I recently watched the movie We Bought a Zoo and heard this line:
“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
In the movie our main character, played by Matt Damon, is giving advice to his son, and really challenges his son to feed his butterflies by talking to a girl.
As a student leader on your campus, I challenge you to explore your un-comfort zone for growth and creativity, with actions that consist of a small, but important 20 seconds:
- Talk to someone you don’t know in the lunch line and tell them about your organization
- Compliment someone on a job well done within your organization
- Go to an interest meeting for a club that you’ve always been interested in
- Ask someone on your team, who you don’t usually talk to, to grab lunch together
- When you see a leadership position open, encourage someone within your organization to take on the role
The main reason I applied to take on a leadership role at my campus was because of my peer mentor, Jake Magnan, who said I’d be great for the role and that I should apply. Sometimes, the smallest actions make the biggest impact. Now, I sit as a senior peer mentor and student assistant within the leadership program. It is my pride and joy at the University of Delaware, and I don’t know where I’d be without the kind words from Jake. He gave me the cue to dust off my dance shoes and report to the dance floor, and you best believe that I got my 5 on!
So today, I challenge you to feed your butterflies, with an action that takes less than 20 seconds. You can pick from the list above, or create your own task. And I promise you, the action will make someone feel welcomed, connected, and engaged on their campus.
