By Mandy Holland Savage, International Vice President
It’s not only a new year but a new decade! As we kick off 2020, I find myself looking forward to the possibilities to come as we embark on this new opportunity. Maybe you’re looking towards graduation, or you’re looking to meet some incredible potential new members who may become your sisters, or you’re looking at new opportunities within your professional and personal lives. Whatever it is, the key is that we are looking at making YOU the best YOU you can be in 2020! Every single one of us brings our own gifts to the table, and I’m looking forward to what 2020 is going to bring.
Here’s some of my inspirations for the “new” roaring 20s:
- Love yourself hard and strong. Take time for yourself and know that YOU are magnificent and bring your own wonderful qualities to everything that you take on. Your traits may not be someone else’s, and that’s what makes each of us uniquely fabulous in our own ways. Love yourself for those attributes and embrace everything that makes YOU you.
Find your people. If you have toxicity in your relationships, know that life is too short for not basking in the time shared with people who truly have your best interests at heart. I know I have several groups of people in my life that make me a better person and bring their strengths and talents to our relationship and have taught me so much. Have a call with them, send them a text, go to dinner, grab a coffee or maintain that contact so that YOU always know how important you are to them and they know how important they are to YOU.- Empower those around you. We all don’t have to have the same perspectives or thoughts on items or issues; however, it is so critical to listen to those who have differing opinions and find ways to harmonize everyone’s opinions to move forward in a positive and powerful way. John C. Maxwell said, “Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” I love this quote and what it reminds me of in my personal, professional, and ADPi interactions.
- Forgive yourself for the mistakes that you will inevitably make. Forgive others who have been less than a positive powerhouse to you. When you are able to look at something and say, “Well – that didn’t go as I thought it would. What can I learn from that?” then you can move forward and cut yourself some slack.
- Reset and Recharge. Let’s call it like it is – sometimes remaining vertical for the entire day is all that needs to be accomplished. It’s OK to realize that you need to recharge and reset sometimes. You do you – take a hike, binge watch something (I am currently binge-watching Chicago Fire), take a long nap. Whatever it is that will let you recharge your batteries and your brain so you can go out and be ready for what the next day/week holds.
- Call your loved ones. If you are fortunate to have a parent or grandparent or guardian that you are close to, give them a call. Tell them how your day has gone or ask how theirs is. There’s a time that we will wish we had taken more time and, trust me, as a mom nothing warms my heart like it does when my son checks in and chats for a few minutes.
- Talk to someone new. For anyone who knows me, you know that my heart and soul and passion within Alpha Delta Pi is all things recruitment – conversation, fundamentals, mechanics, visuals, and everything in between. All those times that you practiced recruitment conversation – it’s for real world application as well. Strike up a conversation with someone new in class or at your job. You never know what kind of awesome qualities you’re going to find in that new person you’ve had the opportunity to meet and share. They may also bring out something marvelous in YOU.
- Find your vice. Find that outlet that helps keep you centered and able to keep YOU and those things important to YOU at the focus. Maybe it’s exercising, maybe it’s cleaning from top to bottom, or maybe it’s making sure that your hand is never without a Diet Coke in it. Whatever helps keep you knowing that you can make each day a successful one – one that you can look at and say to yourself, “I gave today my all.”
Finally, as I look at how the Greek world has changed and continues to evolve, I will leave you with one last thought. Rethink Greek shared this, and it’s so poignant: “Sorority. It’s not a house. It’s not a club. It’s not a party. It’s a challenge and a promise. It’s a million moments of truth. It’s old and it’s new. It’s a gift entrusted to me to cherish and then give away. It’s a shared mission. It’s a lifelong expectation. It’s a daily call to action. It’s an ancient tradition. It’s a future of opportunity. It’s a change to matter.” YOU matter and you are loved and appreciated. Let that be the light that you beam in 2020 and beyond.