Three years ago today, I lost a very close friend of mine to a horrible and extremely rare disease. She was the mother of one of my best friends, and I grew up with her always around encouraging us at school functions, sports games, and social gatherings. Before her passing, the only other time I had to deal with the loss of a loved one was when I was 5 years old, and I was too young to understand what was going on then.
How can the loss of someone close to you teach you something about leadership? Because leadership is about first finding your inner self. It's about creating a satisfying and fulfilling life spiritually and emotionally before venturing out to impact the lives of others. No one can effectively encourage or inspire another person without first leading his or her own extraordinary life.
I miss my friend's mom dearly. I still find myself looking at a beautiful sunset and wondering what she's doing in Heaven. I still think of her warm smile and contagious laugh, and it brings my own face to a smile. I still ache for the family she left behind as the kids are starting to get married and do not have their mother at their weddings, children's births, or holidays. But I know that she is not suffering anymore and that God has instilled a strength in her and her family for them to be able to carry on from their experience. And despite my relentless efforts to be successful in school and in my career, I know that life is too short to be anything but happy. I know that my family and friends are the most important people in my life, and no matter how stressed I can be on some days, they keep me grounded and focused on the important things in a genuine perspective. I appreciate everyone around me and make sure they know it because I never know when God has a change of plans in mind.
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