Think Big: Challenging the "Norms"

Hey Y'all!!!

These past few weeks have been amazing. I have had the opportunity to meet so many diverse and exciting people. Courtney and Kristin are very empowering and incredible. I have seen things that I only imagined seeing in the past. As a good ole' southern boy, I have always imagined visiting New York City. And the fact that I had the opportunity to actually go and experience all the different activities blows my mind. Even visiting St. Peter's Hospital provided me with an unique outlook on the other side of a hospital--thru the eyes of the men and women who work in security. This experience has challenged me to think outside the box and be innovative. I believe, as Orientation Leaders, you are the pioneers for the incoming students at Rutgers. You can make or break their experience. So, it's important to stay positive and to do that, you have to be happy with yourself.

With that being said, I challenge each of you to create and make this summer what you want it to be. I recently made a list of 25 things I want to do before I turn 25. Here is why:

If I had a dime for every time someone said, "Life is too short," I would probably be a millionaire. No matter if you hate the phrase or live your life by it. The truth is--> life is quick. Our society has created these checkpoints along the road we call life. Graduate from high school, attend an university, find a career, get married, have kids, send them to school, ....and then you die. I am a strong believer that God has created the world for us to explore, learn, create, and develop relationships that express His love for us.

My list has two purposes. First, I wanted to take the road less traveled. I hate when things are laid out for me, and I am told that I have to do exactly what is told of me. Social norms date back as far as history goes. Conflict theory is defined as the sociological perspective that focuses on tension, competition, and division in society (Bankston). Bascially, the list is designed to change the "norms" that my life has portrayed about me thus far. I want to do things that I would not normally do and create an environment that I am not be comfortable with. Secondly, many leaders of our society have done things that people told them they could never do. Martin Luther King, Jr. , Gandhi, Mother Tersea, President Obama, and even Michael Jackson, all of these figures (icons) were told they could not accomplish the impossbile, but through the Grace of God they were able to prove society wrong.

Be extraordinary. Be innovative. Be yourself. Make this summer count.

Rod