Do you ever take time to just listen? Not the kind of listening where you focus on the conversation with another person, but listening to nothing in particular? To hear your surroundings. Or simply the thoughts swirling in your head. When you try to listen, what are those whispers you hear? When you focus on nothing and your mind wanders, what does it wander to?
Last week’s retreat marked the beginning of the year-long Servant Leadership Program journey for a group of Gustavus students of all ages. And while we embark on the SLP journey together, we are all at different stages in our own personal journeys. This brings me to think about where I am in my journey. One would think that as a senior I have my life mapped out, and if you ask me my answer will make it seem as if I do. Society wants us to have a decision made for the future at all times. One of my favorite professors asked me a very simple question last week, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” Well… I didn’t have an answer. I could have responded with the simple cliché of, “I want to help people,” but beyond that I really didn’t have an answer. What is calling me towards this profession? Why am I drawn to it? Parker Palmer emphasizes how important it is not to let others sway your decisions but to listen to yourself and your motivations. This professor was challenging me to do just that and I was listening to myself, but there was no answer. This can be a difficult task to accomplish, looking towards your inner self and really understanding what is being said.
The Servant Leadership program challenges all of us to start listening to our inner calling, while growing together as a community and developing as leaders. This is achieved through several facets. The first aspect is personal leadership development. That includes learning to understand your strengths and apply them. The second aspect is mentoring younger students. I would argue that one gets as much out of being a mentor if not more than being a mentee. The final aspect is through working with others who share a common goal. For the Apprentices this project is to better understand oneself. For the Ambassadors and Partners it is working on a project. The partners this year will be working on a Civility project with several members of the St. Peter community. Right now we are trying to define what civility means and have a strong foundation before we begin investigating what civility looks like in St. Peter. We will be listening to others while developing the skills to listen to ourselves as well. It is sure to be an exciting year of development and growth!
-Dawn
It seems pretty silly that we are expected to have our lives figured out by the age of 22, doesn’t it? Something inspired you at some point to pursue a medical career, Dawn, and though it may be difficult to articulate what it is that drives you towards that, it’s important to trust yourself. If this is something you feel is right in your heart, follow it. Your heart may not speak to you in simple terms, laundry listing reasons why this path is “right for you”. There’s no universal or “right” way to listen, we all do it differently, and our hearts all speak differently. Identify what makes you extraordinary, girl. Then get out there and use your skills, your talents, your gifts; go share them with the people you’ll be interacting with everyday. The fact that you’ve had the diligence, the interest, and the intellectual capacity to complete almost four years of rigorous pre-med courses I think says enough about you as a student and your potential to motivate you to continue. And you know what, your career might not be the most profound way you influence people! It could be as a mother, a spouse, a friend. You’re the artist of your life, Dawn, and the paintbrush is in perfect hands, because they’re yours.
It is definitely hard to listen to ourselves. Perhaps harder than listening to other people. I’m glad you are taking your life’s path so seriously. It will lead you to TRUE HAPPINESS.