Life-Changing, Game-Changing, Heart-Changing

I never realized how much life can change in one week. I have been to Sigma Chi’s Horizons program three times now. Both times before it sparked changed that happened over a period of time. Last week I became a different person during the week. I had the opportunity to serve others and help others develop as men, Sigma Chis, and most importantly leaders. I was blessed to do this. Although this is a “volunteer” commitment to the Fraternity, I look at it as a gift. I am honored to have been chosen to serve and selfishly got more out of it than I every expected I would. I want to say thank you to those who gave to me during the week. It is because of YOU that this program is successful, not because of alumni like me. I am a better person now.

The how of the week is of little importance (though I will say I now know I can fly.) The outcome of the week for me and for others is what matters most. I mentioned before the other people who gave to me during this week. This starts with the group of alumni I had the pleasure of serving with. New friends, old brothers, who have given me strength and support in ways they can never imagine. I am so blessed with what they have given me and continue to offer to me. Thank you all. My life is richer because of you. Then there were 40 undergraduate brothers, not in my small group, who inspired me by the growth and commitment they made throughout the week. Knowing you are the future leaders of our society makes me proud and know we are in good hands.

The other 8 brothers, those in my Jumper small group are indescribable. I am so proud of each of you. I have told you this multiple times but you changed my life in ways you can never imagine. I am so happy to have each of you in my life. I remain in awe of you all and the power you have to effect change in your chapters and the world. You have inspired me to re-examine my own life and my own plans. I am hopeful that these bonds of brotherhood will continue through life and you will each hold me accountable as I will you. Let’s make this happen and not waste it. Setting yourself on fire will not be easy but I know each of us can!

I could go into more detail but the week was so intense that I am still processing some of the changes it has made in me. I am hoping I have the courage to make these changes and become the man I want to be again. I ask everyone to help me with this. It will not be easy and I am in for a lot of work.

I want to close by again thanking every member of team Jumper, and our Horizons session 1 Brothers. You have once again changed me at levels that seemed set in stone. I love you each for this and many other things. I know I am adding luster because of you. In Hoc Brothers, Guard Well.

-Chrispy

So Raise Your Glass

I pride myself on being someone who is “wrong in all the right ways” and I try and live that way every day. Sometimes it is tougher than others but it is important. As I move along in my journey I find myself trying to raise my glass every day.

OK- so the P!nk reference aside, my point is that being yourself is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it can be the most frightening thing to do, but it shouldn’t be. I find myself, at this moment, proud of who I have become. Some people might not think I have done much with my life or disagree with every decision I make, but all I need to be concerned with is whether or not I am happy and if I am proud of myself. Again, I am.

To everyone who might be reading this: raise your glass. It might not be easy, it might be scary, but until you raise your glass like I have recently you aren’t living your life authentically.

A Revised Journey and Support

Starting a journey can often be the hardest part. Of course the desire to reach the destination is there but the struggles and roadblocks along the way strain the courage you have making that first step. Even harder than starting one journey is to abandon it and begin a new one. The judgment of those around you, be it friends or foes, can often make you feel like you are making a bad decision even though you believe it to be the right decision for you. What matters in a change of journey is that you are being your authentic self and marking a path that is true to who you are, not who others might want you to be.

I wanted to be a student affairs professional. It made sense to me because I love working with and impacting the lives of undergraduate Sigma Chis and I am good at it. But when I began to consider how a career in this field would impact my life I started to look deeper into myself and my motivations. I love working with Sigma Chi and making that impact every day. I also love seeing the development of these young brothers into strong men ready to take on their own journeys. Yet these loves are limited to my involvement in Sigma Chi. I don’t want to sound selfish or close-minded, but I don’t want to do this work outside of Sigma Chi. Plus, the thrill for me is volunteering. I like making the difference without payback, although in all honesty the rewards outweigh the work by far.

Aside from my realization that my desires were limited I realized how much I love the business world. I left my last job in a blaze of fury. My experience made me hate what I was doing and pushed me to the limit. Since starting my new job with a great company last year I have seen it isn’t like that everywhere. In fact I LOVE my job. I don’t say that lightly or to suck up to anyone because I have no telling who will ever see this. I say that with complete honesty. I am making a huge difference and have had some amazing success. In addition, it has helped re-reveal a passion I lost in my negative experience at a previous company that shall remain anonymous: developing an organization and leaders within that organization. I love seeing others grow and become successful using the tools of business and entrepreneurship. And, selfishly, I love the feeling I have when I grow and become successful.

So, this leads to a change in my destination but not a drastic change. While my focus shifts from developing undergraduate leaders to developing business leaders the bottom line remains the same: I want to make an impact on the world by developing others to make a difference. In fact, my actual life quest map has only had one change: I will now apply to grad school with a focus on human resources and organizational development. And the timeline is extended a little due to the timing of my decisions. This entire change reflects what I want and who I want to be. As I said in the beginning of this blog, it can be hard to deal with the judgments of others but I know the people who judge or question are only doing it to ensure I remain true to my authentic self and I love each of them for it. In fact, I welcome it. In fact, as Warren Bennis has said, “Have some group that will tell you the truth and whom you can tell the truth. If you have people like that around you, what else matters?”

I hope you will join me on this journey and keep me authentic. It will not be easy and I hope to learn more about myself and others as I embark. In the meantime, thank you for reading this re-launch of my blog. It is just a beginning with many more to come.