In my last post, I mentioned about the importance of
leadership camps. I just returned from staffing at National Teen Leadership Program in Sacramento, California, and my
life was made more rich! I met more people, learned more skills, challenged
myself, stepped out of my comfort zone, expanded my mind, and re-opened my
eyes. I met old friends and made new ones. I re-explored a once familiar
environment and familiarized myself with it once again. 150 young adults were
awakened, educated, and completely transformed over the course of three days,
and I was greatly honored and privileged to be a part of that transformation.
This post is a brief synopsis of what I personally got from the weekend.
What constitutes having a great experience? This past weekend,
I heard a young man tell his father, “This has been the greatest experience of
my life.” I heard another young man say, “This was this best day ever.” A young
lady in my group wrote me a note saying, “You… have taught me skills I will use
everyday of my life. Thank you so much for giving your time to be here.”
One definition of the word “experience” is “a
particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something; knowledge or practical wisdom gained from
what one has observed, encountered, or undergone.” What these young adults had over these past
three days was a true experience. For me, when I think of an experience, it
implies a wide gamut of emotions: happy, sad, thrilled, exhilarated, nervous,
joyful, amazed, inspired, etc. It is possible to have an experience with just
one or two emotions, but when a full spectrum of emotions are turned on from
one extreme to another in short amount of time, that definitely creates a
memorable experience. In three days, 150 lives were impacted through the
efforts of a group of devoted leaders. This is just a taste:
Day 1 – True
Leadership. There is a
quotation in the I-Ching that states, “The
leader is not the one with the most followers; the leaders is the one who
duplicates the most leaders.” Right off the bat this was made true for me
when I took pride in the fact that two young ladies from the first group I led
in 2007 have now become staff leaders four consecutive years in a row.
Wow. This day was about meeting new
people with similar interests and reconnecting with seasoned friends. I met
people who shared my same faith (Jesus), my same calling (education reform), and
my same passion (motivational speaking, societal revolution). Of course, many
others did not share all my interests, but I am still able to walk with them
hand in hand despite not seeing eye to eye. This day I was introduced to the 11
young men and women that my co-leader and I would teach (there were originally
12, but one did not make it). My fear was that I would have a group of rowdy
kids I could not control, but that was far from the case. I was so grateful to
have been given the opportunity to invest in the lives of these teens,
alongside my co-leader. I told them from the beginning, “You guys are not just teenagers, you’re the future; You are the future
businesspeople, doctors, lawyers, accountants, athletes, movie stars, etc.
Someone told me that if you want to know the future, spend time with a 15-year
old. I’m here because I want to make sure our future is bright.”
Day 2 – Diversity.
When I asked these young men and women about the best part of their weekend,
most of them mentioned Day 2. This was “Diversity” day. This was a day in which
they were able, just for a moment, to be vulnerable and share what they usually
don’t share with anyone. Sharing secrets creates trust, and trust forms bonds. How
valuable is it to create a safe environment for people to release their inner
fears, struggles, and stories? How much is such a cathartic experience worth?
To these young men and women, it was the world. Needless to say, I myself
walked away with a renewed sense of gratitude, privilege, and respect for life,
and for my parents who nurtured me in it.
Day 3 – The
Beginnings. Al Pacino, in
the movie “Scent of a Woman” said, “A
minute? Some people live a whole lifetime in a minute.” How about three
days? By this time, 150 youth have bonded, laughed, cried, and learned
together, as one. This was the final day of camp, but the beginning of
something great. This was the beginning of a great future that is ahead of 150
young people, with the world in the palm of their hands. It seemed that most,
if not every person had their lives changed this weekend. Mark Twain and I
share a same sentiment: “I could live a
whole month off a compliment.” Before the camp ended, a young lady from my
group handed me a note, her face filled with gratitude. The note summed up all
the reasons why I did what I did last week:
Robin,
I’m so glad you were my leader for NTLP my
first year. I am so inspired by your job and how you have a big dream that you
are working hard to accomplish. You [and our co-leader] taught me skills I will use everyday of my
life. Thank you so much for giving your time to be here. I hope to see you next
year!
Gary Chapman wrote a book entitled, The
5 Love Languages. One of the 5 languages is Words of Affirmation. These words solidified
my role and purpose at NTLP. It was the only note I received, but this note has
made all the difference for me. I am writing this entry to inspire and
encourage you, my reader, to go and spend time with a 15-year old this weekend.
If you are already making the future bright living your own life, imagine how
much brighter it will be if you invest in the lives of the future.
