November LAB Report

The LAB has singled in on what we hope to learn from other emerging leaders in our focus group process this year:

  1. What issues are critically important to you, particularly on a local level? What issues do you anticipate having the biggest impact on your quality of life? If you had the time, the talent, and the treasure to Dream Big, how would you address these issues? 
  2. What inspires you to care about said issue?  What’s your story related to this issue?  What emotions arise with this topic?
  3. For an issue that is critically important to you, what spurs you to action?  What compels you to donate time, money, and/or effort to issues that are critically important to you? What specific factor motivated your involvement in solution-based actions? What are the obstacles that prevent your participation? (Can be anything! I.e. Social or literal)  Do you see a feasible path to participation? What solutions feel within your sphere of influence?

Being the month of Gratitude, we also shared with one another what we’re most grateful for: 

  • Lisa→ family and the unexpected roles they can play
  • Calvin→ family and school (opportunities)
  • Kelsey→ friend family as support system
  • Lori→ grandparents (esp. as parent figures)
  • Mike→ family (sticking together) and LAB friends
  • Phoebe→ job where she has amazing, committed, and kind coworkers and does meaningful work
  • Kristen→ all of the people in her life that support her
  • Andrew→ friends who foster positive personal growth

And also the best advice we’ve received:

  • Lisa → Just take the leap.  What’s holding you back is only a perceived limitation.  
  • Alli → In the face of complete chaos, detach and tell yourself it’s fine so you can move forward and deal with it unencumbered by panic. My manager compared it to this meme:
  • Mike → not so much advice as encouragement – had a teacher that created a safe space for him to be himself (esp. goofy!)
  • Kelsey → “Don’t let the man get you down” (took it as think outside the system and don’t be discouraged/limited by the status quo) and  “When are you going to the boss?” (re-aligned way of thinking)
  • Andrew → always enjoy the journey and appreciate the process rather than only being satisfied by the end goal!
  • Calvin → follow through on the things you’re interested in because those become your passions/hobbies