The Lifestyle of Lead

July 6, 2011

What is it like to travel with 13 teenagers to California? Its greasy likes an In-and-Out 4×4 (“monster style”) burger. Its salty like fresh cut fries. And its sweet and rich like a Neapolitan shake. Some bites are deliciously sweet and celebrated, while other events are debriefed and criticized. Thoughtfully one might criticize the calories and gluttonous nature of the burger and meal, and still the internal struggle for the last of the fries and shake leads the way towards discipline and self-awareness.

A gross analogy but, if you know how to go with the FLOW, everybody get showers after 3 weeks (grosser than hamburgers), and then start leading ideas to improve hometowns.

The ALZAR F.L.O.W. students this year bisected the blessed US of A, and 61.5% of the group hailed from the southeast area of sweet liberty herself, with the others located in Boise, ID. Each of which, came to the expedition with varying personalities, interests, skills and hygiene. Each student progressed from day-to-day and week-to-week, and they began to embody a new lifestyle. ALZAR calls it leadership.

Each student is curious and unique. They each have their technical proficiencies, character, ideas and inspiring visions. And they especially love showing off their new skillz (yeah, with a “z”, and I’m not JUST talking about newly sharpened whitewater kayaking skillz either).

They will grow and cultivate their leadership skillz in real life to improve their communities to which they belong. The students recognize their interests and have now been formally taught how to see their ideas come to fruition. They want to improve their schools, churches, streets, and home stretches of river. And they will.

Being a leader is rewarding yet, hard work and takes practice, discipline and perseverance. As the embodiment of leadership is instilled a new lifestyle is realized.

By Mr. Goff