So last weekend was my last trip for the summer, and it was probably the most mentally exhausting plus motivating trip of them all! It was GlobeMed's Leadership Institute in Evanston, IL! Two full days of presentations, workshops and planning with the other co-president Alana, ghU coordinator Madeleine and GROW coordinator Monica! One inspiring/reflective activity we did was figure out how to tell our "Story of Self" or how we got to be passionate about global health/social justice, which is probably why a lot of us are in GlobeMed. When I got home, I put together my responses to certain prompts they gave us, which had me look honestly at where I've come from and how it got me here. So here goes...
I come from a comfortable lifestyle and a nearly problem-free Christian family (compared to the world at large, of course. We aren't perfect.) My path has been largely obstacle-free, allowing me to pursue interests ranging from volleyball to orchestra to biology and everything in between. I always knew that I could, you know, "reach for the stars," do anything, have anything I worked toward. Whichever career might interest me was worth my consideration because I probably had access to the resources it would require, but I still never felt particularly drawn to anything. I knew what I could do but the question of why was always pulling at me, never letting me be completely satisfied.
Once I started to realize that this lifestyle wasn't fulfilling me, I began to see the aspects of my life that, while not necessarily bad in and of themselves, perpetuated it. The material comfort of my life allowed me to not think about the why of suffering I had heard of but not really experienced. Busyness and success filled my time and I never stopped to consider why so many other people weren't able to achieve the things that I had, even if they worked so much harder than me. Concern with what I was doing blinded me until the questions really started flowing in about "my future" and I was forced to consider how I might build a life that actually meant something in the wake of all this.
So now I'm in the process of figuring that life out. I want to try my best to live a life that doesn't rob anyone else of the things I enjoy. I want to continue in academic pursuits of the best ways to serve the world without becoming a burden to it. I want to work on my relationships with people and develop a much stronger attitude of compassion. Most of all, I want to honor God by seeking the best for His kingdom and people, rather than the best for myself.
That brings me to GlobeMed, because after all, I began this self-reflection exercise at their prompting. The "what" of GlobeMed attracted me of course, with its focus on bringing power back into the hands of local people worldwide so that they can create positive, sustainable change in their own communities. How each chapter and partner organization does that is different, and though the GlobeMed model focuses itself on health and health-related rights, I believe their tactics to be some of the best I have heard of in helping any marginalized group of people. My personal involvement in GlobeMed has not only allowed me to contribute to their movement during my undergrad years, but it has equipped me with so many tools, skills and passions that I can use for whatever I pursue in life. I have learned the value of partnering with local people on the other side of the world, the ability to listen and find out what the actual best solutions are without the effects of my biases, how to relate my experiences in ways that might inspire other people, and so, so much more. Of course I'll still struggle with this because of the West's superiority complex and my own stubbornness about ideas, but I now have the tools to keep working on it. This year I am a co-president of Lawrence's chapter, and I'm so excited because what I want for all of the members is that they use whatever passions and skills they have to bring peace and support to places that need it, and I am grateful for this chance to inspire them to do so. In fact, I think they are already doing so because their interest in GlobeMed probably has stemmed from a desire to partner up with the world and make it better. We have an exciting year ahead, but more importantly, an exciting life ahead. We really can get back to the "whys" of the world and work from those to make a difference.
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| Madeleine, Monica, me and Alana at LI :) Just a small part of a great team! |
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