A Week of Challenges

You know those weeks you have where everything seems to go exactly how you don't want them to go? That is how I would explain this week. It started off super busy with multiple assignments due and quizzes to prepare for in the first few days; however, Thursday was the worst. I have recently bought a new car, and went to go get the oil changed. While changing the oil, the mechanic did an inspection and found many things wrong that needed to be fixed immediately. The worst part, the previous owner had told me that many of the parts had been replaced recently. I was a little upset, and had to get a loan from the bank of Mom and Dad to get it fixed (for those who don't know me, I HATE asking my parents for money). It really put me into a sad mood and the rest of the week seemed to go downhill afterward.

I did learn an important lesson though. Whenever you are looking to buy something big, like a house, car, etc. Find an expert and get their opinion. I had tried to do research, but I am not a car savvy person. I needed to reach out more to find a true expert. Also, be careful in who you trust. Unfortunately, many people lie anymore, I don't know if the previous owner purposefully or unknowingly sold me the car with mechanical issues, but I should have looked further into it. The good thing is the problem is solved, and in the future, I am going to be consulting an expert before I start dishing out money for a big purchase.

Well another week has gone by, and it went by so quickly. This last week, I learned how to properly give feedback. I have had many moments in my life, where feedback/criticism was needed to be given. In the past, I always wanted to be the one to receive it, but not to dish it out. I now realize that that is very selfish and shortsighted. Feedback is useful to everyone, and so I need to learn how to give it and to give it more often. In my communications class, we did role-plays and we had to write up a script beforehand. It was hard, but I learned so much. I learned the importance of trying to be in the other persons shoes and to look to get the whole picture, and that by doing so, we can make the feedback even more precise and valuable to the receiver. Now that I have learned the steps of feedback and how to make it count, I now am going to work on not being afraid of confrontation and to work on giving feedback in an effective manner. Wish me luck!

Christ Centered Living

Wow did this week fly by. I know I am getting this post up a little bit late, but it is better late than sorry. This last week, I spent time preparing on a talk to give in church and I realized that I have been missing something in my life. While spending two years of my life bringing others unto Christ in Brazil, I learned myself to come unto Christ and become a better disciple. Recently, I have lost that focus. With school, work, and the other demands of life, I had been putting my discipleship on the back burners. So, now that I have realized what I am lacking, now I just need to put into practice. I am going to start this week by focusing on charity. While reading from the scriptures, I am going to focus on how charity is being portrayed and focus on applying into my day to day living. I am excited for this new week. Good luck to all of you out there!

Back to the Grind

With the holiday season over, it's back to school, and that can be seen with either horror or excitement. This time around, I was excited. New classes, mean an opportunity to meet new people and create friendships. It also allows me the chance to push myself in new materials to be studied. On top of a new semester, it is a new year filled with goals, dreams, and ambitions. I hope to give all of my readers a taste of hope. Hope that it is possible to change, and achieve our goals and desires. I am a simple everyday person just like you, and if I can do it, you most certainly can.

This semester, I am taking a few classes that I am pretty excited about. One in particular is my communications class. The teacher started off with a bang in her presentation. She showed confidence and power while delivering the syllabus. I immediately knew I was in the right class. I am normally a shy and quiet guy that keeps to himself. I am a good student and often have comments, but for some reason I feel almost embarrassed to share these thoughts. So what I learned this week is that I need to step out of the box. I need to open my mouth and participate in my classes, share my thoughts and ideas. By doing so, I hope to be a more sociable person.

Now wanting something, and doing are entirely different. However, I have a plan. It isn't a genius plan, it's actually quite simple. I have the goal to make one comment or ask one question in each class each day. I started doing this on Wednesday, and so far so good. I will be an active class participant yet.