Never had I ever cried in the first three years in @ because of the hardship, but 9 times already since I received the water bucket (trust me, I have a record of all the times I cry ;)). It might last 1 hour or just burst into tears at 4 am. There’s the time that I lost all my trust in this organization and its people, and there’s the time that I seriously thought about resigning from this position. All these downs have broken my limits from time to time, and they also make all the ups reach the highest level. Now I am still here, sipping a cup of hot chocolate, reflecting on all that I have gone through, and can’t be more grateful for all the tears, breakdowns, joy, failure, happiness, pride, anger, shout, sleepless nights that shape me into the better person I am today. And I am writing these words to send to all the P candidates about how worth it is to become a P, and to remind myself years later how awesome my university life used to be.
As an organizational head, I learn how to apply my own strengths and visions to drive the whole organization. As a part of the National Leadership Body (NLB), I sharpen my strategic thinking ability and organizational mindset to not only grow my own entity but also develop AIESEC in Vietnam as one. As the leader of EB team who manages 7 other Managers, I develop my consulting & coaching skills to ensure operational excellence, meanwhile creating meaningful relationships with those awesome peeps.
As a person, I NATURALLY gain calm when facing difficult situations, even in @ or life. I NATURALLY seek inner peace in the midst of the storm. And I NATURALLY learn how to look at the bright side with a positive view even though everything is messy. These traits have been gradually shaped in me that can not be learned but only by experiencing all the obstacles. I move closer to my self-actualization, face my darkest side, understand myself on a deeper level, and embrace it with an open heart.
Lastly, of course, all the opportunities I have acquired thanks to this position. I can’t be more proud to be a part of P commission – a collection of 10 big brains constantly fighting for their beliefs. I access the @ international network to see that many people outside of this country are experiencing the same hardship as me and sharing the same values & visions as me. I was referred to lots of career opportunities by my alumni network because there is something in me that they believe in. And tons of stories to tell in all my interviews, proving my loyalty & commitment to an organization, as well as my skills & cognitive abilities.
What makes this experience worthwhile is the huge responsibility you can hold in your 20s: to become the CEO of an over-100-member organization to generate an over-500-million yearly revenue, while managing a 400-million liability. All of your strengths & weaknesses as an organizational head will reflect on how this organization operates in the next year. All your dreams, visions, and decisions as a part of NLB will entirely affect hundreds of members in 9 local entities of AIESEC in Vietnam. And they will all give you tons of stories to proudly tell years later – the things that differentiate you from others and make you special as a human being.
This journey will definitely show who you are and where you need to be in this world. And I truly believe this is how AIESEC develops leadership – creating practical experiences in challenging environments.
Only one day left to stand up and become the leader of the next youth leadership movement. Take it, feel it, suffer from it, and be unique thanks to it.
It’s good! It’s good! It’s good to be an LCP!
