Current Leader: The World Could Use A Bit of Being Kind to One Another

Starting when I was in third grade, I came home from elementary school and immediately turned on channel 4- this was, of course the channel that the Ellen DeGeneres show was on. Even from a young age, I admired this woman more than anything and religiously watched her show each and every day when I got home from school. Something about this show brought me such a great amount of happiness, that no Disney Channel or Nickelodeon sitcom could ever provide me with. Ellen shows leadership every day on her show. Although when we think of the term “leader”, Ellen may not be the first person that comes to mind, she is a leader in a different kind of way. Ellen leads by example, and lives her life in a way that inspires others to follow her.

Although Ellen’s official job title may be “comedian”, the time that she dedicates to causes that she is passionate about is no joke. Ellen has dedicated her life to working with injured and rescued animals  (a cause that I am also extremely passionate about) as well as LGBTQ rights. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, and rightfully so. Ellen is a leader because she lives the life that she wants her followers to live. Instead of just using her platform as a talkshow host to go on rants about what is wrong with the world, she uses this media outlet to raise awareness about organizations that are trying to make an impact and encourage genuine change.

People are so motivated to follow Ellen and her positive way of life because they watch her perform these acts of kindness and love and are inspired to follow in her footsteps. Whether Ellen is giving away a brand new car to a struggling single mom or showing video footage of her volunteering at the Gentle Barn, Ellen is constantly showing her viewers how to be the change they want to see in the world. These scenes in the show where Ellen makes a positive impact on a viewer’s life always tear on my heartstrings and make me tear up a bit, but in the end make me want to go out and do something to the same effect. THIS is leadership- the ability to inspire someone to make a change on their own, without bossing them around or telling them what to do.

There are a million things I admire about Ellen DeGeneres, but there is one feature that sticks out among them all: this is her genuine compassion for humankind. Ellen DeGeneres is a millionaire, and there are plenty of millionaires in the world, but not many of them use this large sum of money to give back to others in the way that she does. Ellen does not seem to do this to gain fame or fortune, but because she genuinely cares about people (and animals) and values all life. She is a selfless leader, which makes her genuine and makes her viewers look up to her in more ways than one.

NOW WHAT? Ellen DeGeneres’ leadership has undoubtably effected millions of people around the world, as well as me personally. Ellen’s inspirational acts have inspired her viewers to stand up for what they believe in and perform selfless acts towards their fellow humans. At the end of every single show, Ellen ends by saying the phrase, “be kind to one another”. This phrase has really stuck with me personally. Being kind is such a small thing that is forgotten about far too often. As a third grader, and even later in life, this show has made me feel like I have the power to make a change in someones life. I may not have the money to buy a stranger a new car, but I certainly have a voice that I can use to reach out to someone who may need a friend.

I think if everyone incorporated kindness into their daily routines, the world would be a better place.

photo courtesy of http://www.ellentv.com

Leadership Safari

When I arrived at Central Michigan University this August, I was a nervous wreck. It was my freshman year, and I cried for an hour after saying goodbye to my family. I had arrived a week early for CMU’s freshman transition program, otherwise known as Leadership Safari. On the first day of Safari, I wanted nothing more than to just go home. I was terrified to be all alone at college, and wanted to be with my family and boyfriend. However, I had no idea how much fun I was about to have.

On the first day of Safari, we were separated into groups of about 10-12 other freshman, and an older student who was our “safari guide”. I was Team Scorpion, and my safari guide was Bobby, who is in the LAS cohort above me. It was such a relief to know Bobby on the first day. I knew the other students in my LAS cohort, but when we were split up into different safari groups, I felt insanely nervous and out of place. I think this was really important, because even now I often have to remind myself to take the time to be around people outside of LAS. Although I love my leadership family, it is important to make connections with students all across campus.

Throughout the five days I spent with my group, we all got so close. Its amazing how much a group can connect after such a short period of time. Everyone within my group had such a unique personality, and everyone seemed to complement each other very nicely. It was so cool to look back and think that on the first day we were all complete strangers, and now I look back and consider these people to be some of the first friends I made at college.

My Safari Group and I

One of the most important activities we did at Leadership Safari was the trust exercises. We went into an indoor soccer stadium, and stood on a platform about five feet high and were instructed to fall backwards into the arms of our group members. I liked these people and all, but we were definitely not at the point where I trusted them with my life. I was so nervous to fall back, even climbing up on the platform made me nervous because I am so afraid of heights. However, I didn’t really have a choice. I felt like the other members of my group would have been extremely disappointed in me if I wimped out – especially after everyone else had just done it. So, I took a leap of faith.

NOW WHAT? I fell backwards, and my group members caught me. Although this might have been a silly little trust exercise for some people, it was very symbolic for me. One of the mottos I’ve always tried to live by is “trust the journey”. In this exercise, I had to trust the fact that my group members would not let me fall. After this exercise I took some time to reflect on my upcoming college career. I tried to think about how important it is to trust the journey within my college experience – to do my part but also trust that everything will work out exactly how it is supposed to. Leadership Safari inspired me to make new relationships and step out of my comfort zone, which I will work to continue doing throughout my college career.

My friend Joslyn and I at Leadership Safari

Leadership Safari was one of my favorite CMU experiences so far. I was unsure if I even wanted to attend at first, but looking back, I am so thankful that I made the choice to step out of my comfort zone and meet some incredible people.