An Adaptable Sweet Spot
Weekly Report 08/21/17 to 08/28/17
As John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” This quote is exceptionally fitting for my goals for the year in the Independent Study and Mentorship program. When developing my mission statement and guiding quote this past week, I found change and flexibility to be a key component to my pursuits. Change is essential for progress of any sort, which I found to be especially true when creating my mum challenge in the years past. During this process of outlining my goals and plans for the year, I was reminded of my experience with pioneering a brand new tradition, which has most definitely shaped my thoughts on planning and structure. As a person who craves perfection and precision, it was extremely difficult to let go when district policies got in the way of my initial schedule, or when competition arose and my posters were stolen. Learning how to be adaptable and open to modification was one of the most challenging obstacles I have ever encountered, but it taught me to be receptive to change and new ideas. It was almost a bit ironic how I struggled with change, yet the project I was promoting focused on creating a positive change in Texas Homecoming festivities that would make a difference in our community. Nonetheless, after spending lots of time reflecting on how to become more easy-going and flexible, it is imperative that this year my focus be on discovering my passion and being open-minded about making alterations to my current career path based on the research and experience which I will gain in my specific field of study through this program.
Additionally, earlier this week, Ms. Julie Martin Leslie gave a presentation on finding one’s ambition and making dreams into realities. Her method of finding the “sweet spot” where your personality traits, gifts, strengths, and interests all coincide was compelling, and using this venn diagram system of finding my passion clarified the “why” part of what I want to do with my life. Making a difference has always been my highest priority; this value of giving back to the world in some way, shape, or form is why politics, humanitarian work, and creating a non-profit organization all are potential career choices for me. However, in addition to this thirst for making an impact, writing and language have consistently been my strongest subjects. Ever since I was little, I aspired to become an author because sharing my thoughts and ideas in the form of storytelling was such a creative way for my mind to process all of the ideas floating around in my head. Clearly, that is not the field I am interested in going into anymore, but that same enthusiasm for language and narration is present within myself, and a law path seems to be the way to utilize both my gifts and my values.
Furthermore, Ms. Martin Leslie and I chatted about ideas for final products after her presentation, and she explained how her brother-in-law won a city award for his many hours dedicated to pro-bono legal work. Ms. Martin Leslie recommended that I follow a similar route and find a way to provide legal advice and knowledge to a nonprofit organization, or serve just as her brother-in-law did with his hundreds of pro-bono cases. The notion of combining justice with compassion is fascinating, and I am excited to begin researching unique ways to not only do so myself, but also start a movement involving a greater amount of people.