Week 14 Journal
For this last journal I wanted to just answer a few discussion questions from November 19th’s and 24th’s presentations. Before I do that I just wanted to say that all of these presentations have been wonderful and I’ve enjoyed these discussions and hearing what interests the students. Many questions raised were so thought provoking and covered topics I hadn’t even thought about. I chose the discussion questions that stuck with me the most or that I found the most compelling to talk about.
Thursday: November 19, 2020
This discussion question is from Thursday’s first presentation, Mulan, which was presented by D’Ziyah, Skyler, and Omoneka.
If you were faced with Mulan’s decision, which one would you pick? War or staying home unhappy?
I would pick war. I wouldn’t stay home just because that’s what others have in mind for me or because they’d envisioned something else for my life. Mulan wanted to prove herself as a leader and going to war would allow her to do that; she had to do what she believed was better for her, not what others believed was better for her. Part of being a good leader is the ability to stand your ground. This doesn’t mean you rule out all opinions from others, but it means that you do what feels right for yourself when necessary, and Mulan did just that. She was put in a position that would cause many to back down, I mean she changed her identity just to go to war. She was willing to take risks and act as a different person in order to achieve her goal. Taking risks often allows you to become a better leader than you knew you were capable of becoming and Mulan was brave for being able to take that step and believe in herself.
This question is from Thursday’s second presentation, my own group’s presentation, Hercules, which consisted of me (Lauren), Alexis, and Chelsey.
Do you believe that sacrifices make a leadership role more meaningful or rewarding? Do they make a leadership role more or less enjoyable?
Starting with the first question, I think it can definitely go both ways. Putting in hard work can make the end goal of a leadership role more rewarding, making you feel prouder because you’ve given up so much to get to where you are. On the opposite end of that, it can numb the proudness and excitement one may feel after completing such a role. Sacrifice can drain you to an extreme; many people, after they’ve finally reached their goal, feel that the work and sacrifice they’ve put into it just weren’t worth the result. This can cause them to feel resentment toward the goal, along with themselves, questioning why they put in so much time and what it was for. With this, sacrifice can make a leadership role both more or less enjoyable, and I think that depends on the answer to the first question. It can make it more enjoyable if you believe the sacrifice was worth it, but of course if you don’t believe it was, then the end goal will be much less enjoyable.
Tuesday: November 24, 2020
These next couple questions are from Tuesday’s first presentation, Freedom Writers, which was given by Mashayla, Cyan, and Zainab.
In today’s society do you still believe respect is about the color of your skin?
I truly believe it’s about where you’re at or who you’re surrounded by. I think in regards to many people, respect comes down to the color of your skin, regardless of how they initially treat you. There are many people that may treat you with respect or kindness off the bat, but it’s when they’re put in certain situations where they act differently. A simple example could be when someone approaches you with respect and kindness while the two of you are alone, but when other people (in this case let’s say their friends or family) are part of the mix they switch up how they act. This can often be because they want to come off to those people different than they came off to you, but these experiences are often based on skin color. Another example may be when it comes to job opportunities; minorities are often less likely to receive a job offer when they’re up against someone white. We also see disrespect shown due to skin color with name calling; the first example that comes to mind in this sense is when Black people are called monkeys. Name calling (of any race or skin color) often stems from a lack of respect of that person. Of course, we’ve made some progress and there are many people who don’t even think to discriminate based on race, but there’s a much farther way to go and things aren’t always as they seem from the start. Someone can show you respect until they’re in a tight position, maybe one where their true colors come out. A situation like this could be someone seemingly respecting you, but when it comes to standing up for you or just taking a stand, they fall back. There’s a lot of corruption in the world and there’s so much more that needs to be done to change these ways.
How did visiting the museum help the students overcome adversity in their personal lives?
I think it definitely helped them in that they realized adversity goes beyond skin color. In the classroom the students were saying how Mrs. Gruwell couldn’t understand the experiences they go through and how respect often comes down to the color of your skin; she mentioned the Holocaust and almost none of the students were aware of what it was. When the students went to the museum they were able to learn about it; one of the students even mentioned how distraught they were about a little boy who was only 5 years old, going through many of the traumatic experiences explained. This encounter allowed the students to see what others had gone through, how traumatic those experiences were. The trip to the museum and the dinner with a few Holocaust survivors showed the students that there are people out there that have gone through a struggle much different than theirs, but a struggle none-the-less; it also showed them that people that didn’t look like them went through struggles, allowing them to overcome much of that adversity.
This last set of questions is from Tuesday’s second presentation, The Color Purple, which was given by Selam, Alexia, and Chisom.
Do our past experiences shape the advice we give?
100%. Much of the advice we give is based solely on our past experiences. The things that have happened to you and the outcomes they’ve had will likely determine the advice you give and the reasons for doing so. This plays a part in the reason many give or receive bad advice; often when giving advice, people will say things that maybe apply to them or would be helpful to them (perhaps advice they would want to hear), as opposed to tailoring the advice to the person they’re giving it to. It’s often difficult for people to think outside of themselves and see that what may be good or bad for them isn’t good or bad for someone else. This can sometimes, as we see in The Color Purple, anger or upset the person on the receiving end of the advice or the person reaping the consequences.
Do you think part of leadership development is leaving the environment you’re in?
Yes. Leaving the environment you’re in often shows bravery and courage; it’s not easy leaving a place you’re so familiar with and starting something new. There are many reasons for someone to leave their environment: they’re running away from danger (whether a person or thing), they’re starting a new life for themselves, they’re providing themselves or those around them with better opportunities, they’re leaping towards an offer they couldn’t refuse, their current environment is detrimental to themselves and/or those around them, etc. There are endless reasons and leaving for many of these reasons can improve leadership development, especially because many of these reasons hinder leadership development on their own. There’s bravery in creating a different life for yourself and sometimes you just have to take that leap.
Do you think self talk is an important skill for a leader? Are positive affirmations helpful?
I think it’s an extremely important skill for a leader. At the end of the day, you need to be there for yourself, especially if no one else is there for you. Positive affirmations are a helpful tool for anyone, not just leaders. Positively affirming yourself instills a belief that you are what you tell yourself you are and that you’re capable of what you tell yourself you’re capable of; even if you don’t genuinely believe these affirmations, just hearing them and registering them subconsciously can make all the difference. It’s important that we believe and have faith in ourselves, making sure not to limit our capabilities because we don’t believe we can do something. We must talk ourselves up and continue to affirm ourselves until we truly believe it. And even when we believe, we must still continue to do so. Positive affirmations are like manifestation, speak it into existence! We are all capable of so much and sometimes just need someone to believe in us, and that someone can be yourself!
