Okay so I think I've got it....I think!
Clip 1represents stage 3 as the members of the team have accepted their new player, and are working as a coherent unit. They have all put in the effort to help out someone on the team, and in doing do have created a unified cause.
Clip 2 relates closest to stage 5. First off, this is probably my FAVORITE Disney movie of all time, so superb choice. It shows the Genie has done his job, and now has the freedom to do whatever he pleases, whether that means not granting wishes, or moving to the Tropics.
Clip 3 shows stage 2, also another great movie, when the players argue about how to play the game. One player shows his dissatisfaction with how the team is being run, and there is a whole lot of hostility between the two, and the conflict is left unresolved for the time being.
Clip 4 is an example of stage 4, in which the fish work together for Nemo. They use creativity (Launching Gill out of the tank) to save their new friend. Gill takes leadership, and things get done with that initiative.
And now for my clip. Continuing with the Disney/animated movie theme, I've chosen the clip from Mulan with the song "I'll Make a Man out of You."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSS5dEeMX64
This clip shows the army starting out not really sure of the expectations at hand. Many act in ways that are FAR from acceptable in the group, but start to learn what it means to be a team. Ling steps out as the leader of the group, with Mulan following behind. And come on, who doesn't find this song popping into their head occasionally?
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
I think clarity is an important factor in communicating to both a group and an individual. Clarity of your thoughts and goals for the group or person allows a direct line of communication, and keeps the conversation focused and on task. When it comes to communicating with a group vs. another individual, there are definite differences in how gets information across. With an individual, I've found being open and honest allows the other person to be comfortable listening to and taking direction from you, and this openness creates a mutual trust. Respect is a huge aspect of communication, and can go a long way in forming and keeping relationships.
These tactics can be applied to a larger group as well, though a larger group may require a louder, more upfront kind of leadership. Leading a group sometimes requires one to speak up and say his or her opinion in a concise and informative manner. Other times, communication can come through a kind and gentle leadership. Body language is a huge player in communication of all groups-small or large. An affective leader has confident and assertive body language, showing a sense of purpose for their job or duty.
To be quite honest, my communication style may not be for everyone. I consider myself someone who is very open, maybe a little too open at times, and is willing to confront a problem head on. There are definite benefits like that, and it's shown to work in many situations, but sometimes my gung-ho attitude and confrontation of a problem butts heads with other people in my group. Since realizing this halfway through high school I've tried my best to be open to other's ideas and ways of thinking, and this has helped a lot to resolves any problems I've had leading a group.
These tactics can be applied to a larger group as well, though a larger group may require a louder, more upfront kind of leadership. Leading a group sometimes requires one to speak up and say his or her opinion in a concise and informative manner. Other times, communication can come through a kind and gentle leadership. Body language is a huge player in communication of all groups-small or large. An affective leader has confident and assertive body language, showing a sense of purpose for their job or duty.
To be quite honest, my communication style may not be for everyone. I consider myself someone who is very open, maybe a little too open at times, and is willing to confront a problem head on. There are definite benefits like that, and it's shown to work in many situations, but sometimes my gung-ho attitude and confrontation of a problem butts heads with other people in my group. Since realizing this halfway through high school I've tried my best to be open to other's ideas and ways of thinking, and this has helped a lot to resolves any problems I've had leading a group.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
When Ordinary People Achieve Extraordinary Things...
Wow, is all I can say after hearing Jody Williams's "I believe" talk. Her talk was actually the first one I clicked on to listen to, and I'm so glad I did. After listening to other talks, I kept coming back to her talk, and her message. It's amazing how a belief in something, and being up to a challenge can have such a huge impact on the world. Giving a voice to the marginalized, oppressed, or injured because it's the right thing to do is something I hold very dear to my heart. Doing something "because it's the right thing to do" resonates with me, and is something I strive for in my everyday life. After listening to this I believe talk, my eyes have been opened, and heart renewed. http://thisibelieve.org/essay/7/
I believe in Random Acts of Kindness
It was my sophomore year of high school when I joined Setons, an all women's prayer, share, and care group on campus. A group that over the next three years would see me at my worst, lowest points, and at my highest, happiest moments. I came to love this group of girls like family and looked forward to our monthly meetings filled with laughs, tears, and licorice. In those meetings I learned the power of a hug, a hand squeeze, and the power of kindness. The leader of our meetings, a teacher at my high school is one of the most loving, compassionate, and selfless people I have ever met. She taught this group of girls the importance of always finding the good in a bad day, and that small acts of kindness went a long way.
Every year one meeting was special. That meeting was called the RAK (random acts of kindness) meeting. No classroom, whiteboard, or locker was left untouched by the Seton girls those nights as we went from hallway to hallway decorating lockers with candy, and writing on the whiteboards in each teachers classroom telling them what they meant to us and my high school's community. That next morning we'd all wait with excited hearts for our first class of the day, and to see the teachers' faces as they saw the board. And the fact it was a secret made it that much better. It wasn't about the recognition for what we did, it was about making someone else's day. No strings attached.
My senior year, a fellow Seton member and I took it a step further, and the two of us took on the senior class as RAK fairies. On weekends we'd make 300 posters for lockers, and with the help of teachers, would put them up late Sunday nights. Walking into school Monday morning and seeing our classmates faces was priceless, and over the course of the year we kept it a secret, working by night to make our classmate's mornings, birthdays, or holidays just a little bit brighter.
I believe in smiling at strangers. I believe it's the little things that make us happy, a hug, a random text, a letter. I believe in doing something because it's the right thing to do. I believe in seeing the good in every situation. I believe in the love people have for each other. And I believe that those random acts of kindness show that love.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Being absent last week because of illness, I'm finding it a little harder to grab the context of this post, but I can think of a major internal struggle I've overcome just recently, so here it goes:
The Setup
It was my junior year of high school, up until that year I was known as an athlete, a volleyball player, and that's what I had been throughout my middle school and high school career. Junior year roles around, and as I'm training with our varsity team that summer, my injuries start to catch up with me. A strained hamstring here, a bum knee there, and after a painful decision process, I stopped playing. This prompted me to question who I was without that sport, and to be honest, I didn't have a very good answer. Continuing my junior year, a nasty break up with my boyfriend, and with my family life starting to fraction, I wanted something in my life I could control.
The What
I thought, I need to be able to control some aspect of my life, feeling like everything else was out of my grasp, so gradually over the course of the spring of my junior year, I developed anorexia. Now there are many more reasons why I fell into my eating disorder, but I sought control, and something I had power over. So that spring, summer, and next fall of my senior year, I fought my battle. It started out as a way to become healthier, or so I thought. Working out more, eating less-and I saw changes. But it progressed to the point where working out wasn't an option because of the amount I was eating. I could barely make it up the stairs of my house without having to stop by mid July. My face grew gaunt, clothes hung off me like drapes, and the thing I thought I could control in my life did just the opposite.
I denied the fact there was something wrong, that this amount of weight loss was healthy, and man was I good at hiding it from my parents and the people that cared about me the most. This continued the through the summer into my senior year. I came in feeling different, but not the different I had hoped to feel. I was slowly starting to realize something just wasn't right, and I needed to change. Still unconvinced however that I was the one who needed to start that change. Then finally, on a Tuesday morning in November of my senior year, I felt a pull to our school chapel. I went in, sat down, and started to think. "Well this isn't doing anything" I though to myself, but a few moments later I heard a voice gently say, "I made you in my image, and I love you." I quickly looked around, finding no one else in the chapel with me, so I shrugged it off. But again, I heard, "in your darkest moments, you are perfect." And that's when I lost it. All the much needed tears started, and in that moment something changed. A spark went off, and I knew I needed help.
The So What
Let me start off with saying, before this moment yes, I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic school, and considered myself religious, but I wasn't too sure on how to talk to God, or what that even meant. But in that moment, when I was at a loss of what to do, something was there, and helped me through. After that, I knew something needed to change, so I started with my close friends, telling them what I had been going through, opening myself up, until i finally sought out help of a counselor. I was getting my life back in order, I just hadn't told two people yet....my parents. March of my senior year, I was selected to be a leader on my school's Encounter, or what many of you may know as Search or Kairos. My talk was on love, and how in order to love others, I needed to love myself. So that March was when I told my parents with my Encounter talk, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But one of the most rewarding at the time. I had finally learned to love myself not just with my flaws, but because of them. This internal struggle had made me a stronger, more compassionate person than I could have ever imagined. I had this image of what was supposed to happen, what I was supposed to look like, and well, things didn't turn out to plan. And because of that, I was able to learn and grow.
The Now What
Looking back on my experience, it's something that stays with you if not for years, the rest of your life. And even today are seeking professional helping, and confiding in many of my friends, I still have those days of uncertainty. But this struggle reminds me that even in our lowest hours, we are loved. That someone somewhere cares, and that's something I remind myself everyday. It's been a journey for sure, but one that I look back on now and am glad I had. I know that may sound odd, but those experiences, everything I went through, has willed me to always keep moving forward, that it's okay to cry, and that opening myself up to others is something I need to do often. To anyone who read this, thanks for getting all the way to the end, and I'm always here to talk about anything I wrote about if you have any questions!
The Setup
It was my junior year of high school, up until that year I was known as an athlete, a volleyball player, and that's what I had been throughout my middle school and high school career. Junior year roles around, and as I'm training with our varsity team that summer, my injuries start to catch up with me. A strained hamstring here, a bum knee there, and after a painful decision process, I stopped playing. This prompted me to question who I was without that sport, and to be honest, I didn't have a very good answer. Continuing my junior year, a nasty break up with my boyfriend, and with my family life starting to fraction, I wanted something in my life I could control.
The What
I thought, I need to be able to control some aspect of my life, feeling like everything else was out of my grasp, so gradually over the course of the spring of my junior year, I developed anorexia. Now there are many more reasons why I fell into my eating disorder, but I sought control, and something I had power over. So that spring, summer, and next fall of my senior year, I fought my battle. It started out as a way to become healthier, or so I thought. Working out more, eating less-and I saw changes. But it progressed to the point where working out wasn't an option because of the amount I was eating. I could barely make it up the stairs of my house without having to stop by mid July. My face grew gaunt, clothes hung off me like drapes, and the thing I thought I could control in my life did just the opposite.
I denied the fact there was something wrong, that this amount of weight loss was healthy, and man was I good at hiding it from my parents and the people that cared about me the most. This continued the through the summer into my senior year. I came in feeling different, but not the different I had hoped to feel. I was slowly starting to realize something just wasn't right, and I needed to change. Still unconvinced however that I was the one who needed to start that change. Then finally, on a Tuesday morning in November of my senior year, I felt a pull to our school chapel. I went in, sat down, and started to think. "Well this isn't doing anything" I though to myself, but a few moments later I heard a voice gently say, "I made you in my image, and I love you." I quickly looked around, finding no one else in the chapel with me, so I shrugged it off. But again, I heard, "in your darkest moments, you are perfect." And that's when I lost it. All the much needed tears started, and in that moment something changed. A spark went off, and I knew I needed help.
The So What
Let me start off with saying, before this moment yes, I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic school, and considered myself religious, but I wasn't too sure on how to talk to God, or what that even meant. But in that moment, when I was at a loss of what to do, something was there, and helped me through. After that, I knew something needed to change, so I started with my close friends, telling them what I had been going through, opening myself up, until i finally sought out help of a counselor. I was getting my life back in order, I just hadn't told two people yet....my parents. March of my senior year, I was selected to be a leader on my school's Encounter, or what many of you may know as Search or Kairos. My talk was on love, and how in order to love others, I needed to love myself. So that March was when I told my parents with my Encounter talk, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But one of the most rewarding at the time. I had finally learned to love myself not just with my flaws, but because of them. This internal struggle had made me a stronger, more compassionate person than I could have ever imagined. I had this image of what was supposed to happen, what I was supposed to look like, and well, things didn't turn out to plan. And because of that, I was able to learn and grow.
The Now What
Looking back on my experience, it's something that stays with you if not for years, the rest of your life. And even today are seeking professional helping, and confiding in many of my friends, I still have those days of uncertainty. But this struggle reminds me that even in our lowest hours, we are loved. That someone somewhere cares, and that's something I remind myself everyday. It's been a journey for sure, but one that I look back on now and am glad I had. I know that may sound odd, but those experiences, everything I went through, has willed me to always keep moving forward, that it's okay to cry, and that opening myself up to others is something I need to do often. To anyone who read this, thanks for getting all the way to the end, and I'm always here to talk about anything I wrote about if you have any questions!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Just take a minutes to soak in the ending of the one of the greatest movies ever made, The Breakfast Club. I know it may be from the 1980s, made before I was even born, but The Breakfast Club rocks. And so does its ending.
For me this video shows how everyone has a little of everything inside them. Someone is not just one-dementional, not JUST an "athlete" or "brain" or even a "basket case." For a long time it was hard to see myself as more than one title. For a while I was the athlete, for a longer while a brain, and at times, a basket case. But at the same time I was all of those, I was also a sister, compassionate, loving, and a loyal friend. Well, I like to think I was all those things at least. But what this video reminds me of is I shouldn't have to just express one facet of who I am, I should act on all my thoughts and values. As a freshman high school I hadn't learned to express to the world all of who I was just yet, but just as this movie's group of 5 teenagers realized they had more to offer than just their stereotype, I realized that I needed to live out my words and values and everyday life. And come on, who doesn't love a 1980s teen comedy about high school??
Over recent years I've seen people who talk a lot of talk, and just can't walk the walk. And truth be told I was one of those people at a point in my life. But after meeting my close friends in high school and seeing the genuine care and compassion they lived out, I started to realize that's something I wanted to do too. I try my hardest not to just say I'm someone's friend, but act it by being there for them when the going gets rough, but also when it's smooth sailing. I live out compassion through acts of random kindness towards strangers- think of me as creepy all you want, but just recently I've started to try to smile at every person who walks by me on their way to class or work. I know it's just a small thing, but I figure, hey what's it going to hurt to be smiled at by someone? One of the biggest things I do to live out my values is to volunteer. Sure I can talk all I want about how I want things to change, the homeless to find homes. But until I reached out and put myself in their shoes, I was just a big talker. Humbled by the hours of service and solidarity I have been able to share with people experiencing homelessness, I think I have really begun to live out the values I hold closest.
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