BACK STORIES

Our Back Story is about our journey in life. It is as unique to each of us as our fingerprint or our DNA. Our back story tells of who we are, not what we do. Our back story embraces all our life experiences, from the general environments of our upbringing to specific situations, events, or occurrences. In composite, it is our life's journey, rather than our knowledge, that sculpts our wisdom. Our experiences define, refine, and reveal who we are in the world, e.g., our true nature, our self-truths. Our character is the persona and identity of everything we do; the choices we make, the relationships we build, the path we forge and the contributions we make. Character is simply who we are and how we lead in the world. "Leadership is less about power and more about influence. It calls for each of us to stand up and contribute our personal best. It's about becoming the person we were meant to be by breaking down the barriers that limit us. It's about challenging our fears so we can take the next step and the one after that. It is less about where we are in life's hierarchy and more about disposition, choice, action and follow-through that mirror our strengths. It has less to do with how others define us and more to do with the perspective from which we view ourselves and our life. It is equally about how and why we take action from where we stand." ~ Rebekah Christensen, Chair, Cal-IPGCA