My intramural volleyball team after placing 2nd during the 2016 playoffs. Playing volleyball always helps me destress during tough times.

One of the most important things to consider while being a leader is that of your own well being. Without being stable and having resilience, I am not able to be the best possible leader I am capable of being. This is especially important to my career goals because I want to counsel children. There is a very high drop out rate in this field because people do not take care of themselves. When they are unable to do that, then they are unable to help others who are in need.

With that being said, it is very crucial to me to have a balance between work, school, friends, and myself. I have a morning and nighttime ritual that takes about ten to fifteen minutes. This process gears me up for the day or tones me down for bed. It is the only time that I have to myself, so I make sure that I do not skip out on it. I look forward to brushing my teeth, for example, because I cannot talk to anyone while doing so. Being able to recognize the fact that alone time in necessary is significant to one’s well being.

Mary, Candace, Malin and I. Just some of the friendships I have made that will last a lifetime!

Another aspect to well being is that of relationships. I have several different relationships among my coworkers, classmates, and roommates. However, when considering well being, it is safe to assume that long-term, meaningful relationships maintain that state of comfort and happiness in one’s life. While working in the Leadership, Education and Development Office I have created friendships that will last a lifetime. The relationships are central in my life because not only are they helpful to me while at work, but they are also helpful to me at any other given point in time. The friends that I have made in the LEAD Office are constantly pushing me to explore and maximize my strengths and talents. This enables me to continue prospering so that I can be the best possible leader.

It is also important to consider the well being of those surrounding me. While interacting with others, their happiness is always on my mind. I usually try to make people laugh or interact with each other more when there is tension in the air or even if a meeting is just boring. Also, during L-Team, which is a team of students who volunteer and serve their community through the LEAD Office, my fellow Leadership Consultants and I administered a well being assessment. The L-Teamers completed the assessment and added up their scores. This evaluated each individual’s well being in different areas, such as spirit, social life, and others. By being able to physically look at what their well being encompassed, we then discussed how they could improve their well being and how it would help them become more successful.

Coming into college, I did not know how influential well being is to a person’s life. If I knew what I know now, I believe that going through high school would have been a much easier process for me. Focusing on myself sometimes is not a bad thing; it is the best thing to do as a leader.