Staff/Team Development

In order to have a good team you need to have good, hard-working people that make up the team. A good team needs to have great leaders in charge and the team as a whole needs to have the same vision or goal in mind. A good team also needs to keep trying, they can not get to a certain point and think they can stay there, the team would need to keep improving, keep progessing. A team gets better by having their priorities straight, by always trying to improve themselves, and having each team member playing an active role. The leader would need to get to know the team members and see what each individual would be best doing.

In order to get better, a team would have to do all of the above things. They would almost have to start from square one again and work their way up. You need good, hard-working people, with a good leader and a shared vision!

-Courtney

Self-Discipline

Many areas of my life lack discipline, even though at times I may try and pretend they don't. Those areas always catch back up with me though and remind me that they are still there and they still do need to be worked on. Five areas of my life that definitely lack discipline would be time management, procrastination, study habits, exercising and my priorities. All very important things that would make life much easier if I were on top of all them and self-disciplined with each one.

To improve each of those areas I would need to look at each as a challenge instead of a problem in my life. Instead of going after all of them at once I would need to focus on one at a time and figure out ways to fix that particular one. I could write down and experiment with what would help me accomplish each one and try new things until I have improved each one. Just starting to try and fix each one is is the hardest part, once actually having started things get much easier and the ball starts rolling. I need to sit down and focus on these and really think of ways that would work with my personality in order to fix these, and if some I think won't work at all, then maybe it is my attitude or personality that needs a little changing.

Someone I could look up to as a role model in this area that has a great deal of discipline would be my grandma. From what I can see, she is very disciplined in all areas. She has had more time to work on this, so she is at an advantage compared to me, but she is a great role model for self-discipline and I wish that she could rub some of that off on me.

Currently in life I am mainly accountable to school. It is one of, if not the most, important thing I have going in my life right now. It isn't only affecting me right now, it is something that will affect me the rest of my life. While I am accountable for school right now, I am also accountable to my family, instructors and my boss at work. These are all people that hold me to certain responsibilites and each are putting some sort of trust and time into me. If they are putting trust and time into me, then in return I need to be fulfilling my responsibilities and not letting them down.

Sometimes it is hard to recognize your own faults or where you may lack certain things, but it is good to take time to think about it and think of ways to fix each one. With a little bit of discipline it can be done!

-Courtney

My Misson :D

I am at my best when I am happy, motivated and encouraged..
I will try to prevent times when I am tired, stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted..
I will enjoy my work by finding employment where I can be busy at work- I enjoy doing things that keep my body busy and my mind a little busy so that I can escape from things in my life if I would like to, but I can also think about other things if I would like to. I like to be given tasks along with a free hand. I also love to interact with others and me look at my work as something positive and enjoyable in my life..
I will find enjoyment in my personal life through In my personal life I love to help others and take time for myself, doing things that I enjoy. I like to be productive, encourage others and take as much of life in as possible in my personal life..
I will find opportunities to use my natural talents and gifts such as music and dance. Listening to and helping others. Being a friend. Making others laugh..
I can do anything I set my mind to. I will make a positive difference in peoples' lives. Travel to many different places around the world. Help little kids with their problems. Be a mentor. Do something for myself that I absolutely love doing, such as dancing or modeling..
My life's journey is to always maintain happiness in my life and be a positive impact in others' lives. I am not sure what all this journey would consist of but I would be doing it for myself and for those in need, because helping others is one way to make yourself happy. When I was really down once, my mom told me to go find someone who had a problem that I could help them fix or give them advice on. Once I did that I felt so much better. My journey is just about my personal happiness and the happiness of others..
I will be a person who at my 80th birthday all of my close friends and family would be there with me. Anyone that has helped me significantly in life I would like to be there along with anyone that I helped significantly in their life..
My most important future contribution to others will be a positive, bright, loving, outgoing influence that they could learn from. With a lot of laughter tied in also..

I will stop procrastinating and start working on:

How I feel about and look at myself. I need to maintain a positive image of myself so that others can see me as positive also. I would need to believe in myself before others sincerely would believe in me also. Another would be how I view the world when I am not in the best of moods. I might tend to blame others for the way I am feeling or for a split second consider throwing a pity party for myself, when instead I should be out doing something to make myself view things differently and get out to do something active in order to help myself. I should also stand up for myself and speak my mind a little more often when I don't agree with certain things. I have gotten better but I sometimes slip up and let things go that don't need to be "let go." Along the same lines, I need to change the fact that I don't always open up about my own problems, I keep them locked inside. I need to learn how to express them right. I should not be afraid of failure either. It will only make me miss out on great opportunities in life that I may regret and never get another chance to try.



I will strive to incorporate the following attributes into my life:

Optimistic
Hard-working
Not afraid of failure

I will constantly renew myself by focusing on the four dimensions of my life:

Exercise, eat right, sleep right. Put into my body what I want out of my body.
Have quiet time. Read the Bible and memorize encouraging verses. Have positive, encouraging verses handy or visible for when needed or just to continually be reminded.
Take time for myself. Do things that might be considered a "mental getaway," such as yoga, pilates, reading, music or dancing.
Find a happy medium with many different things. Be outgoing and enthusiastic yet calm. Funny yet serious and strong-willed yet sensitive. Also need to open up more about how certain things may make me feel

Leader-in-the-Field

When told at the beginning of the semester that we were going to have to interview a leader in our desired field, the words, "oh crap" fluttered in my mind because I was not sure what my "desired field" exactly was. At first, I thought I would interview my sociology professor seeing that I was very interested in that class and figured that I wouldn't mind doing something in that field later in life. However, the more I thought about it the more I started to realize that something I want to do, no matter if for a career or a hobby, is help people. After I asked around and did a little research into careers or majors where I could help others, I came across Social Work. There a are a lot of majors and careers that allow you to help others, but this was most similar to what I had in mind. I then found Dr. Herman Curiel from the school of Social Work here on campus and learned of the many things he had done before becoming a professor here at the university.

As a sophomore in college, Curiel was double majoring in sociology and education, when a friend of his talked to him about social work. His friend explained what is was about and what you could do with this degree and by the time the two were done talking Curiel knew Social Work was the field he wanted to be in. Dr. Curiel later received his PhD from Texas A&M in 1979 and has been working to help people ever since then. He made it very clear that many people hear "social work" or "social worker" and automatically think of DHS. When in actuality, there are so many more opportunities with a degree in social work, rather than just working for DHS.

During the interview with mixed questions about a degree in Social Work and strategies to be successful in this field, Dr. Curiel recommended for students in my position to stay focused and to do something they really love doing. When he expanded on this, he told me that if you do something that you enjoy doing then after college is over with you can look back and know that your time in college was worth the struggles and challenges because you are out in the world doing something that makes you happy.

I asked Dr. Curiel what all he had done with his degree, what all of his interests in the field were, and what he felt was his greatest achievement from all of his hardwork. He explained to me that he had specialized, but never had his own private practive (although he could have), in the mental health/mentally ill patients and marriage and family counseling. I was glad to hear that he was a marriage and family counselor because that is also a similar interest of mine. Even though the majority of the people he has helped were in those areas, he also has an interest in elderly hispanic people and HIV/AIDS, along with many other interests. He told me that the main reason for him wanting to get into social work was for his grandmother, she was hispanic and did not speak very well english at all. She became very ill and Dr. Curiel was the one to help and take care of her. After talking about all his certain interests, he answered what his greatest achievement had been thus far. He seemed to have no doubt in mind that his greastest achievement was seeing the positive impact he made in peoples' lives and helping others. I personally think that sort of reward would make me happier than being rich and not happy with what I am doing what-so-ever with my life.

Curiel also gave me tips for college and explained to me what all being a social worker might entail. When I asked for helpful tips that he would give to an aspiring social worker he told me that he suggests students figure out what motivates them and to prioritize. He went further and gave tips for all college students saying, "Learn about yourself, know yourself. Pay attention to what stresses you out and learn a way to solve those problems so that in the future you can recognize it and fix the situation before it completely overwhelms you." After talking for awhile about stress in college, we finally moved on to what being a social worker entails. Curiel explained that to be an effective social worker, one must learn to separate work life from their personal life; nevertheless, it still may be tough at first but there are couseling and help classes for those it is more difficult for. He also said that one must be mentally tough. I knew you had to be mentally tough for some of the situations or challenges you might come across as a social worker but it didn't completely sink in until just then and I think Curiel could tell by look on my face that I was a little concerned with that so he let me know that the courses in college help you become more mentally tough and that there are counseling or help groups for that also.

As the interview started to come to an end, after about an hour, I asked how a leadership role would be important in this certain field. Curiel seemed to think that leadership was a very important quality to hold as a social worker because of all of the people you are trying to help in order to better their lives or help them with a certain problem. They all see you and talk to you and with their lives not being at best, they need a good leader to look up to. If you are giving them advice or trying to help and you don't hold any qualities of a great leader, then how effective is the help or advice really going to be to them? Not very. After Curiel explained that to me, I traced it back to what leadership is...a positive influence... and that is exactly what a social worker would need to be.

Talking to Dr. Curiel was very helpful in many ways and I am so glad that I got the chance to interview him. He answered many questions that I was not too sure about and cleared up some pretty vague areas in my head. I know that I want to help people in some way and after talking to Dr. Curiel this seems like a great way to do just that!

For further information on social work visit, www.naswdc.org

My thought the rest of this week will be to try and be the best positive influence in everything that I do :) Have a good rest of the week!

-Courtney

Future at OU

What could I see myself doing at OU?

I haven't really thought about that much. I have been so focused and stressed about choosing my major and figuring out what I want to do in life that I have seemed to forget about doing things that make myself happy on a daily basis. Yes, college is about getting an education and figuring out what you want to do with your life, but it is also about getting to know yourself, learning what interests you and taking part in things that you have the opportunity to now that you may not have later in life. There are so many different opportunities for students here at the University and so many different organizations or clubs to get involved with. I felt so overwhelmed and pressured this year to try and figure out exactly what I want to do in my life that I sort of neglected everything else which I shouldn't have done because being involved makes life and class so much more enjoyable.

If I had the opportunity to do anything at OU, I am not sure what I would do. I would need to look into all things possible and try out anything that seemed to spark an interest.

My interests are helping others, being part of groups that are very outgoing and friendly, getting to know people, being loud, outgoing and having fun!

I know that with a little research and asking around there are things to get involved in here on campus that would fit me perfectly. I just need to remember that even though the schoolwork of college can be a heavyload, it is not usually "fun" or doesn't usually make me "happy," so I need to make time for things that not only I enjoy doing but that will help me grow as a person.

Well, I have to get off of here now! Have a good rest of the week :)

-Courtney

Attitude

I think attitude is a much bigger thing than people may realize. It is how others see you, your attitude is what someone will remember about you. From being around someone for only a short amount of time I can usually tell if I'm going to be able to easily get along with this person or what this person may be like just from their attitude on life or in a particular situation. Attitude may seem like such a small thing but it can make such a big difference.

In accomplishing a group task, attitude plays a large role. People in the group need to have a positive attitude in order to get things done smoothly. If everyone in the group has a "bad attitude" the task could be very difficult to finish. The leader in the group needs to set the role for the others also. If everyone has a negative attitude or an, "i don't care" attitude the leader needs to be the one to step up and help change that even when it is hard to find the brighter side of things.

At my old dance studio I used to be on the pom squad there and I absolutely loved it and my attitude each time I had practice I seemed to be excited and energetic about it. One year the pom squad I was apart of had to attend a pom camp over one weekend. It was all great and all the girls were very energetic at first, yet when Sunday night came around and we had been dancing and working out what felt like non-stop all weekend, we were ready to just quit right then and there. We were tremendously sore and completely worn out yet our instructor kept making us do the routine until we got it right and did it full out. When we thought we had done the dance for the last time, our instructor demanded we do it again. Some of the girls started crying, others so mad they were about to walk out, then the captain of the squad started clapping and saying things to get all of us motivated. Her attitude towards the situation was very positive and helped all of us. We all reached down and grabbed the last bit of energy we had and while dancing, we were all smiling for a change. That was finally the last time we had to do it, thank goodness. Her attitude towards the situation helped me, and all the other girls, tremendously.

"Our Attitudes are Our Most Important Assets."
I strongly agree with that quote. Our attitude can make a world of difference in any situation. Whether it is a positive or negative attitude is what one must decide for themselves!

Have a good week!!!

-Courtney

Letter from OU

Seniors at Westmoore High School,

While in high school it seems as though every little dramatic thing that happens is SUCH a big deal and you just know that it is absolutely going to kill you or completely ruin who you are. Well erase that thought because it is wrong. High school is only a small portion of your life and you need to remember that. It is a fun, memorable, crazy, dramatic portion, but nevertheless it is just another chapter in your life that you will make it through.

Some things I think you should know as your senior year slowly starts to come to an end are things that I wish someone would have told me when I was in your position. First, life does go on. Things will happen that make you upset or angry but it is how you deal with it that will shape you into who you are going to become. If something bad happens, don't sit around crying all the time and trying to make people feel sorry for you, it is pointless. Life will continue to go on around you so do not try and put your life on hold for too long, get out and do something about the situation! Also, I am sorry to break it to you but people will be mean and bad things will happen (even to good people), how you deal with those problems will reflect how strong and happy of a person you will you be.

Second, don't let your pride get in the way. Get involved in school activities and go all out. If there are dress up days, spirit days, etc. have fun with it. Once you get older, out of school, and have started your career, you don't get opportunities like that. Nobody ever seems to regret the positive things that they did or were apart of, they regret things that they did not do. "Regret for things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable" -Sydney Smith. You don't want to be one that looks back and thinks, "if only..." So go out and live, experience as much as you can so that hopefully you can regret as little as possible later in life.

There are so many things I could say to help you and things I could tell you to watch out for but that could end up being a novel. So to wrap it up, here are the last few things to keep in mind: Keep an open mind after high school and know that there is a far bigger world out there than you even realize. You do not know everything and nobody is going to bow down to you. Remind yourself that you are only one person in this big, big world and hopefully that will keep you humble. Figure out what motivates you and do not let go of it. Work hard for what you want, it will eventually pay off. Also remember to not let your obstacles take you down, you can handle whatever is tossed your way, I promise, just don't give up.

You may need to learn all of these things for yourself through your own experiences, but hopefully they stay in the back of your mind and positively influence and encourage you.

Good luck!

-Courtney
P.S.- Don't forget to laugh, it really is the best medicine :)

Bystander Behavior

It's crazy to think of how a bad situation could've been so much better or completely avoided sometimes, if someone watching would've stepped in to help. So many of us are bystanders that we may not even notice sometimes. We see something wrong going on but either we assume somebody else will help or we just don't feel like getting involved in the situation. Why are we like that though? We should want to step in and help out. I know I have been a bystander in certain situations when I should've done something, but I am working on that and try to step in or get help if I know the problem is out of my control.

The most common thing I have been a bystander to is people saying things about other people, either to their face and putting them down, or behind their backs. Either way it's wrong. I don't stand by as much now as I used to. I will step in if I know the story and know what is going on. People don't realize how just their words can stick with someone forever.

In college I think students may have a hard time speaking up against wrong doing against others because you don't know everyone like you did in junior high and high school. In high school if you spoke up against wrong doing you most likely knew the people and weren't usually embarassed, but in college it's a completely different world because it could be a set of people that you have never seen or met before but know that the situation is wrong; however, you can't work up the courage to go and stop it. Others may have a different view point though, that college students are more mature than high school or junior high students so they may be more likely to speak up against wrong doing. It all depends on the type of person you are and what the situation is.

I think everyone, myself included, should speak up more against wrong doing. Maybe then some situations wouldn't get as bad as they do. I don't think we realize how much it could really help someone.

Well I better go. I'll be more attentive to wrong doings now and speak up or go seek help in situations that I know aren't right. We all should!

Happy Wednesday!
Courtney

Priorities

My priorities... I know I have them and I try and live daily by the order I rank them in and what is most important to me, yet I slip up and don't always do what comes first. There are some that are consistent and some that may change day to day depending on the situation. In high school, or just before I had started attending OU, my priorities were a little different than they are now. In high school the order was probably close to something like this:

God/ Time for myself
Family
Friends
Having Fun/ Working out
Work
Homework/Studying

I was also involved in a lot of clubs/organizations and activities during high school and that ranked pretty high also, I just didn't know exactly where to put that in because it varied day by day. Homework and studying were towards the bottom of the list, mainly because in high school there wasn't much homework given, if any at all. If there was assigned homework it was usually easy or short enough to do right before the class or finish during another class. There were the occassional tests, projects, and papers that took a little bit more of my time, but looking back compared to now, it seems like nobody even put much time into them and yet, still got a decent grade.

Now at OU though, my priorties have definitely changed. They are still the same priorities, just in a different order:

God/ Time for myself
Family
Friends- if something is urgent. If it's just friends wanting to have fun, sometimes I can't.
Homework/Studying
Work
Having fun/ Working out

Homework and studying are both so much more important now. In high school they say, "they are preparing us for college or for the real world." No, not at all. I don't feel like they prepared us enough. Maybe college students wouldn't feel so overwhelmed their first year in college if during high school the faculty and staff made students do a bit more studying, made assignments a little more difficult, and made us actually have to study for the tests in order to do well.

I'm sure that as I get older my priorities will change again. I will eventually want to get married, start a family, start my career, and different priorities in a different order will take place. That's okay with me though, I think I will be just fine without all the homework and studying :) Sometimes I slip up and don't go by that order but I'm working on improving that! Well, I have to go now. Have to go type a paper for english.

Have a good week!

-Courtney

Influences

I've never really taken time to pause and look at who all has influenced me throughout my life. They just sort of influence my life without me realizing or thinking about it. The influential people in my life have changed drastically since I was a kid. They've gone from Barney to Britney Spears (when she first got famous..not now) to my teachers in school and dance, to close friends, or even acquaintances, family and etc. I'm sure I've had my fair share of both positive and negative influences, whether that be people or simply just things/actions.

Recent major influences in my life would have to be my mom and dad, my friends, my instructors at the university, and some actions of others that I have seen lately. I think influences could change daily and that one may have many different influences in just one day. It all depends on who you are surrounding yourself with, what you are doing, and where you might be. My influences during high school are different from who and what they are now, I would say for the better. Some of them are still the same such as my parents and some of my friends but not many other things.

My mom and dad have probably been my most positive influences, along with some of my instructors from the university now. My friends are definitely positive influences too, yet sometimes they might slip up and not be so positive at times. I can't blame them though, I'm sure I'm not always a positive influence either. We all have our bad days and there is definitely room for improvement.

I have my influences that influence my life overall and have helped shape me into who I am today, but I also have my small daily influences that could possibly be different from day to day. Lately, I have been trying to be a better, more positive influence because I know that I pick up small things from other people, so I wonder what small things other people are picking up from me.

Well I have to go read for another class now. Which by the way is taught by a NEW, positive influential person in my life... Dr. Tom Boyd :)

Have a good week!

Courtney

A little about yours truly..

My name is Courtney Wilkerson, or if you're around my immediate family you will notice my name is "Bull" or "Bullems" around there. Probably think that kind of nickname has to have some sort of really cool background story? But no. It doesn't have a cool story, it just started when I was a baby. My great grandpa called me Bull and later my dad turned it into Bullems. My dad likes to make up nicknames for anyone he might meet, so if you are interested in getting a nickname, talk to me and I'll introduce you to my dad.
I have quite a big family because my parents are divorced. I am okay with that though considering it happened when I was in about the first grade. More Christmas and birthday presents also, so it's not too bad ;)
Too wrap up a little about myself here is a brief summary: I laugh way too much, talk too fast and probably too loud at times but I wouldn't have it any other way because that's what makes me..me.

Courtney AKA "Bull"