I was LeaderShaped.

This past week was one of those amazing weeks in one's life. One of those weeks where you witness something incredible and unexpected. When you are able to step outside of your everyday world and learn something new, develop invaluable relationships, and challenge yourself to grow in a way which is beyond anything you would be able to do on your own.

This past week I spent every waking hour with an incredible group of diverse Spartan leaders at the Kellogg Biological Station on Gull Lake. The leadership conference is called LeaderShape and with the help of some amazing facilitators we grew into a family while learning about and practicing leadership skills. There is no way I could explain everything I learned throughout the week in this blog, but here I wanted to share some of my highlights. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to go more in depth on a couple of them when I have a bit more time.


A few things I picked up:
1. It is possible to create a passionate, vulnerable, diverse environment which fosters growth, loyalty and genuine love. I want this to be a part of my everyday world.
2. Sweet analogy: When a bird is on the ground, it's wings fold over it's body in order to protect it's heart, the most delicate and valuable part of the body. However, in order to fly, to do exactly what it was meant to do, it's wings must open and make vulnerable the heart of the bird. We must do the same.
3. "For those who don't hear the music, the dancers must seem crazy." (Old African proverb) We need to do our best to help others hear the same music as we do.
4. The day you stop questioning yourself is the day you stop growing.


And I want to leave you with the lyrics to this amazing song that was played on our last day...

The Call by Regina Spektor

It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder
Til it was a battle cry

I'll come back
When you call me
No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never
Been this way before

All you can do is try to know
Who your friends are
As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light

You'll come back
When it's over
No need to say good bye

You'll come back
When it's over
No need to say good bye

Now we're back to the beginning
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye

You'll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye