It's getting deep over here. Today's class was GREAT. For the first time, Avery, Jen, Amber and I did not struggle to force open our painfully tired eyes. We got a LOT out of this class in so many ways. It made us realize...we would have taken a whole lot more from the other classes if we weren't suffering from jet lag. Disappointing, but we definitely learned a lot from them anyway. Sleep is so important when you're on a trip like this. I'm definitely going to use today and its positive impact on me as a reminder to get enough sleep for the rest of the trip so that I can be mentally and spiritually present and listen and participate to the fullest.
SO -- what did we do, you ask?! We first listened to a presentation about Social Change and the Model of Leadership. The most important thing I took away from this presentation was the 7 C's of Change: Citizenship, Common Purpose, Collaboration, Controversy with Civility, Consciousness of Self, Congruence, and Commitment. After discussing definitions and personal examples of each, our teacher encouraged us to pick one of these C's and focus on it during the trip. I have chosen Consciousness of Self, which basically means that I want to become more aware of my values, emotions, and surroundings and really focus on making introspection and reflection an important part of my everyday life. On a trip like this, all of the knowledge and experiences that we are accumulating can directly impact how we grow as people and how we help others grow as people. This is so important to me.
I also learned a lot about leadership today that I'm planning on using with my girls that I coach when I take them to summer camp in July. I'm always looking for ways to help them grow as leaders and as people, not just as dancers. So, if you're reading this, ladies: get ready to inspire and be inspired.
SO -- what did we do, you ask?! We first listened to a presentation about Social Change and the Model of Leadership. The most important thing I took away from this presentation was the 7 C's of Change: Citizenship, Common Purpose, Collaboration, Controversy with Civility, Consciousness of Self, Congruence, and Commitment. After discussing definitions and personal examples of each, our teacher encouraged us to pick one of these C's and focus on it during the trip. I have chosen Consciousness of Self, which basically means that I want to become more aware of my values, emotions, and surroundings and really focus on making introspection and reflection an important part of my everyday life. On a trip like this, all of the knowledge and experiences that we are accumulating can directly impact how we grow as people and how we help others grow as people. This is so important to me.
I also learned a lot about leadership today that I'm planning on using with my girls that I coach when I take them to summer camp in July. I'm always looking for ways to help them grow as leaders and as people, not just as dancers. So, if you're reading this, ladies: get ready to inspire and be inspired.
We also learned a lot of tidbits here and there that I found really interesting. We talked about Gandhi and his experience as a lawyer in South Africa during Apartheid. A lot of people probably just associate him with India, but really, he was incredibly influential worldwide. We also talked about how the food here all has a story...for example, when we went to a traditional South African meal at Moyo, they served us a lot of food with curry. This is because the slave trade here imported people from Indonesia and surrounding areas, so their influence carried over into the food. It was interesting to think of food on a deeper level like that {being the complete foodie that I am}. Now, I have a greater appreciation for what I eat, and I'm going to try to enjoy it more.
One of our interns, Chris, explained that when he was a student on the trip, he took extensive notes and really got the most out of the Global LEAD program. This inspired my roommates and me to take more elaborate notes, stay attentive, and really do the readings. All of the homework and assignments are really, really interesting, and I want to do the absolute best that I can so that I walk away from this program with no regrets.
Joanna, the program director, lead us in an activity next. We explored who we lead and who we influence, learning that everyone who you influence, you lead. Leadership is influence. A few deep thoughts and quotes that she shared with us that really got me thinking:
-Do you like the person that you are when you're with this person?
{on dating and friendships}
-When I have something to say to someone, do I say it to them or about them?
{on integrity}
-Is there an area in my life that I don't want people to ask me about?
{on being comfortable with ourselves and addressing our insecurities}
-"It's easy to do the right thing when you know ahead of time what you stand for"
{the CEO of Johnson & Johnson on establishing values and following through -- the incident with the Tylenol recall lead him to make the decision to take ALL Tylenol off the shelves at that time...costing the company one hundred million dollars}
She talked to us about an author named John Maxwell, who writes about integrity and what it means to use integrity as an integral part of personal leadership.
We closed the class with discussing the importance of not oversharing...of sitting in silence and becoming better listeners. There is so much you can learn from people and what they say, if you let them speak.
Well...that's all for today. I am about to take on the most challenging physical activity I have ever done -- I am off to hike TABLE MOUNTAIN :) I've seen the mountain several times on this trip, but this is about to be incredibly enduring and eye opening...something on another level of amazing.
Moral of the story: Always inspire and be inspired, friends. They go hand-in-hand more than you think.
xoxo,
Anna
One of our interns, Chris, explained that when he was a student on the trip, he took extensive notes and really got the most out of the Global LEAD program. This inspired my roommates and me to take more elaborate notes, stay attentive, and really do the readings. All of the homework and assignments are really, really interesting, and I want to do the absolute best that I can so that I walk away from this program with no regrets.
Joanna, the program director, lead us in an activity next. We explored who we lead and who we influence, learning that everyone who you influence, you lead. Leadership is influence. A few deep thoughts and quotes that she shared with us that really got me thinking:
-Do you like the person that you are when you're with this person?
{on dating and friendships}
-When I have something to say to someone, do I say it to them or about them?
{on integrity}
-Is there an area in my life that I don't want people to ask me about?
{on being comfortable with ourselves and addressing our insecurities}
-"It's easy to do the right thing when you know ahead of time what you stand for"
{the CEO of Johnson & Johnson on establishing values and following through -- the incident with the Tylenol recall lead him to make the decision to take ALL Tylenol off the shelves at that time...costing the company one hundred million dollars}
She talked to us about an author named John Maxwell, who writes about integrity and what it means to use integrity as an integral part of personal leadership.
We closed the class with discussing the importance of not oversharing...of sitting in silence and becoming better listeners. There is so much you can learn from people and what they say, if you let them speak.
Well...that's all for today. I am about to take on the most challenging physical activity I have ever done -- I am off to hike TABLE MOUNTAIN :) I've seen the mountain several times on this trip, but this is about to be incredibly enduring and eye opening...something on another level of amazing.
Moral of the story: Always inspire and be inspired, friends. They go hand-in-hand more than you think.
xoxo,
Anna
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