Social Responsibility & "Accidents"
Meeting with Congressman Grijalva on Friday was an amazing end to a great week. I really enjoyed listening to his story on how he got involved in politics and how he is where he is today. He stated that it all happened by accident. That concept of “accident” is truly foreign to me. My philosophy has always been that everything always needs to be planned. There was no way to succeed unless there was a step by step plan which would direct me to my goal. He was in Tucson, Arizona and he wanted to conduct an “experiment” to make a point. So, he ran for Tucson School District School district board trying to see that even though things were executed exactly the way an election was supposed to be conducted, a Hispanic would never win a seat on the board. To his surprise he won the seat and that is where his political life began. Even though the actual position on the board was an “accident” per say, his intentions were good. He felt that he had a social responsibility to reveal the flaws in the system, which I believe is something all leaders should do at some point or another. His story ignited a little fire in me. Before this week, if someone were to have asked me what my plan for my life was, I would be able to tell you every detail that I had been planning for years. After hearing Rep. Grijalva speak and other events which occurred this week, I just don’t know anymore. Everything happens for a reason, right? That’s what I have always thought. Even though you think you know what you are doing, maybe an “accident” will happen that will guide you in a completely different direction that will ultimately lead you to an amazing life you never thought of before. Rep. Grijalva did not plan his political life. Because of the “accident” however, he has been involved with the process that affects everyone in this country and all over the world. He took his social responsibility to the Latino community and transformed it into something great. I can only hope that something like that happens to me. I recently learned that things do not always go as planned, but that’s okay. “Accidents” happen. It is not a bad thing.
On a somewhat side note (which kinda relates to what I’ve been ranting about), I went to Chinatown this week. We had planned to go to a restaurant, but we ended up going to this other random one. We had dinner and at the end, the waiter brought us our fortune cookies and I picked one up. For some reason though, I didn’t want that one, so I put it back and got another one. When I opened it up, my fortune read “Perceived failure is oftentimes success trying to be born in a bigger way”. The magnitude of that little paper tucked into that delicious cookie did not hit me until last night and now, I cannot stop thinking about it. To be a leader, I believe once must embrace their social responsibly to make change, reveal flaws, or speak out against things going on in the community. A leader must have a plan in mind, but also go with the flow with “accidents” happen. As a leader, I think I grew stronger this week. I am more determined than ever to go back to my community and become actively involved in embracing my social responsibility and encouraging others to do the same. Though I may not have a step by step plan anymore, I have a goal in mind. I will welcome the hurdles I have yet to face, and the inevitable “accidents” that I know will lead me to where I need to be.
