On September 21st, I went to the diversity event on Tibet. There were a few monks there that opened the presentation by chanting. I thought that was super cool because we don't get to really experience that here in America. Then, the speaker started. He was also a monk, but he also has his doctorate and has a lot of knowledge in philosophy. In his homeland, he was said to be thought very highly of, so I'm glad he came to ISU to talk to us. The presentation was about the symbolism of the mandala. The mandala is basically a circle with a lot of detailed art that represents the spirit. He said that it is for emotional well-being, and reduces stress and anxiety. He stressed that it doesn't necessarily have to represent a religious aspect, but mainly deals with your spiritual needs. There are five colors represented in the mandala: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. The middle circle symbolizes the unbreakable teaching. The four points represent the four imaginables, like joyfulness, compassion, love, and being equal. The mandala also tries to represent ignorance, attachment, anger, pride, and jealousy. These factors are usually what take us off the path and bring negative emotion. The negative emotion is what is needed to be eliminated. This gives us the perfect view of reality.
I thought the lecture was really eye-opening. It was cool to see how different cultures live their lives. I also thought it was neat that they can use a symbol like the mandala to help them live, and they actually follow it. This lecture made me want to see how cultures around the world live.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Blog 2: My Goals/Bucket List
"If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page." This quote was said by Mark Houlahan. For me it's hard not to agree completely. You are the maker of your own success. Everyday is a new day to explore your feelings and emotions. Sometimes that means you need to make goals for your future.
My goals and "bucket list" vary from subject to subject. Some are quirky and fun, others are more serious, and others focus on helping others. I'll be honest. I've had a bucket list since the beginning of my senior year. Realizing that there is more to life than school was really important to me. One of my goals in life is to score a job and fall in love with it. I feel there are too many people in our country that don't follow their dreams and get a job that disappoints them and they don't have fun. Another goal of mine is to help sick children throughout my life. No one deserves to feel pain, but I feel that innocent children especially shouldn't feel pain. So I want to volunteer time during my lifetime at a children's research hospital like St. Jude's to help raise awareness so we can find cures for cancers and leukemia. I would love to donate my time reading and coloring with the kids to put a smile on their face.
On a less serious note, there are many fun things I want to do before I die. At Iowa State I've always wanted to see what VEISHA is all about. I've never been to the celebration, but I'll have four opportunities to experience it. I also want to take a music class while I'm here. The only instrument I've played is the clarinet, which was in middle school band. I definitely don't remember much about music, but learning how to play something, or even taking a music theory class will make me happy. Before I die, I want to visit every continent in the world. Some countries on my list include: Brazil, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Egypt, Australia, and Tokyo. I know it's a pretty big list (and it'll continue to grow over the years) but seeing the world is important to me to be more cultured. I want to get a tattoo also. A lot of my friends sport some meaningful tattoos, but some silly ones as well. Getting ink on my body that means something to me, and reminds me how lucky I am for my life sounds like such a sweet idea. Another thing I must do before I die is go on a random roadtrip around America. By random I mean jumping in a car with some friends and just driving with no particular place in mind. Being spontaneous in life is something I have learned is perfectly fine and can actually be insanely fun.
These items on my bucket list might seem silly or not worthwhile to those of you that read this. To me making a list of accomplishments and goals, whether it's a week, month, year, or decade from now, is the best thing you can do for yourself. Thinking about the future can excite you for the rest of your journey in life. And I can say with confidence that I'm excited for the years to come.
My goals and "bucket list" vary from subject to subject. Some are quirky and fun, others are more serious, and others focus on helping others. I'll be honest. I've had a bucket list since the beginning of my senior year. Realizing that there is more to life than school was really important to me. One of my goals in life is to score a job and fall in love with it. I feel there are too many people in our country that don't follow their dreams and get a job that disappoints them and they don't have fun. Another goal of mine is to help sick children throughout my life. No one deserves to feel pain, but I feel that innocent children especially shouldn't feel pain. So I want to volunteer time during my lifetime at a children's research hospital like St. Jude's to help raise awareness so we can find cures for cancers and leukemia. I would love to donate my time reading and coloring with the kids to put a smile on their face.
On a less serious note, there are many fun things I want to do before I die. At Iowa State I've always wanted to see what VEISHA is all about. I've never been to the celebration, but I'll have four opportunities to experience it. I also want to take a music class while I'm here. The only instrument I've played is the clarinet, which was in middle school band. I definitely don't remember much about music, but learning how to play something, or even taking a music theory class will make me happy. Before I die, I want to visit every continent in the world. Some countries on my list include: Brazil, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Egypt, Australia, and Tokyo. I know it's a pretty big list (and it'll continue to grow over the years) but seeing the world is important to me to be more cultured. I want to get a tattoo also. A lot of my friends sport some meaningful tattoos, but some silly ones as well. Getting ink on my body that means something to me, and reminds me how lucky I am for my life sounds like such a sweet idea. Another thing I must do before I die is go on a random roadtrip around America. By random I mean jumping in a car with some friends and just driving with no particular place in mind. Being spontaneous in life is something I have learned is perfectly fine and can actually be insanely fun.
These items on my bucket list might seem silly or not worthwhile to those of you that read this. To me making a list of accomplishments and goals, whether it's a week, month, year, or decade from now, is the best thing you can do for yourself. Thinking about the future can excite you for the rest of your journey in life. And I can say with confidence that I'm excited for the years to come.
Blog 1: A Story
So far in my short eighteen years of life, I have experienced a few moments where I felt I did my very best. In high school I was a good student. I turned my homework in on time, did projects efficiently, and studied for tests. I participated in many groups and clubs and volunteered my time to my community and Church. However, none of these things made me feel like I was at “my best”. The word “family” to me is much more than just a word. My family means the world to me, more than they probably know. I am quite positive that the moment where I have felt “my best” was repairing the relationship with my mom and my brothers.
Like fifty percent of America, I am a child of a divorced family. When I was thirteen, my parents decided to split up. Of course, it was a hard situation to go through. I felt like the relationships I had with both of my parents meant nothing anymore. Basically, I felt like my family broke up. Being apart from my mom took a toll on me emotionally. Even though she lived a few blocks away, I missed being a family unit.
Over the next few years I continued the resentment towards my parents. I still didn’t know how to deal with it. None of my close friends could relate to my situation, so I couldn’t really talk about it with them. But eventually, once I entered high school, I realized life was too short to be bitter. I slowly started to mend the relationship with my mom back to what it was before the divorce. By the time I graduated high school, my mom and I were living together apart from my brothers, and we became closer than ever. I feel so great to be able to call my mom one of my best friends. I know that whenever I have a problem about anything I can turn to her for advice and if needed, a shoulder to cry on. I can honestly say that right now I am at my best. I did my best work in mending my relationship with my mom and it worked out to where we can count on each other. Now that I’m in college, I can have a great support system in my mom that I’m not sure I would have if I continued the resentment.
I can translate this positive moment in my personal life to prepare myself in my time here at Iowa State. In my opinion, looking forward with a positive attitude is one of the things you must practice in life. While at college I am sure that I will know the feeling of accomplishment and success because of my happy relationships I have made in my life.
The moments in life when you feel your best aren’t necessarily getting a good grade or making the game winning shot. Sometimes you can feel your best just by having a great relationship with a family member or friend.
Like fifty percent of America, I am a child of a divorced family. When I was thirteen, my parents decided to split up. Of course, it was a hard situation to go through. I felt like the relationships I had with both of my parents meant nothing anymore. Basically, I felt like my family broke up. Being apart from my mom took a toll on me emotionally. Even though she lived a few blocks away, I missed being a family unit.
Over the next few years I continued the resentment towards my parents. I still didn’t know how to deal with it. None of my close friends could relate to my situation, so I couldn’t really talk about it with them. But eventually, once I entered high school, I realized life was too short to be bitter. I slowly started to mend the relationship with my mom back to what it was before the divorce. By the time I graduated high school, my mom and I were living together apart from my brothers, and we became closer than ever. I feel so great to be able to call my mom one of my best friends. I know that whenever I have a problem about anything I can turn to her for advice and if needed, a shoulder to cry on. I can honestly say that right now I am at my best. I did my best work in mending my relationship with my mom and it worked out to where we can count on each other. Now that I’m in college, I can have a great support system in my mom that I’m not sure I would have if I continued the resentment.
I can translate this positive moment in my personal life to prepare myself in my time here at Iowa State. In my opinion, looking forward with a positive attitude is one of the things you must practice in life. While at college I am sure that I will know the feeling of accomplishment and success because of my happy relationships I have made in my life.
The moments in life when you feel your best aren’t necessarily getting a good grade or making the game winning shot. Sometimes you can feel your best just by having a great relationship with a family member or friend.
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