Monday, January 5, 2009

Tired on Day 3

There are so many things going on and there are so many things I want to share here, but I'm a bit tired and my mind is a bit full. I'm going to do my best to make sense of it right now. I may revisit some of these ideas later.

One of the things that I appreciate and enjoy most about The LeaderShape Institute is the opportunity to sit and talk with people. I love learning about where they come from, what they care about, how the LeaderShape experience is impacting them, etc. Here are some of the things I learned today!

I was able to connect with a couple of students I had not yet spoken with. I learned about how difficult it is for some of these students to get visas for travel. A student here who is from Iraq can travel almost nowhere. The European countries and Americas will refuse his request or give an excuse. This situation is similar to an Afghan student here. It certainly makes me keenly aware of the opportunities and privileges I have which based solely on where I was born.

On the other hand, some of the students hold passports from many countries. It seems as though this increases their opportunities for travel.

I also had the chance to again sit and speak with Ameena. She was sharing with me about the abaya and shaila that she wears. The abaya is the robe that women wear over their clothes and the shaila is the head covering. What I learned is that the abaya is a tradition associated with the region. The shaila is related to Islam.

We also talked about the journey to Mecca. It was very interesting, but I'm a little tired to go into it now.

Today was the day that the participants make a pass at creating a vision statement. It is always moving to read what the participants say about how they'd like to see the future. This session is no different. I was inspired as I read what these students are passionate about and how they would like to impact their communities with that passion.

Ok...it's incredibly late here and we have a big day addressing life as fascinating, reframing fear, and exploring the concept of power. Phew! My brain needs to be working well for all of that.

Much love to my friends and family!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing, Kristin! Is the session size and # of participants/facilitators the same as a typical National Session here?
    Are the kids bonding together pretty well? How did the early part of Day 3 go -- did you have to change things up due to the location?
    Good luck -- I hope you sleep well and rest up for tomorrow. Day 4 is a POWERful day!!! ;)

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  2. Hey El...
    Yes, the session size is the same and we are following the same curriculum. The students are bonding well and everything has gone really well. The visions were really inspiring. Tonight is Star Power! We'll have to get together when I'm back and we can talk about it. :)
    KBH

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