the good life

The good thing in my life is being involved on campus. I love putting myself out there and reaping the benefits. I have worked on campus all four years that I have been a student, and it has led me to pursue a degree in Higher Education Student Affairs for Grad school. I have learned to be more outgoing, collaborate with a variety of different people, and set task goals for myself and whatever team I happen to be working for.

There are, however, some downsides to being so involved. Sometimes I feel as if I spread myself too thin, by taking on more than I can handle. It helps me to grow, though, because I learn to manage my time and resources more effectively.

wisdom..

The most important piece of advice or wisdom that I have gotten is pretty typical, it just came to me at a very untypical way. Everyone always says "Do what makes you happy" or "If you do something, make sure that you are happy with it, don't do it for others acceptance." I always kept this in the back of my mind, because like I said in a previous post, I will do anything to make my parents happy, or earn their blessing. Especially my father's. My parents divorced when I was very young, and I have always lived with my mother. She has been so very supportive and I know that no matter what clubs I join, college I went to, or future job that I hope to have she will be my number one fan. My father on the other hand has always come across to me as this discerning figure that could only be satisfied with the brightest and the best. For years I have struggled with this, and being able to not only satisfy him, but also maintain intentions for myself. When I was in high school, I applied for a scholarship that would pay my tuition, as long as I taught for 4 years in Wilson County afterward. I was granted that scholarship, and was excited! (I was going to college, and my parents did not have to foot the bill)

Now going through school and getting involved as much as I can on campus, I decided that I wanted to continue to grad school for Higher Education/Student Affairs. I am faced with a dilemma because I would have to pay back the scholarship that I mentioned previously. I have talked to my dad about it so many times, and up until recently he has been somewhat disapproving. I finally, after about the thirtieth time mentioning it, conveyed my passion for student leadership and my desire to work with college students to give them that same experience. After a long and very intense phone conversation my dad simply said, "I am very proud of all that you accomplished, and I know you will be great at whatever you do. You are only going to be truly happy if you are doing something that you enjoy."

Machiavelli -- The Prince

"People are by nature changeable. It is easy to persuade them about some particular matter, but it is hard to hold them to that persuasion. Hence it is necessary to provide that when they no longer believe, they can be forced to believe."

I really enjoyed this quote from Chapter VI because I could easily relate it to my Leadership Studies classes. It is important as a leader to know your followers, and also be aware of the human characteristics that are inevitable in all people. People change their minds, it's a fact of life. But as a leader you need to be able to hold the attention and support of what you are leading, and do it persistently.

I really like how a lot of the ideas in The Prince tied into the theories and laws that are still studied today in my Leadership classes. Yes the names are changed and others seem to have taken credit for these ancient teachings, but the fact that they still exist speaks to their effectiveness.

Childhood visions of success

My visions of success as a child were simple: make mom and dad happy... Eat all the veggies on your dinner plate, be polite and courteous to others, and make plans for the future.

I think that this has carried over into adulthood as well, because I still tend to aim for just that. Now it has evolved more into what will help me be successful, but also please them because they know that their baby is going to do bigger and better things than they did.

Being a good person is the biggest lesson that I have learned from my parents. Both are high school teachers, and have been for twenty plus years each. This alone says a lot about their character, and even though the stress of dealing with other people's teenagers gets to them more than they would like, they continue to do it. Leading by example has been the way that my parents taught me what they have about being a successful person by the person you are to others.

I have always been a planner, and by that I mean my agenda and calendar is color coded, I have clear goals for what I want to do weeks in advance, and that I have somewhat of an idea of what I want to be when I grow up. This can all be credited to my parents, though, because they placed importance on the future... making good grades, taking advantage of educational and extracurricular activities, and knowing what I wanted out of life. They are proud of all that I have accomplished, and am continuing to accomplish through college and beyond. They have been so supportive throughout my raising, and I know that even when I reach my forties, they will still acknowledge what I do. I love them for that and the lessons they taught me even from childhood.

epictetus...epic

The best advice that I received from reading The Art of Living was: Wisdom is revealed through action, not talk.

I really enjoyed this passage because I do believe that actions speak louder than words. We should not be concerned about publicizing our good deeds fortunes, but rather reflect on them internally and be grateful for the experience. Epictetus tells us to, "Show your character and your commitment to personal nobility through your actions."

Being modest and humbled by our experiences and good fortunes finds its way to shine through someones character. Being boastful and bragging does nothing but soil your good intentions and the impressions you give others.

success paper topic

Through this semester we will be delving into what it means to live a successful life. I am a Leadership Studies minor, and a lot of our discussion centers on what it means to be a successful leader. I would like to explore this topic a little bit more.

U.S.C.G.C. SPAR

My favorite place on the entire planet-- 110ft underwater on a wreck off the North Carolina coast, the U.S.C.G.C. SPAR.

I am a certified scuba diver and have been for over 5 years now. The most rewarding opportunity that has stemmed from becoming certified has been wreck diving. From shoving out of the slip in the wee hours of the morning to pulling back in and docking at night encompasses my vision of a successful day. I encounter so many people on the charter boat and whether they are friends or strangers, we all end up linked because of our sport.

There is something so peaceful about being that far underwater and witnessing a living piece of history. A ship that once served a purpose, such as an old Coast Guard Cutter, now takes on a completely different purpose as an Artificial Reef. It's almost ironic to think of, a ship that once mastered the seas has now been mastered by the creatures below. My friend and dive buddy Dan once said, "Diving is my church service. It's the closest I have come to a religious experience." And I can't help but agree. Spread before you are all facets of aquatic life and the delicate balance of an ecosystem. It's also an amazing experience to give back to "the community" by participating in events like the sinking of a ship for an Artificial Reef or an underwater beach sweep.

The Spar itself is an amazing vessel. Totaling a length of 180ft of welded steel, it was sunk in the past few years and has now become home to many tropical fish and sand tiger sharks.

regrets

"If only. Those are the two saddest words in the world." --M. Lackey


This quotation describes my biggest regret. It's not a single event or circumstance, rather all the events or circumstances that have been passed up. You always have that split second moment before a decision is made that you try and weigh one outcome against another. That split second could be the difference between the right and wrong choice, and most of the time I make the best choice given at the time. But there are those few that slip by, and to be cliche, hindsight is most definitely twenty twenty.

The question of "if only" rings so loudly in my ears when I think about something that I should have done or could have done differently. It stings, that's for sure, but it also reminds me that without that mistake or misstep, I would not be where I am today. However cheesy it may sound, there should be no regrets.

Stoic and Epicurean Philosophy

What impressions do you have of these two groups, and what does it mean to be one of these?

The impression that I have of these two groups is that they are old, plain and simple. Realizing that I had to read forty four pages of this philosophy after looking at the reading schedule was daunting... I had to read some old, dead white man's philosophy on how to live a good life. Snooze.

Then I actually read it. Little did I know how much I knew about it. Epictetus was a wise man, redundant, yet wise. He spoke of how our attitude affects the situation, not the situation itself. That we need to realize that we cannot control most things, but to take control of the things that we can, i.e. our attitude. Reading Epictetus' work was just like reliving a scene from childhood, you know, when your mother's image pops into your head saying, "Be patient, good things come to those who wait" or "Everything happens for a reason." Wow, go Mom! I took every passage as if it were a mini lecture, and it was interesting how I could conjure up an event from my past to fit every scene. Looking back, I can see when I did and did not follow the Stoic or Epicurean philosophy... when little did I know that I was just living life.

Typology Test

The class was asked to complete an online personality test and respond to the results.

My Type is: ENFJ -- which means Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging...

How do I feel about this? I think that it is pretty accurate. How the results from the questions tell me this is beyond me, but I think overall it is accurate. My type (ENFJ) is the idealist portrait of a teacher, which is fitting seeing as that is what I am attending school for.