You have to be persistent to be a leader.
Give up giving up.
90% of being a leader is attitude. 10% is skill.
The worst decision is no decision.
It is not fashionable to be positive.
DO leadership, don't talk about it.
You are measured by what you complete.
A leader does what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, whether they want to do it or not.
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're always correct.
If you don't think you can make a difference, you're crazy.
Tell the truth, but be sensitive.
You can't lead others until you lead yourself.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Several months ago, I was eating Chinese food for lunch with my mommy. Out of the blue, she asked me if I had ever wanted to do drum corps. I told her it had been a crazy fantasy dream but never something I had given serious thought to. This was how the rest of the conversation went:
Mom: "I think you can do it."
Me: "Well it's not a matter IF I could, but HOW...I don't play a brass instrument, and I'm not good enough for the drumline."
Mom: "What if you got lessons?"
Me: "For bass drum?"
Mom: "Yeah, you could get them over the summer and then try out."
Me: "You have to be INSANELY good to make it...like ridiculous. I don't think I could get to that level."
Mom: "Rachel, you have never tried to reach your full music potential. Every single one of your directors/teachers have come to me and said that you could make it in the professional world if you practiced and became committed to your instrument. And I've told every one of them that playing sax is more of a hobby for you and you're happy with the level you're at. But I want you push yourself. And I know that drum corps will do that for you. So if you're committed, I'll get you bass drum lessons."
Me: "But touring with a corps costs THOUSANDS of dollars..."
Mom: "I'll find a way to make it work. If I found a way to buy you a professional saxophone last summer, I can find a way for you to march."
Me: *the reality of what she's saying finally sinks in* "I could march drum corps..."
Mom: "Yes. You could march Bluecoats with David if you work hard enough."
The rest of the conversation was pretty much me freaking out saying how much I want to do it now that it's a reality.
I texted David right away, and after we talked for a bit, I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to get the private lessons for bass drum...I wanted to do mellophone. First off, getting into the drumline is nearly impossible (especially for a top corps) and they usually require at least one year marching a lower level corps. Well we don't have the money for that. And also, I've always wanted to learn a brass instrument...so here was my perfect opportunity.
I start mellophone lessons in two weeks. I will hopefully be working two jobs this summer in order to save money for Bluecoats and college. I will then be playing mellophone for Millersville's marching band in the fall (it's official, I confirmed it with the director).
If by Thanksgiving time of this year I'm ready, I will audition for Bluecoats. If I'm not ready, I will take another year to prepare and then audition.
I am going to do this.
Friday, May 11, 2012
DONE
I AM ALL DONE. *victory dance*
No more AP tests...
No more finals...
NO MORE HOMEWORK.
NO MORE HIGH SCHOOL. Instead, I get to spend the next four weeks at the middle school working with my 6th graders for the entire day. It's gonna be awesome. :)
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Final(s) Week
It's almost over...incredible. This is my last week of school. Next Monday I start Career Study, which means I'll be spending all my school days over at East with my 6th grade Language Arts class that I've already been student teaching at the majority of the year. It's gonna be awesome. :)
But for now...I have to finish all my crazy last assignments and study my butt off.
Then it's my birthday, David comes home from college, we get less than a week together and once again he's off to Ohio for Bluecoats...but I'll be plenty occupied this summer, what with reading amazing literature, sorting through everything I'll need for college, and oh yeah...learning how to play a brass instrument.
Maybe I'll make a separate post explaining that...no time right now though. Gotta go study up! Charge!
But for now...I have to finish all my crazy last assignments and study my butt off.
Then it's my birthday, David comes home from college, we get less than a week together and once again he's off to Ohio for Bluecoats...but I'll be plenty occupied this summer, what with reading amazing literature, sorting through everything I'll need for college, and oh yeah...learning how to play a brass instrument.
Maybe I'll make a separate post explaining that...no time right now though. Gotta go study up! Charge!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
"I'm a Christian, unless you're gay."
http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html/3/
I highly encourage you to read this article. All three pages worth. And really soak in the information. It's absolutely fantastic.
Here are some quotes (and my reflections) that really stood out to me:
I’ve heard the hate. I’ve heard the disgust. I’ve heard the disdain. I’ve heard the gossip. I’ve heard the distrust. I’ve heard the anger. I’ve heard it all, and I’ve heard it tucked and disguised neatly beneath a wrapper of self-righteousness and a blanket of “caring” or “religious” words. I’ve heard it more times than I care to number.
So have I. I think that's what makes this article really impactful, becuase I can relate to everything it talks about. I have those friends who are Christians and yet are still incredibly judgmental. I'M a Christian who is still incredibly judgmental. Not in terms of gay people though...my lack of kindness applies to those people who I see as being 'too different' compared to me. Maybe they're socially awkward, maybe they're disrespectful to others, maybe they're not as talented as I am. Whatever it is, I know there's certain people I look down on and brush aside in day-to-day life, not even thinking about trying to love them. Shame on me.
According to Christians, Jesus taught a couple of interesting things. First, “love one another.” Second, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Whenever I get in a conversation with someone about homosexuals and religion (which happens more often than you may think), the first thing that I usually say is that God tells us to love each other. I also add in the fact that Jesus loved the tax collectors and the prostitutes, people who were on the very outs of society, just like the gays are today. The bit about casting the first stone really struck me though, and it made me realize how incredibly stupid it is for me to pick apart other people...
Complete honesty time: I am constantly tearing down others in my mind throughout the day in order to make myself feel better. Walking through the hallways, I usually figure out if the girl in front of me is skinnier or fatter than me and if she's bigger, I get a little smug smile on my face that I'm "better than her". During Indoor Percussion practice, when one of the bass drums can't get their part but I've had my music down for months, I roll my eyes and think about how much better I am. Sitting in class, I see someone whose shoes don't go perfectly with their outfit or their color combinations/textures aren't exactly right. I judge them and then look at myself approvingly.
I am such an idiot...here's me casting so many stones every day, when I should be the one getting pelted with rocks.
I know there are many here who believe that living a homosexual life is a sin. Okay. But, what does that have to do with love?
Exactly...what does that have to do with love? What do any of my judgments have to do with love?
In truth, having a religion doesn’t make a person love or not love others. It doesn’t make a person accept or not accept others. It doesn’t make a person befriend or not befriend others. No, what makes somebody love, accept, and befriend their fellow man is letting go of a need to be better than others.
I'm not gay.
I don't dress differently.
I don't act differently.
I'm not addicted to drugs.
I don't smoke.
I don't have an eating disorder.
I don't have non-traditional piercings.
But I struggle everyday with the need to be better than others.
I highly encourage you to read this article. All three pages worth. And really soak in the information. It's absolutely fantastic.
Here are some quotes (and my reflections) that really stood out to me:
I’ve heard the hate. I’ve heard the disgust. I’ve heard the disdain. I’ve heard the gossip. I’ve heard the distrust. I’ve heard the anger. I’ve heard it all, and I’ve heard it tucked and disguised neatly beneath a wrapper of self-righteousness and a blanket of “caring” or “religious” words. I’ve heard it more times than I care to number.
So have I. I think that's what makes this article really impactful, becuase I can relate to everything it talks about. I have those friends who are Christians and yet are still incredibly judgmental. I'M a Christian who is still incredibly judgmental. Not in terms of gay people though...my lack of kindness applies to those people who I see as being 'too different' compared to me. Maybe they're socially awkward, maybe they're disrespectful to others, maybe they're not as talented as I am. Whatever it is, I know there's certain people I look down on and brush aside in day-to-day life, not even thinking about trying to love them. Shame on me.
According to Christians, Jesus taught a couple of interesting things. First, “love one another.” Second, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Whenever I get in a conversation with someone about homosexuals and religion (which happens more often than you may think), the first thing that I usually say is that God tells us to love each other. I also add in the fact that Jesus loved the tax collectors and the prostitutes, people who were on the very outs of society, just like the gays are today. The bit about casting the first stone really struck me though, and it made me realize how incredibly stupid it is for me to pick apart other people...
Complete honesty time: I am constantly tearing down others in my mind throughout the day in order to make myself feel better. Walking through the hallways, I usually figure out if the girl in front of me is skinnier or fatter than me and if she's bigger, I get a little smug smile on my face that I'm "better than her". During Indoor Percussion practice, when one of the bass drums can't get their part but I've had my music down for months, I roll my eyes and think about how much better I am. Sitting in class, I see someone whose shoes don't go perfectly with their outfit or their color combinations/textures aren't exactly right. I judge them and then look at myself approvingly.
I am such an idiot...here's me casting so many stones every day, when I should be the one getting pelted with rocks.
I know there are many here who believe that living a homosexual life is a sin. Okay. But, what does that have to do with love?
Exactly...what does that have to do with love? What do any of my judgments have to do with love?
In truth, having a religion doesn’t make a person love or not love others. It doesn’t make a person accept or not accept others. It doesn’t make a person befriend or not befriend others. No, what makes somebody love, accept, and befriend their fellow man is letting go of a need to be better than others.
I'm not gay.
I don't dress differently.
I don't act differently.
I'm not addicted to drugs.
I don't smoke.
I don't have an eating disorder.
I don't have non-traditional piercings.
But I struggle everyday with the need to be better than others.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sigh...life.
I am so ready to go to college...
I feel like my life is in triple fast-forward right now. I have to keep up with all my classes, I have to stay on top of jazz band, wind ensemble, indoor percussion, and symphony, I have to write a resume/cover letter for career study and get that figured out, I have to apply to Millersville's Honors College, I have to start preparing for AP tests, and on top of it all this week has a huge workload that I'm not prepared for.
Those are all my HAVE TO's...I also have my WANT TO's, and my family and friends unfortunately fall under that category.
I want more time with my family...I want to be able to see my dad more often. I want to bond with my sister cause I know she's struggling with stuff. I want to play video games with my brother. I want to have relaxing time with my mom, it seems to be always hectic and stressful now. I want to see my friends more. I want to actually HAVE a close circle of friends.
Figured out yesterday that David won't be able to go to post-prom because he'll already have left for Bluecoats. I told my mom about it and she said, "Well why don't you go with a group of friends?" WHAT group of friends? I have sprinklings here and there but not one big group that I'd spend five hours with at post-prom.
Sigh...life.
I want to have more patience.
I want to have peace.
I feel like my life is in triple fast-forward right now. I have to keep up with all my classes, I have to stay on top of jazz band, wind ensemble, indoor percussion, and symphony, I have to write a resume/cover letter for career study and get that figured out, I have to apply to Millersville's Honors College, I have to start preparing for AP tests, and on top of it all this week has a huge workload that I'm not prepared for.
Those are all my HAVE TO's...I also have my WANT TO's, and my family and friends unfortunately fall under that category.
I want more time with my family...I want to be able to see my dad more often. I want to bond with my sister cause I know she's struggling with stuff. I want to play video games with my brother. I want to have relaxing time with my mom, it seems to be always hectic and stressful now. I want to see my friends more. I want to actually HAVE a close circle of friends.
Figured out yesterday that David won't be able to go to post-prom because he'll already have left for Bluecoats. I told my mom about it and she said, "Well why don't you go with a group of friends?" WHAT group of friends? I have sprinklings here and there but not one big group that I'd spend five hours with at post-prom.
Sigh...life.
I want to have more patience.
I want to have peace.
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