Heroes part 1

Throughout your life people always talk about the importance of positive influence, idols and heroes.  This leaves a very important question:  Should amazing people look for towards other amazing people for reference?   In my experience, yes, but be careful.  There is always a danger in comparing. I think, to save time and give myself more topics for discussion, I will give this topic in two parts.

A hero can be anyone.  It really can.  You can admire a four year old for its honesty or an eighty year old for its experience.   In fact, you can admire the good in anyone and try to one day achieve it.  To be honest, I have never really been able to look at celebrities or famous heroes for guidance.  In my mind, I feel like I have to know someone in order to understand what makes them amazing. 

Although, I try to find the strengths in everyone, I can name four people I admire more than anyone else in the world:

1.                 My mother

a.       My mother is the kindest person you will have ever met.  She has this strange way of seeing the good in people, even when none of us can.  Her incredible modesty is both a trait I hope to have inherited and secretly wish I didn’t, because it overwhelms her.  But what I admire the most about my mother is how she followed her dreams even when it seemed too late in life.   After having four kids, my mother decided that she wanted more out of life than just raising kids; she wanted to become a lawyer. So, she took her bio-physics degree and applied to law school.  For three years, she was both a full time student and a full time mom.  I honestly don’t know how she slept.  She is always someone I can count on and she never lets me down.   She graduated in the top 10% of her class and is now a successful lawyer.

2.                  My sister

a.       My sister is thirteen years old and bothers me half the time.  She is an intense person.  She cares, she cries, she works and she loves harder than anyone I know.  The thing I admire most about her is her ability to achieve whatever she sets her mind towards.  She has perfect grades in school, a track star and a singer.  She is amazing and will be that way for the rest of her life.

  

3.                   My best friend

a.       My best friend has had a rough life and I could write several posts on it, if time allowed.  But here is the cliff notes version:  At the age of 16 she moved from Brazil, with her sister to live with her mother.  She and her mother never got along, but because the American schools are better, she decided the move was worth it.  At the age of 18, her mother kicks her out of the house because she could afford to keep a child.   Then, even though she had perfect grades, the high school she had spent three years at kicked her out because they claimed she had a high school diploma from Brazil.  She lost her scholarship for that.  She then had no money and had to pay for all her expenses.  So, she would 60 hours a week as a lifeguard and saved everything she could.  Eventually, she applied to school and received a large scholarship.  She now gets straight “A’s” as a chemistry/civil engineer, while going to school full time and working 40 hours a week.  She is the most amazing person I have ever met outside of my family and am glad to call her my best friend.

4.                     My father

a.       I think if I were to pick just one hero, I would choose my father.  He came from nothing.  His family was poor, his dad never around.  Beside the setbacks, he ended up recieving perfect grades all the way through grad school.  He was the father every child deserves and I can count on him for anything.  He is honest and straight forward and teaches me the value of working hard and caring for those you love.  A lot of times, people tell me that when you are a child you are supposed to realize that your father isn’t a super hero, that he is just a person.  Maybe I still have some growing up to do, because he is still my superman.

I think as a homework assignment, anyone who reads through this post should try to list their heroes and why they inspire you and comment if you have a special one.  It truly makes you appreciate all the amazing people you have in your life.

Learning to laugh at yourself

I think one of the most important traits anyone can pick up is the ability to laugh at oneself.  Because lately I have been a little bit less than perfect at getting everything out on time and because I want to be able to show importance of being able to laugh at yourself, I will tell you one of my most embarrassing stories.

            So it was a few years ago.  After a long day of tests, my friends and I decided to go out to dinner. It was a large group of people and almost all of them shared a few classes with me.  The table roared with conversation and laughter and the large table had split into many side conversations as it usually does.  At this point in the story, I was conversing with maybe one person and was being largely ignored by the group, so the waiter sees me and walks up to me and ask me if I would like a refill on my drink. 

            My drink wasn’t completely empty and I am pretty sure he only offered to refill my drink because he was bored and wanted something to do.  So he reaches over and picks up my cup and then looks at me and says through the noise:

            “Oh, would you like to finish this off?”

            I thought this was a strange request, but I figured he just wasn’t a wasteful person and didn’t want the amount of soda left in to cup to go to waste.  To this day, I do not know what compelled me to do this, but, for some reason, I decided to get up, out of my chair and sip the soda out of the cup WHILE the waiter was holding the cup.  Suddenly, the table got quiet and I looked up to see the waiter have a look of shock and disgust on his face.  It was at that moment I realized the waiter didn’t say, “Would you like to finish this off,” but rather, “Would you like to take your straw?”

            I sit in a quiet embarrassment as my face glows red and the waiter scurries away, straw and all.  The table gets quiet for a bit, until one of my friend looks at me and says, “Well, you are a dork” and the table bursts into laughter, me included.

            So yeah, the next day, everyone, including my teachers, made fun of me when hearing the story.  And yeah, even years later, I get people walking up to me with a cup saying “would you like to finish this off?”  But, I laugh alongside them.  Because if you laugh alongside them, then the world is filled with a little more laughter, and we all feel a little more amazing because of it. 

Doing what makes you happy.

I was talking to a friend just a minute ago and she told me that she is considering switching majors from biology to education.  She told me the main reason that she didn’t want to is because of the stigma that goes along with education majors.  This raises an important question: does it make you less amazing if you do something that is stereotypically easier? 

The answer to this question depends on why you are doing it.  If you are taking an easier path because you want work less, then probably not.  Hard work is a key to being amazing.  But, if you are doing to make you happier, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, then you are becoming more amazing.  Being amazing comes from within.  No matter how successful you are, there will be someone that will not think highly of you.  That’s just the way of life.  But, if you find yourself amazing, then you are making a step towards becoming amazing. 

So, change majors, take a chance, do something you love and don’t let anyone try to stop you.  You are in charge of your own happiness.

Knowing your faults

I know that I forgot to write Tuesday.  I could give you a list of excuses, but the honest truth is that I forgot.  This slip-up reminded me of a post that I have been meaning to write since I started this blog nearly a month ago: knowing your faults. 

A piece of advice given to me by my dad that I still use today is: unless it becomes necessary, don’t tell people your faults.  People will figure out your faults anyway, you probably do not want to give them a head start.  It’s not that having faults makes you less amazing, because I still hold the idea that everyone can be amazing. It’s that constantly telling people your faults shows lack of confidence and makes it so people can’t see past your faults.

  Of course, you should be able to laugh at yourself (a blog post I will give later).And, every once in a while, it is okay, or even encouraged, for you to make your faults public.  But, don’t make it a habit and remember to love yourself in the process.

            But, just because you don’t announce your faults in public doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t know them.  If you can’t dance and are not willing to take the time to learn, then don’t sign up for a dance contest.  If you know you are a slow reader, you should then plan more time to read a book then someone else who is a speed reader.  I think one step to become amazing is uncovering you faults and either try to conquer them and if that is not possible, then account for them.   

A quick update

So I am going to keep today a little bit short.  I actually do not have much to write.  My resolutions this week were going fine, but went a little sour when I grew ill.   So, once I completely recover from this illness, I will be back towards making great strides towards my resolutions.  Also, I want to apologize for being a day late on my post.  Days tend to run together when you are sick.

In other news, classes are going well.  I ended up breaking one of my cardinal rules of college and skipping class on Friday because I was under the weather.   I encourage college students to always attend class.  You never know what important material will be covered.  Also, attendance in class is critical to receiving those important professor recommendations.  Luckily, I only have one class on Friday and a friend who is willing to let me copy notes.

I will be starting back up on my research assistant job this Wednesday.  Because I was supposed to start on Friday, but grew ill, I have been working a bit from home.  They are giving me more responsibilities, which is both scary and exciting.  Alright, See you all on Tuesday.  

How to succeed and learn when you have a terrible professor

After just starting a new semester, I have had to face a pretty significant problem- I have a terrible professor.  This class is supposed to be one of the easier classes that I would have to take.  But because my professor is a terrible communicator and just over all clueless, I have had issues understanding the material.  So I have been researching and using my own personal experience to compile a list of ways to cope with a bad professor.

1.     If possible switch to another section or wait to take it a different semester

·         The first week in many colleges is an add/drop week.  If, when first meeting your professor, you realize that he/she is not a good fit for you, switch to a different professor, if possible.  Or, take it a different semester.  Unfortunately, for me, I must take it this semester and with this professor or else I will not be able to continue my major. Also, if the reason you cannot switch to a different professor is that the other class is full, then just sit in on the other class.  However, do not take this as an opportunity to skip your main class.  Only your teacher will know what is going to be on the test.

2.    Form a study group

·         No matter how bad the professor is, there is going to be someone in the class that understands the material.  Forming a group with other students can help you grasp important concepts.  Just be aware that study groups can just turn into unhelpful hang out sessions if you are not careful in keeping on task.

3.    Go to the Professor’s or TA’s office hours

·         Even if the professor is unhelpful during class time.  Some one–on-one help might be useful.  For example, I one time had a physics professor who I had trouble following during the lecture.  I began attending his office hours and he gave me extra help.  Because he was more focused on me and was able to move at my pace, I ended up with an A in the class.

·         Also, professors often have TAs that not only took the class with that professor, they received a high grade.  The TA knows how to survive the class and can give you helpful tips on the material.  If the TA is unavailable, you can try to find a friend who has taken the class before.

4.    Follow the book

·         Often times, bad teachers are lazy teachers.  This means that the material they have is straight from the book, and sometimes, (yes is has happened to me on more than one occasion) the tests are DIRECTLY out of the book.   If you keep up and take notes, you can succeed.

5.    Get a tutor

·         Some of my friends are fundamentally against getting a tutor- even if they are free.  It’s almost as if they would rather fail than admit they need help.    Tutors know the material and, unlike professors, were not hired for research.    The tutors are not hired if they don’t know the material, nor if they are poor teachers.  Often times, colleges have them for free or at reduced cost.

6.    Try to change your perspective

·         On personal experience, I have noticed that if I think a teacher is bad, then I can only see them as a bad teacher.  The truth is, sometimes it is our own minds that are keeping us from learning.  If we can see the teacher in a more positive light, we are able to affect our own ability to learn.

A strange surge of happiness

When I first announced to myself that I wanted to start the amazing quest, something occurred in me.  A strange surge of happiness is the best way to put it. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am actively trying to make myself a better person.  And when you put yourself out there and announce to the world that you want to be a better person, a funny thing happens- you start to feel like a better person

.

So becoming “amazing”  is a never ending battle, but I guess the first step is the hardest to take.  For those who are wondering, here is an update on how I am doing on the resolutions that I started yesterday:

            I did make it to the gym yesterday and spent 20 minutes dying on a stair master machine.  It is going to be a bit of time before I can make it the full thirty minutes, but I am getting there.  Today (meaning Monday) , however, I was forced to skip.  I grossly under estimated my homework load today and didn’t have time to go to the gym.  I know it is just an excuse, but I am allowed two rest days a week so I guess I should take one. 

            On other news, I did sign up for the color run this February in Jacksonville, Florida.  for more information click here: http://thecolorrun.com/ I am far away from completing a 5k, so this month’s exercise routine will be mostly dedicated to completing that. ( do prefer cardio anyway)

            I did eat five fruits/ vegetables both today and yesterday.  It is actually a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Who knew I had so little fruit in my diet?

            Finally, the procrastination has decreased.  I restarted a tried and true productivity technique.  I call my five big rocks.  This technique basically requires that the night before I write the five most important things I need to do for the day on a small post-it and place it in my agenda.  I most do nothing on that note and do not need to do anything more.  Even though it might seem like you are not doing enough.  (I mean, we all seem incredibly busy, right?) but five things a day, done consistently, adds up  to a lot. Anyway, here is a picture of my "big rock" list:

            Alright, see you all on Thursday!