| Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Chapter 7640 |  |
| Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Chapter 7640 | |
Make
Dreams Real
Life for the average teenager in today’s world is full of endless opportunity
and potential. This seeming guarantee to succeed is counterbalanced by the struggle
brought on to surpass others in the world economy. To make their dreams real,
young adults must gain an edge in an unconventional way. They must learn to think
differently and stand apart from others. This is not achieved by getting ten
points higher on the SAT, but it is a separation to a higher standard gained
by becoming a true leader.
Very few people are born with the natural ability to be a great leader. Most
must work to alter their mindset and perception. As Nashad Warfield said, leaders
are people who recognize their own glorious uniqueness and not only acknowledge
it, but they thrive in it and allow it to strengthen them as people. In order
to make dreams real, a person must know their dreams. The only way to know your
dreams, find your passion, and set your goals is to know yourself as a person.
One must embrace his or her uniqueness before they can even begin to make their
dreams real.
A leader is a servant first, and he is a leader second. One can gather from Steve
Bollar’s “Ten Rules for a Great Leader” presentation that to
make your own dreams real, you must serve others first. To help others achieve
their own goals and make their dreams real is the most rewarding and successful
path to making your own dreams a reality. To serve others first with the intent
of helping others, not to be a leader, is the only way to become a true leader.
To become a true leader through service is the only way to make dreams real.
“You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you’re
all the same.” Mikey Fowlin portrayed different characters to give RYLA
conferees insight into the thoughts and feelings of people different from ourselves.
He evoked a powerful empathy in the conferees through the relatable subtleties
of his characters. Fowlin created a slight trait within each of his monologues
that would speak to more than one hundred and fifty people in more than one hundred
and fifty different ways. The empathy he evoked unlocked the door to every last
one of us becoming great leaders. Commonplace people feel sympathy for others.
Leaders experience empathy and feel the pain of others. Leaders will cry for
the lowest low and celebrate the highest high of a stranger. They can truly understand
their dreams and help them achieve their goals. Mikey Fowlin taught us the most
powerful and significant lesson of the entire conference. The words of his lesson
were not spoken aloud, but everyone who experienced it carried with them the
immense weight behind its silence. Fowlin allowed us to learn for ourselves the
most vital lesson is making dreams real and becoming a leader. He allowed us
to feel the pain and the joy of others and to truly love ourselves.
Warfield. Bollar. Fowlin. Three significant people with powerful lessons. They
taught us to achieve our goals and make our dreams real by becoming great leaders.
Warfield taught us to embrace out uniqueness. Bollar taught us to serve others.
Fowlin’s presentation ended with a fill in the blank: “I am feeling
_______.” Little did he know the blank was unnecessary. Fowlin made us
feel. In synthesizing these three lessons and abilities, RYLA set us on the path
to becoming great leaders. Great leaders make the dreams of others and themselves
real. RYLA is helping to make dreams real.
2007
Essay Winners |
||
Conferee
Of The Year |