Earlier this month I had the opportunity to go to the LeaderShape Institute for six days. When I first found out I was going I was excited but at the same time I didn't think it would be anything special, I thought it would just be about things I already knew with people I have never met before and wouldn't talk to beyond that week. Boy was I wrong...

Within those six days I met some of the most incredible people I will ever met in my life, I learned a lot about myself, and a lot about other individuals. During the first session at LeaderShape I realized that this was going to be a different experience and I could either sit back and just enjoy the ride or put everything I have had into these six days. These were people I have never met before, they had no idea who I was so this was the perfect opportunity to be myself. I would talk about things only few people know about me because I could tell these individuals wanted to listen, they wanted to know who I was, they wanted me to realize what my full potential was. And being surrounded by these type of people was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced.

I had the opportunity to meet individuals who had the same interest of me, some who didn't agree and some who had never heard of these ideas before and wanted to know everything there was to know about it. These six days I was completely vulnerable to let these individuals into my life, my goals, my dreams and my visions. When I was doing this, these individuals told me when they loved my idea, when I was not being realistic and when somethings were not clear or I had to give extra thought to. By the end of these six days, I knew that this would not being the last I heard from these individuals. These individuals truly do want to see me succeed, they want to help me get to where I want to be and they will help me in anyway they can to get me there. As cliche as it sounds, this was truly a life changing experience.

One of the coordinators stated this quote by Robert F. Kennedy "It is from numberless acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a person stands up for an idea, or acts to improve others, or strikes out against injustice, they send out a tiny ripple of hope, and... those ripples build a current which can seep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." After being at LeaderShape I learned that I want to and will always start that ripple to building a current.

A special thank you to all of the individuals I had the pleasure of meeting during these six days, you have made such an impact on my life.