P5 Igniting the Flame: My Leadership Vision

Ever since I was little, I have had a sincere desire to help others. My aspiration to become a doctor was derived from this yearning to be an active participant in other’s lives and to somehow make a difference.

[1] ((When I was younger, I used to play doctor and dream of the day I could help others.))

To me, a doctor had the capability to change all aspects of a patient’s life and represented a cure to all their physical and mental suffering. Recently, however, I have realized that my desire to help others is not just merely found in a need to help their physical being, but also in one to touch and change their hearts. [2]((Healing a Hurting Heart))

It is my belief that the heart is the key to the human persona, and often the part of the body that endures the most confusion and pain. Thus, I have decided that the medical field itself is not capable of fulfilling my ideal vision for my future. Rosabeth Moss Kanter once said, “A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more [1].” While I still wish to somehow empathize with other’s physical distress, my new vision is to do just that, connect with others on a deeper level and work towards change in individuals through example, boundless love, and the offering of hope in my community and the world at large.

Though I know that I will need to take some much larger steps in fulfilling my vision in the future, I have commenced on my journey this year my becoming a volunteer for Young Life. [3]

Young Life is a Christian ministry that focuses on introducing kids to Jesus Christ. I was recently placed as a middle school Wyldlife leader in West Austin, and have felt an abundant sense of compassion and love for these kids ever since. From supporting them at their sporting events to listening to them talk about what is important to them, leaders like myself are committed to being involved with kids' lives. We help kids consider the direction of their lives, and offer hope for their future by building relationships with them and sharing the Gospel in casual, non-threatening environments. [4]
By simply making kids laugh and enjoying life with them, we ourselves are secretly making a huge impact on the way they think, feel, and live. While many of these children struggle daily with things I could never even imagine, I am there to offer them support and guidance in their pursuit of Christ and of others. I plan to continue being a leader throughout my four years in college, and hope to get more and more involved as the year progress. Young Life has provided me with the opportunity to connect with kids on a deeper level than I ever thought possible, and has instilled me with an incredible hope of what my future in the pursuit of changing kid’s lives might behold.
[5]
Although I already sponsor a child in Kenya, I plan to continue trying to make a difference abroad for many years to come. Sponsoring Nyamvula through Compassion International has already taught me the concept of solidarity, which is so important when trying to communicate with anyone from a foreign culture. Though our communication is
from two different continents, my love for Nyamvula transcends geographic borders. [6] ((Children of an African children’s choir praying before a performance))

My donation has provided her with the opportunity to go to school and to come to know and love God. Her letters beam of joy and appreciation of my sponsorship and encourage me to become more active in Compassion’s ministry. I plan to persuade others to sponsor a child, and hope to take a mission trip to Africa to work in an orphanage next summer. Also, I am looking into sponsoring another child from another country so that I might be able to change another child’s life in the same way.
[7]

Similarly, a few friends and I began working with Children’s Hope International, an international adoption agency, our senior year of high school for a social justice project on the One Child Policy in China. [8]

Since then we have become junior ambassadors for the foundation, and have been able to raise enough money to fund several international adoptions for a families across the United States. Since adoption is already quite an emotionally draining process, eliminating the stress of having to supply the appropriate funds allows the child and its new parents to interact and connect more instantly. The adoption permits both parent and child to be part of a type of loving family that they have never experienced before. ((Offering hope and love across the globe))[9]

I hope to continue to work with Children’s Hope International in order to fund more international adoptions and help provide both child and family with happier lives by giving them the opportunity to be in each other’s. I believe that by expanding my love across borders and trying to make a difference that others will be encouraged to do the same.[10]

Sometime in the near future, I would love to start a camp for kids of all ages to encourage mutual respect and support for one another. The camp would be would be a refuge of adventures and activities that would allow children to relate to one another instead of partaking in all of the temptations that are so easy for kids to get involved with these days. [11]
An outlet for creativity and mutual growth in Christ, it would allow students to be themselves among their peers without fear of judgment or mockery. With everything from sports to excursions to food to counseling, it would create a community of people who loved being with each other, and who would in return go out and love others. By concentrating on a few students at first, the camp would be able to spread the love of Christ the same way Jesus did. [12]((Children forming a community and supporting one another.)

In the Master Plan for Evangelism, Coleman states that, “though (Jesus) did what he could to help the multitudes, he had to devote himself primarily to a few men, rather than the masses, so that the masses could at last be saved” (29) [2]. The camp would take on the same approach that would eventually help change a community and hopefully the world at large.
[13]
While none of my classes coincide with my leadership vision at the moment, I do believe that they will benefit me in the long run. My natural science classes such as chemistry and biology will be helpful if I decide to continue pursuing the medical profession. Though they appear an obstacle now, their benefits in my future will far outweigh the problems they are causing me. Plan II Math, Illness and Meaning, and World Literature all help me examine the world around me in new and exciting ways, and allow me to develop my own personal opinions on many matters in my life. [14]
World Literature has especially encouraged me to take a look at myself and my convictions and learn to apply them on an everyday basis. Though some assignments have been more beneficial than others, projects four and five have made me discover where my true passions lie and apply them in creating my own leadership vision. This assignment truly brought my focus away from all the worldly distractions I encounter each day and back to the children and how I can benefit them the most. Now, I have something to focus my attention and love on, and I cannot wait to put it into action.
According to Warren Bennis, “leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality [3]." Through all of the steps listed above, I hope to translate my vision of loving children and changing their lives into a reality and at last become a leader.

[15] ((Matthew 19:14: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."))

By throwing my entire being into loving and caring about these kids, I know that I will be able to connect with that which is greater than myself and experience the power of infinite love such as Christ has offered me take hold of my life. I am ready to be a vessel of love that will bring this hateful world out of its darkness. I am ready to confront what lies ahead of me, triumph and failure alike, and meet it with open arms. The flame in my heart has been ignited and it keeps glowing brighter everyday.
[16]

Word Count Including Quotes: 1,460

Word Count Excluding Quotes: 1,404

Text Citations:

[1]- Rosabeth Moss Kanter. http://thinkexist.com/quotation/creativity_is_a_lot_like_looking_at_the_world/149380.html. 29 March 2008.

[2] - Coleman, Robert E. Baker: 2006.

[3]- Beennis, Warren. http://www.quoteworld.org/quotes/1220. 29 March 2008.

Photo Citations:

[1]- Playing Doctor- http://www.thechildrenshospital.org/visit/type/surgery/siblings.aspx

[2]- Healing HEART- http://pro.corbis.com/images/S0536-19.jpg?size=572&uid=%7B3516795E-3638-4F1D-A288-E15816539EB5%7D

[3]- YL LOGO- http://wallawallayounglife.org/YL%20Color.jpg

[4]- Kids laughing- http://www.magicnorm.com/kids%20laughing.jpg

[5]- African child- http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/PCH5936.jpg

[6] Kid’s Praying- http://www.charismamag.com/images/choir-kidsnews.jpg

[7]- Nambia child- http://newmexiken.com/images/2006/02/_620.jpg

[8]- Chi- picasaweb.google.com

[9]- Globe- http://www.crossroadsadoption.com/Portals/0/images/International.jpg

[10]- Hoola Hoop http://www.vcss.k12.ca.us/Portals/VcssoPortals/afterschool/j0428516.jpg

[11]- Diversity- http://pro.corbis.com/images/RF4467343.jpg?size=572&uid=%7B9FA215B9-7763-44A6-9A9F-2B80C0C5E3A7%7D

[12]- Community- http://www.suzylamplugh.org/files/images/Training/community_pic.jpg

[13]- Kid’s Playing- http://thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/harry-potter-quidditch-game.jpg

[14]- World connection: http://www.balancedweightmanagement.com/World%20Connection.jpg

[15]- Jesus and Children- http://www.youarelovedchildcare.com/jesus_w_children_600.jpg

[16]- Flame: http://tinypic.com/8wcqqh.jpg

The Bluest Eye II

In Isaiah 53:2-3, Jesus is described as “a tender plant, and as a root (growing) out of dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hide as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Bump 67). Similar to the world’s actions towards Jesus, Pecola in Toni Morrison’s, The Bluest Eye, was completely cast aside as a recluse from society. Pecola’s own ugliness made her “despised…by teachers and classmates a like” (Morrison 45). Though both Pecola and Jesus endured lives of extreme hardship and suffering, both essentially became saviors in their own ways. Christians look to the symbol of Jesus crucified on a cross as a reminder that that Jesus lived the perfect sacrificial life and that through His eternal love, all of our sins are forgiven. Through Jesus’ divine grace, we are given new life and hope towards the future.

Similarly, Pecola’s life and insanity brings a new appreciation of life to the people in her community. Her ugliness makes everyone feel beautiful, her endless suffering brings gratitude for their comparatively easy lives, and her desire for acceptance humbles them. She remains a symbol of all that hatred and human suffering can be, and encourages them to be compassionate towards one another. She serves as a beacon of hope “among all of the waste and beauty of the world- which is what she herself was. All of our waste which we dumped on her and which she absorbed. And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave to us. All of us—all who knew her—felt so wholesome after we cleansed ourselves on her” (Morrison 205). Though unlikely heroes, both Jesus and Pecola have the ability to enlighten their communities and to bring them out of eternal darkness.

The Bluest Eye I

In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, all the protagonist Pecola wants is to have blue eyes so that she can become her definition of beautiful. Through all of the horrible things that happen in her life, she places the blame for the occurrences on the fact that she herself is ugly and unworthy and grasps on to the hope that one day she will be loved when she receives her blue eyes. “It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights—if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different.” (Morrison 46). She believes that blue eyes will solve her every problem and in some way replace the pain and fear in her heart with joy. What seems like an instant fix to a little girl, however, serves merely as a Band-Aid to cover the wounds which she has for so long endured. Even as Pecola, in a state of insanity, receives her prized blue eyes, she is still filled with an emptiness leaving her yearning for more.

Today, our generation is characterized by this constant struggle for wanting more and for settling for instant gratification that leaves us miserable and confused in the long run. Constantly conforming to society’s standards of “beauty” and appearance, the youth of today has become increasingly self absorbed and indifferent towards the mind-set and insecurities of others. Though we all have our own personal struggles with self-confidence raging within us that we feel a need to deal with, we are not for a moment concerned that our peers are for the most part facing the same daily struggles. Often times we think that others cannot possibly understand how we feel and are scared to seek counsel from them because they are different from us, but are not all humans capable of understanding human suffering?
Pauline says is well when she says, “I hurt just like them white women. Just ‘cause I wasn’t hoping and hollering before didn’t mean I wasn’t feeling pain” (Morrison 125).Many of us, like myself, have learned to disregard the emotions we are experiencing, and turn to superficial things such as alcohol and money to try to erase this hurt that arises when we actually come face to face with our problems. What we must realize is that we cannot remove our past from our present and that we must confront our problems because they make up and huge part of who we are. Last year, I experienced a lot of bullying from a particularly hateful individual in my grade. Much like Pecola, I was ridiculed and “insult(ed) (about things) above which (I) had not control” (Morrison 65). This tormenting left my self esteem at an all time low and it was not until I actually acknowledged the pain I was feeling that I was able to become confident again and cast away all of my temporary solutions.
The Dove Campaign for real beauty encourages girls to accept themselves for who they are.

The ever raging battle of self acceptance is one that our society needs to embrace in order to ease the inner turmoil in so many lives in the world. We must remember to be compassionate towards others because we would want them to be compassionate towards us in our time of need. “To imagine what it is like to be (another), to feel (their) pain, is to take the first step toward breaking the habits of racism and judging by appearance that “created” (them)” (Bump193). Most of all, we must accept ourselves with all of our imperfections and strive to let our inner beauty shine through and become the beautiful that so many of us our striving for. Only when we think we are beautiful, will the world be able to view us in the same light.

RDB Gandhi and MLK

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred….(we must) continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive” (122). This attitude of Ahimsa, taken on by the some of the greatest leader’s to ever to walk this Earth, seems to be a driving force behind some of the most monumental milestones throughout history.


While Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., and Gandhi, all came close to perfecting the methods of Ahimsa, its ways remain a challenge to the common man such as me. Though I understand its basic concepts, the challenge lies in actually putting these principles into practice. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “If a man beats you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If a man takes away your coat, give him your shirt also” (16). Being a Christian, I try to live my life by these words of Christ, but it is definitely not easy. While I know that hating others and becoming angry about certain circumstances definitely does not qualify as Ahimsa or the way of God, I personally struggle daily with these issues. My goal in life is to help transform others into the people they are meant to become and help provide them with insight into a better life, but I realize that this dream cannot become a reality unless I take a stronger grasp onto the notions that these famous leaders so fearlessly lived their lives by. The only way that I will be able to live my life the way I want to live it is to convert any disdain I feel towards others into selfless love that will hopefully spark interest in the individual that observes it.
Les Miserbales, 1978

In Les Miserables, the Bishop of Digne allows Jean Valjean to stay with him after he has been released from jail and condemned by the rest of society. One night when the bishop is sleeping, Valjean decides to repay the Bishop’s favor by stealing all of his silver and running away. When the police catch Valjean and bring him back to the home of the Bishop, the Bishop lies to the police saying that he gave the silver to Valjean and ultimately saves him from a life of imprisonment. After the Bishop saves and forgives Valjean for stealing, 
he gives Valjean the silver candlesticks on the mantel along with everything else he had previously stolen. The Bishop’s last words to Valjean are, 
"But remember this, my brother. 
See in this some higher plan. 
You must use this precious silver 
to become an honest man. 
By the witness of the martyrs, 
by the Passion and the Blood, 
God has raised you out of darkness, 
I have bought your soul for God!" (Les Miserables). The Bishop’s words of forgiveness and hope challenge Valjean to start anew, and he does, changing his life forever. The affect that the Bishop instantly has on Valjean’s life is the kind of effect that I wish to have on the lives of others. To do so, I must practice solidarity and alter my entire being into existing in pursuit of others. Gandhi once said that “my life is a message,” and by existing as a living beacon of Ahimsa and the love of Jesus Christ, I just might be able to spread this enduring message of compassion, and transform the world for the better.(Gandhi 119).

A Peacemaker's Enlightenment