Optimism is Key..for everything.

With all the things that he has accomplished and given to this world, Gandhi has always been a figure that I have looked up to; so reading Gandhi's Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World was definitely something I enjoyed reading. Each one of these 10 Fundamentals have most definitely been applied to my life one way or another. I feel that even if I incorporate all the fundamentals into my life, almost each and everyone of these is still an area of growth that I need to continuously work on. 

"You must be the change you want to see in the world" 

-Mahatma Gandhi

Number 1 was "Change Yourself"- I feel that it is very important to be able to realize that YOU are the one that has to step up and make a difference in  your life. There are many people in this world  believe that things in life will change by themselves and all we have to do is be there. I sometimes have this mindset too, which isn't good, because in order to make a difference and change something I have to take initiate and change the way I think and act toward the situation.

"Nobody can hurt me without my permission."

-Mahatma Gandhi

Number Two... "You are in control."  - I've been doing very well in this aspect. I have learned, over time, how to control my emotions and reactions to any situation I face. There is no reason to be pessimistic and overreact to things that aren't really worth the emotional breakdown. It is important to take responsibility for the way that you feel and think about things, and to realize that no one else should influence that. 

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." 

-Mahatma Gandhi

I am slowly learning to forgive people from my past. I am also doing better at not hold grudges against the things that have happened that weren't necessarily in my favor. It's not worth it. Life moves on, meaning that you have to move on with it. Forgiving the things that have happened in the past will put you at peace with the situation, the person, and especially yourself. It will release you from the incident and open up a whole new section in your mind. Now, with all this peace and space, you have everything to develop and focus on things that are more important and meaningful in your life. The last thing you want is to look back on your life and regret your past due to not fixing things with others. You need to hold your head up high, take that next step, and move on to bigger and better things

"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."

-Mahatma Gandhi

"Without action you aren't going anywhere." This section, to me, is very important. It is also one that I need to work on. A lot. I have all these ideas in my head to help others, the world, and myself, but I seem to be going nowhere with it. At least that's what I feel like. Just like it read in the article, I need to take action and translate my knowledge into results and understanding. With this I have to make sure to "Take care of this moment." There is no reason to worry about the next moment when you don't really have control over it anyways. 

"Happiness is when what you think. what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

-Mahatma Gandhi

I feel that in order to change the world, one of the most important fundamentals to doing it is to be able to communicate. And not just to simply communicate, but to be able to be social in a congruent, authentic, and true way. That is why I really liked the 9th fundamental, "Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self." When you speak to others, all you need to do is be yourself and don't fake it. Speak about things that YOU are passionate about and that YOU believe in. Don't be afraid to speak out just  because you think the other person might be judging you. If they see that you're being authentic in your words and not having a phony conversation, you will have their respect. And that's what matters.  When the words that come out of your mouth are aligned with the thoughts and beliefs that you have, you have a voice. And with that voice, you can do so much... like change the world. :) 

Self confidence is key to one's growth. I completely agree with the message of the second article, Be Optimistic, it Builds Your Self-Confidence. Self confidence might be the key to one's growth as a person, but in order to have self confidence, one must have an optimistic outlook on everything. I really like The Optimist Creed. It gives a great summary of how to be proactive in being optimistic. 

This is The Optimist Creed: 

Promise yourself... 

-To be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind 

-To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. 

-To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. 

-To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. 

-To think of only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect the best.

-To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. 

-To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. 

-To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. 

-To give so much time to improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. 

-To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

The two statements that really apply to my life are "Promise yourself to make all your friends feel that there is something in them" and "Promise to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile." I make sure to make my friends feel good and show them they are unique, smart, and beautiful. It is important to me for my friends to be happy with themselves and their lives. That way, everyone is going to be in a good mood and optimistic about themselves and each other. It's important to spread the positive feelings around and not to keep it to yourself. I find myself smiling at random people I walk past as I am going to classes or to work. That's not a bad thing at all and, now, I make sure to do it everywhere I go.  It's that whole concept of making sure to smile at every person you see because, you never know, it can even save a life. 

Life... it's amazing, isn't it?

I walked into our last meeting without a smile on my face and a TON of weight on my shoulders. Up to that point, the day was going bad, and didn't seem like it was going to get much better. Leaving the meeting, I felt as light as a feather. Relieved, happy.  There is just something about this group of individuals that always puts a smile on my face, no  matter what. I was so thankful for our last meeting. We were able to just chill, let loose, and just talk about our video project (which is looking good so far!) and what was going on in our lives. And that's EXACTLY what I needed. 

I believe that Joe is a mind reader.... Every time he gives us an article, or two, to read and blog about, the topics are BEYOND perfect. This week, we were given two different articles to read that gave us ways and guidance as to how we should go about living our lives.

The first article, "18 Truths to Start Telling Yourself,"  was a good reminder of how simple and easy it actually is to enjoy and be happy with your life. I've realized that a lot people make it so much harder for themselves to live their life the way they want to, when all they have to do is accept the past, live in the present, and believe in the future. We create too many road blocks and distractions that keep us from living our lives to the fullest. There were several truths in this article that resonated with my own personal experiences. 

Number 3, "Everything, good of bad, is a life lesson," definitely puts it into perspective that everything in your life happens for a reason and sometimes we just have to accept it and move forward. I have learned that there is no such thing as failing in life. It's simply a mistake that was made, big or small, t that you have to learn and grow from. 

I have always valued the truth stated in number 7, "The little things are often the big things."  It's all about the minor details and events in every single day that are the most important. Even though it's difficult with busy agendas and schedule conflicts, I try my best to see and keep in contact with those that matter the most to me. After unexpectedly losing an amazing friend due to a drunk driving accident, I make sure not to take things for granted, but to greatly appreciate and enjoy each and every moment of my life. I believe that this is crucial in living a meaningful life, and keeping strong relationships. Who knows, these people or moments might not be there anymore in a couple of years.  

"Happiness depends more on the inward disposition

 of mind than on the outward circumstances." 

-Benjamin Franklin

I have been told many times that I come off as a really happy person, and that's because I am. I chose to be. I have chosen to accept and look beyond the imperfections in my life. Number 16 is a great truth that sort of ties these first two together, "Happiness is a choice that comes from within." Some people believe that after something has happened, that's how it is always going to be, forever. This is a completely wrong state of mind to be in. You have choices. You must choose whether or not you want to accept the fact that things happen or a reason, or if you want to appreciate the littlest things that exist in your life. You are able to choose what you want to, or don't want to, do with your life. I loved this one part in the article under this truth.. it wrote, " Begin today by taking responsibility for your own happiness. The choice is yours."

The second article, "15 Ways to  Live, and Not Merely Exist," was very similar to the first article, but still very different. There were definitely many points that stood out and resonated with me. It's funny, because I KNOW all of these ways and truths to living a good life... but somehow, they always seem to slip my mind, leaving me in a hole that I constantly find myself trying to get out of. It's because I have such a busy schedule. My mind is occupied with all of the things going on around me that I forget to just stop, breathe, and think about my life. I'm decided to make and put up post its/signs/photos around my room to remind me everyday of these things. This way, I will never forget who I really am and what my purpose is.

"If you see a difference between where you are and where you want to be - consciously change your thoughts, words, and actions to match your grandest vision."

-Neal Donald Walsch

This LEAD program has become so much more than what I expected. Not only did we get lucky with an amazing group of leaders, but we also got lucky with being able to work with Joe. This experience definitely wouldn't have been the same without him. From this program, I have learned so much about the type of leader that I am, and have been able to gain the confidence to grow into so much more.