HELLO!!! Sorry, didn't mean to yell at you, I'm just excited because I've officially moved out the parents house and I am out conquering the world all on my own! Hence why I've failed to post anything in a fairly long time... No, I didn't die... Just got busy and totally forgot I had a blog until I just recently got an email asking about it. So here it is, the start of my effort to do a better job at writing on here. It should be a bit easier for me now considering I live on my own with super good wifi and a decent amount of actual personal time. Hopefully that equates to some very thoughtful and deep posts in the near future. Am I getting ahead of myself? Maybe, because it always seems that I think I'll get back to posting almost weekly but I seem to always get lost in the hussle bussle of life. That's ok, because I promise I'm going to make my best effort, and hopefully me living on my own works in my favor for that.
Well I hope all you readers are doing well and are enjoying the great changes in the world today. So much in world news going on that it's been difficult to keep up. The Cubs won the World Series for the first time in like 108 years or something like that... Donald Trump actually ran for President of the United States and actually won! (Who would have thought... oh wait, I predicted he'd win as soon as he announced he was running.) But yeah, in the craziness that is life, there are a few things that I have found that will help you keep grounded and mentally strong.
1. Do what makes you happy;
It's as simple as that... Just do what makes you happy. In your hectic schedule make time to do something that makes you happy and makes you feel good about yourself. (Trust me, I should know what a hectic schedule looks like, working a full time and part time job, in a serious relationship, and training for the national bowling tournament keeps me busy). So, no matter what you do you need to make time for you, whether that be a spa day, or a few hours to just play games or to just take a much deserved nap, make time to do what makes you happy.
2. Don't lose sight of your goals;
Some people joke that with my work schedule how it is, how do I make time for my girlfriend or do I even remember that I have one. My response to that is simple, I work my butt of to help us start off better. I am not afraid to shy away from the fact that her and I will be getting married (only thing that might change that would be a tragic death or something like that). So basically, the reason I picked up the second job was because I wanted to move out which would prove to her parents that I can support myself which would mean I could support her, making it more likely for them to say yes to us getting married. The reason I'm able to work so many hours and keep going is because I know that my hard work now will pay off when I reach my goals, and this is very helpful. So never lose sight of your goals, and if you don't have any, make some. Goals give you direction and purpose and that is something everyone needs in life.
3. Like a grain of salt;
My final thought about how to find more enjoyment in your crazy life is to take the negatives like a grain of salt. If you know me personally you know that it takes a lot for me to really get down and get knocked out. I have a mentality that everything happens for a reason. I may not know what that reason is and I may never know, but I refuse to dwell on most things and let them ruin my whole mood. Life is for the living so you might as well live it, enjoy it, and don't quit on it because life doesn't quit. If you stop to moan and complain then you miss out something enjoyable because life doesn't stop, it'll keep going with or without you. Scary thought, but also a good one, so keep up and enjoy the ride.
So there we have it, my first post in a very long time and hopefully not my last post. I love getting a chance to think through some things and it's very helpful to just voice my opinions on here. I'll certainly try to keep up and keep coming up with things to post!
Friday, November 11, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Food for thought: Word Poem Time
Hello again! Long time no see. I'm happy to finally get to sit down and write a blog post! It's been too long, like really too long and I'm deeply sorry for that. I'm really struggling to keep up. Anyhow, I came up with some thoughts on my way home dealing with the concept of enjoying what you have. Well, at the same time the other side of my mind fought for the idea of striving and fighting for what you want. So where does this put me? Somewhere in-between contentment and determination... So, I decided to start writing a spoken word poem, something I've not done in some time. So please, do bear with me as it's been a while since I've written like this.
A never ending cycle of giving up your happiness for time, which you then trade for money, and you use that money to buy things that make you happy.
No matter where you start in this circle, you end up where you left off.
Like running around the world.
I dream of a day I can just be happy, but that day is not today.
Contentment isn't something you strive to get because you already have it.
No matter who you are, you can find things you already have and are happy with.
But I want more. I stand here, watching the sun go down and curse myself for failing to achieve a dream today.
Every day goes by, the clock achingly turns time on, and yet I continue to stand right there.
I have these dreams. But they just seem unattainable.
I have contentment, but I still want more.
Because where is the fun in life if you sit there starring at the cat walk across the lawn, when you're the german shepherd.
Don't you just want to chase it?
There isn't anything holding ya back.
So get running, and get that cat. Get that dream.
I just want more in life.
I want the good times and the bad times.
I want the sun rises and sets, and days where all you see are clouds.
My life isn't bad, but it's not as good as it could be. And there, is where my contentment lies.
I see, like a carrot on a stick in front of me the finish lines that I've already passed.
I see banners and ribbons for accomplishments that mean nothing to me now.
At one time yes, they meant the world, but now they're a paper weight.
So I stand here, watching the sun set once again, feeling like I failed to reach my lofty goals...
Feeling like I never even took a step or moved at all...
Until I realize, I'm on a massive spinning and orbiting ball.
So there it is, honestly, not that great of a poem, but it' was kind of a "blah" release all my thoughts. In theory, the point I'm trying to convey is that my contentment ends where I am right now. Sure, I'm happy with what I have, I have a decent job that helps me get through life. But I'm not making the most of my life and I feel like I'm stuck in the spot. That is, until I realize, that many things take time to be accomplished, and nothing ever happens overnight. My bowling instructor always tells me, "Hear about the overnight sensation" and I say "nope" to which he responds, "Exactly." So keep in mind, that even though you may feel like you've gotten nowhere, any step, no matter how big or small is in the right direction. You can accomplish anything in life if you set your mind to it. Am I happy to be content with where I am at? Sure, I'd be happy. But would I be happy accomplishing more? Oh yeah I would be. In short, being content with what you have shows you've reached your smaller goals, so don't be afraid to be content, but don't be afraid to look at the further than where you are.
Thank you for reading, once again, I'll try not to wait so long to come up with another post.
A never ending cycle of giving up your happiness for time, which you then trade for money, and you use that money to buy things that make you happy.
No matter where you start in this circle, you end up where you left off.
Like running around the world.
I dream of a day I can just be happy, but that day is not today.
Contentment isn't something you strive to get because you already have it.
No matter who you are, you can find things you already have and are happy with.
But I want more. I stand here, watching the sun go down and curse myself for failing to achieve a dream today.
Every day goes by, the clock achingly turns time on, and yet I continue to stand right there.
I have these dreams. But they just seem unattainable.
I have contentment, but I still want more.
Because where is the fun in life if you sit there starring at the cat walk across the lawn, when you're the german shepherd.
Don't you just want to chase it?
There isn't anything holding ya back.
So get running, and get that cat. Get that dream.
I just want more in life.
I want the good times and the bad times.
I want the sun rises and sets, and days where all you see are clouds.
My life isn't bad, but it's not as good as it could be. And there, is where my contentment lies.
I see, like a carrot on a stick in front of me the finish lines that I've already passed.
I see banners and ribbons for accomplishments that mean nothing to me now.
At one time yes, they meant the world, but now they're a paper weight.
So I stand here, watching the sun set once again, feeling like I failed to reach my lofty goals...
Feeling like I never even took a step or moved at all...
Until I realize, I'm on a massive spinning and orbiting ball.
So there it is, honestly, not that great of a poem, but it' was kind of a "blah" release all my thoughts. In theory, the point I'm trying to convey is that my contentment ends where I am right now. Sure, I'm happy with what I have, I have a decent job that helps me get through life. But I'm not making the most of my life and I feel like I'm stuck in the spot. That is, until I realize, that many things take time to be accomplished, and nothing ever happens overnight. My bowling instructor always tells me, "Hear about the overnight sensation" and I say "nope" to which he responds, "Exactly." So keep in mind, that even though you may feel like you've gotten nowhere, any step, no matter how big or small is in the right direction. You can accomplish anything in life if you set your mind to it. Am I happy to be content with where I am at? Sure, I'd be happy. But would I be happy accomplishing more? Oh yeah I would be. In short, being content with what you have shows you've reached your smaller goals, so don't be afraid to be content, but don't be afraid to look at the further than where you are.
Thank you for reading, once again, I'll try not to wait so long to come up with another post.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Music has a deeper meaning
The very first thing you hear in your life is a heart beat. When you’re laying there in your mothers womb, you can hear her heart beat. Some soon to be parents will put head phones to the mothers stomach and play classics in hopes that it helps their child’s brain development. From such an early age (in some cultures before you’re even born) you’re hearing and feeling a beat. Music isn’t just something we enjoy and listen to it is something that we can’t live without. Even in the most simple sense of the word, it surrounds us and it fills our lives. Disagree with me all you’d like, but I just want to ask a few questions…
First, describe music… Webster’s dictionary says, “The science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.” I’d like to challenge this thought though. In life, think of where you hear a recurring beat, or series of different notes that sounds beautiful. More than likely, you woke up to this sound this morning. Birds chirping is such a common occurrence, and that sound can be recalled across the world over more than likely. Birds singing a song just outside your window is one of the sweetest sounding things to wake up to. Their music is sweet and lovely and falls softly on awakening ears. On the other end of that spectrum, your alarm clock makes music, now, I know everyone might agree it’s horrible sounding music, but it is still music. As simple as it may be, one repetitive note hammered continuously until your still asleep body slaps the clock until it falls back to sleep as well.
So there you have it, almost immediately in your day you’re introduced to song/music/rhythm or whatever you wish to call it. It surrounds you and you can’t escape music.
Why did I bring this up? It’s fairly simple really, and I’d love to explain it here in the following paragraphs. Many people hate or are disgusted with life. They fail to find beauty in the simplest places and they struggle to enjoy what happy moments they have. Now, everyone should have their favorite genre of music. And speaking from a psychological stand point, that genre of music more than likely have a direct correlation to how you live. Take myself for example, I listen to basically all indie/acoustic music. Many people say I’m a down to earth rooted kind of guy. Through the issues I’ve had I find the lyrical content and the emotion expressed through it soothing. I get lost in thought with some songs as they really express the feelings that I had failed to describe earlier in life. My favorite music really influences me in life as I’m “chill” and I just go with what happens generally. (I’m anything but hipster, I’m just going to put that out there. I’m not cool enough to be a hipster.) Now let me tell you about an old high school “friend” all he did with his life was drink monster, and would listen to heavy metal and basically scream-o music. Now, don’t get me wrong, I see absolutely no issues with liking that music and chugging monster (I drink Red Bull a lot), but I’m using them as an example to display how music influences your life. Now when I say they listen to that kind of music, I mean that’s all they listened to, and it showed. They were a fairly aggressive and violent person. Their persona, being a big tough person, came from the music they listened to, they couldn’t let basic things roll off them, they’d just get pissed and want to fight you.
Some time ago, I was in the car with my parents listening to my phone as a normal teen would do, and my dad made the comment of “You should listen to this, it’ll cure what ails ya” talking about the radio station he was turning up (Smile Fm, a Christian radio station). Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Christian music, but it doesn’t do much for me, just reminds me not of how holy but it reminds me of how hole-y I am. I’m a sinner, I’m a broken person and that music doesn’t help me with my emotions, where as Indie does, it helps me but what I feel into words because I fail with words. What I’m getting at is this though, music will cure what ails you. Whether you listen to emo-punk, goth, indie, rap, country, christian, R&B, or classical, or anything else for the matter, it will help you. You were born to the sound of a beat, a rhythm. You wake up to one as well, and you’re surrounded daily by music. So take some time, listen to music that really touches you. Lay in a field with some headphones in and just get lost in the sound, or get lost in the music nature has supplied. No matter what, music is around you and it is a necessity in life. In history you see music was used as a way to preserve stories for later generations. Now, with so many different instruments, and genres, and musicians, and ways to listen, you should have no problem finding some music that you like. I also think it’s interesting, and would like to see you pay attention to it, how does the music you listen to influence our life? How you act and respond to people. I’d love to know if the music you listen to actually effects you. So try a new genre, you listen to rap all the time? Listen to some classical and see how you feel, see how you begin to think.
That’s it, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy some music today, whether it is the birds singing, the rhythm your car makes as you go down the free way, or from the radio in your car. Enjoy life “little” things, like music.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Presence Of Purpose
Sorry for the delay, life really sweeps you off your feet and keeps you busy sometimes. Well, here it is though, the latest installment of my thoughts onto a page. I hope you enjoy and find my thoughts riveting and provoking, and I hope they get you thinking about some things yourself.
The presence of purpose is often absent. Many people at a young age are called to what they want to be, and honestly it scares me. There are kids that at the age of 15 know exactly what they want to do with their life's. Now, after my minimal studies of the human brain, the brain isn't fully developed until 25. So kids, 10 years before their brain is developed has made up their ever changing mind on what they want to be... Now, I'm certainly not saying it is impossible, I'm just saying it's unlikely they'll enjoy what they do as much as they thought would. So why is it that we put so much pressure on "children" (in mental development 18 year olds could very well be considered a child). Within in a few years, these adolescents will go from having to ask to use the restroom to deciding what they want to do with their lives. With those types of expectations it's no wonder that many college kids seem to burn out and get swept away in the party scene rather than the education scene.
So, what is the purpose of this post? Well, it's actually to help people understand the purpose of life... Or, honestly, the lack there of. I've struggled constantly with the idea of purpose. "What am I here for?" "What am I good at?" "What will I ever do with my life?" as I'm sure many of you reading have experienced as well. I'm just going to put it out there now, this is absolutely not an answer to possibly the number one issue that people my age face. This, is simply my testimony as to the things I found as I searched for a purpose to my life. Here goes nothing;
I ponder the questions of my mind constantly, and often times my thought process is more just a fix to a problem or an reason for an action rather than a conversation, even with myself. Well, I had the question of purpose get smashed to the front of my brain, and I had no choice but to think about it. What caught me off guard was the fact I had a conversation in my mind rather than my mind just giving me an answer... You know what I realized? I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. After just coming out of some hard times, I felt like I had so many doors in front of me but every single one was shut and locked. Even now, I constantly stand before doors with a sign hanging on it saying what I could do if I had the key to this door, and in my hand was a key chain chocked full of keys.
The idea that I'm getting at is this, even though I have no clue what I want with my life, I went with my feelings or thoughts at the time. Previously I'd been involved greatly with the financial field so I pursued a career in finance. Now, I'm pursuing a PhD in Psychology. Massive difference, but as my brain developed I understood better what impacted me on a more personal level. When thinking about Econ, all I see are dollar signs. When I think about Psychology I see something greater. I see potential to grow a field through research of ideas that people previously thought inconceivable. What led me to pursue this dream in Psychology was actually my girlfriend. She pointed out to me how much I seemed to enjoy reading Psych books, and how excited I got when given the chance to talk about them. Now, I'm proof that the mind changes, just a couple years ago I'd been this devoted to Econ as I am now to Psych. Well, I wasn't 25 yet. Honestly though, I don't think that number really matters. There's always new things being revealed and you're learning new things.
You see the point I'm getting to? Like I talked about previously, learning massive amounts about a subject that most people wouldn't bat an eyelash at is something that I constantly do. As I learned more about certain things, I found that I enjoyed certain things more than others. Well, I try not to fret about the future too much, I try to enjoy the process of getting to that point. Honestly, I haven't got the slightest clue as to what I really will be doing with my life, but I know that where ever this winding road takes me, I'll be happy. It may seem sometimes I'm going aimlessly about, but trust me, there is a method to my madness, and that madness is actually enjoying the journey more than wondering about the destination. That is what I think is key to life. Life's purpose is to enjoy it. So like those burnt out college students who don't have a clue what they are doing (or where they are when they wake up the morning after big party) enjoy the process of finding where you're headed to. Some of you may be headed to a big office high in a skyscraper, others may be headed to a simple desk job, and others may be headed to a life in the manual labor force building the buildings that business people will work in. No matter what you end up being or doing with life, all of our lives have the same destination, and sadly that's death. Your job? Is going to just be a part of the journey, so why not enjoy the journey, cause in reality we all know where we are headed.
Enjoy life, do what you love to do and I promise you will not be disappointed with the way things turn out. I'm reminded of a funny movie that I love to go back and watch, "Accepted". It's about Bartleby who creates a college after getting denied from every college he applied to. He has no clue what he wants to be, but through the journey he figures out his place. He's a pioneer of a university and a new way of learning. There are some parts of the movie that are off but over all it's a funny and good movie to see.
So there, sorry for babbling on, I hope this all made sense. So, if you're like me and unsure what you really will be doing or achieving in your life, I pray you find a way to enjoy the journey.
The presence of purpose is often absent. Many people at a young age are called to what they want to be, and honestly it scares me. There are kids that at the age of 15 know exactly what they want to do with their life's. Now, after my minimal studies of the human brain, the brain isn't fully developed until 25. So kids, 10 years before their brain is developed has made up their ever changing mind on what they want to be... Now, I'm certainly not saying it is impossible, I'm just saying it's unlikely they'll enjoy what they do as much as they thought would. So why is it that we put so much pressure on "children" (in mental development 18 year olds could very well be considered a child). Within in a few years, these adolescents will go from having to ask to use the restroom to deciding what they want to do with their lives. With those types of expectations it's no wonder that many college kids seem to burn out and get swept away in the party scene rather than the education scene.
So, what is the purpose of this post? Well, it's actually to help people understand the purpose of life... Or, honestly, the lack there of. I've struggled constantly with the idea of purpose. "What am I here for?" "What am I good at?" "What will I ever do with my life?" as I'm sure many of you reading have experienced as well. I'm just going to put it out there now, this is absolutely not an answer to possibly the number one issue that people my age face. This, is simply my testimony as to the things I found as I searched for a purpose to my life. Here goes nothing;
I ponder the questions of my mind constantly, and often times my thought process is more just a fix to a problem or an reason for an action rather than a conversation, even with myself. Well, I had the question of purpose get smashed to the front of my brain, and I had no choice but to think about it. What caught me off guard was the fact I had a conversation in my mind rather than my mind just giving me an answer... You know what I realized? I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. After just coming out of some hard times, I felt like I had so many doors in front of me but every single one was shut and locked. Even now, I constantly stand before doors with a sign hanging on it saying what I could do if I had the key to this door, and in my hand was a key chain chocked full of keys.
The idea that I'm getting at is this, even though I have no clue what I want with my life, I went with my feelings or thoughts at the time. Previously I'd been involved greatly with the financial field so I pursued a career in finance. Now, I'm pursuing a PhD in Psychology. Massive difference, but as my brain developed I understood better what impacted me on a more personal level. When thinking about Econ, all I see are dollar signs. When I think about Psychology I see something greater. I see potential to grow a field through research of ideas that people previously thought inconceivable. What led me to pursue this dream in Psychology was actually my girlfriend. She pointed out to me how much I seemed to enjoy reading Psych books, and how excited I got when given the chance to talk about them. Now, I'm proof that the mind changes, just a couple years ago I'd been this devoted to Econ as I am now to Psych. Well, I wasn't 25 yet. Honestly though, I don't think that number really matters. There's always new things being revealed and you're learning new things.
You see the point I'm getting to? Like I talked about previously, learning massive amounts about a subject that most people wouldn't bat an eyelash at is something that I constantly do. As I learned more about certain things, I found that I enjoyed certain things more than others. Well, I try not to fret about the future too much, I try to enjoy the process of getting to that point. Honestly, I haven't got the slightest clue as to what I really will be doing with my life, but I know that where ever this winding road takes me, I'll be happy. It may seem sometimes I'm going aimlessly about, but trust me, there is a method to my madness, and that madness is actually enjoying the journey more than wondering about the destination. That is what I think is key to life. Life's purpose is to enjoy it. So like those burnt out college students who don't have a clue what they are doing (or where they are when they wake up the morning after big party) enjoy the process of finding where you're headed to. Some of you may be headed to a big office high in a skyscraper, others may be headed to a simple desk job, and others may be headed to a life in the manual labor force building the buildings that business people will work in. No matter what you end up being or doing with life, all of our lives have the same destination, and sadly that's death. Your job? Is going to just be a part of the journey, so why not enjoy the journey, cause in reality we all know where we are headed.
Enjoy life, do what you love to do and I promise you will not be disappointed with the way things turn out. I'm reminded of a funny movie that I love to go back and watch, "Accepted". It's about Bartleby who creates a college after getting denied from every college he applied to. He has no clue what he wants to be, but through the journey he figures out his place. He's a pioneer of a university and a new way of learning. There are some parts of the movie that are off but over all it's a funny and good movie to see.
So there, sorry for babbling on, I hope this all made sense. So, if you're like me and unsure what you really will be doing or achieving in your life, I pray you find a way to enjoy the journey.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Taken With Novelty
"'Is this it for you? Is this all you'll ever do?'
Her smile, collapsed, that tightly strapped-in pasty skin went loose. Her heart fell crooked.
She said (not knowing my real name) 'I can tell buddy, by the mini thins and the way you drive... We're booth taken with novelty. We've believed in mean gods. We both spend our money on things that break too easily like... people."
This little blurb here is from a spoken word poem that I've really fell in love with. It's "Convenience Stores" by Buddy Wakefield. Well, this part of the poem got me thinking... Novelty. What is novelty in the first place? Well, according to most dictionaries it'd be described as "the quality of being new, original, or unusual." I wonder though, why does novelty have to be new? Why can't we constantly be taken by novelty, why can't we all see the world like it is amazing every day?
Looking at the world as if it were new and unique, what would that do to us? In all honesty, I think it'd be beneficial for people to start looking at the world in a different light. It's true, the more you know the worse it is. Often that quote is said about military movies, but I think that can be used in all aspects of life. Now, I'm guessing only some of you live in mid Michigan, but take for example the current weather.... SNOW! Now, I love snow... But I also love summer... So, I'm laying here, thinking about how beautiful it is, but say I was a child or from like desert areas, where I'd never seen snow before. How would I react to this white powder falling from the sky? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I bet I'd just be going nuts. I mean, really, if you'd never seen something how would you respond? Think about it for a minute...
Kids, they are astounded by the simplest of things, when they are young they keep asking "why", they want to know and they want to learn. That is the kind of mind I want to have. I want to constantly expand my thinking by seeing things in a new light. Even the simplest things like snow.
Now, as much as I agree with that thinking of the more you know the less you enjoy it... But come to think of it, I honestly think that in someways knowing more will actually be great. To me, knowledge is powerful and in some ways knowing more about something can make it better! Call me crazy, I know, but sometimes, having a vast knowledge of something can allow you to share that with people who don't know as much. Just the other day, I was over taken with joy when I found out that due to the fact that platypuses are a solitary animal, there is no true collective noun for them, but "paddle" is what would be used if you ever saw a group of platypuses! Like, really, isn't that amazing! Not only that, they're a mammal that lays an egg! Insanity! Sorry, I'll calm down...
Do you get what I'm talking about though? So here's a challenge from you, take things in life not as a grain of salt but as a mountain of knowledge that you can obtain! Do some research, you can always find some interesting things on Google about topics that you come across. So today, I challenge you to take something that would often be considered minuscule and do research. Start today, learn something you never knew about an average topic. Learn to see things that cause you to be taken with novelty, enjoy life, and the things you can learn from simple little topics. Enjoy the little things!!!! Be overtaken with great novelty! I think you'll enjoy it!
Her smile, collapsed, that tightly strapped-in pasty skin went loose. Her heart fell crooked.
She said (not knowing my real name) 'I can tell buddy, by the mini thins and the way you drive... We're booth taken with novelty. We've believed in mean gods. We both spend our money on things that break too easily like... people."
This little blurb here is from a spoken word poem that I've really fell in love with. It's "Convenience Stores" by Buddy Wakefield. Well, this part of the poem got me thinking... Novelty. What is novelty in the first place? Well, according to most dictionaries it'd be described as "the quality of being new, original, or unusual." I wonder though, why does novelty have to be new? Why can't we constantly be taken by novelty, why can't we all see the world like it is amazing every day?
Looking at the world as if it were new and unique, what would that do to us? In all honesty, I think it'd be beneficial for people to start looking at the world in a different light. It's true, the more you know the worse it is. Often that quote is said about military movies, but I think that can be used in all aspects of life. Now, I'm guessing only some of you live in mid Michigan, but take for example the current weather.... SNOW! Now, I love snow... But I also love summer... So, I'm laying here, thinking about how beautiful it is, but say I was a child or from like desert areas, where I'd never seen snow before. How would I react to this white powder falling from the sky? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I bet I'd just be going nuts. I mean, really, if you'd never seen something how would you respond? Think about it for a minute...
Kids, they are astounded by the simplest of things, when they are young they keep asking "why", they want to know and they want to learn. That is the kind of mind I want to have. I want to constantly expand my thinking by seeing things in a new light. Even the simplest things like snow.
Now, as much as I agree with that thinking of the more you know the less you enjoy it... But come to think of it, I honestly think that in someways knowing more will actually be great. To me, knowledge is powerful and in some ways knowing more about something can make it better! Call me crazy, I know, but sometimes, having a vast knowledge of something can allow you to share that with people who don't know as much. Just the other day, I was over taken with joy when I found out that due to the fact that platypuses are a solitary animal, there is no true collective noun for them, but "paddle" is what would be used if you ever saw a group of platypuses! Like, really, isn't that amazing! Not only that, they're a mammal that lays an egg! Insanity! Sorry, I'll calm down...
Do you get what I'm talking about though? So here's a challenge from you, take things in life not as a grain of salt but as a mountain of knowledge that you can obtain! Do some research, you can always find some interesting things on Google about topics that you come across. So today, I challenge you to take something that would often be considered minuscule and do research. Start today, learn something you never knew about an average topic. Learn to see things that cause you to be taken with novelty, enjoy life, and the things you can learn from simple little topics. Enjoy the little things!!!! Be overtaken with great novelty! I think you'll enjoy it!
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Gifted With Support
Hello all! I'm so sorry for not posting anything in a rather long time... I've been caught up at work and school and yeah... Really haven't had much time to write. But, the long wait is over, here is another post for your visual consumption!
As of late I've been feeling challenged, I've been feeling pushed towards a degree and career in a field I'd always been intrigued by but never thought much about. I've had my focus turned towards the brilliant degree that is psychology. Previously, if you follow me on instagram, you'd have noticed that my lovely girlfriend got me a great book for christmas. Well, she followed that up on valentines with another very good book. Both of these books delve deep into psychology subjects, and as she said, I devoured them. Well, I've found myself diving head first into psychology and truly loving it. Now, onto the subject of this post...
All through school you hear from fellow classmates and teachers about your abilities. You either hear, "Wow Billy, very smart of you, wonderful job!" and you receive high praise and high expectations, or, you hear your teachers say, "Good job Billy" and hand back a paper with a decent grade on it. Or, if you're like me, you often hear from teachers, "I don't think you understand the subject matter, you need to try harder." Often times followed by low expectations on your projects or homework. Well, for the longest time I'd grown up thinking I wasn't smart enough and wasn't going to amount to much because I never seemed to understand the subject matter.
So here I am, 19 going on 20, feeling like I'm not really smart enough or able enough to complete higher education. My girlfriend however has implemented in me a thought of having the ability, a thought of being smart enough. Lately, after receiving booth these amazing books and practically devouring them and learning from them, my girl listens to me go on and on about them. She then informs me of how smart I am. She convinced me to take an IQ test, if you can believe the scores that are earned have any relation to a persons intelligence, and well, to her amusement I scored fairly high on them. Now that I am in college, the one psych class I've taken, the professor would respond to my papers with high praise, and I felt good and felt as thought they expected that so I fulfilled that in the ensuing papers.
I'm not telling you all of this to toot my own horn, or to make myself sound like some kind of brainiac nerd because I identify as the furthest thing from. Yes, I've grown a knack for reading and I have a book list that would make most heads turn, but you can thank my girl for that. I tell you this in hopes that some parents, teachers, and even students will read this and learn something. My hope is that they'd learn to be a generous support system for young students. I'm not talking about a personal support where you help through life, as much as that is needed, educational support is needed more. Students struggle for a few reasons, focus is lost, motivation is killed. Students, especially younger children thrive off of what teachers and parents think and show. We subliminally communicate expectations that other unconscious minds pick up on, and kids minds can easily pick up on the supposedly unbiasedness of teachers. Students who constantly fail will see in the teacher a low expectation, they'll be ridiculed by their smarter classmates and they'll begin to think they'll end up flipping burgers. That was me.
Studies have proven the fact, that the "naturally" born gifted children weren't born that way, they were nurtured that way. Parents often times have expectations for their children, and the kids can read that on an unconscious level and they more than often achieve the expectations. They give 50 kids an IQ test, and handed the results to the teacher and marked 25 of the children as "extremely gifted" one year later, the same scientists give the same test to the same kids, on average, the kids gained about 5 points on the test. But those 25 that were labeled and viewed as gifted received higher expectations from the teachers and parents, their test scores improved on average by 20 points and at most 40 points. You can't tell me that supporting and having expectations for your kids doesn't help.
I'm not by any means saying that by simply having expectations for your children or students they'll achieve them, because there are always exceptions to the rule. But, if you consciously make an effort to support your children and have high expectations, your unconscious mind will send messages to theirs, and they'll be more likely to succeed in reaching your expectations. So there we go, some food for thought, and if you don't believe me you should, because I went from a kid who was close to flunking out of high school, to someone who is actively thinking about working to achieve a PhD in psychology. I went from reading a book in a year to reading 2 books in the past month by simply receiving support and receiving high praise along with high expectations from people I care about most.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy. I'll try not to have as long a wait before my next post!
As of late I've been feeling challenged, I've been feeling pushed towards a degree and career in a field I'd always been intrigued by but never thought much about. I've had my focus turned towards the brilliant degree that is psychology. Previously, if you follow me on instagram, you'd have noticed that my lovely girlfriend got me a great book for christmas. Well, she followed that up on valentines with another very good book. Both of these books delve deep into psychology subjects, and as she said, I devoured them. Well, I've found myself diving head first into psychology and truly loving it. Now, onto the subject of this post...
All through school you hear from fellow classmates and teachers about your abilities. You either hear, "Wow Billy, very smart of you, wonderful job!" and you receive high praise and high expectations, or, you hear your teachers say, "Good job Billy" and hand back a paper with a decent grade on it. Or, if you're like me, you often hear from teachers, "I don't think you understand the subject matter, you need to try harder." Often times followed by low expectations on your projects or homework. Well, for the longest time I'd grown up thinking I wasn't smart enough and wasn't going to amount to much because I never seemed to understand the subject matter.
So here I am, 19 going on 20, feeling like I'm not really smart enough or able enough to complete higher education. My girlfriend however has implemented in me a thought of having the ability, a thought of being smart enough. Lately, after receiving booth these amazing books and practically devouring them and learning from them, my girl listens to me go on and on about them. She then informs me of how smart I am. She convinced me to take an IQ test, if you can believe the scores that are earned have any relation to a persons intelligence, and well, to her amusement I scored fairly high on them. Now that I am in college, the one psych class I've taken, the professor would respond to my papers with high praise, and I felt good and felt as thought they expected that so I fulfilled that in the ensuing papers.
I'm not telling you all of this to toot my own horn, or to make myself sound like some kind of brainiac nerd because I identify as the furthest thing from. Yes, I've grown a knack for reading and I have a book list that would make most heads turn, but you can thank my girl for that. I tell you this in hopes that some parents, teachers, and even students will read this and learn something. My hope is that they'd learn to be a generous support system for young students. I'm not talking about a personal support where you help through life, as much as that is needed, educational support is needed more. Students struggle for a few reasons, focus is lost, motivation is killed. Students, especially younger children thrive off of what teachers and parents think and show. We subliminally communicate expectations that other unconscious minds pick up on, and kids minds can easily pick up on the supposedly unbiasedness of teachers. Students who constantly fail will see in the teacher a low expectation, they'll be ridiculed by their smarter classmates and they'll begin to think they'll end up flipping burgers. That was me.
Studies have proven the fact, that the "naturally" born gifted children weren't born that way, they were nurtured that way. Parents often times have expectations for their children, and the kids can read that on an unconscious level and they more than often achieve the expectations. They give 50 kids an IQ test, and handed the results to the teacher and marked 25 of the children as "extremely gifted" one year later, the same scientists give the same test to the same kids, on average, the kids gained about 5 points on the test. But those 25 that were labeled and viewed as gifted received higher expectations from the teachers and parents, their test scores improved on average by 20 points and at most 40 points. You can't tell me that supporting and having expectations for your kids doesn't help.
I'm not by any means saying that by simply having expectations for your children or students they'll achieve them, because there are always exceptions to the rule. But, if you consciously make an effort to support your children and have high expectations, your unconscious mind will send messages to theirs, and they'll be more likely to succeed in reaching your expectations. So there we go, some food for thought, and if you don't believe me you should, because I went from a kid who was close to flunking out of high school, to someone who is actively thinking about working to achieve a PhD in psychology. I went from reading a book in a year to reading 2 books in the past month by simply receiving support and receiving high praise along with high expectations from people I care about most.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy. I'll try not to have as long a wait before my next post!
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