Join us as we kick off the 2011 Leadership Institute!
by Bianca Nguyen on August 31, 2011
The 2011 GlobeMed Leadership Institute kicked off on Wednesday night, August 31, with the arrival of over 25 Chapter Founders and their Co-Presidents. Over 50 more chapter leaders from across the nation will arrive in Evanston on Thursday night, for the official Opening Dinner and Keynote in downtown Evanston, IL. For the rest of the weekend, Emi Kihslinger (Founder, University of Washington - Madison) and Colleen Bell (Founder, Whitman College) will provide perspective as 2011 Chapter Founders, blogging about their experiences through the rest of the Leadership Institute.
Emi Kihslinger, 2011 Chapter Founder, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Day 1: Reflections from Wednesday, August 31
When I was younger, I was very inspired by the quote, "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure." I've heard conflicting reports on who actually said it, but to me it didn't matter. This was how I should live my life.....without fear, without hesitation, just GO! I thought it was so wise, so insightful, so beautifully true, and I felt that it had given me a window into the way our spirits really work. I thought if only I could break people out of that rut, if I could make them realize the power within themselves, then I could make a huge difference. These words inspired me for years upon years, but upon joining GlobeMed I was given new perspective. I was accepted as a founder, I began the process, and I reflected on these words that had guided so much of my life. I came to a completely new and fresh conclusion. They are false.
No offense intended to the person who said it or to anyone who values this idea, but in my reality, it's completely ridiculous. I am not afraid of my own power. I'm excited by it! I can't wait to share the passion that is inside of me....but failure scares the absolute crap out of me. Not only that, but fear is not something to be feared. I know that's redundant, but at least it's clear. Over the summer after I was accepted as a founder, I went through countless restless nights, numerous stressed out discussions with my dad, and plentiful moments of complete panic. Each advising call, webinar, and assignment left me feeling both totally exhilarated and totally terrified. It wasn't until my Co-President, Tulika, and I set out for the LI on Wednesday, arrived at the Best Western in Evanston, and jumped in with both feet, that I finally came to terms with failure. Somewhere between arriving a good 20 minutes late and becoming a human sandcastle while fully clothed, I realized two very important things.
Number one, failure is my biggest fear. I might as well just accept it. Forget all that crap about being afraid of my own power. I'm not. I'm terrified that I will fail miserably. Once I accept that about myself, I can move on.
Number two, my fear could be my biggest failure. I know this seems counter intuitive, but I think it's 100% necessary to make friends with fear. Fear can be your ally! That tingling in your belly that tells you the pressure is on can either paralyze you or motivate you. I choose to be motivated by my own fear. My own fear of failure is what will keep me up at night finishing projects. It will keep me moving after a project doesn't succeed as much as I wanted it to. It will keep me energetic in front of my eboard when all I want to do is sleep for two days straight. Fear can be freezing. It can make you want to curl up and hide from the whole world, but it can also be a good thing if you choose to make it so. I don't want fear to be my failure, I want it to be my advantage.
So here are my thoughts as we launch into the 2011 Leadership Institute. It may seem odd that they are focused on fear, but there is no better place to start. Here, surrounded by vibrant, supportive, passionate, wonderful people, I have a perfect opportunity to come to terms with my fear. I'm ready. Here we go.
Paul Kihslinger says on September 03, 2011 at 11:43am:
Somebody famous, let's say about 70 years ago, might have said something like "we have nothing to fear but fear itself". Ahhh, great minds think alike. Full speed ahead, the wind is at your heels.