I've had a lot of time to ponder my authenticity lately. It is all part of a leadership exercise that helps me determine my leadership style, and overall it's been quite interesting. So I thought I'd share some of my personal insights.
First of all, who am I? Not just as a leader, but who am I as a person?
I thought for sure that writer was at the top of my list, but then I began to delve into the reasons why I write. What do I write about? Why do I write about it? And you know what I discovered? I write because I've had this certain kind of experience, and I want to share it.
So, who am I?
I'm a girl who wants to share her findings with the world. I want people to read my words and know that they are not alone when they go through something. I want people to be able to relate to me. As a writer, I think of my life not as a novel in chapters, but a series of short stories with the occasional poem thrown in. If I could title the latest short story of my life, it would be called The Unforeseen Adventure. I never would have pictured myself where I'm at right now, especially six months ago. I'm so much happier with my path because I decided to take a chance on something new.
I'm a girl who is always on the go. I can't sit still to save my life, at least mentally. I'm always three weeks ahead of myself, which is why hobbies like piano, painting, and writing are a great way for me to force myself to stay in the moment. Even now when I'm in the thick of my first semester of graduate school, I'm trying to figure out how to finish sooner. I want to learn how to slow down and get the most out of my experiences (so that I can write them, obviously!).
I'm a girl who wants to inspire others. I never thought anyone really paid attention to me; I always considered my "successes" routine for what was expected of me. Aren't you supposed to graduate from high school? Aren't you supposed to get your degree if you go to college? Aren't you supposed to have a job to pay for things (like tuition and your social life)? I mean seriously, I was just doing what I thought I was supposed to do. As I had to write my personal statements for grad school applications, I was challenged to look at my accomplishments through a different kind of lens. For example, I graduated from high school in the top 7% of my class, served on the school newspaper (3yrs, one as Editor), TV crew, National Honors Society, A'Capella Choir (we placed at State twice!), FCCLA (4yrs), and the Student Senate (1yr). I managed to do all of this and work part-time as a custodian during my senior year. That was only high school!
In college, I graduated in only 3yrs! During those three years, I was always a full-time student and worked at least 20hrs a week. I had a handful of scholarships, lived on campus my last year in a Learning Community, and graduated debt-free. Also, I had three internships, all were paid! I'm proud to say that I paid my way through school.
Now in graduate school, I work full-time during the day, and attend classes full-time at night. I am at the halfway mark in the semester, and I have four more to go before I can official say: Lindsey Larsen, MA in Community Leadership. In addition to school and work, I take piano lessons every other week, and I paint with acrylics in my free time.
Even I'm surprised at how much I actually do; I guess some people find it a bit intimidating.
Anyway, I guess my point is that I simply thought I was a writer when I started thinking about who I am. Turns out, that's just the tip of the iceberg, and the fascination lies in why I write.
As I conclude this post, I want to share some quotes that I think relate to me that play into the various tales I tell:
"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."- Dalai Lama
"I figure, if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one."- Calamity Jane
"You live but once, you might as well be amusing."- Coco Chanel
"The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem."- Jack Sparrow
Stay tuned for the second installment of my inspiration concentration!
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