At the end of last school year, I struggled to find the right words to express how I was feeling. I had lost not one, but two elections and didnât know what was next for me. It was this past summer, however, when I took a step back from BBYO, I realized that this, just like everything, happened for a reason.
Last year, I was my chapterâs Sâganit. I filled in for various board positions, was part of many RLN and ILN programs, steered multiple conventions, attended CLTC 4, and attended every regional, chapter, and international event. I did all this for many reasons, but one that stands out was to make up for lost time. I didnât become active until halfway through sophomore year, but once I started, I loved everything I was doing and was eager to build up my platform for the Regional Board.
By December I started to feel burnt out. With that said, I still showed up every day with a smile on my face. I continued to give everything I did my all and push through. When the regional elections came, I lost. It was upsetting as I felt as if all my hard work wasnât paying off. While it didnât happen overnight, I realized that I was forgetting the big picture. I learned so much, I loved all the work I did, and I encouraged so many people in their BBYO journey. My work wasnât for nothing, and I owed it to myself to give it one more shot. While I unfortunately lost that election too, I had a changed perspective. Itâs weird to say, but I was glad I lost. Donât get me wrong, I would have been happy if I had won, but this felt like it was meant to be.
I decided to give my all to my position as Sâganit. I made it my goal to help rebuild my chapter, and I even ended up winning Sâganit of the Year in GAR! While I wasnât perfect, that year taught me how to recover when things donât go as planned, how to be a leader, that it is OKAY to ask for help, and last, but most certainly not least, that mental health is important. I learned and accepted my limits.
As my camera roll sits full of memories from last year, I can see everything that I have accomplished. All of the flyers and post-event Instagram posts, screenshots of texts, pictures from my chapterâs Instagram, and happy times captured with my friends are a testament to all that I learned, experienced, and overcame.
Lexi Herbst is a BBG in Lev Hadarom #2539 from Greater Atlanta Region, and she plays lacrosse.
All views expressed on content written for The Shofar represent the opinions and thoughts of the individual authors. The author biography represents the author at the time in which they were in BBYO.