Helen Keller on American Ideology of Individualism and Social Mobility

I had once believed that we were all masters of our fate-that we could mold our lives into any form we pleased…I had overcome deafness and blindness sufficiently to be happy, and I supposed that anyone could come out victorious if he threw himself valiantly into life’s struggle. But as I went more and more about the country I learned that I had spoken with assurance on a subject I knew little about. I forgot that I owed my success partly to the advantages of my birth and environment…Now, however, I learned that the power to rise in the world is not within the reach of everyone. – Helen Keller

What can we do to make sure that the power to rise in this world is within reach of everyone?

I Can't Believe This Is It…

Between a rock and a hard place…

I can’t believe that in about 12 hours or so, I’ll be sitting in a plane waiting to take off from Chile. These past several months have been filled with their share of ups and downs, lefts and rights, and turnarounds. However, all things considered, the experience has been well worth it and I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself, and others, in the process.

I was always working, so I still haven’t seen many of the things that I would like , nor have I experienced all that I want to. However, (1) regardless how long you spend in a different place, it’s rare that you do EVERYTHING that you would like, and (2) I have accomplished my main goals for coming out here: meet and learn from interesting people; learn more Spanish through immersion; step outside of my comfort zone and grow as a person; help others reach career goals by teaching them English; open future doors through new personal and professional experience abroad. Back home, I spent 4 months trying to find a new job. Here I had two within a month, one of which at an international law firm. I guess I can’t complain too much.

The main question people are asking me is: Is there anything that you will miss from Chile? So with no further ado:
Things I Will Miss From Chile (in no particular order)

1. Ramitas de Queso (Chips)
2. Frugelé (Gummy snacks – this will be no surprise for those who know me)
3. Mote con huesillos (Peach drink with wheat grain in the bottom)
4. Bread (funny how the first things that come to mind are food)
5. People (Seriously, people are #1, but I’m working on a specific post for that)
6. Geography (volcanoes, ocean, mountains, desert, forest…it’s all here)
7. Being able to walk EVERYWHERE
8. Being able to buy anything I need off of the street within block of my apartment
9. The view of the Andes mountain from my apartment window
10. Being compared to Will Smith or Michael Jordan every time I walked outside.
11. My Chilean family (I love you guys)

Thanks, Chile, for opening up a completely different world.

Get Involved With College Forward

If you are looking for a way to give back, here’s an option to consider.

The first time I became aware of College Forward, I was walking across campus at Southwestern University when I saw a group of high school students taking a tour. High school students touring a college campus is exactly abnormal, but there were two things that seemed different about this group.

Firstly: they weren’t seniors, but rather a group of freshman and sophomores. Typically, when we saw high school students, they were either seniors narrowing down their college choices or being recruited for various reasons.

Secondly: the majority were minorities. Southwestern, although making an effort to change, isn’t exactly known for its diversity. There are various scholarship opportunities, institutional initiatives, and a diversity center with a capable staff, but the results will take time to realize.

I asked about the group and found out they were students being benefited by College Forward’s services. According to their website, their mission is:

College Forward provides college access and college persistence services to motivated, economically disadvantaged students, in order to facilitate their transition to college and make the process exciting and rewarding. We believe access to higher education is the right of every young Texan.

A friend of mine worked with them for a year through AmeriCorps, and had nothing but positive things to say about the organization. In 2008, I participated in a career panel they hosted, where I met some wonderful people.  Throughout the year, they organize several events promoting leadership, literacy, and skills to help make college a reality.

Recently, I found that my time has become consumed with nothing but work. When you’re working all the time, it’s easy to forget that there are others with bigger problems than your own. Volunteering, speaking with the youth, and being involved with people who want to help others have been the most rewarding experiences in my life. I decided to do something about the “service to others” void that I’ve been feeling for the past few months. College Forward was a natural place for me to contact.

I called Karena Rogers, Volunteer Coordinator for College Forward, and explained that I am out of the country, but would like to become involved in some capacity with the organization. She was very helpful and let me know of some virtual volunteer opportunities such as proofreading essays, etc. It feels good to be involved in something with such a positive aim again.

For more information about the organization and how you can help please contact them right away.

Resources:

College Forward Website

Volunteer Coordinator: Karena Rogers

Phone: +01 (512) 452.4800

Book Review - The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

About a year ago, I visited a friend’s apartment for the first time. One of the first things I noticed when I walked in was a fairly impressive amount of books in a bookcase. (I wasn’t on the hunt for books, but the bookcase was next to the entrance, so it was hard to miss). I took a quick glance to see what kind of books she had in her bookcase. I’ve said this before, but I think that it is interesting to see what kind of books, CD’s, movies, etc. a person has for display.  You can tell a lot about a person’s interests by the kind of media they consume. I stopped when I cam across The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John Maxwell. Now, like I said, I wasn’t on the lookout for books to read.  However, since I am interested in leadership, and have written several papers on both leadership and followership though the years, I thought it would be an interesting read.   I asked my friend if I could borrow it, and after laughably calling me a nerd, she abided.

I will start by saying, this is not an end-all-be-all guide to leadership. With that being said, Maxwell does concisely defines leadership and introduces several points which, if put into practice, can greatly increase a person’s effectiveness as a leader. Unlike many other authors who write about the topic of leadership, or any other topics of self-development for that matter, Maxwell actually makes his points actionable. Whereas many people write about what traits or characteristics are “good,” Maxwell goes a step further and specifically describes how to put these traits into practice. This is not intended to be critique, nor a synopsis of the book, so I will not take this time to go into great detail about what is said exactly. I feel like this book is worth a look, especially since it is an easy read that can be completed in a weekend (yes, even if you’re the busy type). I’ll leave you with this:  some of the steps that are outlined in the text I have actually implemented myself in order to grow as a person and leader.  When it really comes down to it, enhancing one’s communication skill is very necessary and no changes worth having occur overnight.  If you make a regimen to constantly work towards a goal, whatever that goal may be, you’ll eventually get there.   I know that this has been a relatively short post, but I find it difficult to dive too much into the text without giving everything away. If you have read this book, or plan to pick up picking it up, let me know what you think. Like always, all feedback is welcome.  Until next time…peace.

Bibliographic Information:
Maxwell, C. J. (1998). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America: Thomas Nelson, Inc.