Lessons Learned

Of course in school we learn theories upon theories, in communication I learn about Social Exchange Theory, Social Penetration Theory, Communication Accommodation Theory, and so on. Each time you learned a new theory it sometimes would feel like your world was shifted up on end, everything you thought you knew you didn’t and you saw things that you never noticed before some good some bad. With the Communication Accommodation Theory you learn that as much as we think we are studying what a speaker is talking about he or she is actually studying us and then from what they notice about their audience changes how and what they deliver in their speech. Some of the things you begin to notice are amazing and give you a whole new view point about life that you never thought possible. Other times it can make reality and life seem harsh, you begin to notice that people are not who they seem and you start to wonder if anyone really is. Then you turn inward and look at yourself and question everything about you that you have ever known, questioning whether you are truly the person you want to be or not. In all reality it’s a trip, exciting, dangerous, and the most earth moving experience that no matter what, you can’t find a reason to regret the steps you took to get there and the understanding that came along with it.

Ok so I am getting a little intense here, what I am trying to say is sometimes it’s not about what the Theories are, it’s about the lessons we learn from them. And do you want to know something funny, I don’t think it was until this exact moment that I even understood that. Every time someone tried to get me to explain a concept or an idea I learned from school and my focuses, I always thought they had to be something like Social Penetration Theory. Something that was scholastic and importantly earth shattering. But, you know what is doesn’t, I think from my focuses the 4 greatest things I learned are so simple, but you have to look passed what all those Doctoral Textbooks tell you and learn from what you experience with the knowledge they gave you.

From communication I can say that I learned the ability to see from everyone’s point of view, so essentially Team Work. Also I learned that the ability to communicate and communicate well will be your greatest weapon. In Creative Writing I gain the ability to Pay Attention to Details, no matter how small or unimportant they seem, there is something that can be accomplished from the smallest thread of an idea. It also gave me the ability to Think On My Feet, life is always moving, it isn’t going to stop just because you need 5 minutes to get your head on straight. You have to have confidence in yourself and in your abilities to think and be one step ahead of the game.

At Future for Kids I am now ending my third week, so far every day I use all of those concepts on multiple occasions. We always have to be one step ahead, being a nonprofit company we have to be on our game to get attention and keep the company funded and keep the mission alive. When you do a project you may be the one figuring out what needs to be done and how, but you always have to work with others and have them look over your work. Even our Executive Director has use review her work that she is doing such as grants and so on. You can’t be a lone wolf in a company no matter how much you think you should be. Everything we do has to draw attention to those who are willing to help this company and its cause, you have to be creative and think about what is personal and eye catching. The biggest thing is communication, in a company comprised of two head people, three interns and two other part time staff. You a have to know how to communicate, because the Founder and the Executive Director aren’t always going to be there. You will be holding down the fort, talking to investors and board members, companies giving us grants and so on. The ability to think on your feet, communicate well, pay attention to everything going on around you, and remembering that there is no I in team are the greatest assets I could have ever hoped for. I am grateful for the experience that have given me the tools to drive head first into every situation thrown my way. This is what learning is all about, in ten years it’s not going to matter what your grade was in you COM300 class. What is going to matter is the lesson you took from it.