Friday, my classmates and I had a really great opportunity for personal awareness and growth. First, our schedules were inverted (morning in the afternoon, afternoon in the morning). If you’ve learned anything about veterinary students by reading these blogs, you’ll already know most do not respond well to change. Also, there was about eight inches of snow on the ground. Third, the lecture was off campus. It was a recipe for anxiety.
A local real estate group that has a wonderful camaraderie and refreshing perspective on being a team guided the experience. The point of the exercise was to understand that our productivity increases when we are 100% full on and focus on a task. We then attempted to identify what holds us back in life, what our fears are. We picked out a 1”x12” board that “spoke to us.” Then we had to answer four questions and write them on the board.
- What is your biggest fear?
- Where did it come from?
- What benefit have you gained from this fear?
- Why are you choosing now to be free of the fear?
As I am sure you have figured out by now, we then focused our energy on breaking through the board.
I do not get pumped up or excited very easily, so it took me a while to get into the actual board breaking. I am also an introvert, and the process was overstimulating at points. Most of the class was finished, so I decided I had to go or I was going to miss the opportunity. I was one of the lucky (or focused) ones who were able to break through on the first try. Regardless of whether or not we broke through the board, just identifying what holds us back is a step in the right direction.
No matter where you are in your life or career, self-reflection is always warranted. This was a “challenge by choice” for our class. I can now challenge those of you reading this to, at the very least, think about the four questions, and potentially write down your answers. This exercise was really great for our class, and we had an opportunity to bond and encourage each other through the process.
My fear is not having a positive impact on the world and not having the ability to change peoples’ lives on a global level.
