Why You Should Smell Your Coffee

The Power of a Smile

Today I was getting off of the bus to head to my last class of the day and I saw a girl sitting on the side of road looking as if she would rather be anywhere but there. Its a bit cold out today and I myself have been struggling with finding motivation. So in an act of solidarity with this girl I gave her a big smile as I walked by and to my surprise she smiled back! After that, the girl didn't look so miserable and I was slightly more motivated to carry on with my day.

This thirty second interaction with a complete stranger reminded me of the importance of appreciating the little things in life. I often feel that as a college student it is very easy to get caught up with the big picture. "Where am I going to be in five years? Heck, where am I going to be in one year? Okay, I have a paper due at midnight, if I skip my next class....", the big picture thoughts go on and on. It is very difficult but ultra important to take time to appreciate the steps along the way.

Why Is This Important In Leadership?

In leadership, focusing on the big picture of a project can be a little unhealthy. Don't get me wrong, you should always have an end goal in mind, but it is EXTREMELY important to focus on the small steps that will get you there. Take the time out to appreciate the little things that your students do. This will make a HUGE difference in the motivation of your students and will help prevent feeling like you aren't making any progress towards your end goal. When I was the Vice President of the Student Government Association at my first University, I would have my officers send me a short report every week detailing what they had done the previous week. This was so that I could track what they were doing to get closer to achieving the end goal that we set together at the beginning of the semester. At the weekly meetings, I would try to highlight some of the small achievements that the officers had done. This would make the officers feel good about the work that they were doing. Everyone likes to be acknowledged for their work. Acknowledgement motivates people to continue on a path of excellence.

The Psychology Behind It

This recognition of my officers was a form of Positive Reinforcement. Positive Reinforcement is exactly what it sounds like: Reinforcing a desired behavior through a reward. When discussing Reinforcement it is important to think about the words "positive" and "negative" as "addition" and "subtraction". With Positive Reinforcement, you are adding a reward like candy or public praise. With Negative Reinforcement you are taking away something that is undesired as an award. An example of this would be telling one of my officers that they don't have to send me a report because the dean of their college gave them a compliment. Positive and Negative Reinforcement are little things that can make a huge impact.

The Challenge

This week, I challenge all of you to take time out to appreciate the little things in your personal life and in your leadership life. Below is a list of the ways that I will be appreciating the little things in the upcoming week.

1. Stop and smell the coffee

I am by no means a morning person. Unfortunately, my coffee consumption often suffers because of this. Almost every morning I find myself drinking my coffee on the go. This week I am going to take time out to drink my coffee in my favorite mug before embarking on my daily scholarly adventure.

2. A smile a day keeps the negativity away

I absolutely LOVE when a stranger smiles at more or strikes up a conversation. It makes me feel all warm and happy inside. This week, I am going to make an effort to smile at strangers. Although some may think I'm crazy, I hope that I can I make a few people happy and maybe even get a few smiles in return.

3. Take a walk on the relaxing side

Taking a walk once a day is such a great way to clear your mind and destress. Take a few minutes to appreciate the beauty around you and I promise that you will be a little happier than you were before. This week, I am going to walk to the bus stop in the morning instead of driving.

4. Sharing is caring

Sharing a positive thought with someone can make a HUGE difference in their day. This week I will take a few moments to tell people why I appreciate them. 

P.S. Check our Drew Dudley's TedTalk, "Leading with Lollypops". It is a great was to show people the importance of the little things that they do. Watch the video below! (You know you want to.)

5. Meditate

Meditating is a great way to clear your brain from all of the overwhelming information that comes with life. I personally prefer to do 20 minutes of yoga, reading a chapter out of my bible, and journaling. This week, find a form of meditation that works for you!

How do you take time out to appreciate the little things? How do you motivate those you are leading? How did my challenge affect your week? I want to know!!! Comment below!! :) Hey! That rhythms! All the more reason why you should comment :)

For Those Difficult Leadership Moments

Dear Leader,

  The beauty of leadership is having the opportunity to make a difference in this world. This task that is set before us, at many moments in our journey, can feel daunting. The responsibility of being a leader is immense, the dedication required is abundant, and the sacrifices numerous. But we do it anyway. Why? Because it is who we are. Leaders can't remain idle when a problem arises. Leaders can't stop trying to improve themselves and those around them. Leaders can't stop leading, no matter how much we may want to at times. It is in our blood. But that doesn't mean that we don't get discouraged. Although we feel compelled to take on the weight of the world, sometimes our shoulders feel too weak to support it. In these moments, take out a pen and a piece of paper. Write down the response to this question: Why are you doing this? The answer will vary on the person and the situation, but it will always have a common theme -- passion for the bigger picture. We, as leaders, take on these challenges because we are passionate about the intended outcome. With this passion, every leader has the potential to make a positive change on the world. So when being a leader gets difficult, remember your passion. Live in your passion. Thrive in your passion. It is your secret weapon.

Sincerely,

Jess

The Cure to Anxiety

     

      It is incredible the way anxiety can step foot into every crevice of your life. It starts out slow, a reaction to an upcoming test or a paper being due. Maybe it is finals week. A day or so goes by and the anxiety starts to fester. It starts to grow. The anxiety about your paper turns into anxiety about your grade in the class. The anxiety about your grade in the class turns into anxiety about graduating, which turns into anxiety about your future. If you are like me, this snowball effect seeps into your emotional behavior. Maybe you will get angry or depressed out of what seems like nowhere. I find these times to be the hardest to do anything productive, including reading my bible. Luckily, there is this ultimate procrastination tool called the Internet, which is filled with many magical distractions: most importantly, Pinterest. This is where many times I have accidentally stumbled across biblical comfort in times of anxiety – “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, NRSV). In times of high stress, I find that we turn to the world for a comfort that can only come from our heavenly father – “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you. I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NRSV).
There are many ways in which people handle stress and anxiety. Some college students search for comfort in a drink, a blunt, or through a single night of companionship. The problem is that none of these vices will actually solve the problem. They are just distractions that cause the anxiety to further fester. The real answer to anxiety is expressed in the book of Philippians – “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understandings, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NRSV). Prayer is the only cure for an anxious heart. But if nothing that I have previously presented finds you any comfort, then look at it from a logical standpoint – “And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life” (Matthew 6:27, NRSV)?

Making Time for God

        Making time for God is something that people of all ages struggle with. When life gets busy, we tend to forget why we are living our lives in the first place. What we need to remember is that we are all on this earth of serve God in our own special way.
I find that most young adults and college students have one major question on their minds – “What am I supposed to do with my life?” Despite the millions of possibilities in career and personal choices, the answer is very simple. We are here to serve God. It is as plain and simple as that.
“So I have recognized that my purpose is to serve God, but what do I do now? Does that mean I am supposed to become a minister or a missionary? How am I supposed to serve God?” The details of serving God aren’t black and white. We all have a special and unique plan that God has set out before us. To find out this plan, all we have to do is ask – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, NIV). Ask God to lead you in your life. Here is the kicker; we have to know God in order to ask him things. We have to have a relationship with him in order to know what he wants us to do. How do we do this you ask? By studying God’s word and praying. I have found that when I start my day off with reading the bible and saying a prayer for guidance, that my day is SOOOO much better. I am reminded that I have a purpose and that God has chosen me to serve him. It is such a wonderful and reassuring feeling!
From young adult to young adult, put life’s major decisions into God’s hands. He will never let you down. If you ever have any doubt just look to Jeremiah 29:11-13 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (ESV).

When The World Seems Too "Real"

           For the past year and a half I have been living in a college world with college victories and college worries. Although this realm that I have had the privilege to experience is very cumbersome and very “real” at times, I have recently found that it is not just training for the work field, but for the “real” world as a whole. The past two weeks have thrown me into a world without the safety net of the shaded lens often referred to as the college world. I have been thrown into “reality”.

            I found out a couple of weeks ago that someone very dear to me is battling cancer. Cancer – what a scary word. How can one word bring so many emotions and tears to so many people? The more I thought about this, the more I realized that it is only scary because that is how this world portrays it, but my allegiance isn’t to this world. It is to its creator. Psalm 107:19-21 says, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind”(NIV).  All we have to have is faith – “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering’” (Mark 5:34, NIV).

            Whenever we feel hopeless and alone, or don’t understand why God would put us and people that we love in certain situations, we need to remember that he hasn’t abandoned us, or the people that we love. We know this because of verses like Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (NIV).

            Being thrown into “real” world situations is an inevitable right of passage every young adult will experience. What matters though is not the experience itself, but how we choose to handle it. Two passages from Hebrews come to mind when I think of God guiding us through rough waters. The first is Hebrews 12:1-2 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (NIV). The second is Hebrews 13:1-3 – “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering”(NIV). When you get a spare moment, I encourage you to think about what verses keep you going when the world seems too “real”. You never know when you might need them.

            Whether we are the ones suffering, watching people suffer, or a mixture of both, we have no reason to fear. This world is only as “real” as you choose to believe. God’s got this.

Social Media, Temptation, and God

            Life as a young adult is much more complicated than what it appears to be on the surface. With social media at the tip of your fingers, the ideas of privacy and censorship are almost completely obsolete. Taking part in sinful actions isn’t just advertised; it is portrayed as the norm. I can’t tell you how many semi-naked people I see on a daily basis on my Facebook newsfeed. And I even attempt to censor what pops up! The problem is that it is not my friends who are posting the inappropriate content. It’s the advertisements and article links. It is inescapable, yet social media has become a necessity in society. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are often used for school-related projects, especially on the collegiate level. In fact, I only created a Twitter account because it was required for one of my courses my first semester in college. This struggle with social media is one that all young adults face, but that all young adults can tackle.

             So how do you, a young adult, rise above the inevitable temptation? It’s quite simple really. All you have to do is remember the big picture -- John 3:16, NIV – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God sent his only son to die for your sins! But that doesn’t mean that any of us get a free pass to sin. God has called each and every person to serve him in his or her own special way – yes, even you. It makes no difference if your age is 16, 21, 32, or 50. God has a purpose and plan for you. 1 Timothy 4:12, NIV states, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” Even though the “young and free” lifestyle (you know what I mean) may seem fun and something that you absolutely have to experience, God says otherwise.

           

            Remember what I said earlier about temptation through social media being at your fingertips? You have the ability to change that. In 1 Timothy 4:12, God is calling you to set an example of purity to everyone you come in contact with – adults AND youth. I know it’s hard, but believe me it can be done. One thing that I have found to help me is having close friends act as accountability partners. If you make a pact with a friend to help you stay on track in your relationship with God, it becomes much easier than going it alone. I suggest doing this with a close friend so that you are fully comfortable talking to them about the raw and nitty gritty. But remember that the only accountability partner that you really need is Jesus. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV).