I know that this is something we talked about a while ago but I am going to say something about the importance of goals. Today I was reading my passbook in study hall(I was very bored) and I came across a quote by Dr. J, he said, "Goals determine what you're going to be." This is very true because if you don't have goals to acomplish something then you will have no determination to make yourself do it. Read your passbook if you are bored, there are good quotes and interesting facts, right Bryson?

Where Leadership Starts

Some people will be told that they have great leadership skills or that they can be a good leader but others will find these qualitites within themselves. Other people won't be able to see it but you can. You might find yourself always doing things that might be considered being a good leader but others just think it is just how you are. Everyone has some leadership skills whether others can tell or not, the key is being able to find them yourself and using them.

We had a speaker on Thursday and he told us that in order to be successful you can't be afraid to fail. The so called "failures" only make us stronger. The biggest failure is when you don't go after something because you are afraid to fail. Don't take the easy way out or shortcut to something, just like how you don't build the foundation of a house in two hours, if you don't take your time it will eventually catch back up to you.

Walk the Talk

When a leader tells people one thing and does another thing they are very hard to be taken seriously. If you are going to be a good leader you not only need to say the right things but also do the right things. When you say one thing and do another you are fighting against your own cause. So if you are going to be a good leader you need to practice what you preach.

Relationships

Mr. Jepson was our special guest speaker today. I had him for math in 6th grade so I knew already that he was going to be a good speaker. He told us one thing today that really stuck with me and that is creating relationships is one of the most important things a great leader needs to do. Creating relationships will lead to trust from others and that trust will eventually lead to people believing in what you say and do and we say that getting others to follow you and be influenced by you is important so you need trust from people in order for them to follow you. People will also go to a leader who they know has produced results in other goals they were trying to achieve. Producing results will show people that you know what you are doing and that you are good at it also.

Half-Full or Half-Empty?

The way I see things is usually directly connected to what is going on around me or in my life. This can be a good thing or bad thing. If I feel that stuff isn't going my way I will probably think nothing is going to go my way no matter what but if I feel that I am getting a lot of good bounces my way I will think everything will be beneficial to me. I would like to change this because if you look at the "misfortunes" of your life as just a road block it will eventually make you stronger and help you succeed. I have heard that bad things come in three's, so next time you are feeling like you are getting the short end of the stick just say to yourself it could be a lot worse and look at the bad stuff as a character-builder.

This week Mr. Hoffman was a special guest speaker. He told us he read the quote, "Live the Values and Deliver the Results." Good leaders have special traits and I said that I thought the most important traits were to be confident, influential, inspirational, and hard-working. He also told us that in order to become a good leader you need to use your resources. Identify the traits that you think are the most important.

Conformity

Conformity is when we see something over and over again until we find ourself doing it. This can be a good or bad thing. If we are around someone who is only negative we will probably being negative also but if we are around someone who is always positive it will probably rub off on us. Unfortunately, the bad stuff usually shows up in us more often. Who do you find yourself turning into? Be careful not to get to used to seeing those bad things and pay more attention to the good stuff. It will rub off on you even if you don't realize it.

Watching college football on Saturday made me think about how in order for a team to work it needs a leader. Some teams will fall apart under pressure and that is because they don't have a strong leader. A great leader will bring a group of people together to work like a well-oiled machine. Leaders are people who will lead a group of people to believe in the same goal and do anything it takes to accomplish that goal. Identify the most accomplished leader you can think of and work to be like that person.

What is your vision?

This week we have been talking about having a vision for ourselves and how we will know what that vision is. The vision someone has is that goal that they will want to reach and do whatever it takes to reach that goal. The vision someone decides is most important to them will eventually be what will help them change not only their lives but will also change the lives of everyone who meets them. What is your vision?