3 Questions a Student Must Ask to Have Laser Focus

1.) What are you doing right now that is going to get you to where you want to be? 

“Is there still time to apply for the position?” I asked a peer of mine regarding the applications to be in Peer Leadership. “Yes,” he answered, “but today is the last day to pick up the form.” I was eager to retrieve this form, however, my schedule was busy while I was in school. I was taking 3 Honors Classes, one Advanced Honors Class, and not to mention I was the newly elected Bible Club president preparing for my very first lesson. Needless to say, I did not like to miss anything. At the end of the school day I encountered a teacher, Mrs. J who oversaw an African Culture Club at my High School and I had no choice but to ask her if she could point me in the right direction to receiving this Peer Leadership Application. 

Once we arrived in the classroom where the applications were located, the teacher running the program was nowhere to be found. The lights were out and no application was in sight. Mrs. J found no issue going over to the teacher's desk and pulling the application for me. I was relieved and found no issue with how I got the application until the next day when I turned the application in...The woman who ran the Peer Leadership program had a system where the students would sign out an application, which meant she needed to be there for me to receive the application. Yes, I was nervous that she would not want me to be in the leadership program after she shrugged her shoulders and said “We’ll see if you get in, you can’t just come in and take.” 

However, my reputation preceded me and by God’s grace, I was accepted. 

When I was in High School I always had a burning desire to be in leadership. Despite my calm and reserved characteristics, there was still a necessity to be bold and courageous to fit the shoes of a leader. This challenged me to come out of my comfort zone and take leaps of faith to apply for those big roles. 

My work ethic in the classroom, as an athlete, and the activities I participated in outside of school were all put into perspective when the role I was applying for was being evaluated. The evaluators would measure my character, sportsmanship, and how the world viewed me (through letters of recommendation.) Some of the values that the evaluators were looking for were integrity, honesty, and of course, responsibility. After all, why would they choose someone who is not responsible enough to complete the given tasks? The moral of the story is, I needed to demonstrate the characteristics and values of a leader before obtaining the leadership position. 

2.) Why are you doing it? 

The activities that you participate in should be a reflection of where you see yourself in the future. Here is the best analogy I have heard on the topic of purpose: A bird can spend its whole life trying to learn to swim because he was so inspired watching the fish swim. (We know that if you place a fish in freshwater with some sea plants and feed it, this fish is its element.) As inspired the bird may have been by observing this fish, that is not what the bird was created to do. The bird was created to fly, hence the reason it has wings. It may have been an afterthought to the bird that what came easy to him did not come easily to the fish. Sure, the bird can get into the water, but if he tried to breathe under the water he would…well, we know what happens. 

Certain activities and tasks come so easily to you, but to everyone else, it is a challenge. Here is what I have learned and observed: the hurtful and painful experiences helped to reveal my purpose in life. As a child, I faced adverse childhood experiences which included abuse and poverty. In my mind, I thought “Am I the only one experiencing this right now? What should I do?” While at the time, I did not know what to do or how to cope with such difficulties, now I can say this is the reason why I write, motivate, and empower. I want to be the person that I needed when I faced those challenges. 

Thus, throughout my education process, I searched for various opportunities to serve my community, but especially the youth. Two programs that I was a part of were TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) and Peer Leadership. In TEAM, those who were in this group and I had the opportunity to go to different elementary schools to teach them life skills such as standing up against bullying. 

To have laser focus you can ask yourself these questions: What makes me angry? What makes me sad? What do I know can be done better if I were doing it? Once you have answered these questions, now ask yourself, “What am I going to do about it?” This will be the driving force for you when you are pursuing your purpose. 

3.) Are you being challenged?

The enemy to hard work is comfort. When anyone becomes too comfortable in an area that was meant to produce, it is because they lost their drive and motivation. One of the major ways you can maintain your motivation is by being challenged. Challenges are what make athletes stronger, faster, and prepared for their next event. They are also what keep students on their toes so that they do not “sleep” before their next test. 

When my peers and I applied for Peer Leadership there was a common fear that we would be rejected. However, to further understand leadership, leaders are willing to take a stand and are not afraid of being rejected or critiqued. Every day we have an opportunity to take a stand and that means that you ought to be willing to face the challenge. So, I conclude with this question: What new challenge are you going to take on to have laser focus?