“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” In this journey we call life, most of us go through a time where we learn lessons or change our ways because of a previous powerful experience. I had three experiences during the summer of 2012 that shaped me physically, mentally, and spiritually into the person I am today. Each experience changed me in a different way, but the one thing they had in common is that they made me a better person.

The adventure that helped me grow physically was going to a Nike running camp at Winona State University. It was during last years track season when Seth asked me if I would attend this Nike running camp with him. I did not hesitate to say yes. When I arrived, I was a bit afraid of the unknown, thinking to myself, “could I survive these intense workouts?” The hilly landscape presented a week of physically challenging running, but made me stronger in the end. I learned how to properly warm-up and stretch for workouts and nifty racing techniques. Everything I had learned has contributed to bettering myself as a runner and an overall athlete.

An experience that strengthened me mentally was the HOBY Youth Leadership Seminar at Central College in Pella. HOBY is a 3 day leadership seminar for sophomores in high school that teaches leadership through service. Their mission is to inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service, and innovation. HOBY has inspired me to become a better person in so many aspects of my life. The coolest thing I experienced was their learning philosophy which was not teaching you what to think, but how to think. I was submerged into a positive environment where a free exchange of ideas and civil disagreements are encouraged. HOBY really encouraged the ambassadors to go back into their hometown and do community service. It has made me into a person excited to go community service. I also learned about personal leadership and how much ones attitude and goal settings affects their happiness and success. The second day, we focused on group leadership. I learned how youth can inspire and synergize other people around them in simple, but effective ways. HOBY has made such a positive difference in my life.

I grew spiritually over the summer with the assistance of the Steubenville Conference. It was one of the best experiences of my life. At first I was hesitant to even sign up, but can not imagine my life without my Steubenville experience. I was lucky to be in the company of close friends that were ready to deepen our faith. The music the band played really touched my inner soul. The words actually had a powerful effect on me and showed me God loved me so much more than anything else could. Adoration was also a very powerful experience for me. I honestly felt the presence of God within and it allowed me to take a look deep down inside myself and examine the people I was. It helped me identify the parts of my life where I was lacking in my faith and improve on them. It is an experience I will never forget.

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” Tony Robbins knew exactly what he was talking about when he said life is amazing, so we need to be more amazing in return. We can all benefit from slowing down and seeing how situations in our lives can help us grow into better individuals.