The Journey Begins…Continues…but Never Ends

Being a leader is a job many look to earn but few actually obtain. Many people spend most of their life striving to be leaders in their workplace or of a group. This is a great goal, but many do not understand the true meaning of being a leader. Although a majority of them think that being a leader this way is the only way to help other people they are greatly mistaken. What they don’t understand is that to be a leader you only need to take things into your own hands and do something that is meaningful to others.

Although a leader is someone that is at the top of the chain of command ,but it can also be someone that is always looked up to. Becoming the former is what many people dream and strive for in life, but those that realize that the latter will truly make them happy prosper. Through random acts of kindness or through enduring long trials we can become a person that others will truly look up to. This won’t always happen right away though, you might need to do it over and over again. Although you might not feel like people see you as a leader I can assure you that there are people that will see you as one.

While being a leader can be very profitable it can also be a great burden. Being looked upon as a reliable person always feels great to some, but to others like me it is a very uncomfortable feeling. Although I do not like being seen as a leader I can clearly remember what I’ve done to be recognized as a leader. This might not seem like it matters but when you do start to take pride in it you will also feel amazing. I encourage everyone to go out and become some form or leader themselves because you will find that it makes your life feel fulfilled

Joshua K.

Lollipop moments are important to some people that already know they are leaders. Some people do not know they are a leader until later in their life. People have lollipop moments all the time. It just takes them awhile for them to notice. Once you do notice that you had a lollipop moment, it can make you feel really good about yourself. Especially, if someone says that you made an impact on their life.

If you are not a leader now, you can become one one day. Sometimes it can take time for you to become a leader. You can be a leader now and might have not found out. You can make a change today. You can make a change by making an impact on someone’s life.

I can be a leader by just being myself. I would want to make an impact on someone’s life by being myself and not changing a thing. I can do that on my XC/Track team by showing others team leadership. If any of my teammates feel bad about their race, I can tell them to stay positive.

Kaitlyn D.

Being a leader is hard, it is hard to fight through all the issues while being someone others looked up too. I always thought that being a leader was not for everyone, that only a specific type of person could hold the characteristics to become a leader. That being a leader meant to make earth-shattering decisions that everyone would know about. As I learn more about life, I realize that being a leader does not have to mean to be loud and making hard decisions, but could also mean to live life the right way while being looked up too. That such a small act, like holding a door for someone, is being a leader for kindness.

As I look back on my life, I can think about the times where I was a leader without even knowing, where I was just doing something simple. When I was in 7th grade, my family and I went to a family reunion, meeting people we have never met before. I was a shy kid and really didn’t try to approach anyone I didn’t know until I saw my cousin who was sitting alone. I sat down next to her because I didn’t want her to feel left out. While this was almost normal to me because ever since I was little, I would always try to befriend people who didn’t at the time. I sat next to my cousin for the rest of the party and when it was time to go I left. I really did not think about that night again until I got a call from her. She told me how much it meant for me to not ignore her like everyone else was and that she was going through something rough in her life. It is little moments like this that show that such a small act can mean so much.

I know now that everyone has the potential to be a leader, even if you don’t see it. I never thought of myself as a leader until that moment with my cousin happened. I realized that I was a leader by setting an example to never ignore someone when they really just need someone to be there for them. Being a leader is more than just wanting to lead it about letting yourself grow into the person you really are. Leadership starts with you and being yourself is the best characteristic of a leader.

Kim H.

What do you think a leader is? I believe that a leader is a type of role model that you look up too. In today’s society, people need to have a leader to give them a push and help them get through any difficult situation. No one should be afraid to express their feelings about how someone was a role model to them. Instead, they should talk to that person because it will make someones day.

Some people are afraid to be a leader because they think they don’t have what it takes. A reason for being afraid to be a leader, is that people fear the responsibility it takes. However, people tend to be leaders and not even realize it. They may think they are just helping others out, when in reality they are truly being a leader to that individual. A simple kind word could even impact someone’s future.

Watching this video made me realize that I have had a few lollipop moments. I happen to be a role model for many younger kids that are apart of my family and friends. Ever since my mom’s friend’s son was born I would always love to take care of him and spend time with him. He is now eight years old and loves when I get to baby sit him. The other two boys that look up to me as a role model are my younger step brothers. They love when they get to come over on the weekends and spend as much time with me as possible. They haven’t known me that long and they look up to me like I have been there since they were born.

Katelyn C.

When I think of a leader I think of someone who is always the first person to say what is one their mine, someone who is older, and someone who I look up to. Leadership comes in many different forms and it cannot be characterized by a specific definition. I have never really considered myself to be a leader. I am normally quiet when with people who I’m not comfortable around and I am not one to be outspoken. I become a leader when I am playing sports, as I was a captain this year for girls soccer. When trying to think of a lollipop moment one, in particular, comes to mind.

The moment that I am thinking of began in sixth grade. I was in a totally new atmosphere and I walked up to a girl who turned out to be my future best friend. I walked up to her introduced myself; she was really friendly and we ended up having the exact same schedule. So we became best friends, hanging out after school and on the weekends. But, that wasn’t my lollipop moment. My lollipop moment actually happened in eighth-grade, three years later. In eighth-grade, close to our graduation she and I were talking about how we had to stay friends, as I was going to O’Hara and her to Upper Darby. She told me that I had made a huge impact on her life and helped her come out of her shell throughout middle school. Before that moment, I had never realized how much of an impact I have made in her life, which makes me wonder if I have made one in anyone else’s.

My lollipop moment was life-changing to me in the sense of knowing how I have made a positive impact on someone’s life. I do not consider myself a conventional leader, but I do see that when I do take the initiative to lead I see a positive result. My experience can teach others that although you may not be a “leader” in traditional senses, you can still be a leader in the sense of making others feel important, which will, in turn, make you feel just as important. In the future I hope I can experience a few more lollipop moments, just to know that I am continuing to make a positive impact on others.

Marisa L.

A lot of times in today’s society, moments that have an impact on a person’s life go without being acknowledged. Some people may feel as though they are being weird if they bring the situation up, and some may even feel as though it is not that important. Despite how you may think another person would feel about it, you should always try to acknowledge impactful moments that have changed a person’s life. The more it goes unnoticed, the more it becomes forgotten with nobody realizing why a person’s life is the way it is.

Acknowledging a moment that has had an impact on somebody’s life brings light the moment. It gives people an inside look of what happened and what the effect was. Seeing how one moment changed someone’s life could motivate other to create moments like these in their near future. The more special moments there are, the more of a impact people will have on other people’s lives. Also, acknowledging a special moment that changed someone’s life could bring back a good memory to someone. They could be having a bad day and because you brought up the special moment, they are feeling ten times better than before.

Even though special moments shouldn’t go without acknowledgement, you should never want to acknowledge a moment just so people can know you changed someone’s life. When someone brings up a time they changed someone’s life simply so people can know, that is considered to be selfish. We should acknowledge special moments to spread positivity and to help others reciprocate actions that have caused positivity. We should be changing people’s lives because it is the right thing to do, not to impress others. Acknowledge special moments so they will not be forgotten, and continue to create more special moments to make the world a more positive place.

Jameel B.

Everyone has a different perspective on a leader. Leaders are usually tended to be imagined as someone who is older and stronger than others. That isn’t what a leader is though, anyone can be a leader. You can be a leader in the classroom, sports field, or really anywhere in the world. A leader is someone who inspires and sets a good example.

I consider myself a leader on the soccer field. I believe in this because I know that I work hard on the field, and try to motivate my teammates to do better. I want my team to leave all they’ve got on the field. Not everyone is meant to be a leader on a sports field, but their is always something that you are good at. So find what you excel in, and be a leader in that.

A lollipop moment is something that probably everyone has had, but we don’t remember. Truthfully, I can’t remember an exact moment when I had one, but I’m sure their has been one. You never know what people think in their head after you say something to them or do something. That’s the biggest thing to me. As long as you are striving to make a positive impact on someone’s life, then you are most likely making a positive impact on that person.

-Owen K.

A lollipop moment is something that everyone has most likely had in their lives. I am sure I have had one or more in my time on this Earth but as of right now I can’t remember any of them. I hope that I can make a positive impact on multiple people’s lives and I hope that if I do they tell me about it because whether I remember it or not, it was a very important moment in both of our lives.

Being a positive member of society is something that is fleeting these days with everyone succumbing to losses of freedoms and being so scared but there are people who are leaders during this time and they will help the country go back to its place of respect and its place of freedoms. More people need to become leaders, we can’t rely on our governments and experts to do everything for us. We need to look to God and look within ourselves to see what our path is and how we should help the evil world become less corrupt and more peaceful.

I consider myself a leader in different ways. One of those ways being on the baseball field, I will always be one of the first people to pick my teammate back up after an error or misplay. Whether they don’t want to be picked up is up to them but I will always be there to help just in case. Another way I see myself as a leader is through my ideals and morals, people are becoming too quick to jump to conclusions and listen to people we shouldn’t be trusting. I am trying to become more vocal on that subject and a leader with respect to our country and our God.

Quinn M.

The term “pay it forward” surrounds the image of kind deeds done to another once one is done for you. My sixth grade teacher decided to take this concept and make a project about it. Each group had to come up with three different ideas on how to pay it forward, how to spread happiness to another. My group’s ideas were to help out at CADES, a school for those with all different disabilities, the other one was to raise money through a bake sale and buy school supplies for a school that many children did not have the ability to afford, and lastly, we had lunch with a neighbor who had been in a wheelchair for as long as she could remember.

Our first idea was to help at CADES. We spent the whole day there, helping with the other teachers while becoming friends with the children. Overall, the day was a success; the children had a good time and were able to make friends with us while we could give the teachers support. No one really thought about how happy it had made those children until one of the teachers contacted us thanking us and informing us how excited the kids were. It did not take much to do this, all we had to do was stay the day and be friendly, but it made an impact on them without us even realizing. This was similar to our other project of having lunch with a neighbor. She explained how sometimes it did get lonely and that when we asked her to have lunch, she was ecstatic. We’ve gone back a few times since then because of how much she loved it. She still continues to ask us to lunch.

Lastly, our idea of rising money for a school so we could buy new supplies for those who could not. We put together a bake sale at our school and raised enough money that we could buy over 10 bags of school supplies. We dropped them off at the school and went about our day. The teachers then were able to keep them for their classroom for student use. We received ample thank you’s. All these projects made me realize how much one small act has on someone. These are the things that money cannot buy. Money cannot buy the feeling those kids felt or that neighbor felt. This project overall had made me realize how much one thing can have an effect on other people even now.

Emily C.

I have never particularly thought of myself as a typical “leader.” Perhaps the reason for this is that I have never recognized an opportunity to act as one. But that is merely an excuse. I have come to recognize that there is always an opportunity to lead– even in our everyday lives. I may not be the loudest or most confident person in the room but that does not mean that I can not have an impact on people.

I think of myself as more of a subtle leader. I may not be loudly conveying my words but they are still there for those who want to listen. There is nothing wrong with this way of leading but it is important that we recognize it and use it to our advantage. Speaking to a person one-on-one can often have a greater impact than speaking to a group of people. Connecting with one another is something that is very important. Leadership does not have to be about rallying a big group of people. Rather, it can be connecting with another person by giving them your time and thoughts.

In conclusion, do not be afraid to influence people. If you have something to say, say it. This is definitely one of the qualities that come with being a leader. Leadership can be defined as something different for every person. I encourage you to find your way of leadership and use it. You never know the impact your words and actions could have on people. Be your own leader.

-Grace H.