What if the plane would have landed in the fire...

Around 2 weeks ago when I landed on Vienna’s airport I had no clue how the experience of applying for a foreign MC can actually force you to step out of your comfort zone. Maybe not even in this moment when you step in front of the people who rarely know you to give your speech and answer to their questions, but later, later when the plane has actually landed in the fire.

Yes, I had passed quite similar process in Estonia before, I was pretty self-confident about my knowledge, but I never considered the importance and the effect of emotional side.

To be questioned, it´s always challenging, but at the same time it pushes you forward.

What if the plane would have landed in the fire, controlling the emotions, paintings, 10 ways how to use a brick, oi lii, oi laa, a bomb and the golf balls, a ship & a plane & a walk, candles, MC/LC relations, issue-based recruitment, products to export from Estonia, women stepping on men etc.

For sure something still to think about, at least for me.

It was as well the first experience of being the only delegate representing Estonia, which of course pushes you more to communicate with people - sharing your experience, your country. There are at least some people more now who know that the highest peak of Estonia is 318 meters, that we have e-government and e-school and there is a word TERVISEKS.

And it was really heart-warming to see people coming to you with an interest to find out more about your country.

But coming back to emotions, before NK1 I remember 2 conferences which have had a really emotional closing and usually it has been created artificially (music, presentations etc.) But this time it was only about people, people sharing their feelings and emotions – people learning about themselves, people being touched, people still seeing the light in the end of the tunnel, people being disappointed, people questioning others. And this is the untouchable power showing the way for the quest for excellence.

In addition for me the end was a big question mark. Is it really good-bye or just see you?

Today reflecting back of having a similar experience, you can only be a winner. Therefore I strongly suggest you to live it through. Look around, ask yourself: “If not me then who?” and grab the opportunity.

Kaisa

It’s my theory!

Last but not the least; I finally enter this world of blogging returning back from my hibernation. Frankly I was quite back into my self reflection and thought process of the intense international experience I am going though.

Sitting here in the MC office almost ready to pack up to end a hard day's work.Drinking coffee. Thinking. Not daydreaming. Not wasting time. Not worrying. Simply thinking and trying to put my thoughts on paper trying to sum up what’s my theory of life and what is it that makes me reach there and I feel;

One of my best habits is about me thinking on the importance of having a sense of mission and then staying true to it (which I developed more and more living alone, getting a lot of space to think and retrospect).. It's not easy though.

Ask me about that each moment I had to go through on this tough life changing , challenging experience called the international termJ which is still going on, but it was my dream and it was my choice and sitting back today and just thinking about it gives me a total sense of satisfaction.

At 22, I could not have asked for more in life I have it all, while the girls of my age are back home studying (at lest acting to) or getting married , I feel really proud of myself living on my own, Leading, cooking, learning, experiencing , traveling, earning and basically being the master of my own life. It seems I have it allJ

Last few years of this unconventional life named AIESEC is taking me near to my dreams each day.
I've found that the bigger I dream, the more obstacles I face. My mission in life is pretty straightforward: I want to be a consultant who helps the companies drive change and innovation which constantly gives its workers the best challenging environment to work in and through AIESEC I just try to develop more and more each day by playing different roles at different positions in turn giving it back to make sure more and more people go though this beautiful experience that I went through.

I have a big passion to get that dream done and do my part to make this world a place of just not implementers and managers but dreamers, believers, achievers and leaders. This isn't just going to be a business to me – it's going to be my calling. But the higher I reach, the more I get tested. Sound familiar?
But challenges are good. We grow through them. We are most alive amidst danger. The wisest amongst us – the genuine leaders – smile in the face of adversity. They understand that life tests the big dreamers – the passionate revolutionaries. It's almost like a weeding out process – only the strong (and the best) get to live their heart song, it seems the Darwin’s theory of ‘Survival for the fittest applies the best here’.
So I'll rise above any resistance I meet. I'll keep my eyes on the dream. I'll stay on the message and solidly on mission. Because this world belongs to us dreamers – you and I. And whether we ultimately win or not, we will have made a difference. And that's good enough for me.

In short Leadership for me is nothing but a road less traveled and that’s what exactly AIESEC does in your life, takes you though this unconventional way to achieve your dreams.
And this simple is my understanding and theory of life!

Kreta

Choices

What were the choices you made in the past, choices that lead you where you are today?
Let me share one of mine with you. 4 years ago I saw a poster on the wall in my university about one info evening, nothing special, though I decided to go, as I had nothing else planned that time. This one random choice caused a huge snowball effect, making me the individual who I am today. We never know which one of the choices we make daily can be the choice and when we have actually missed the opportunity of a lifetime.

While making the choices, you quite often just have to trust your gut feeling and give a try. And you actually might get what you have dreamt about.

Lately there have been few amazing things happening with me. First, I got selected to CEEMOS 06 agenda team. I`m working together with 2 other girls from Poland and Bulgaria to build up the whole conference for CEE newies.

Second, me and Liisi got the chance to work together with Endrik Randoja to compile the content for the youth conference which AIESEC and Fastleader are organising in the end of January. I have been fascinated by the training companies quite a long time already as this is the area where I see myself working in the future. And now working together with a person who is an expert in this field and has really inspired me, it’s the experience what only few can truly understand and live through.

Let`s see, what comes next.

Kaisa

FISH!

Way to go Mairi! I also want to share some impressions and thoughts, from our partner Fastleader seminar I recently attended.

Have you ever heard of the Pike Place Fish market? Imagine an ordinary fish market: fish counters, gloomy salesmen, big crowd… The owner of the Pike Place Fish market decided to break out of this routine and change his market into the best place to work at. They changed the boring routine of just taking a fish from the counter, walking to the other side to pack it and giving it to the customer. Instead, they discovered that it’s much more fun if they started to shout orders and throw the fish to each other, to play with it.

They implemented a simple philosophy that brought in amazing energy and motivation. It made them world famous and the most successful fish market in the US.

What FISH! is and what it is not?
1) Fish! is not a substitute to a strategy, tactics, experience, education and intelligence
2) Fish! is the universal principles:
- Play!
- Make a customer happy (including inner customer)
- Be there, for your clients and co-workers
- Be the master of your attitude
3) Fish! does not work if you just copy it (you don’t have to throw anything)
4) Fish! is not about doing, it’s about being. If we concentrate on who we are, it automatically effects what we do.
People would not imagine that working in a fish market can be great job and a lot of fun. But here’s a live example, visit their website: http://www.pikeplacefish.com/

When we’re talking about creating an excellent culture in AIESEC, a dear friend of mine always used to have one message for members: if you’re not having fun, you’re not in AIESEC. Absolutely! So are you enjoying the things you do here or are you more seeing/talking negative? Either way, this is the culture you will have. One of my mottos that I always try to follow is if you’re not having fun, you’re probably not doing the right thing. Enjoying is everything. And by enjoying I don’t mean cool parties after hard work, I mean enjoying the work I am doing and believing in it. And in this case, what are the odds that the results are not good either? Most people who feel uninspired are because they never seek for things that will inspire them, brilliantly said in the movie “What the BLEEP do we know”. A movie that is a radical departure from convention and the most amazing movie I’ve ever seen. There is a part about Mr Masaru Emoto water messages (http://www.masaru-emoto.net), how thoughts can effect the water and how our thoughts effect us. Our thinking creates our reality!

In the same conference, Jüri Ennet, a well respected Estonian psychologist was talking about how each one of us is a moron and a genius. It’s a matter of letting the genius come out of you and searching for that right hill for you to sit on. A lot of people often think that if I reach there I will be happy, if I get that I will be happy… What they don’t realize is that it’s just a rabbit they try to catch, but each time the rabbit keeps jumping forward. People ask themselves “How can I be happy?” thinking that it’s hard to reach and takes a lot of hard work or that only part of us can be blessed with it. But the answer is so simple and obvious that it would make any grown up feel stupid - “BE”. Bravo to that, Ennet!

Kristi

Impressions from the Steering Team meeting

Just to share a tiny moment from the Steering Team meeting... I am currently sitting in a conference room of AI office in Rotterdam. I can here many people talking different languages in the office - there is Maria talking German on the phone, Mike (CEE Director) and Kuku (MCP in Poland) are chatting in Polish, Pinar from Turkey is constantly hanging on the phone talking Turkish in order to support her team in planning their national conference and then there is Carly (MCP of USA) who becuase of the time difference has to make conference calls in night times.

I guess there are many people in the global network of AIESEC wondering what are these 12 people from all over the world doing there in Rotterdam.. It's hard to grasp it all.. We started off with evaluating where AIESEC is currently in terms of the Strategic Triangle. During the past 2 days we have been working intensivly with the Balanced Scorecard framework to identify the stratgic path for AIESEC 2010 - we are in process in putting together the Business Logic for AIESEC, the main strategies, goals, critical success factors and key performance indicators. My view on AIESEC is constantly challenged - what is that we really do? What is the one thing we should focus on the next 5 years to achieve 2010? What is the approach we need to take towards all our stakeholders? What we really mean by AIESEC XP? What is success for AIESEC?

It's been absolutley a unique and mind-stretching experience. And there are 2 more days to go..

The thing that makes me realize the impact AIESEC has on my personal development is simply asking myself the question - how many other 22 year old Estonian girls are out there who work in an international team, design global strategies for a global organization that unites 20 000 people, manage all the processes that any organization would have, communicate with the top consultants of the world, meet the most respected business people not only from Estonia but the whole world, have a friend in most of the countries in the world... I could go on with the list forever.. But it makes you wonder, doesn't it?

/to be continued../

Mairi