Optimist Prime

I cannot believe that this semester is almost over! I have learned a lot, both through my classes and the LEAD program. I especially liked this weeks articles, "Gandhi's Top 10 fundamentals for Changing the World" and "Be Optimistic, It Builds Your Self Confidence." They were good advice especially for the end of the semester and the program. They are great things to remember, especially under stress of finals.

Gandhi, one of the most revered social reformers of all time, gave extremely wise advice throughout his life. I honestly would quote the entire article, but that would be too long. For arguably everyone, at least one of these areas needs work. My areas of growth I feel are taking more action, persistence, and taking care of the moment. I do take action, but I feel that I can take even more. Like Gandhi said,

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problem.”

 I feel like my stepping point for this was applying and participating in the stars lead program and volunteering at Free Street Theater. I am learning to build on this by attending programs and participating in groups around campus. This leads into my next area, persistence. I have a tendency to either give up or try a completely different thing if I don't achieve my original goal. I feel as though I am improving this by applying for many things and keep going through the application and interview processes for jobs that I want on campus. I just have to keep believing and persisting and eventually I will succeed.

There are fundamentals that I have used reflecting back on past experiences. The three main ones are See the Good in People and Help Them, Forgive and Let Go, and Be Your Authentic Self. I have always been told that I am " too nice"; some people mean this as a negative thing, and some as a backwards compliment. I like to think of it as a compliment because I do like to think the best of people and help them when I can. I continually tutor in math every Wednesday night even though it is my longest day of classes. I enjoy helping others, especially when it is something I am passionate about. This helps me to be an effective servant leader. The second fundamental I use is forgive and let go. This goes back to that compliment that I receive; people think that I let people "off the hook" too much. Don't get me wrong, I do get upset when something isn't done on time or if someone is perpetually late and I tell them so. However, I understand that some things happen that people don't have control over and all of us make mistakes. Remember,

“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

My final fundamental that I use is being my authentic self. I know it is cliche to say, but I live by "say what you mean and mean what you say " and "an action speaks louder than words". I try my hardest to accurately express myself in my words and actions. This might be why I have to keep editing papers and projects before I'm even finished with them. I think this also attributes to why people might think I am "quiet." Being my authentic self is an important part of being a leader; people won't follow someone who is insincere or who doesn't follow their own advice. 

The second article we read was "Be Optimistic, it Builds Your Self-Confidence." I thought this article shed a whole new light on being optimistic. It took it to a deeper level than what I normally consider optimistic; you have to be proactive about optimism. It is an active choice that one has to make on a situational basis. I would like to think that I am an optimist in general, but after reading this article I realize that I must take action in order to continue to call myself an optimist. I must admit this seems like a difficult task at times because it might seem that everything is going wrong or a situation is too bad to get out of it "in tact." 

As with any advice article, there are always aspects of it that you realize you need to grow in. From this article the two that stood out to me the most were "forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future." and "To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear." In the past, I know I still remember the mistakes I have made and then sometimes doubt my ability to make a greater achievement. I believe I have made significant progress in this area, especially since coming to college. There are so many opportunities it is hard to even think that you won't succeed in something. The second phrase I believe is hard for anyone to achieve completely. There are always times when anyone is worried, angry, or fearful; humans are emotional beings, even the most logical ones. This is the one part of the optimist creed, I think, is a little too optimistic. In theory I think it is a brilliant way to build self-confidence. 

I makes me happy to read a few of these phrases that I already try to do in my daily life. These two things are: "To make all your friends feel that there is something in them" and "To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true." I value my friendships more than almost anything and I would do a lot of things for them. I empathize with them in their trials and triumphs, which makes me even more inclined to make them believe in themselves. It pains me to see them hurt and I try to be there for them whenever they need to talk. I try to look at the positive sides of a "bad" situation. I believe everyone would benefit from trying to live by this optimists creed. 

I definitely believe int this quote,

“if you look for what you can learn from problems and failures, you’ll be looking at the sunny side. More important, you’ll be on your way to making your optimism come true”.

As for the e-portfolio and my summer plans, they are about half-way done. I have applied to a few jobs and hoping hear back from them soon. I will still have my job from last summer, but it is only a few days a month. The e-portfolio is coming along, but it definitely isn't finished. I really like the template I found and I still need to upload my blog and resume. My sources of motivation would have to be my sister, who I always look up to, and my grades are motivation for me because I want to see how well I can do in order to make a bigger difference in the world. I try to motivate others by showing them the positive outcomes of a situation and telling them that they can make a difference too.