November 12, 2016
Dear Faranda,
When you read this letter on May 12, 2016 you will have hopefully completed your last spring semester at the University of Mary Washington, and will be three classes away from completing your MBA degree that you started in January 2015. Hopefully, you were fortunate and all the classes you need to graduate were offered in the upcoming summer and fall semester.
You have been working on increasing your name and facial recognition ability, and I know that now when you go to the numerous meetings you must attend with various community partners, you know more than 50% of them by name, face, what organization they represent, as well as a better idea as to who their co-workers are and a greater understanding of their organizational mission. I know this is something that you have always struggled with, but you have a decent memory and are more than capable of remembering all the various people you come into contact with.
At the time you wrote this letter you recently applied to join the Youth Council for workforce development region 13, and will have done your part to ensure that quorum was met, by ensuring that you attend each meeting either in person or via telephone on a regular basis. You will also have started working with the Department of Juvenile Justice on the Re-Entry and Education Pilot project. You have agreed to visit detention centers once a month and give presentations to individuals who are scheduled to be released within the next month into my service area. You will have given at least 4 presentations at this time and each of those presentations has been engaging and energetic. You may have used a PowerPoint, but you did not rely on the PowerPoint to make your presentation YOU MADE IT!!!
You will not be as argumentative by the time you read this letter. You will have learned the art of listening and processing what you are hearing prior to reacting. I know that you like to be contrary, but it has been counter-productive for you and there is a better way….the Carnegie way to get people to see you point of view. As result of you improving your reactions to people, you will be less stressed (and everyone knows how you hate stress). You will be much more relaxed and happier as a result of picking your battles more carefully and accurately, because everything does not have to be a fight.
Keep self-reflecting and you will become the person you want to be, before you know it.
Love ya girl!
Faranda
