October 2, 2008

  • It's All About OWNING IT

    When I was training for the PSI 7 Life Success Course, we used a term a lot throughout the course.  "Own it."  We were mainly talking about identity and a positive description about ourselves.  "Owning it" means to embrace that description ("awesome, achieving, beautiful, wonderful, ect") and allow it to enter our core being.  "Owning it" also means to relentlessly pursue our goals with reckless abandonment, not allowing obstacles to overcome us, and to accept full responsibility with what comes along with obtaining that goal.  Throughout my time at the High Valley Ranch, "OwnIt" was the buzzword. 

    When I took the Leadership Seminar, we weren't verbally reminded of the term, it was expected to be a given by then.  It took awhile for me to realize that.  I was waiting to be reminded, but when I was called out for "not showing up," I started to get it.  By then, "owning it" meant stepping up and taking charge and initiative...something that I considered to be a weak area for me.  I was always the type to let someone else take the initiative.  Nevermind that for the past year I began to learn how much it cost me, I just did not want to take initiative for anything. 

    Upon graduating from MLS, we were then eligible to attend Principia.  Initially upon completing MLS, I thought I was not going to be able to attend Principia because I had a prior engagement that I was already committed to attend.  But I was able to attend about 80-90% of Principia thankfully though I know I missed some fun and challenging events and will have to wait to the next Principia for it. 

    So what was my prior "commitment?"

    When I escorted the contestants for the Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Pageant, I was approached by the group of "housemothers" shortly afterwards to volunteer and model for the On Lok Annual Fashion Show.  I was initially reluctant to help them out in that capacity.  I downplayed the entire everything.  I gave them a disclaimer that I was an actor, not a model, and therefore would not know how to conduct myself on the runway.  When people inquired about my initial absence from Principia, I explained to them that I had a prior commitment which I did.  When I was at Principia, my LS Brothers and PSI 7 Teammates would ask me about my upcoming premature exit from the event, and I'd explain that I was a "volunteer" for a charity fashion show.  I told very little people what exactly I was scheduled to do.  If I did tell them, I downplayed the responsibility entirely.  ("Oh, they wanted everyday people, NOT PROFESSIONAL models...""I don't know why they asked me, I already warned them I'm an actor, not a model...")

    So after the conclusion of the fashion show, I had lunch with my liondance team and was planning to head home to sleep when it really hit me about my whole attitude and approach to my experience in helping out the On Lok Center. 

    I wasn't "OWNING IT." 

    Downplaying the whole experience meant that I was distancing myself from the event.  I didn't own the fact that out of 15 guys who helped escort this year's pageant, I was one of the two members chosen to help out.  I didn't own the fact that I was trusted by this particular committee for my level of professionalism.  I didn't own the fact that I rebuilding relationships that were lost for almost ten years.  And in turn, I wasn't owning the experience I created at the High Valley Ranch during Principia. 

    So I drove three hours to return to the Ranch in order to own and claim what I got out of Principia.  Let me tell you that it was worth the drive all the way.  Owning and accepting.