Top 7 lessons learned in first 7 months in peace corps

The content of this website/blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the United States government or the Peace Corps.

I'm 7 months into my 27 month service! woohoo! That means Im over 1/4 done, and that means I want to share with you what has been challenging me to be a better man every day.

7. The importance of focusing in on what you want to accomplish. In each one of my schools, there is 1 torn up and ratty textbook for each classroom (my schools consist of about 15 students each, with students from 1st to 6th grade in ONE classroom, with ONE teacher to teach em all at the same time). You can imagine how many things I would want to do to improve that situation. If I tried to do everything, I'd never get anything done. One thing at a time. . 

 These may or may not be pictures of my cute little students.
Tell me they are not worth it. 

6. Decisions. Decisiveness is one of the most important abilities. You hurt other people with your indecisiveness. You get less done, you are unorganized, and makes you look like you can't even control yourself, let alone lead others. 

How to decide what project to get involved in? What career to choose? Do a Priorities Matrix. Look it up.

That's me grabbing life by the horns. It's a metaphor... but that really happened.

"Tom, wanna do a backflip into the water?"

One second later: "Yes, definitely"

Is this a smart decision? Maybe. Have I ever done it before? Yea. Did I get hurt? Not really. Will it produce a better story than not doing it? Yes. Let'd so it.

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5. Have joy through pain. It is possible. And it's bullshit if anyone tells you otherwise. The first 5 months of this experience were so mentally challenging. It was painful. But then I found how to have joy through it. Wanna know how? It's as simple as making a decision to (and my "simple," I don't mean the act itself is easy, but the answer that I just gave you is). A daily, hourly, and sometimes minute-by-minute decision is what it takes, but no matter what, make the decision to be joyful.

Me trying to act all tough during training. I had to go to the hospital and I missed the day we were given our official assignments, so my boss came to visit me to personally give it to me. It's just an example of finding joy thru whatever happens. I was happy as could be

4. When you take a big leap, you are usually largely rewarded. For me, often times this meant just leaving my house and walking around in the community. Sounds tough, huh? Well, it was. You wouldn't understand unless you have been a Peace Corps Volunteer yourself. Your only safe haven is your room. Outside was the constant struggle of language, uncertainty, embarrassment, and extreme mental effort of all that (For the record, I now soak it all in). The reward of making that effort of making the big leap? Meeting people, making friends, having once in a lifetime "happen chance" meetups.

I met one of my friend here when I first moved to town. I forced myself to leave the house. I saw two people struggling to carry an almost 50 pound sack of beans. I offered to help. They invited me in when I got to their house, turns out shes a teacher in a rural school too, and now we are good friends, closer than I ever would have been if not putting myself out there. Heres us holding on for dear life in the back of a truck coming home from school.

3. My value. My value has not ever, nor ever will be, determined by others. It's shameful that for 25 years of my life I have let me life be run that way. I've found extraordinary success in aspects of my life important to me (sports, friends, schools, but what is the value if its for them and not for me?) Being critiqued every day at the beginning of this experience (linguistically) made me feel like a failure, because in my mind, everyone was seeing my failures every day. But then I realize that my most recent success or failure has nothing to do with me being a success or a failure in that moment.  My value is who I know I am.

If you cant make it out, that's me giving you the ol Uncle Sam power point - telling you to be who you are, give it your all, and be content with what happens. Don't let other people's perceptions of what you do affect you. Let them judge and judge - you keep on moving forward

2. Appreciating correction. Only the fool doesn't appreciate correction. Appreciating correction makes a person wise. Correction is a sign of progress. Appreciating correction is a sign of maturity.The next 15 seconds changed my life; it changed how I learn:

                                                              WATCH 5:37-5:52 of this vid:

Watch 5:37-5:52 of this vid

1. The greatest character you will ever learn (aka, the most growing up) is when other people make fun of you when you mess up(aka when you are learning and getting better). I am convinced. Absolutely convinced. Want to read what is in my opinion the most masterfully written piece of advice ever given for those struggling? (Thanks for sharing this with me the day I arrived here, Josh)

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

As an aside: My strength is only thru Christ. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing a shitty job; other times I'm the fucking man. That's life, right? But seriously, at the end of the day most times, after pushing myself day in and day out, Im exhausted, and I realize I can't do it on my own. I'm like an arid desert; I'm cracked and dried, and thirsty to be filled and nurtured and satisfied. I allow God to fill those inadequacies and weaknesses and to take care of me. He has never let me down. He never will.