineering job. She told me that she is a bubbly person who loves to be around people and that the environment didn't fit her personality. The thing that she had been passionate about her whole life was interior design. After several years, she finally quit her engineering job and is now an interior designer. She told me how it is so important to do what you want and that there is no such thing as "practical" and "realistic". If there is something you want to do, then do it!
I love meeting people like this and I think that everyone in the world would be much happier if they approached life in this manner. I cannot wait to figure out how I can follow my passions!