Monarch Park Collegiate...What Can WE Learn?

I think that the story of Monarch Park is just one of many inspiring stories of how communities are stronger and more prosperous when they work together for the greater good.
Because of the Free the Children speaker that went to their school, the students of Monarch Park Collegiate have begun to realize that the ability to make a positive change is within each of us regardless of of where we come, what we did in the past, where we live, our race or nationality. None of this really matters. What does matter is that we act..not to help ourselves but to understand that the greatest joy comes from making a difference in the lives of others.
This story also goes to show how even the most unlikely of people can make an amazing impact on others if given the knowledge and the opportunity to act. You take a school like Monarch Park that is notorious for violence and gangs and so many other things and you teach them the meaning of changing from Me to We and all of the sudden they are completely transformed as they realize how big of a difference they can make...no matter what other people think.

Belonging

The group that I think I feel most connected to would definitely be my closest smaller circle of friends. These are the people who i can trust with my life and who can make me feel good even on the crappiest of days. These people are the ones who are genuine;y interested in my well being and my happiness and I know that they will always have my back. I feel safe and secure and welcome and encouraged and calm when i am with these people and they always seem to bring out the best in me. These people play a HUGE role in my life because they are the ones who give me courage and confidence in myself and they are often the reason why I get up in the morning because I know that by being with them, I will feel that mine was a life worth living because I had the opportunity to brighten someone else day or simply make someone else smile.

Grade 8 is Such a Difficult Time...

So the grade 8 tours...that was interesting. It wasn't at all what i was expecting it to be. The group that we had on the first day was a little bit of a shocker. I was expecting the kids to be fairly cooperative and interested in checking out the school they would soon be attending but that’s not at all what we got. We had a fairly large group of kids consisting mostly of boys and although some were extremely well behaved and attentive, most of them were just rowdy, defiant and some even disrespectful. There were a few different times where I had to break up disputes and other times where I had to use everything I had to keep the kids focused.
In spite of all of this I think that what we did was a huge help to some of the kids and it gave them a chance to get to know IDCI and hopefully calm their nerves a little. It also helped teach a lot of the tour guides patience, confidence, self control and good communication.
One thing that I think could help improve it for next year is to have the groups more even and to have them sorted better by the elementary school teachers so that they can put kids in groups with other kids that they will work well with.

Lions, Tigers and Zebras...OH MY

The whole idea in this story about how we as humans, like the zebras, need to work together collectively and rely on each other is probably one of the most important yet difficult lessons to learn.
It was explained so clearly in this story that humans are social creatures. Relationships with others are important not only when it comes to getting things done; they are essential for living a life that has meaning and value. It was just like the Maasai guide said,
"The zebra belong together. One zebra is weak, many are powerful. That is their strength. It is our strength too. Like the zebra, the Maasai people act together. No one person can live alone; it is not possible. We need each other. When we come together we are powerful. We too belong together."
This just goes to show just how amazing the results can be when people act together as a community with a common goal for the common good. Human beings are not particularly strong, stealthy, or fast, but our ability to cooperate with others - to think, communicate, and work together - makes us powerful. Communities share knowledge, responsibility and leadership and with the collective unique talents of each individual working together, incredible things can be accomplished. One person is easy to target and tear down, but a collective mass...that's a different story.

Kim, Mike and Brenda

After reading the stories of these three people's transformation from me to we, I think the one I admire the most was Brenda's story. Brenda didn't even have her high school diploma and no one expected her to go very far since she was simply a hairdresser, but man did she ever prove them wrong. Brenda found her calling in providing hair and skin care for cancer and chemo patients and was able to council tons of cancer patients and survivors and eventually began teaching others how to follow in her footsteps. I was just so impressed at Brenda's heart for people and how she was willing to do all that she did for complete strangers. She gave so much of her time and effort to them while still maintaining her job and family on only a hairdressers salary. All she wanted to do was help people and that grew into something amazing. I was able to take three very important lesson from her story and I think everyone can learn from them:
1) Even the most unlikely of people can make the change from me to we and make a huge difference in the lives of the people around them, so no matter who you are, you can help.
2) It doesn't take a huge petition or a trip across the country or anything like that to 'be the change'. You can do that right in your our community. Even if it's just one person, you are still making a difference. People in third wold countries need our help and we should be there to give it, but North America needs help too.
3) Helping others can be one of the most satisfying things you could ever do. When you try to make a difference without expecting anything in return you actually end up with the most valuable rewards in all the world...true happiness and pride.

Secrets of Success

Richard St. John did a survey to find out the 8 secrets that lead to success.
Of all the possibilities, thisis what he conculded to be the top 8:

1) Passion. In order to be successful you must have a driven passion and love for what you do.
2) Work. You have to work diligently and persistently to get the job done right.
3) Become good at something. You can't just do a job half way or do it poorly. Take the time to
learn and do it well.
4) Focus. Always keep your eye on the ball and never lose sight of your goals, otherwise you'll
just get lost.
5) Push yourself. You can't let things like shyness or self doubt get in your way.
6) Serve others with something of value. Don't just do it for yourself or to boast.
7) Have ideas. Be creative. Always strive to make things better through new ideas. You can't
take action if you don't have an idea first.
8) Persist. Never give up. Always keep going. No matter how tough it gets, you can always pull
through if you just try.

After reading these 8 secrets for success, I actually felt as though success was more attainable. We all know what it takes to succeed but this video just broke it down so it was more understandable and I think everyone could benefit from learning these 8 secrets. Not only will they help you reach your goals but they will also make it feel right. You will be able to look back with pride at what you've done.

Back to the Book - The Four Basic Skills...

I think that out of all of the four skills that the book talked about for making the transition from me to we, the most important one to me would be that we need to redefine happiness. For a lot of people happiness is based on how many "things" they have. It's all about who was the most or the best toys - whether that toy is a doll, a bike, a car, or a house. Very few people seem to understand that material things are not what are going to make you a happy person. They will bring you a bit of a thrill for a while but that just doesn't last. If people were to stop for a minute and take a look at the world around them they would see that some of the happiest people in the world are also some of the poorest, and its all because they've straightened out their priorities and they realize that the things that really matter, the ones that will truly make them happy, are not material things. They include things like family, friends, purpose, standing up for what you believe in, and helping others around them in any way they can. The happiness that comes from every new toy you'll ever get is nothing compared to the happiness that comes from making a positive difference in someones life or from sticking up for your values. That is the kind of happiness that is deep and profound and will stay with you throughout your entire life. That is the kind of happiness that, when you look back, you will realize that your life was worth living. You didn't let people push you around, you had the courage to so what was right, you were able to influence a life, you were their for someone when they needed it most, and so many other things. That and only that is what will bring you peace at the end of your life, when you can reflect and honestly say that you had no regrets because you cared about the important things...because you made the shift from me to we.

Spring Clean-up

Spring clean up went really well. I think it was a really great idea and a lot of people were able to help out in the comunity and we were all appreciated. I just went to my own house and did yard work for my dad (i.e.- gardening, cleaning, etc.). He was happy for the help and for all thework that got done. At first I was going to go with Katie V. the her house but their wasn't enough work to be done which could sort of be seen as a problem but it all worked out in the end. I collected money from my dad the next day and I'm glad I could help contribute to Me 2 We.

The Amazing Erin Gruwell

In the movie Freedom Writers, Erin Gruwell is a brand new teacher in a school that has begun a voluntary integration program. She doesn't yet understand the dynamics of the students and their complex lives...but it doesn't take her long to figure it out, and when she does she decides that she wants to be the one to make a positive impact in their lives. She wants to show the students that people care about them and want to help them get an education. She doesn't have any cooperation from any of the other staff as they think that the students aren't worth their time or their effort. But Erin is determined. She takes on two other jobs so that she can buy the students books and supplies and she pretty much dedicates her life to her class. She figures out what makes them tick...what makes them happy, what makes them sad, what makes them motivated. She uses this to get past their initial arrogance and despite for her and reach their emotions to bring them all to a place of understanding and friendship throughout the entire group.
I thought Erin's story was incredibly inspiring and I think it really challenges us to not judge people just by how they look. She was able too see past the kids' colours and races and even past their attitudes and in doing so she was able to connect with them and change their lives for the better. So how amazing would it be if we all took the time to get to know people before judging them. I can't even imagine the impact we could have on the people around us if we could accept them for who they are as a person instead of looking only at their race, religion, clothing, social status, etc. Personally and as a leadership class I think that is something we should all strive for and it would be such an easy way to make a difference in our community and in our world, because who doesn't want to be accepted?

"The Last Lecture"

I found that listening to Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture" made me feel two things: one was inspired, the other was small.
I think the first one is what he wants people to feel. This man who most people never met and now never will was able to give us all INCREDIBLE advice on how to live life. He encourages people to try their best to achieve their childhood dreams and to live life to the fullest. A quote he said that really made me think was when he said that "experience is what you get when you don't get what you want". This teaches us that if we don't get it right, that doesn't mean we're a complete failure and all our work was for nothing...we got experience from it. We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and learn from our mistakes.
One of the reasons why I think that his lecture was so effective if because, like he said, it wasn't a hypothetical "if I was going to die ad this was my last lecture, what would I say..." he was actually dieing and yet he had such enthusiasm and he had no regrets and no pity on himself. He felt that he had done the best he could and that was good enough for him. And that is something that every person on earth should aspire to. To be able to leave this world knowing that you lived a good life and that you wouldn't take back a single minute of it. That's the inspiring part.
But along with the inspiring part is what I said about feeling small. I look at someone like Randy Pausch and I see a man who in his final months of life was able to influence and challenge millions of people. So what have I done? or more importantly, what can I do? I may not be able to compare with Pausch, but I do want to make a difference in some way. I see someone who was able to embolden so many people to make change and I only wish I were working harder. So what am I going to do about it? What are WE going to do about it? Well I hope what we'll do is take his advise. I hope we'll find the courage to pursue our dreams and to make our mark in the little time we're given here on earth.

Character Development

As far as my greatest mentor goes, I don't think that it's possible for me to pick one. There have been so many people in my life who have influenced my character development that I can't actually narrow it down to one person. But I can certainly narrow it down to two: my parents. Now obviously my parents have effected my character development because they raised me and they disciplined me when I did things that were wrong, but the biggest impact they had was in just being themselves. Every kid copies what adults do, and I was fortunate to have some pretty amazing role models.
One thing that's always stood out to me is that they both showed me to be strong in everything I do. I've seen them in pain and bad health and yet no one would ever be able to guess because they carry on with their commitments with just as much enthusiasm and effort because they see that what they do is helping others and nothing could ever make them give that up. They've stood their ground when fighting for a cause or an idea and they always keep a positive attitude, no matter how full their plate is. I've seen that if you keep at it and give it your best shot, you'll be far happier and a lot more likely to succeed that if you give up when to going gets tough.
They've also shown me just how far kindness can go. Even when they weren't in the best financial situation, they would always be there to offer what support they could to someone who needed it. They could be having the most stressful week imaginable and yet they would be the first to take someone out for lunch who just needed someone to talk to and to comfort them. They both just have such a heart for people and I can tell that it really makes them happy and I want to be able to do the same.
One last thing that my mom and dad have taught me is to trust my gut. If I have a feeling that I'm doing the right thing, then that's what I need to be doing. They've shown me that you can't expect other people to tell you what to do all the time. You need to stand up for what YOU believe in and (as corny and cliche as this sounds) you just have to follow your heart, because if you are honest and compassionate it will lead you in the right direction every time. I've learned from their example that you have to speak up against what you think is wrong and try to make a difference in the best way that you can.
There are so many other valuable life lessons that I've learned from my parents, but those are a few of the ones that I felt are really important. One thing I have witnessed from my parents that I haven't quite been able to apply yet is that you have to have courage. Courage to implement all of those lessons so that your life can be a shining example to others, just like my parents were to me.

Mingas...

So what exactly is a minga? I must say I had never heard of a minga before reading this story. What I learned is that a minga is basically a call to action. It means a community coming together to work for the benefit of all, and that is what the volunteer team in Ecuador experienced. They saw that the people there were willing to stop everything they were doing and come to work together for the good of everyone. And do you want to know the sad thing? We don't even have a word for that in the English language. It's said that language reflects culture. The more words you have for something, the more important it is. So what does that say about North America? Could you even imagine how amazing it would be if we had mingas?!?! Just picture all the 11000 people in Ingersoll coming together to help each other out for the sole purpose that they were asked to? Just because they want to help other people out? And that's just Ingersoll!!! Imagine things like that happening all over the continent! So if you want to know whether or not we should have mingas and if it would be beneficial, that's kind of a no brainer. Of course we should, but the question is would people actually do it? Not with the way our world is now...but that's what Me to We is all about right? It will take a lot of work, but we need to change people's mind set so that we can all help each other for the greater good, just like the tribal people in Ecuador. If it works for them, why can't it work for us?

Community Adventure

I think that this "community adventure" thing was a brilliant idea! Not only did we have a lot of fun walking around town but we got the chance to spread the word on Me to We. We had just the right amount of time to get to all of our assigned destinations and all of them seemed happy to be able to support our cause. This was a great way to make people aware and to encourage them to get invloved. This way the community will see that we are really commited to this and the posters are EVERYWHERE so there's no way people can miss them. All in all I think that our community adventure was a huge success, not just for my group but for all of them....WAY TO BE GUYS!

Me to We at IDCI

Since I wasn't able to attend either of the Me to We assemblies, this blog is just an overall personal though on IDCI's Me to We project. First of all I think it's one of the best things this school has ever decided to do and I'd like to extend kudos to whoever suggested it. In the world we live in today people are so consumed with themselves and we forget that there are other people out their who could really use our help, and IDCI has realized that and decided that instead of standing aside and saying "awe poor them, that's really too bad... blah blah blah" we're going to take a stand for them and try to make a difference. I also really like the choice of country. Sierra Leone is in so much need right now and they can use all the help they can get. I feel honoured to be able to be a part of helping children in that impoverished country get an education, and hopefully, if more money can be raised, we can give them even more than just a school. I think IDCI is doing really well with this project and we need to just keep doing what we're doing and get as many people as possible involved. So ya...SPREAD THE WORD!

Suicide Awareness Assembly

I'm not going to lie, when I heard that our class was going to a forum theatre on suicide awareness, I was sure it was going to be a complete corny flop.....man was I ever wrong. The play was extremely well performed and the message was put forth clearly, but not so clearly that it was insulting our intelligence (like some of the forum theatres I've seen). I could tell that a lot of hard work had gone into the whole thing. The way the situation was portrayed was really effective and they did a good job of identifying what to look for and how we, as students, can help. I was glad to see that people were taking it seriously for the most part and that students were really interested in making a difference. The ONLY thing that I didn't like about it was the talk afterwards. Let me just say first that it was a really great idea and I liked what they had planned as far as asking AND answering questions, but what I didn't like was that whenever a question was asked that didn't quite fit what they were trying to teach us, it was sort of averted and forgotten. I heard some really great questions that would have been really useful to have answered, but since they didn't go along with the "plan" they were never actually answered. So that was one thing that could have used some work, but other than that I would give the whole thing two thumbs up and I think it would incredibly useful to do something similar with larger (or just more) audiences.

Tim's Story

Reading Tim Lefens' story, I actually found myself gaping at how much a persons life can change from just one moment. Tim was a completely self-absorbed person, doing everything for himself, just the way HE wanted to do it. He was a painter in New York, getting pretty well known, and as he puts it he was "King of the World" living in total freedom and total celebration. But one day he was asked by a friend to show his paintings to some students in a school. Well this school turned out to be more of a hospital for the severely disabled. And something profound happened to Tim that day. As he was setting up for his presentation, he noticed something as he met the gaze of some of the patients there. These were real people with real life and energy! They had characters and personalities, but the ones who took care of them weren't able to see past their disabilities and realize that these people were trapped and all the wanted was some kind of escape. So Tim began to consume his time thinking of a way to help them express themselves. At first it just meant rolling their wheelchairs through paint an onto a canvas, but soon after Tim came up with a brilliant idea. The patients would be equipped with a headband that had a laser on it that they could point to where they wanted the paint to go, and an assistant would interpret and paint for them. The paintings began to be shown in galleries in NY and sold for thousands of dollars. So not only is this an incredible story of how the patients were helped and how they were finally given a chance to be expressive, but more importantly it's about how the We mentality can take hold of a persons life and change them for the better. Its about how satisfying it is to be able to help other people in need without expecting anything in return. Tim realized that and he decided to take action and use his resources to help better the lives of complete strangers. So much can be learned from that, especially from a leadership class like ours that is just looking for ways to help out. Tim's example can also show us to be sensitive to other people's circumstance and to care for and respect them, no matter what.

The World Values Survey....and Happiness

The happiest countries in the world:

1. Nigeria
2. Mexico
3. Venezuela
4. El Salvador

16. USA
I think that from this survey we can see that the idea people have that being self-absorbed and loaded brings true happiness is a common misconception. The countries mentioned on the top of this list are some of the poorest in the world, and yet they are the happiest. Well how does that work? You can't be happy without money. You can't be happy without "stuff". Right? Wrong. You can be happy with almost nothing, and the people in countries like Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, and El Salvador are living, breathing examples of that. If you look at their lives, they have such close knit communities and such a love and kindness and care toward each other that they don't need anything else. They spend all their time helping each other out and REALLY living instead of complaining about what they don't have and wanting what others have. They are happy with life itself and that's good enough for them. We should try it sometime....

90% ignored him....

When a group of christians were in a rush and were faced with the decision of whether to stop and help a hurt man lying on the ground, or step over him and continue on their way, 90% of them acted as if he wasn' even there. Oddly enough they were on their way to teach a lecture on the parable of the Good Samaritan. So is it significant that only 10% of the students took the time to help someone in need? OF COURSE IT IS!!!! People in our world today are so caught up in looking out for themselves that it's as if they are completely blinded to all the terrible things that are happening to people around the world or even right beside them. They've all gotten fixed up in the Me mentality that we as a leadership class are trying so hard to break away from. If you think about the story as a representation of the world, that means that only 10% of 6.7 billion people care about the other people around them. How pathetic is that? We need to put all of our efforts into changing the mentality of that 90% from Me to We. We need to be like that 10% who, despite the pressures they were facing, they made a decision to reach out to someone in need. With one simple act of kindness, they took a stand for their ideals. That needs to be us and that 10% need to grow and spread and push back the lifelstyle of self-centeredness and vanity until we no longer look around us and see people lying on the street in need of help with noone even giving them a second look. And ya, thats going to be really, insanely hard, but it will all be worth it in the end.

Leadership Quote:

We were asked to find a leadership quote that spoke to us and after looking at pages and pages of semi-inspiring, kind of thoughtful quotes, I came across the following quote by Ross Perot and I think it is incredibly meaningful....

"Lead and inspire people. Don't try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead."

I liked this quote so much because it points out a major flaw in a lot of leaders. Some people think that good leaders are just people who can make other people do what they want them to do, but in truth, a good leader is someone who can speak to people about their hopes and dreams and, after listening, their audience truly wants to pursue those same hopes and dreams whole-heartedly. A good leader will say and do things that inspire others to be like them. They will make people look and them and say "Wow, I wish I could be like that." It's true that some people have convinced others to do things and not been considered good leaders, but like this quote says, they just wanted to manage and manipulate. To be a good leader you have to want something to happen that will push people in the right direction. They drive forwards, not backwards.

Wow....that's pretty much all I can say is just, wow. Keith's story was so incredible to read and so inspiring. It's amazing how a simple goal in life can turn into something so huge and something that impacts so many people. I really like reading stories like this because it reminds me that, although there are some really terrible things going on in the world today and there are so many people out there who think solely of themselves, there are others who make it their life's work to help the people around them.
Keith Taylor said that he wanted to be a philanthropist, and he eventually decided that "philanthropy is simply reaching out to help, in whatever way we can, without expecting anything in return." That is something that we, as people who want to be leaders, really need to remember. We need to help out the people around us simply because we can without hoping for any reward, return, or recognition.
The program that Keith started was a genius idea, and people soon realized it. It slowly grew and to this day it was helped tons of people and has donated over $1 million.
It just makes me smile to know that there are so many compassionate people out there today who are willing to give to a complete stranger who's in need, and I hope that other people will see what a joy it is to be able to help others, even if it means giving up something for themselves in the process."People make this sacrifice not because they have to, not because they feel guilty, but because the pleasure it gives them far outweighs that small indulgence."
All we have to do now is make a choice. A chioce of whether or not we want to act upon the most human of desires....
"the desire to reach out to others".

My Legacy...

I hope that when people look back at my life, they see a life with meaning. I want to look back with a peace in my heart and no regrets. I want to be able to say that I have lived, laughed, loved, learned and helped loved ones as well as perfect strangers simply because it was the right thing to do, without expecting anything in return.

IDCI Report Card

I think that out of all of the things that our school was graded on, the best thing about IDCI is it's ability to get students involved. There are so many opportunities at our school for every kind of person and every kind of interest. We have art clubs, dramas, sports, tutoring, student cabinet, key club, environment club, committees, newspaper, bands and so many others...and lets not forget Me2We. I'm really proud of our school for it's effort to include everyone in some way. It takes into consideration all the different personality types and the interest diversity of the students here that it's physically impossible to be bored at this school if your willing to give new things a try.

Me2We - Mark's Story

I've got to say that Mark's story is definitely among the top 10 most inspiring stories I've ever read. I thought it was just so incredible to hear a real life story about someone who could have had the so-called "American Dream" of the great, high-paying job with the sports car, the nice house and all the benefits, but instead they followed their heart and what they thought was right and they dedicated their life to helping those in need.
What impacted me the most I think was the fact that Mark didn't even want to go to Tailand at first, but he gave everthing up anyways. And after doing all that, he still wanted to come home and get it all back when the going got tough. But with the the gift of perspective from only a small Thai boy, he realized that he was called to something so much more than passing out water - with or without ice. His attitude and his life goals changed so much from his visit to the slums of Klong Toey, Thailand.
He had a true Me to We transformation.
And my hope is that at some point I'll be able to have one of those life changing experience that will show me what it is I'm really called to do. I'll realize that even though I'm just one small person, I can make a difference. I want to be able to look back, just like Mark did, and be able to say that I had the courage to do the right thing, that I had the boldness to step out, and that I am really, truly happy.

Whale Rider

Although "Whale Rider" had some important and significant morals to take away from it, overall I didn't think it was a great movie. Good but not great.
I liked the fact that the main character, Pai, was determined and persevered to reach her goal and that she went "against the flow" of her culture in that she was a girl who wanted to be a leader (which was not allowed). She showed incredible leadership skills like faith, compassion, hope, kindness and the will and drive to persist even though it was against the odds that she would succeed. I also though that the fact that she was a girl was a really good touch because often stories tell of guys that grow up to be leaders and show their strength and courage but here we have Pai who isn't just your average "damsel in distress". She sticks up for herself and fights for what she believes in which is a model we would all do well to follow.
What I didn't like was partly the slow plot line but mostly the fact that I was unable to relate to it. I thought it was interesting to be able to see and learn about their culture but it was so different that it made it hard for me to connect with the story. I found the "whale calling" thing a little bit odd and some of their rituals as well. Another thing I didn't like was the lack of responsibility coming from a lot of the characters, mainly Pai's father and grandfather. Her father leaves her in the care of her grandparents at birth and although I agree that he should be able to lead whatever kind of life he wants that doesn't mean he can abandon his biggest responsibility...his only child. And then the grandfather is too arrogant to realize that he has the best leader possible living in his own house and he needs to teach her and encourage her and be proud of her instead of shutting her down every time she tries to help or learn.
So taking all of that into consideration as well as other things, I would say that this movie, on a scale of 1 to 10, deserves a 6.5 or maybe even a 7. It was good but there was plenty of room for improvement.

Nelson Mandela

I think that the biggest reasons that Nelson Madela was so important are not necessarily what he did, but what he stood for, and that is why we as leaders need to learn about him. Don't get me wrong, all the things he did and lived through were INCREDIBLE like his fight to liberate South Africa and his push for the Universal Decleration of Human Rights, but I think that we as students can take more away from his fundamentals. Here are what I think are his top 5:

-Have big ambitions...
“There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
While playing small might be easier it also comes with nagging thoughts at the back of your head that say “Is this all there is? Could I have done more?”. Taking the tough road is of course harder in many ways. But it is also there you find the truly awesome triumphs and wonderful times that you may never have experienced otherwise.

-Move TOWARDS your fear...
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Fear is often based on unhelpful interpretation.
Be curious.
Don’t cling to your illusion of safety.

-Be patient and persist...
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
It would be nice if we got anything we wanted right now. That seldom happens. One of the key traits of successful people is that they persist and have patience where others simply have had enough and go home.

-Make friends out of your enemies...
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
Turning an enemy or someone we don’t like into a friend is difficult because first impressions can be powerful. Our concept of a person can remain intact if we don’t push further and question and explore it.The key and the way out here is to not take your thoughts or emotions too seriously. To stay on top of them instead of letting them overwhelm and control you.
This can allow you to open your mind to a change in the relationship.

-You haven't lost until you don't get up...
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”
Your road to success may not be as bad as it was for Mandela and the people in South Africa. But you will probably have some bad times and some difficult and painful times.
When you first get started with something you can be filled with enthusiasm and perfect dreams. Somewhere down the line it can become a bit messier and more uncertain. Sometimes maybe it is time to quit and find something new to focus on. But oftentimes it’s like the world is testing you. It wonders if you really want this bad enough. That’s when you need to push forward and not let temporary obstacles stop you.
Failing is normal. Making mistakes is normal. The people with most success are often the people who failed the most. They learned from their mistakes and failures, grew stronger and more resilient and persisted while the rest of the people gave up.

Spring Clean-Up Day!

I think that a spring clean-up day would be a really great idea for our school or even just our class to do. Not only could we bring in some money for Me to We but we would also be doing a service in our community and getting the chance to really help some people out. There's so many jobs that we could help people with after the winter and I'm sure there are a ton of people in the area that would really appreciate it.
So ya, I'm definitely in!

Me and Leadership

There are so many things that I would like to do as far as leadership goes but there are some big ones that I'm really excited for and really want to push forward. One of them is the 30hour famine (which Katie V. and I got all the info and material for at a leadership conference we went to) including assemblies, fundraising and even an overnight event that I can take a leading role in and make it a huge success if we get permission. I also want to help organize a class trip to Guelph to participate in an event called "I Got Hands" through Free the Children where we would go down and pack clothes, medical supplies and other important items to be shipped to underprivileged families around the world. Another thing that Katie, Rachel and I have been talking about is an Easter by-out for the school with an afternoon filled with fun and exciting games for everyone including Easter egg hunts, competitions and so much more.
I've already had the chance to help with things like poster-making and class visits for the Vow of Silence and I'm looking forward to the "batter" activity our class has started and I plan to join Me to We so I can bring my ideas and enthusiasm to the group so we can raise money for building a school in Sierra Leone and spread the Me to We concept.
I can't wait to take on the challenges ahead and really make a difference.

The Roseto Mystery...

"It seemed like a virtual fountain of youth with a heart attack martality rate roughly half the rate of every surrounding community. Same water, same neighbourhood, same occupational mix, same income level ranges, same races. So what was the difference and why?"
~Dr. Rock Positano

So, the Rosetans live in a modest little village in Pennsylavania and for some reason, they have these amazing long lives. Why? They are community minded people with close relationships to the people in their families and in their neighbourhoods. The lead happy, stress-free lives and it helps them live longer. So why isn't anyone eslse catching on to their ways? You would think that people would realize that there really is a benefit to helping out the people around you and just being a close knit community. Why is it so hard for people to be nice to each other? I mean come on...why would you want a stressful, miserable, lonely life? These people have shown us that living the opposite of that not only makes you happy, but you live longer too! We should live like that no matter what the results are but now we know it really does have benefits!
So why don't we follow them?!?!
I have absolutely no idea.....

Favourite Activity So Far??

Unfortunately I didn't get to start my semester out in the leadership class so I wasn't able to participate in the activites :( I'm sure the rest of the semester is going to be amazing though and I'm really looking forward to it!!

GPP

There's a whole bunch of different things that I'm looking forward to throughout the semester in leadership class. Biggest out of all of them is just the opportunity I am going to have to be able to help other people. That's one of my big passions and I think this class will be a great outlet for that. I really hope to get more invloved in things like Me to We and other things along the same lines. Another thing I'm really excited for is helping to plan all of the crazy awesome activities that the school runs for students including making posters and other promotion stuff and being able to use my creativity to find a a way to include all different types of students in some kind of event.

Have you ever blogged before?

Ok, so this is the first time blogging for me...ever. It's kind of a strange feeling to just write your thoughts on the internet for other people to read, but I guess I'll get used to it throughout the semester :)