you think you know

I had a wonderful time with my mom this weekend. Thanks mom for coming! We got to go to the Philadelphia Thanksgiving parade, which is the oldest parade in America. We then got to do something I've always wanted to experience which is to ride a double decker bus through Philadelphia and learn all of the facts of the city. Mom was very kind to heed my wishes to sit on top even though it was only about 40 degrees outside and very windy. It was fun and I was sad to see her go...

I spent the rest of the day on Sunday at Penn's bookstore, reading magazines and newspapers and random books. I'm trying to become more well read and also delve into some topics that I find interesting. I really enjoy it. I read through this really interesting book by Daniel Pink called 'A Whole New World: Why Right Brainers will Rule the Future.' It was really interesting! It discussed the benefits of right brainers like creativity and imagination and discussed how all of these traits were going to become more vital in our changing world. He even had this brief snippet about laughter yoga started in India and how important laughter and play are in our lives. I want to start a laughter yoga club!

Before I left UF I really wanted to start a happiness club. My final year was pretty rough with new challenges around the corner and I just figured there were probably a lot more people like me who just needed a pick me up every now and then. So I thought it would be cool to start a club where we got together like once a week and just told jokes and laughed and gave each other hugs and only discussed wonderful things. Focusing on the positve and inspiring things in our life and the people around us and finding a healthy way to deal with challenging moments or people. Just finding a way to realize that people are inherently good, more can be done if we stick toghether and laughing and being happy is so much more worth it.

I read a couple of other things including an interesting article in US News and World Report about influential leaders. I find myself consuming and wanting to consume a large amount of literature on management, leadership and social movements. I feel I'm very fortunate to have such a great amount of leadership responsiblity in my young age and I hope I can continue this trajectory, but I have so much to learn! I'm glad I have the opportunity to read and learn about what is interesting to me unlike in college when I was paying to read the most miserable and useless books of all time. I mean maybe that is an exaggeration of sorts but if you've ever read on the road you know what I am talking about.

So I have been very excited about this morning. It was meant to be my first run with BOMF (mentioned in earlier posts). I was all excited all night yet also very nervous. I don't think a lot before I do things. I'm quite impulsive and chaotically disorganzied. This usually sets me up for some dissapointments when I fail to thoroughly analyze the situation. So I was sitting on my bed last night realizing that I was going to be walking through the most dangerous neighborhood in Philadlephia at 5 o'clock in the morning and I wasn't at all prepared for how unsettling this was. But I was determined. I woke up at 4:30 very easily but ofcourse I had a hard time finding my clothes. I still live out of suitcases and bags and have a hard time in the morning finding things to wear. So I left the house much later and I knew I was going to be late. But I went anyway. After I got of the subway I headed into the heart of North Philadelphia. It was so quiet and dark and all of the hallowed out houses and broken down buildings made it resemble the place that time forgot. So I was nearing the homeless shelter and realized I was already 10 minutes late. I felt horrible and remembered Andrews words at our orientation 'be on time.' All of a sudden I saw a rush of runners come for around the corner and run down the street ahead of me. It was like a gunshot went off and I started running to catch up with them. There were two groups split off so I started following the smaller group, thinking I could catch up with them. I wasn't prepared to just start running I still had my coat on and was already hot from speed walking to the shelter. But I wanted to catch up with them. And then I just sorta stopped. If I did catch up with them, what would I say. I stopped in front of these gutted about building that had the words someone cares spray paitned on the side. I wonder what would've happened if I kept running and caught up with them and went the distance. I wonder but I didn't. Whoever wrote the quote "If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down" has witnessed the site of a skinny 22 year old girl running after three homeless people in the most dangerous neighborhood in Philadelphia.

Anyway so I went home. And then I realized how tired I was and my stomach hurt so I slept much later than was necessary and got to work much later than was necessary. But all in all it was a good morning. I met with a client this morning. She is very young and already has a child. She's so young...

Good day folks!

Quote: But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.Yes we can. Barack Obama.