Who made me the leader?

I love taking classes and learning new things, so I enrolled in a leadership program to build and hone my leadership skills. I was being given more responsibility at work, leading a project team and being sought after to work on other projects. I wanted to do my best not to let the big boss down in his expectations but the training budget wouldn’t allow for me to take any 'good' training, so I borrowed money from my 401K because as I’ve learned, if I don’t think I’m worth it to invest in myself, no one else will either. This program was the absolute, hands down, hardest training program I have EVER experienced. It was also the most profound and developmental for me and I came out of it with a new outlook on not only my professional career but all apects of my life.

A Walk in Central Park

Last year, I was asked to do the AIDS walk in Central Park with a former co-worker.  I had no previous experience with this fatal condition and I felt like I wasn’t qualified, if you will, to walk with my new friend and I started to say no.  I went though, because it was about supporting her memory of a loved one.  I donated to the cause and walked with her, her husband, and a mish mash of friends and family.  I made some new acquaintances that day, saw some old friends, got some exercise, and went to a great restaurant afterwards.  I have no idea what thoughts went on in my friend’s head that day, but she asked me again this year and so on Sunday, May 16^th, I’ll be walking again in memory of her loved one.