One of my classes this semester is all about preparing us to land our first engineering job. So naturally the first area we all needed to tackle was our resumes. Resume writing can be a really tricky thing, hey? As I prepared and updated my own, I again had to go through the process of trying to choose my most relevant experiences and to find the right adjectives to express them with and...you know how it is. In my resume, though, there is a very noticeable gap where for three years I had no work experience and no further schooling. But I definitely had experience. It was a nice opportunity I had to revisit that time and the lessons I learned while attending and volunteering with Generation Peace Academy (GPA). In comparison to this, my time working or in post-secondary school, although important, was far less impactful on my life.
The truth is, what I experienced would mean very little if I didn’t seek to find its relevance in my everyday life. It’s really like any of our experiences in life. You can go through it, sure, but if you do not consider from time-to-time the effect it had on you, then it could just fade away and simply be a memory. No doubt we all have some experiences we’d like to be a far distant memory, but in general every moment had its significance. They say we are the sum of everything we have been through so we better believe it is a big deal!
So I put together a list here of the important lessons I learned while on the program, specifically when I was fundraising. Now I want to make a clear distinction here that the fundraising we did was not your typical fundraising. Of course, we, like any non-profit organization, needed money to sustain ourselves. But the equally important reason we fundraised was to develop ourselves. It was difficult, no doubt about that. However, the opportunity it gave us to learn about ourselves and to make daily effort to improve is so important. Because once you learn how to grow, even in the midst of trying circumstances, you can grow anywhere. And that is the key to happiness and success in our lives.
I hope this can give you an idea how you can develop yourself in your everyday life. Even if things seem pretty mundane and repetitive (trust me fundraising became that many times) you can still use each day and the experiences in it as an opportunity to learn and to grow.
Let’s get into it.
Our minds are our biggest obstacles. First you must win in your mind to achieve your goals.
“Limits like fear are often an illusion.” I believe you Michael Jordan, but you got to admit our limits definitely feel real in the moment! Perhaps it can be said though that there are real limitations in our lives. For example there is a maximum weight that each of us can lift. Or there is a finite amount of knowledge each of us has in our minds. And of course we all know there’s only so much food, no matter how good it is, that we can stuff into our stomachs! The point though is that we decide certain things in our minds, and it is those decisions that limit us from ever growing to our full potential. The most important decision we often need to make is to believe in what is possible.
Everyone loves talking results. It’s like how guys want to know each other’s bench press. So of course, on GPA, especially when you’re new to everything, it was one of the most exciting things to talk about and to hear each other’s “personal records”, ie. how much money they made. In time, the team leaders teach you- and you begin to see it is true from your personal experience- that the results you get are a reflection of your internal state and personal growth. Now I am not saying there are no other contributing factors. But it is commonly known that your way of thinking and way of seeing the world really determines so much in our lives.
After spending even a couple of hours fundraising, so approaching person after person, receiving multiple rejections, you begin to see the limits of your mind. You realize you’re believe that you can achieve your goals is weak. You realize how much you doubt yourself, and are insecure when you don’t get the validation or acceptance from people that you expect. You realize how small your capacity to give really is. Whew, like I said it can be very difficult. However, until you are aware of these limiting viewpoints/beliefs then you have no chance to stop them from limiting your life and growth anymore. It can become a source of pride when you realize that through daily effort to change your thinking you begin getting the results you want, and even the results you thought you couldn’t get!
A common example is making the adjustment to not become angry when someone says no or when something doesn’t go your way. By reminding yourself to forgive, to be grateful, and to not give up you can slowly change the way you respond to people, until it becomes a natural reaction for you to be resolute and hopeful despite any circumstance.
When you continually practice and persist when challenges come your way you will have grown as a person AND you will have greater results in your life. This was clearly seen in our fundraising experience. Throughout the course of the year everyone began to see that as they learned and grew their capacity to love other people, they received greater and greater results. I can attest to this personally while I was on the program.
Even this past summer actually I had an experience with this in a job I had as a credit card salesman. The first few days of training were far from enjoyable. A part of me knew that I could do this job- because fundraising is very similar to this- but the question was did I want to. Did I want to subject myself to constant scrutiny and rejections? When I thought of only the negatives that came with the job then the answer was obviously no. But, when I asked instead, “Do I want to seize this opportunity to develop myself and to work on being more comfortable and competent in speaking to people and leading people?” the answer was clearly yes. The day I committed in my mind to give my best was far, far better than the few days before where it felt like I was dragging my feet. I achieved and exceeded my external goal and I actually enjoyed myself interacting with people and making them smile. Also while I worked at this job I saw how I became more confident to engage people in conversation and be more friendly.
The results I have been talking about are not only monetary. It can come in the form of having stronger relationships with your loved ones. It can mean developing a new skill. It can mean getting stronger and faster than you were before. Results can really be anything you desire in your heart. Whatever it is, the first step is always to win the fight in your own mind, to be committed to keep going regardless of what gets in your way.
Everyone has something to give. Gratitude helps all of us to remember and realize this.
There is one experience in particular that I wanted to share. However, there were many, many people I met whose generosity and care for me blew me away. This lady I met was parked in the back of a mall parking lot. I approached her as I normally did with people, giving my best smile and my speal. I didn’t notice right away her child who was sitting in the back seat. After sharing about myself and sharing about the program, she had the chance to share her own cause. She too has been fundraising. Her little daughter she told me had a life-threatening head condition that made her highly susceptible to a dangerous injury. It was then that I crouched down to look into the backseat and saw the smiling face of this little girl with a helmet on her head. The mother sincerely apologized for not being able to help, but for me it was completely understandable.
But before we said goodbye, she seemed to have a change of heart and searched around her bag and gave me three dollars. I began to insist that it was ok, that she needed it more. She said confidently that she always believed in giving to someone in need or giving for a good cause. The fact that she had her own struggles didn’t mean she couldn’t find something small to help with. When I turned to leave I couldn’t help but shed tears, with the image of the little girl with her helmet stuck in my brain.
This experience, and the many other humbling moments I had, often challenges me to this day to consider how much I am ready to give to someone in need. As I mentioned earlier, it can be very challenging to constantly approach people...WHEN you are looking to take something from them. Fundraising was, oddly enough, a very fulfilling and even enjoyable activity WHEN you looked for what you could give to the person you were meeting. Getting into this state of mind was only possible when you practiced an attitude of gratitude.
Recently I came across a fantastic article about switching one word in our vocabulary to be happier. It said instead of saying “I have to…”, switch that to “I get to…”. I had a meaningful experience with this just the other week. I was lending a hand to a friend who was in the process of moving. Things took longer than I expected and I found myself rushing to get to an evening class on time. On my way home, I was feeling tired and negative, thinking about what I “had” to do that day, and what I’ll “have” to do when I get home. I caught myself fortunately and realized that I need to give that vocabulary switch a try. And it worked! I was reminded that I “got” to help a friend- how often do we really get to be there for a friend and help make their life a little easier? I realized that I “get” to study subjects that allow me to become more capable to impact the world in a positive way and make enough money for myself and my future family- how many people in the world get the same opportunities I have?
The lady I met definitely found reasons to be grateful in her life. It’s what allowed her to know that she still had something to give, despite the difficulties in her life. Gratitude is such a beautiful thing because you don’t need to have everything going perfectly right to be grateful. Therefore, you don’t need to be free of worries or struggles in order to be happy or to be full of life. And the people around you will feel the difference. On the most part, people that met me or anyone in our program were impressed and amazed by our attitude. Even with this simple encounter they became grateful too! Grateful that someone could remind them that life is meant to be lived knowing you are loved and knowing that everyone around you deserves love too.
…
This article has already become longer than I usually write. It goes to show just how meaningful an experience where you actively seek to grow can be. I said I would write a list, but I only gave you two points. I guess a part 2 is in order because I definitely have more to share! Come back in two weeks and check out the rest of the list. I do sincerely hope that you feel inspired to try something new or to try again in whatever you have been striving for. With a little faith and persistence, there is no limit to who you can become.
The truth is, what I experienced would mean very little if I didn’t seek to find its relevance in my everyday life. It’s really like any of our experiences in life. You can go through it, sure, but if you do not consider from time-to-time the effect it had on you, then it could just fade away and simply be a memory. No doubt we all have some experiences we’d like to be a far distant memory, but in general every moment had its significance. They say we are the sum of everything we have been through so we better believe it is a big deal!
So I put together a list here of the important lessons I learned while on the program, specifically when I was fundraising. Now I want to make a clear distinction here that the fundraising we did was not your typical fundraising. Of course, we, like any non-profit organization, needed money to sustain ourselves. But the equally important reason we fundraised was to develop ourselves. It was difficult, no doubt about that. However, the opportunity it gave us to learn about ourselves and to make daily effort to improve is so important. Because once you learn how to grow, even in the midst of trying circumstances, you can grow anywhere. And that is the key to happiness and success in our lives.
I hope this can give you an idea how you can develop yourself in your everyday life. Even if things seem pretty mundane and repetitive (trust me fundraising became that many times) you can still use each day and the experiences in it as an opportunity to learn and to grow.
Let’s get into it.
Our minds are our biggest obstacles. First you must win in your mind to achieve your goals.
“Limits like fear are often an illusion.” I believe you Michael Jordan, but you got to admit our limits definitely feel real in the moment! Perhaps it can be said though that there are real limitations in our lives. For example there is a maximum weight that each of us can lift. Or there is a finite amount of knowledge each of us has in our minds. And of course we all know there’s only so much food, no matter how good it is, that we can stuff into our stomachs! The point though is that we decide certain things in our minds, and it is those decisions that limit us from ever growing to our full potential. The most important decision we often need to make is to believe in what is possible.
Everyone loves talking results. It’s like how guys want to know each other’s bench press. So of course, on GPA, especially when you’re new to everything, it was one of the most exciting things to talk about and to hear each other’s “personal records”, ie. how much money they made. In time, the team leaders teach you- and you begin to see it is true from your personal experience- that the results you get are a reflection of your internal state and personal growth. Now I am not saying there are no other contributing factors. But it is commonly known that your way of thinking and way of seeing the world really determines so much in our lives.
After spending even a couple of hours fundraising, so approaching person after person, receiving multiple rejections, you begin to see the limits of your mind. You realize you’re believe that you can achieve your goals is weak. You realize how much you doubt yourself, and are insecure when you don’t get the validation or acceptance from people that you expect. You realize how small your capacity to give really is. Whew, like I said it can be very difficult. However, until you are aware of these limiting viewpoints/beliefs then you have no chance to stop them from limiting your life and growth anymore. It can become a source of pride when you realize that through daily effort to change your thinking you begin getting the results you want, and even the results you thought you couldn’t get!
A common example is making the adjustment to not become angry when someone says no or when something doesn’t go your way. By reminding yourself to forgive, to be grateful, and to not give up you can slowly change the way you respond to people, until it becomes a natural reaction for you to be resolute and hopeful despite any circumstance.
When you continually practice and persist when challenges come your way you will have grown as a person AND you will have greater results in your life. This was clearly seen in our fundraising experience. Throughout the course of the year everyone began to see that as they learned and grew their capacity to love other people, they received greater and greater results. I can attest to this personally while I was on the program.
Even this past summer actually I had an experience with this in a job I had as a credit card salesman. The first few days of training were far from enjoyable. A part of me knew that I could do this job- because fundraising is very similar to this- but the question was did I want to. Did I want to subject myself to constant scrutiny and rejections? When I thought of only the negatives that came with the job then the answer was obviously no. But, when I asked instead, “Do I want to seize this opportunity to develop myself and to work on being more comfortable and competent in speaking to people and leading people?” the answer was clearly yes. The day I committed in my mind to give my best was far, far better than the few days before where it felt like I was dragging my feet. I achieved and exceeded my external goal and I actually enjoyed myself interacting with people and making them smile. Also while I worked at this job I saw how I became more confident to engage people in conversation and be more friendly.
The results I have been talking about are not only monetary. It can come in the form of having stronger relationships with your loved ones. It can mean developing a new skill. It can mean getting stronger and faster than you were before. Results can really be anything you desire in your heart. Whatever it is, the first step is always to win the fight in your own mind, to be committed to keep going regardless of what gets in your way.
Everyone has something to give. Gratitude helps all of us to remember and realize this.
There is one experience in particular that I wanted to share. However, there were many, many people I met whose generosity and care for me blew me away. This lady I met was parked in the back of a mall parking lot. I approached her as I normally did with people, giving my best smile and my speal. I didn’t notice right away her child who was sitting in the back seat. After sharing about myself and sharing about the program, she had the chance to share her own cause. She too has been fundraising. Her little daughter she told me had a life-threatening head condition that made her highly susceptible to a dangerous injury. It was then that I crouched down to look into the backseat and saw the smiling face of this little girl with a helmet on her head. The mother sincerely apologized for not being able to help, but for me it was completely understandable.
But before we said goodbye, she seemed to have a change of heart and searched around her bag and gave me three dollars. I began to insist that it was ok, that she needed it more. She said confidently that she always believed in giving to someone in need or giving for a good cause. The fact that she had her own struggles didn’t mean she couldn’t find something small to help with. When I turned to leave I couldn’t help but shed tears, with the image of the little girl with her helmet stuck in my brain.
This experience, and the many other humbling moments I had, often challenges me to this day to consider how much I am ready to give to someone in need. As I mentioned earlier, it can be very challenging to constantly approach people...WHEN you are looking to take something from them. Fundraising was, oddly enough, a very fulfilling and even enjoyable activity WHEN you looked for what you could give to the person you were meeting. Getting into this state of mind was only possible when you practiced an attitude of gratitude.
Recently I came across a fantastic article about switching one word in our vocabulary to be happier. It said instead of saying “I have to…”, switch that to “I get to…”. I had a meaningful experience with this just the other week. I was lending a hand to a friend who was in the process of moving. Things took longer than I expected and I found myself rushing to get to an evening class on time. On my way home, I was feeling tired and negative, thinking about what I “had” to do that day, and what I’ll “have” to do when I get home. I caught myself fortunately and realized that I need to give that vocabulary switch a try. And it worked! I was reminded that I “got” to help a friend- how often do we really get to be there for a friend and help make their life a little easier? I realized that I “get” to study subjects that allow me to become more capable to impact the world in a positive way and make enough money for myself and my future family- how many people in the world get the same opportunities I have?
The lady I met definitely found reasons to be grateful in her life. It’s what allowed her to know that she still had something to give, despite the difficulties in her life. Gratitude is such a beautiful thing because you don’t need to have everything going perfectly right to be grateful. Therefore, you don’t need to be free of worries or struggles in order to be happy or to be full of life. And the people around you will feel the difference. On the most part, people that met me or anyone in our program were impressed and amazed by our attitude. Even with this simple encounter they became grateful too! Grateful that someone could remind them that life is meant to be lived knowing you are loved and knowing that everyone around you deserves love too.
…
This article has already become longer than I usually write. It goes to show just how meaningful an experience where you actively seek to grow can be. I said I would write a list, but I only gave you two points. I guess a part 2 is in order because I definitely have more to share! Come back in two weeks and check out the rest of the list. I do sincerely hope that you feel inspired to try something new or to try again in whatever you have been striving for. With a little faith and persistence, there is no limit to who you can become.
Great stuff! Keep them coming:)
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