Words can be empowering

After what felt like a looooooooooong weekend, I came back from HELP's leadership camp in Trolak, Sungkai, Perak. As it was my first ever camping trip to anywhere, I felt mixed emotions about the trip. Obviously, I was excited to be able to go to a camp with all of my friends for 3 days, but I also felt a little worried at what we are the activities going to be like.

In the camp, we were split into 4 teams. My team named ourselves Team Alpha and, after some unexpected events, I was appointed as leader of the team. Seeing as this was a leadership camp, I took this as a test to see if I could be a good leader or not. Thus, in certain activities like the High rope and Low rope activities, I had a team member who was afraid of heights. So, that team member naturally had trouble even starting to do the High rope activity.

To help my team member, I gave words of enouragement like "You can do it" and "This is the time to get up there and get rid of that fear". After a few more of those, my team member finally got up the courage to do it. I, along with my other team members, cheered her on until she made it all the way through to the other side. In another instance, I was having particularly alot of trouble with one obstacle in the Low rope activity. On my second try, I would have fallen down and given up if not for the cheers and words of encouragement from my fellow teammates and advisors that emboldened my resolve to finish the course.

To summarise, words can not only convery messages and emotions, but can also reignite the fire in peoples hearts or steel the resolve of a person willing to give up. Using the right words at the right time can spur on a friend, family member or coworker to stand up and get through or finish what you started.