A CEO, a war veteran, and me.

     You may look at the image on this post and wonder...well why is there one person in yellow and the rest in grey. I believe this represents the parts and pieces of who we are based on the people who influenced us from the early years, our family. My parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, sisters, and cousins all taught me life lessons along the way. In my formative years those relationships were some of the most important. I admired my oldest sister for what she did in undergrad, my middle sister for the things she overcame, and my parents for the lessons they taught me. Now, I will say I haven't always agreed or had the best relationships with the idea of family, but we learn so much from them in our early years I think it is important to discuss the impact their presence or absence has on us.

     So what do a CEO, a war veteran, and I have in common....our blood. My grandfather on my mother's side was a paratrooper in World War II who paraglided into Normandy on D-Day and received a silver star for his "gallantry in action against an enemy." My grandfather on my father's side was the CEO of a Coca Cola bottling company, a long time trustee for Kent State University, and a leader in his field who gave back with his time, talents, and treasure. I learned an incredible amount from each of them, which impact me as a leader to this day!

   1. Give what you can. My grandfathers were kind and generous men. They showed me the value of supporting causes and using what you have to give back. My grandfathers had very different level of resources. My mom's dad gave to the people in his community through helping and doing what he could. My dad's dad was a philanthropist and committed to giving back financially to University of Miami and other organizations through donations and service on boards. They gave what they could of their time, talents, or treasures and showed the importance to me at an early age.

2. Relationships matter. At the funeral of both of my grandfathers I met people they had impacted. A four star general insured my mom's dad had a military burial and countless individuals shared stories of how my grandfather had impacted their lives in the small Texas town. My dad's dad was laid to rest with business colleagues, friends, and individuals who had been helped through hard times by his generosity. When we die it isn't the things we did, but the impact we leave on people that is remembered, which was a lesson that helped me know how to work, how to make connections, and work to leave spaces a little better then I found them.

3. Enjoy the moments you have.  The only constant is that life ends. Unfortunately the three grandparents I have had to say goodbye to had ends to life related to health issues that negatively impacted their quality of life. Life is fragile and living the moments we have is a way to have the best life possible. Love deeply, care for others, and encourage the world to be better. This lesson was one that I learned by watching their lives end, but the life they lived is a true testament to the value of each and every moment.

     The world is full of lessons in every second. I showcased ones from my relatives, but lessons can be found if you are willing to take in all this world offers. 

Benjamin M. Williams is currently the Coordinator for Student Involvement at the University of Colorado, Boulder.  He is originally from Atlanta, GA where he graduated from Georgia State University with a B.A. in Sociology and completed a graduate degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Outside of his position he enjoys volunteering for professional associations, fundraising for higher education causes, and spending time exploring concepts related to social justice, student development, and organizational structures. Personally he spends time working on personal health, work life integration, and exploring this wonderful world of ours