Leading

"If I am physically interdependent, I am self-reliant and capable, but I also realize that you and I working together can accomplish far moe than, even at my best, I could accomplish alone. If I am emotionally interdependent, I derive a great sense of worth within myself, but I also recognize the need for love, for giving, and for receiving love from others. If I am intellectually interdependent, I realize that I need the best thinking of other people to join with my own" (51).

I think that leadership is all about other people. I've held positions of authority before, as President, Vice President, and Secretary several years in Model UN, and as President of National Honor Society. But when I think back on those times, the main thing I remember was my happiness at what I thought was the mundane concept of simply answering questions and helping members with simple issues. Obviously, with NHS, service was huge, and the fact that I could, with my position as leader, help others was the best part of NHS. In fact, I thought of myself as club momma - everyone was my child.

I actually thought of our class Spider when I read this section about interdependence, because we live in a world where you can't help but connect. Humans by nature need to connect to others, and my passion is all about connection.

"Taking initiative ...[means] recognizing our responsibility to make things happen" (79).

I have a lot of passions, but one stands out and has colored what I want to do with my life. In fact, after reflecting on this a lot, I can't really see myself doing anything else. I don't know when it will happen, or how it will work out, but I'll just do what I can and see what life has to offer.

I want to help people. I want to "make poverty history," as Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr. Yunus urges. Every time I go to Bangladesh, I see the victims of poverty everywhere and the sobering thought is that those people are my people. This is my country, my culture, my nation. Obviously, I have two nations that I hold in my heart (I'm as American as I am Bangladeshi) but this is different. You can't deny your history and ancestry, and that's the last thing I'd want to do. Both of my grandfathers were born to farming families in villages. THey were destined for the same humble lifestyle. It was only through sheer determination that they pulled themselves out, went to school, excelled, and became doctors. One got his PhD as a surgeon at a top school in Glasgow, Scotland, and the other became a top surgeon in Pakistan (before Bangladesh was an independent country). I have always been taught that you bring about change on your own - if my grandparents hadn't done so, I may have been a villager as well. Who knows?

where would I be if my grandparents hadn't married?

"Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem" (93).

Life connects people in unexpected ways. SOmetimes I wonder at all the alternate lives I could be leading. The one I'd like to lead is involved with using architecture to develop Bangladesh and bring it onto the global playing field. I'd like to connect it to the rest of the world and give it status and pride in its own identity. A few years ago, BBC declared it the happiest country in the world, despite the fact that its also the poorest. But happiness comes from within. Its important to be satisfied in the knowledge that you are doing your best, but its also important to always push yourself and do what you can to not only help yourself, but to help others. Rather than talking, go forth and DO.

I sincerely hope I can do so.

My mother took this picture of a boy selling flower wreaths on the street. Everyone in bangladesh works hard to improve their lot.