Create a five-year vision

Photo by Brian BarneI decided I don’t like the word “plan” because nothing ever goes exactly as planned. I am also a visual person and believe in the core message behind the secret. Instead of a typed list of goals, I am creating a notebook with collages of pictures and words that depict what I want in my life. It will be an ongoing, ever-evolving project but will help me to stay focused on achieving my goals.

Burn 2,000 calories per week

Polar Heart Rate Monitor

I am not on a crazy diet, nor do I need to be, but I do want to be more active and healthy. Setting a specific number of calories to burn will help me to stay committed to regular exercise. I already track the number of calories I burn during each workout by using my Polar heart rate monitor (which p.s. I love!) Starting tomorrow I will keep a running tally attempting to reach 2,000 by every Sunday.

Volunteer for the local humane society

I have wanted to volunteer for the Capital Area Humane Society for literally four years now, ever since I started at MSU and heard of its existence. For one reason or another I was never able to make it to a training session which is required prior to volunteering. No more excuses! The next training is on January 17, and I will be there to begin what I hope is a weekly visit.

Update my professional portfolio

I have put together a couple of portfolios with work examples over the last few years. But I have not done an update in more than six months. Eeek! I think it is important to keep a portfolio current and relevant especially in this fragile economy. It is a challenge to present your strengths in a clear, creative and organized manner. But, in any field it is a must to have physical evidence of your successes.

Scrapbook my college days

Sigh. It is still hard for me to accept at times that I am no longer a college student. In an effort to always remember the good, the bad and the ugly I want to scrapbook the hundreds (and hundreds) of photos documenting my four glorious years at MSU.

Visit friends who live in cooler cities than me

Rota in Minneapolis, Shawna in Chicago, Bobby and Hillary in NYC, Nadia and Kelly in DC

What about you? Any resolutions you are trying to stick to this year?

As I have alluded to, the Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) and I share a special history. When I was a wide-eyed freshman at MSU looking for opportunities to be involved on campus I saw a flyer for

the conference. I thought, “I’m a woman and I like leading” so I registered hoping it would be worth my Sunday aka day to catch up on a week’s worth of homework. Needless to say, it was. I spent that day in 2004 with hundreds of other women learning about leadership (duh), but also women’s issues, my personality, setting goals, and being assertive in sessions led by MSU faculty and staff, and community members. I was able to meet other students, learn about new ideas, and be inspired by the keynote speaker over dinner.

Every year, the WLC has a banner with the conference theme on it that each attendee signs. Banners from previous years are on display. Here I am pointing to my signature on the 2004 “Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way” banner.

But, my most notable memory of the day was seeing students wearing matching shirts passing out evaluations, introducing speakers and running from room to room. During the closing remarks, I learned they were the conference planning committee. Where do I sign up??

Thus began my relationship with the WLC planning committee, now known as the Women’s Initiative for Leadership Development (WILD) who has a mission “To inspire and prepare the women [students] of Michigan State University to become leaders on our campus, in our communities, and for our world.” I served on the committee for three years, two of which as co-chair. I was able to meet and work with amazing women who ranged from freshmen to graduate students all studying for varying degrees and all offering a refreshing perspective on life and leadership.

My signature on 2005’s “Leadership is NOT a Spectator Sport”

This year, when I was asked to come back as a speaker I wasn’t convinced I had a topic to contribute. But as the WILD adviser, and one of my own personal mentors, said “we can all learn from each other and turn our passions, interests, skills and lessons learned into a session proposal.” After some thought, I realized I experienced what many, if not all, students experience in the form of the “what am I going to do with my life?” question.

I started my undergraduate career majoring in zoology convinced I would become a veterinarian. In case you haven’t noticed, I am a PR professional now. Making that transition was a journey for me. In my session called “Declared, Undecided or Simply Unsure?” I shared my personal story, and some tips and resources for students struggling with answering that looming question.

2006 “Woman by Chance, Leader by Choice”

The presentation alone may not make complete sense, and I hope it doesn’t. PowerPoints are meant to supplement a presentation, not give it. My message was about discovering your passions through student leadership, networking, and evaluating your strengths, weaknesses and interests. Though some MSU resources were included, my presentation was less academic and more self-reflective.

One of the main points was that getting involved in organizations on campus can help you find your niche. At MSU you would be hard-pressed to think of a club that doesn’t already exist. Joining organizations that relate to your major, or even a field you are interested in, exposes you to the profession and opportunity for hands-on experience. I may have started on a path towards becoming a veterinarian and a part of the Pre-Vet Club, but I have always been a communicator, writer and event planner at heart. At the first meeting I attended for PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) I realized I was “among my people” and wanted to know anything and everything about PR. I was awakened to the fact that I could turn some of my strongest skills into a career. Through my presentation I hoped to inspire others to take a step towards finding their “ah-hah” moments too.

2007 “Leadership…Pass It On!”

Speaking at the conference this November, four years after my first ever WLC, I was able to appreciate the path I have taken and will continue to take discovering my life passions. I returned again as a participant watching the women in matching shirts work the registration table, collect evaluations and introduce speakers like me.

Signing the 2008 banner “Leadership Unexercised is Leadership Forfeited”How did you figure out what you wanted to “do” with your life? Are you in a profession that relates to your major?

I would like to dedicate this post to my mentors and friends Jodi, Nicolas (and his wife Susan) for their inspiration, guidance and support on my journey to discover my passions.

In many dog fighting cases, the animals are deemed a threat to public safety and are humanely euthanized. But in this high-profile case with national interest from PETA advocates and thousands of animal lovers, investigators decided to evaluate the dogs. Animal Witness included footage of the evaluators’ first impression of some of the Vick dogs, many of whom bounded around the dog run with tails wagging and tongues licking. Only one of the 66 (almost all of which were Pit Bulls) was deemed too aggressive, with the rest split up and sent to rehabilitation centers around the country. The show profiles some of the success stories of the renewed lives of the Pit Bulls. These included dogs that have been integrated into families with children and other pets, and even one that is now a certified therapy dog.

These outcomes may be a shock to some, but I believe that almost any dog can be rehabilitated with proper leadership and training. Pit bulls in particular are generally portrayed as vicious and aggressive. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) explains, “even though it was bred as a fighting dog—or perhaps because of that—the American Pit Bull Terrier was one of the most popular dogs of the time [in dog fighting], noted for its strength, intelligence and devotion to its master.” They continue to make a vital point in saying “it is important to remember any dog can become aggressive, depending on its upbringing and environment.”

I can testify to this point with my nearly three years of experience as a PetSmart Grooming Salon Professional Bather (yes, very official). Working with dogs on a daily basis taught me that size does not matter and it’s usually the little ones you need to watch out for. I even had a regular client named Tyson, an intact, beefy male pit bull that would whimper if the water was too cold and cry in his cage until his equally beefy “dad” would pick him up.

I think that a dog’s behavior (good or bad) is reflective of its owner. The Vick dogs are prime examples of an animal’s ability to live in the present and learn to trust humans again. For more about the history and future of these dogs, don’t miss the encore presentation of Animal Witness Wednesday, August 27 at 9 p.m. The National Geographic channel will also showcase the current lives of Vick dogs in the season premiere of Dog Town Friday, September 5 at 9 p.m.