As I'm packing tonight for session II, I am excited about seeing everyone again. During session I it amazed me that we were able to learn so much about each other in such a short period of time and that everyone was so open. We discussed many things (both personally and professionally) which I would not have normally confided with my co-workers. I went into session I thinking about the phrase "nothing worth doing is ever easy" since participating in the program was definitely outside of my comfort zone. This phrase seems even more fitting after reading through Rochelle's message in the session one newsletter.
At the end of session I we had our reflection time, I've always been slow with reflection because I prefer to step back from a situation, breathe a little bit and then I can really evaluate the situation. At another leadership training I was told that this was due to my personality type. This reflection was no exception, as I was un-packing at home that afternoon I realized what my reflection was. The word that came to mind for me was 'engage', I often become bogged down with work and life and am not always able to do the things about my job which I truly love because everything else gets in the way. This first session truly energized me and I came back to my job with new perspectives on many situations I have been facing and a healthy appreciation for good leaders. It takes skill to acknowledge, understand, and utilize the strengths and weaknesses within one's own self and those of co-workers.
I'm sure session II will be even better than the first!
