In honor of what a restful and relaxing day I've had, today's word is repose. It can be used as a noun or a verb, meaning the state of rest, peace, and tranquility, or the act of resting or refreshing oneself, as in: After a long day of schoolwork, I long to go to find repose. Because I have only a few classes on Fridays, I have time repose and ponder.
I hope I don't look like a crazy person in this picture, because I took a lot of pictures and I looked all kinds of insane in most of them.I also took a picture of my whole outfit, just because I was so cute today, and I never wear dresses to school.
Speaking of goals, I forced myself to go to a class at the gym last night and work out. It was hard and I didn't like it. Does exercising ever get easier?
Before I went to work out though, I had a great video conference with Rayne. We've been focusing on...talking. That sounds weird, but we're trying to make my answers to interview questions less robotic and more heart-felt and sincere...so we're just discussing things right now so I can talk freely without being nervous, and then we'll incorporate what we've gone over into the interview session.
Yesterday we talked a lot about influence. Rayne asked me what I thought the word meant. The first thing that popped into my head was the ever-repeated quote during my year in State Office:
"Leadership is Influence!"So that's what I said. But just to clarify, according to Dictonary.com, influence is the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others. So then we talked about how I want to influence others in life and as a potential National Officer. It quickly became apparent that I want to influence others because of the influence others have had on me.
Then Rayne asked me to come up with three people who have influenced my life the most. Can you think of three off the top of your head? Neither could I! I've only lived a little over 19 years, and I still find it hard to pick just three people who have changed my life significantly. I came up with two as we were talking and thought of the third later.
I'd like to share a little bit about these people and the effect they've had on my life. But first, a *Disclaimer*: If I were to answer this question completely honestly, probably all three people would be members of my family, since they've known me longer than anyone. However, if I were asked this question by a member of the nominating committee, I would diversify my answer so that I mentioned people who have affected me in different areas of my life. So that's why this answer may not be exactly the top three people, but these people have changed my life significantly.
3. Sara Kenley: I grew up with Sara. We are 1 year and 4 days apart and have the same middle name. We both love singing, acting, playing the piano, jazz music, and sleep overs. Although Sara is my cousin, I think that more importantly, she's my best friend.
I always have loved to be around Sara because we are so similar in our interests and senses of humor (which can be pretty weird sometimes). Sara has seen me at my best and at my worst, and she still likes to hang out with me.
I like to think that Sara is exactly like me- except when it comes to the aspects of my personality which could be improved upon: meaning simply that Sara isn't bossy and she doesn't have a short temper like I do. This is great because that means she can call me out on those things, and she's constantly making me a better person. I want to work to minimize those negative aspects of myself and becoming more compassionate and patient like she is. Because we think and act alike in many situations, I feel like Sara really understands how I feel better than anyone else I know. I'm so glad that Sara and I are such great friends and I'm grateful for the impact she's had on my life.
2. John Geisler: Mr. Geisler was my history and language arts teacher in seventh grade. For the majority of his class, I wanted a different teacher. I only signed up for his class because all my friends were doing it, and after they left I wanted out too, because it was no longer the "cool thing" (and in middle school, coolness was very important to me). I am grateful that my parents flatly refused to let me change classes that year. I don't know that they knew what a difference it would make in my life, they are just stubborn and live by the principle that if you sign up for something, you should see it through.
Mr. Geisler ran a "school within a school" program at my middle school. Basically, "school within a school" is alternate teaching method where learning is primarily student interest driven and grades are downplayed. When I started the program, I was confused and overwhelmed. I had been taught in school up until that point to do what needed to be done in order to get an A. Mr. Geisler, however, expected his students to work on their own and assess themselves. It wasn't long before I started to understand the program and soon found myself delving into subjects that really interested me, including marine reptiles, greek pottery, King Tutankhamen, music composition, film, and the history of the Jewish people. I constantly researched my topic and never actually finished a paper- since I realized that I could never finish learning about a subject.
This probably sounds like just a fun class- but to me it has been more than that. Because of Mr. Geisler, my attitude on gaining knowledge completely changed. My attitude towards schoolwork in high school and now college has completely altered because of that mind-opening year. I now learn because I am hungry for knowledge, not because I'm concerned about grades.
Mr. Geisler has also been a great friend and mentor to me as I've worked through academic issues in my life. In high school, I could always go to him for calculus help, consolation after a failed test, and a good book recommendation. Although I rarely see him anymore, because of the year I spent as his student, Mr. Geisler greatly impacted my life.
1. Carol Kenley: How could I talk about people who have influenced my life without talking about my mom? My mom has made me the person that I am today and I am so thankful to her for that.
I used to think that I was just as dedicated, motivated, and hard working as my mom was and that I must have gotten those traits from her through genetics. I realized after moving to college, however, how false that was. I am not naturally as hard working and driven as my mother, but I have had those values drilled into me from birth.
My mom never pushed me to be involved in things, but she completely supported whatever I wanted to do. She has always been there for me after I had a rough day at school with a big plate of cookies and a glass of milk. She sewed three prom dresses for me and edited countless essays, articles, and scholarship applications. She always pushed me to be the best person that I could be and practiced tough love in calling me out when she knew I was acting in a way contrary to the way I was brought up. Now that I'm away and in college, she is never too busy to talk to me on the phone for hours advising me about classes, hearing about what I've been doing or comforting me when I'm homesick.
She is my cheerleader and my number one fan. No matter what I am doing, win or lose, I know she will always be there for me. I love her so much and I know I would never be the person I am today or accomplished the things that I have without her.
I hope you have some repose this weekend,
Rachel
PS- I never cry, but for some reason, lately, I tear up every time I talk about my family. I think it has something to do with moving to Utah. It's getting obnoxious. I've never been such a cry baby before!
Thanks, Rachel for overlooking all my faults as a mother.
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