During Leadership Week there was a panel presentation entitled "Leadership Issues for Women" given by five very powerful women in high positions, including two senior vice-presidents of major corporations. Each had a different way of achieving her position, and they lived very different lifestyles. But they all had one message in common: they got to where they were for many reasons - not the least of which was being themselves. Sounds simple enough, but how do you "just be yourself"?
The only way to do this is if you first know who you are. The women who presented on this panel KNOW who they are. I mean really know. They have taken the time to look inside themselves and discover their deepest fears, their wildest dreams, their strongest values. The fast-paced world in which we live is not conducive to this task, and yet they did it anyway.
These women did not always like what they saw. Some learned at inopportune times that they were in unfulfilling careers: they had always pictured themselves in particular jobs, earned degrees in the appropriate fields, and built solid careers only to realize ten years later that they were not happy. Most importantly, though, is that when they realized they were not happy, they changed their circumstances. They kept searching to find out what was wrong or, more importantly, what was missing.
As a college-aged person, how can you learn who you are? For one thing, ask yourself if you are comfortable with how you act. A constant feeling of nervousness or irritability probably indicates that you are often outside your comfort zone. Are you doing things you want to do? Are you happy with the direction your life is taking? This is certainly not to say that change is bad or that taking risks is not useful. But if you feel as though everything you say or do is a risk, you may be trying to be something you are not.
On the other hand, if you are always relaxed and have always believed the same things and acted the same way - do something differently! Talk to people you otherwise would not talk to, listen to what others believe and to how they live their lives. Learn to appreciate the differences in people. Do things that you have never done. Do things that you are successful at, but also do things that you are not so good at. Doing only what you know you do well does not lend to growth. Take some risks - you will discover more of who you are when you fail, you can learn humility.
Then, after you have spent time observing others and observing yourself, set time aside to really think about who you are. This is especially important to do if you are interviewing in the near future. Your resume will speak to what you have done, but during the interview you'll need to demonstrate who you are. So spend some time contemplating who you are by writing down what your values are, what motivates you, what qualities in yourself you admire, and what you stand for. People who never think about the bigger picture will end up on the treadmill of life, getting nowhere fast. So spend time alone, or with a friend or a counselor, and consider who you are. You may be surprised at what you find!