My Michaelangelo Moment

As is often the case, I seem to experience certain moments in my daily interactions with youth that bring to life a concept that I’ve recently taught or written about.  I call this one my “Michaelangelo Moment”.

My initial lesson as part of the KaleidoEye leadership program is titled “Your lens on leadership“.  The primary objective is to encourage students to own, and celebrate, the difference they make for others.  I use the “ripple effect” as a symbol for this concept.

After sharing this lesson with a group of 8-9 year olds this morning, one of the students walked up to me and asked, “You mean my ripple actually affects others?”  The look in her eyes was one of tremendous confidence and hope.  It was if I had given her an unexpected gift.

My last blog entry referred to the Statue of David and Michaelangelo’s belief that David was revealed through a process of chipping away at who he was NOT; an uncovering of the Truth.

Well, I felt like Michaelangelo in that moment as I witnessed this young girl uncover a hidden truth; that she does in fact matter.  I may have been the one to share the gift, but she chose to open it and embrace its tremendous value.