Leading by Being

Only a couple of short weeks ago, I spent four days in my nation's capitol, Washington, D.C., attending a Women's Leadership Conference hosted by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HRC fights to gain Equal Rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans, and I have been on Utah's HRC Steering Committee for just over a year. I now have two tri-chairs helping me put on events such as this February 25th's Her HRC Brunch at Squatters, booths at Salt Lake City & Moab Prides, as well as Street Festivals - and possibly the State Fair!

Today, one of the other groups I work for, the Utah Coalition of Reason, is hosting Darwin Day at Utah's Hogle Zoo. This was put together with the most limited resources, marketing, and assistance imaginable, but the families and individuals who are attending seem to be making the most of today's uncannily warm February weather. I am deeply grateful to the Service Learning students at Salt Lake Community College who are tabling for the Coalition this Saturday, so that I can work on homework for my Linguistics courses.

The most eye-opening thing that I learned from the Leadership Conference two weeks ago was not that I try to do too much (I knew that all too well already), but that I have sacrificed my own sense of being for many of the causes I strive to support. It's no longer a question of if I am doing too much. Rather I have learned to ask myself the question of why I do too much? What, exactly, do I sacrifice, and is it worth it? Self-reflection, feedback, constructive criticism . . . reflect, act, evaluate . . .

What I do that I truly adore, that feeds me, is teach, study, and relax.

When I prepare lessons, teach lessons, and/or evaluate my students, whether privately or at the Salt Lake Arts Academy, I feel enriched, enlightened, inspired! By watching how they learn, I learn more about how I teach - more about who, and how, I am. And by evaluating their progress, I am able to track my own.

When I read, study, and/or assist teaching for my Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) courses at the University of Utah, I am further inspired to improve my teaching methodology - to improve who, and how, I am.

And when I relax - I am able to simply be. I find myself writing to try to convey the sense of wonder I experience by seeping my two favorite teas together. I write letters to Oregon Chai and Harney & Sons Fine Teas, sending my thoughts to various states, spreading my words across the inter-webs, weaving something much more related to who, and how, I am. I receive messages back, offering me tea products to sample, review, and promote. I realize that somehow, who I really am is a leader. I'll offer Oregon Chai tea giveaways to all 11 of my blog followers, and I'll continue allowing myself to learn that, as my father so wisely told me at 18, I don't need to be the President of the United States of America to make a difference in this world. I don't have to fight allowing myself to just be, because who I am when I simply am, is enough! Every single human being is a leader - of something, or someone - and I lead best simply by being ~ Elaine.

Listen To The Mustn'ts

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me --
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

- Shel Silverstein

I bought a book a few weeks ago from the First Unitarian Church book sale, called "Earth Bound," which contains "Daily Meditations For All Seasons." The first meditation I read yesterday, January 1, 2012. It was about the atypical human tradition of crafting "resolutions" for the New Year. I adore this tradition, personally. For probably all of the month of December, I find myself thinking about what I would like to see change the most in my own life the coming year. I don't often write my resolutions, but I voice them, to myself and my partner. We encourage each other in pursuing some that are meaningful to us both.

But this meditation/thought I read yesterday pointed out that we are the only species in nature who seek for perfection in this way. I am trying to craft my resolutions now in terms of what will bind me more to the earth and the natural world I am a part of. Eating & moving healthily. Practicing consideration and compassion for others (people, plants, animals, all life). The reading suggested that, rather than seek for 'perfection,' or resolve to be 'perfect,' we embrace the changes and inherent imperfections as parts of who we are as human beings.