being productive=not paying attention in class+a desire to write

This week is quite hectic. You know how it goes. It's the week before finals. At least I am blessed in that all of my papers, presentations, projects, and tests were due earlier. This week is reckoning week as I'm handed all of those grades, and so far, it's been pretty good. I'm excited that my GPA is probably going to be in great shape at the end of this semester despite how worried I was with 18 hours and NO gen eds...it's been a rough one, but I've pulled through and learned so much about myself, stress, and have also been blessed with so many new people in my life.

The late night conversations with those who keep me sane, those who care, and those who frustrate and challenge me have all served to greatly change how I view leadership. I stumbled upon my speeches from previous banquets where I spoke about my presidential goals, and realized just how much my leadership has evolved. While the sun has been rising, to me, it is still a cool and crisp morning with the first rays of sunlight starting to warm up all that they touch. Their reach is being expanded as my peers trust me to take on greater roles, and to serve in a regional aspect. The warmth will only continue and stretch further as the year goes on and I am able to contact more and more individuals and start their dawn or allow them to start a new day.

Yes, cheesy analogy. It's from my first-ever presidential goals speech, and slightly revamped to fit the reality of now. I still find it appropriate. It shows a true envisioning of the big picture with a drastic lack of knowledge, but the willingness to learn and create a day that will benefit everyone involved. My next speech, since I did serve for two years [goodness, how they flew!] featured one of my all-time favorite quotes:

You may wonder, 'How can I leave it all behind if I am just coming back to it? How can I make a new beginning if I simply return to the old?' The answer lies in the return. You will not come back to the 'same old thing.' What you return to has changed because you ahve changed. Your perceptions will be altered. You will not incorporate into the same body, status, or world you left behind. The river has been flowing while you were gone. Now it does not look like the same river.

- Steven Foster [The Book of the Vision Quest]

I am leaving so many things behind. Great relationships, a unique team, and many great blessings that I have had in past roles. However, I know that I need to challenge myself to grow, and I know that I am up to the challenge and have been inspired by some great individuals to continue to give back. I've been trying so hard to keep all of the emotions under control, but it's difficult. I want so badly to be there every step of the way leading everyone toward success. Saying goodbye is difficult, but I am trying to think of it as saying hello to something new, refreshing, and delightfully different.

To try to sum everything up, a huge thank you to everyone who has been so great to me for the past two years, and also to each and every one of you who have been my rock throughout. I hope the smiles and laughter combine with the hard work and ambitious goals that we have, and that we truly do work to change things up and make things even better. Leadership is so difficult to define, and each of you have helped to create my own definition. Thank you.