President Obama is delivering the commencement address at my alma mater tonight. As a lifetime member of the Alumni Association, I could have had four free tickets, but I’m flying out just hours before the event in order to get to my Thursday morning presentation location. As excited as I am to speak at the junior high, I must admit that I am a little bit disappointed I’ll miss the President.
I’ve never see a President in person. I’ve watched a handful of the first ladies present, and I’ve even run into a few governors and congressmen, but never the Commander in Chief. There is something about that office that fascinates me. I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the past few weeks watching reruns of The West Wing on Bravo. I love anything that gives a glimpse into the inner workings of that office.
Maybe it’s why I enjoyed the question from the New York Times two weeks ago at Obama’s 100 days press conference. While many others went for the “news of the day” question—swine flu, torture, auto bailouts—the reporter for the Times reporter took a refreshingly different approach:
“During these first 100 days, what has surprised you the most about this office? Enchanted you the most about serving in this office? Humbled you the most? And troubled you the most?”
If you missed the press conference, President Obama initially laughed at the question, but then spent several minutes thoughtfully reflecting on each component. At first, I thought it was cool to hear from the president and about the office, but after a bit I thought it was even cooler to think about the question in our own lives.
I like the idea of reflecting on these four aspects of the question periodically as we continue in our own path. I thought I’d spend the remainder of this entry responding to the question as it applies to me and I hope that you do the same. Seriously, I’d love to hear from you!
Surprised
I’ve been really surprised by the development of new material. When I first started speaking, I thought I had a few solid stories, but my better material has developed in recent years. I’m surprised by how I now view the world and what my daily experiences teach me about life and leadership. I might be in line for a movie and something will happen that becomes a story. It’s amazing what you can see when you open your eyes to look at it.
Enchanted
I’m still enchanted by the travel. Yes, it does get exhausting at times, but occasionally I’ll have a week where I get to look back on it and just go “wow.” My world is smaller while my worldview has expanded.
Humbled
I am constantly humbled by the kindness and love shared with me from so many of my hosts. I’ve heard their stories over dinner or even a walk through the campus on the way to the auditorium. They continually inspire me through their service. It brings a smile to my face when they send pictures of their newborn babies, a post on a successful school rally, or a text just saying hi. I really wish I could bottle up the applause I get from the minor thing I do, and reward these amazing teachers and volunteers with it on a daily basis for the major things that they do.
Troubled
I’m troubled by the inequity in schools. I’ve stepped foot on gorgeous campuses with resources abound, and I’ve been in schools where ceiling tiles have literally fallen while I’ve spoken—and that’s just the physical layout. It’s the tough thing to say these days, but where you are born and where you go to school dramatically affect your education. I hope that we can somehow remedy this. This is really turning into a serious problem in the United States.
What about you? I really am curious and would love to hear what you’ve how you’ve been surprised, enchanted, humbled, and troubled by your current position. Seriously, please contact me and let me know!