The theme of the seminar was to think about what project are you going to make that will create a dent in the universe, cause a ruckus, and ultimately change the scope of the people you care about…then ship it. Seth made it clear that we must first understand how we want to see the world - our world - and what we’re willing to work on, how much effort we’re willing to put in, to create change. At first, it almost felt as if he was teaching me how to describe yellow to a blind man. The challenge with the project that I want to work on wasn’t whom I want to change, but how. How do you get someone who’s never had something you know they need, to trust you and your decision to helping them understand, and eventually helping them overall? Seth’s solution: attach it to what you know by starting to build a foundation of trust & how you want to see. Introducing 80 people for the first time in an intimate setting requires a lot of trust. He’s perfected the art of building a tribe and in turn, being a leader, all stemming from that basic concept.
When I was a kid I was always active. I found my tribe through sports. People who did things like me were fun & inspiring to be around. I never worried about fitting in, or the fact that I was [more than likely] the only black person on my team, more specifically Haitian…or any other race for that matter. I always fit in because of physical activity, as this was something that I was familiar with, something I trusted.
This time around, what do I see? In a room full of people like me, they don’t look like me. I’m the minority and am wondering where is everyone else that looks like me. In an unfamiliar area, I couldn’t tell if I would be accepted the way I felt when I stepped on a basketball court or soccer field. As much as I fit in, there’s still a piece of me that is completely different than everyone else in the room: the only black female. This wasn't the point, but I embraced the difference. Not many people can say that.
Learn how you want to see, and in turn who you are working to change by getting specific. The point is not to focus so much about demographics; that I’m a 30-year-old black female, but about the psychographics – who people are. I’m a 30 year old black female that picked herself to be immersed in a weekend geared to feed my soul, aspiring to create a dent in the universe.
Clarity transpired almost instantly.
Once you learn how to see, you can recognize and care about who you want to help.