Potential

A man named Goeth once said this and I wrote it down in my scriptures for 1 Nephi 16:23

If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he could be and ought to be, he will become what he ought to be.

Growing Good Corn

There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in the competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those whoe choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

Author Unknown

future

I was talking with one of our family friends and he gave some some very good advice: poor people cannot help other poor people; the worst thing about being poor is not having options; I need money to do what I want to help others. So, what am I going to do in my future so that I can help others? That's all that I really want to do. I just want to help other people feel better, act better, see others better. How do I do that?

nov 1

Considering your role as a leader, Please describe who you view as your “customers” and how you practice the idea of meeting the needs of those customers?
My customers are my EDs, my roommates, my class peers, ect. I try and help them really with whatever they need and i guess i have the view point of 'the customer is always right' haha. I don't try to impose my views on them but i do share my passion for the Honor Code when the topic comes up. I usually bring it up.

Please describe a time when you have been involved in a significant change. Identify what those who were leading the organization did to help make the change successful or unsuccessful.
It's tough to change coordinators. I just had my last stewardship with Tamara today and she took me out to eat. It was nice just to talk and I had kind of forgotten that it was our last time together. It's really helpful to have a supportive team who is willing to help when called upon to be leaders. Positive attitude and assertiveness are VERY helpful.

Describe why you believe that Networking with others is a vital part of leading change.
I can not do it alone. I need people around me that can lift in areas that I'm weak in. Change doesn't happen with one person. It takes a team of people dedicated to a worthy cause. Sometimes the change has a negative result but that doesn't mean the leaders are negative. Sometimes the change doesn't happen and it's difficult but in the end life goes on, you know? Since time will pass I might as well make the most of it before it's too late!

two weeks ago

Two weeks ago I had a class with Tamara and she taught us about integrity and honesty and honor and all the rest of the quality, ambiguous meanings of life. The questions from class are as follows:

1. What does integrity really mean to you? How do you know personally when you are displaying integrity? During my basketball days in high school my coach yelled at us. He would yell things like: "If you cut corners on the court you'll cut corners in life!", "Touch with both hands!", "Finnish! Go 100%, 100% of the time!", "Integrity is what you do when no one is watching, girls!" Needless to say, I was fed words of encouragement at high octaves everyday for 3 years during my most impressionable time of life. I will forever and always think that integrity is how I act when no-one is watching and when everyone is watching. I know that I am displaying integrity because it's what I do every day. It's easy.

2. Choose one of the development suggestions, or your own, to work on this week. What did you choose? Why? How did it go? I'm always trying to be a better person in that I'm not sarcastic with people. I've realized over the years that sometimes I get too intense with my sarcasm and sometimes it huts people's feelings. I know this isn't an exact development suggestion but it is something I'm working on so that my character improves. I want to have a positive character; one that others look to as a beacon to be good to others. So far, it's been pretty good; I've been working on it for 2 years.

3. Think of someone you know who displays integrity regularly. What do they DO to demonstrate integrity? How does that impact you? My dad is great example of someone who displays integrity 24/7. He doesn't ever ask someone to do something that he wouldn't do himself. I see that as integrity becuase he does things (and doesn't do things) becuase he wants to/needs to regardless if other people are around. You get him as he is - no tricks, no hesitations, no funny buisiness - he's totally real all the time. He's my dad and I love him! I want to be just like him. He's one of my greatest friends.

just thoughts, today

As a full time volunteer in BYU/SA it's required that you come in for your office hours every day. Not just a few times a week or when it's convenient for you. It's everyday from either 2-5 or 3-5. I have a few volunteers that think it's ok to just blow these hours off and not tell anyone but I'm here to blog to the world that this is not the case. People are depending on my volunteers, especially myself! Ah well. All is well in zion I guess. I need to be more proactive and help my people understand what I expect of them rather than just assume.

9.27.10

1) A few ways that I've encouraged others to generate creative, resourceful solutions to problems is to simply ask them what they think the solution is. How are they supposed to learn if they don't try it out themselves first and THEN get outside help? For example, the other day Melissa asked me how far in advance she should advertise for Circle of Honor Awards and instead of going in search of the right answer I asked her what she thought.

Turns out Melissa had already asked around with the Brigham Award people and decided that she'll start in late October and have the due date be during January. I could have given her my answer but then I would have been completely side stepping her thoughts on what should be done. I suppose it wasn't really a problem but I feel like I helped her realize that this is her program, not mine, and that she has the freedom and responsibility to organize it. Of course, if she still needs help then I am more than willing to be there for her.

2) In my opinion, the most important behaviors in getting results with a project/problem are 1st, having integrity and honesty in all that you do. How anyone gets a head in this life with the expectancy to do so in the next while lying and cheating is beyond me. My best friend in high school was a master at manipulation. He would sneak his way into any and everything! I adored him because although he was a slime ball he would tell you as it was and wasn't afraid of hurting your feelings. In that way I can see how he does so well now but if he doesn't stop and re-evaluate how he completes tangible work then I just don't know where his life will take him. I wish he was honest in all his doings but I know that he isn't and it worries me because one of these days it's going to catch up to him and he'll be in a ton of trouble.

The 2nd most important behavior is to take initiative. At the first football game of this season my roommates and I were walking back to our apartment through the East parking lot of the stadium and these two dumb girls were on a scooter just sitting there. The one said to the other, "arrhh all these people! How are we going to get out?" and the other said, "just run them over or we won't!" I kinda said the same thing to them as we were passing, "girl, you gotta be assertive! If you would just go all the people would move." And its true! You don't get anywhere in life if you just sit on your rear and wait for other people to make room for you. The world just doesn't work that way. If you don't take the initiative to get something done then it won't. Who better to do the job than you, right?

My 3rd most important problem solving behavior (there are really just too many to pick but i'll only do three) is in building relationships. I love love LOVE talking and working with people, it's why I stay in BYU/SA honestly. If this were a job that had me sitting behind a desk with no interaction other than a talking computer I would go CrAzY!!! I often think of Hitler (I know, its a strange person to think of) when I think about relationships because he had many followers who were scared of him rather than trusted him. I didn't live back then but I imagine that even if someone disagreed in the slightest of his leadership technique they would be killed. Who would want to discuss their questions with a boss like that and quite possibly be fired, literally? I fell like the best way to help someone with their job is to understand them and the only way to understand them is to have a relationship with them and "know their heart". If you can be friends with those you work with it's a million times easier to resolve conflict and prevent it.

3) My largest personal strength (from past 360 evaluations) is inspiring and motivating others to high performance. This is good because in my current leadership position I need to be good at this! haha Student Honor's role is to inspire and educate others on the Honor Code so it'd be a good thing for the VP to have those skills. I really enjoy building relationships with people too because I feel like that is what keeps people coming back for more. Why would anyone want to volunteer in a boring/intimidating environment?? I can tell you they wouldn't and they don't. I treat everyone I know the same; we're all people and deserve respect so I give it to them. I treat my sisters the same way I do my professors. I speak to the boys I like the same way I do to my girl friends. There's just one mode of KariElle and this is me! I love everyone and try to lift them in any way I can. I do lead by example and that's the only sure way I know how to lead my team.

PS: I don't talk to the boys that I really, really like the same as everyone else but I'm not mean to anyone haha