A little change to Living the Good Life... a commitment to inspiRAEtion.
I've always loved quotes and the reflection they allow. There's more than one person that can attest to that. I also think a journal, blog, etc is a good way to 'release' thoughts, even if disconnected, to synthesis, process and move forward all at the same time. Something else I love... learning. I am most definitely a life-long learner.
I recently attended several conferences... THREE within a month! At one conference the Ripples Guy spoke to all the student-athlete affairs professional present at the NCAA ETS. One thing core to his ripple effect and presentations are the Ripples quote cards. Something I do already is a twist on this concept. I also did a little Google and youTube searching as well to find a "Ripple Rangers" video filmed by RAs at one unversity. The combination of these two gave me some much needed inspiration to commit time to something I already enjoy and incorporate it into programming I'm already facilitating.
A couple other important foundational concepts and discussions focused on during the conferences I recently attended... BRANDING and SOCIAL NETWORKING. Branding... the organizations we're all committed to are branded. Working for an atheltic department that functions within a unveristy adds layers to the branding. We also have a personal brand. What we say, do, post online and share with anyone creates our personal brand and also reflects on the brands of the organizations we function within. Social networking is a powerful tool. Yes, it can harm you if you're not careful what information, photos, etc you're posting. Yes, it can also be the best tool in positively branding yourself and promoting your passions and commitments. If you're not branding yourself, you're allowing others to brand you. Another key element to understand... if you're not using social networking, you're not relevant. If you're not relevant, what is your value? Use social networking to make yourself relevant and valuable, as well as to determine your brand.
(Another thing... how can you expect to make an impact, be influential and connect if you're not on others level?! If the people you're trying to connect with live and die by social media, you best as well be partaking. If there's a standard and 'appropriate' ettiquette you want others to follow through social networking, be the one to set a positive example!)
The first piece of my commitment for a positive change... a 'rebranding' of sorts through a little revamping of the blog title. I've added "InspiRAEtion." It's something I'm committed to and I will continue. I'm committed to posting something relevant to inspiration whether it's quotes, photos, reflection, etc on a regular basis. My reasonable goal is once per week (with some 'other' posts smattered in there too).
The next piece... it's something I've pondered many, many times. I just wasn't sure how to pursue my ideas. Here's my plan and commitment. I'm going to have a daily quote in my office... "Daily InspiRAEtion." I'll pre-make a bunch of printed quotes so I can randomly pick one and post it for the day. But, as new quotes find there way to me I'll add those into the mix too.
The third element is incorporating inspiration into programming I'm already doing. Similar to the Ripples quote cards I'm going to do an activity with my students. The catchy title might change, but for now I'll refer to them as "InspiRAEtion Cards." I'll start with the SAMs and see how it goes. Then, maybe I'll add in SAAC and Connections students. I'm going to print "InspiRAEtion" cards that have a quote on one side. I'll make the students exchange and then discuss with a partner how it's relevant to them. I also want to print extra cards to keep in my office. If someone comes in for a C2J (Come to Jesus meeting) for whatever reason they might end up leaving with a quote to reflect on. Some people won't be too keen on these ideas, but then others will thrive thru the experience. Time will tell how it works and I'll learn as I go. Good news is I have a couple months to prepare this before we get rolling with the Fall semester.
No comments:
Post a Comment