A Decade Remembered: Pt 2

New Years Eve is finally upon us, and we officially have less that 24 hours before the new year and decade are here to stay. The 2000's (or naughty aughties if you're keeping up w/ my blog) have been a period of great personal development for myself and my loved ones, and the decade won't soon be forgotten. I've grown tremendously, and recently have found myself reflecting on my personal growth throughout the years. Its been a long and arduous journey through the past 10 years: A journey that has taken me through life like a serpentine mountain road, winding here, dodging over a pass there, but always keeping me on the right road. I'm not saying that there hasn't been a few detours and pit stops along the way, but for the most part the past decade has played a significant role in forming who I am today.

The first part of this decade was a time when I began to piece together the puzzle that is Alex. I started high school in 1999/2000, and began sampling life like a plate of hors devours. I quickly found that although I was talented in many areas of my life, only a select few actually made me happy and helped me develop personally. I was good at football, but got hurt every other week. I enjoyed literature and writing, but found myself pursuing math and science instead for reasons that I still don't completely understand. It wasn't until my junior year that I truly found my niche, or at least what I thought to be my niche. I headed a championship winning Science Bowl team, captained my Cross Country Team to the state invitational, and went to the Junior Olympics in two different sports, all while taking classes that would prove to be more difficult than 80% of my college curriculum. Reflecting upon that time, I now realize that although I'm still interested in science, math, and running, it was the role in these activities that I truly savored. I may not have recognized it then, but I am a natural leader. I led my teammates and classmates in my daily life, and cherished the opportunity to be a role model.

It took less than a month in college to realize that my true passions did not lie in derivations or melting points, rather it was leadership and knowledge that truly inspired me. Although I was finding inspiration in new arenas, my passion for leading by example did not wane. I helped found an organization based around the concept of alternative learning and mastery in off-the-wall topics such as tribal drumming and underwater basket weaving(just kidding on that one!). I began to develop organizations by writing business plans and discussing key issues with community members. It was in these pursuits that I recognized the power of collaboration. Previous to my college tenure, I thought that the old adage "If you want something done right, You must do it yourself!" was a motto to live by. Once I recognized that there were plenty of individuals that were just as, if not more talented than myself, I knew that partnerships and teamwork were significantly more effective then trying to manage an entire group or project by myself. "Successful Collaboration and Teamwork Reward Tenacity and Persistence", is a much more appropriate and truthful motto.

All in all, the past decade has had a huge impact on who I am as a person today. I know now that leadership does not necessarily mean that I must lead my peers alone, rather that by collaboration and persistence, great results can be seen. I know that the activities that I enjoyed in the past decade will likely be positive outlets for the rest of my life. Most importantly, however, I learned who I am as person, and the subsequent impact on my life. I envision that the next decade will only improve my sense of self as I venture into the great beyond that is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. My life experiences are priceless, and as I cross over into a new era, I can only hope that ultimately my struggle and subsequent understanding of who I am will continue.

Happy New Year!

A.S. Bloom