The Emerson Perspective

The insight in humanities was inspirational this week as we disgusted a man’s life that I didn’t really know. He started out as a normal minister and ended up as the greatest thinker of our time. His speeches are still studied to this day. He redefined how humanity was looked at. His name was Ralph Waldo Emerson. We discussed for almost an hour all of the wonderful things that this man had to say. As I said before it was sheer inspiration. It is amusing how Heavenly Father works sometimes. Everything that we talked about in class was something that I needed at that exact moment. However, time being as fickle as it is I must only talk about one of those inspired ideas. Emerson once said “Envy is ignorance; Imitation is suicide.” In lame man’s speech or at least how I understand it, to envy anything wither it be a friend’s accomplishments or what a person is wearing is to live in the ignorance of your potential.  To willingly live your life imitating those around you even if they are great thinkers or people in the world is to never know your true self, and in doing such you kill your very being.

            This really hit home with me. I have spent the majority of my life trying to be someone else. I wanted to shoot as well as my Papa. I wanted to read as clear as my Granny. To cook like my Aunt Ann, to be as smart as my Father, and to be as unwavering as my Mother in all I do and think. This, while being good things to inspire to, held me back from what my true potential was in this world. I am coming to a realization that the old rhyme “Monkey see, Monkey do” is truly a rhyme of warning. The question is why did I think this was correct? This is a harder thing to discover than one would believe. It is because that is how children learn. We imitate our parents and those older than us though out our live so that we can grow and be as they are. While this is a great thing when a child is learning how to speak or walk as an adult this truly is suicide.

            If we live in a state of constant imitation and envy we forfeit our self. Why is it then that we do this so much in our lives?  It is because that is how we were taught. As I said in the previous paragraph that is how we as children learned. However, my friends, it is time to shed the binky we hold in our minds, and dispose of the baby stroller and walk on our own understandings. We are individuals. We can think and we can do many great and marvelous works. Could Emerson have ever come up with this concept if he were still holding on to his Mother’s understandings?

The Insightful Perspective

In my Humanities class this semester my teacher had us write insights on different things we talked about in class that week. Seeing as how those insights are a type of perspective I thought they would be brilliant to share them with you. This is the first one I will share with you because it is somewhat of a disclaimer on what and how I show my insights.

It is my personal beliefs that an insight can come from just about anything. That is why I have to place a declaimer on this particular one. It is not odd or even crazy. It is just all me. That is why it is my insight anyway. In class a teaching opportunity was given about a man by the name of Walt Whitman, the American Poet. Whitman was a man who overcame his lot in life. He grew up in a family that had nothing. He worked hard and made something of himself, but was still unsatisfied. Then it came, the call to his adventure and his destiny. When Emerson stated in a speech one day that it was about time that America had its own poet and not one that wrote fluffy works of rhyme but one who really captured America Whitman decided that that would be him. He them set to work on his “Leaves of Grass” which truly filled that call. Emerson is even known for praising Whitman for capturing the true America in his poetry. This being known we return to what my insight was exactly.

            My mother told me this past week that people in my phase in life are not much different from two to three year olds in their mindsets. She explained that in both points in life we don’t know what we want, what to be, how to act, and we are desperately trying to figure out the answers to these questions. We are trying to finally walk on our own. Being in this state we are waiting for our call to adventure. Through learning about Whitman’s call I finally realized something very important. Our call is all around us in this vulnerable state of existence, but it is our choice whether or not to actually act. I guess I was in the mindset that my call would come like one of the great heroes and herons of the past. Some old person would come up to me one day and say “Claire you are going to be a great literary master. Go to the England and study right now.” That is really random, but you get the point. The fact is that just doesn’t happen anymore.

            Our call comes in subtle nudges rather than by big brass bands. That is why promptings are so important. As Brother Ward once said in class, “If you pay attention and I do mean close attention in this class [or whatever moment you are in] you will be the person you need to be at seven pm tonight.” I have found myself so many times shrugging off feelings I have about people or places I am in and have been burned because of it. So what if our calls don’t come the same way that the heroes in books got theirs. Ours still come from the same place. If we do not act upon those calls we will miss our adventure. That I know and believe, and that is why this insight hit me so hard this week. Sometimes you need a reminder.

The thanksgiving Perspective

The object of the game is to suck on this little piece of hard candy (my preferred apple flavor to be exact) and write every little thing that you are thankful for until the little piece of candy has dissolved into just a memory of a taste in your mouth. The lists are extensive from shoes to family and even random items of prized possessions. Then the magic really begins. After the list has been made the family gathers in a circle and reads the things that they are thankful for. You see it is one thing to write them down and another to say what you are thankful for around a table of intoxicating food, but when you do both you discover something completely entrancing. You discover that you are the richest person in the world because you have really had the blessings of heaven poured out unto you. Well, with that said this is my list, or at least my jolly rancher thank you note.

I am thankful for a lot of things; from birds with wings and pigs that fly (there are more than you could ever believe)! I am thankful for a car that works, water that’s hot, and soap for every dish. The stories told wither true or not, and for the stew in a warm pot. I am thankful for sisters of every age known. For the way they laugh, talk, play, and sing. For how they love and run to anyone’s needs. I am thankful for a little brother who scratches and pulls my hair, because when he crawls into my lap and says “sis book” the marks seem to disappear. I am thankful for the love of parents, even when they poke and pry.  I am thankful for music, art, books, imagination, photos, nature, friends, patients(when its needed), food especially the food I do not have to buy. Laughter! Bahahahaha… Memories, you know that one time with those people. For love, my teachers, friends and family, and mostly for the tender mercies. I am just thankful for stuff in general!

The perspective of a freshman

To be a college student is something completely new to me. I am really sorry I have not been keeping up on this whole blog thing guys. Our perspective today is something I have actually learned while being here at good old BYU-I. My Humanities teacher has to be one of my favorite teachers. Over the course of the semester so far we have been exploring the idea of Biases and the other things that hinder our learning. They are called and are as follows;

The four fundamental principles that will shackle your learning. 1. 80% of the human mind is used to KEEP OUT new information. 2. Words do not convey meanings: they call them forth. 3. For every experience you work on to complete you create a bias against being completely open to the next experience. 4. Life Maxim: The hardest thing for you to really believe is the thing you think you already believe.

Interesting aren’t they. My favorite is number three. Biases are of the devil. They hinder everything from what we eat to what we wear. Have you ever really pondered that? I have spent the last seven weeks breaking through those biases. Its empowering! When you are truly free of them you are open to so many new things.

So, I think I am going to leave you with this concept for now. It’s kind of a tough one so here you go. Keep your perspectives open.

Delayed Reaction

Well, summer is at its begining its last month. August is a time for reflection, change, and reaction in my life. I open a new age of my life which this year invites not only a new pespective but also new challenges. I am now at the point of no return. Adulthood. As a child you wish only to be an adult. As an adult you wish only to be a child. It is time that we pull ourselves up by are pantloops and enter the world with our heads held high. No more wishing. Time to act. Its easier to say that though. Well, in this new chapter I plan to be postive and upbeat. Every trial is meant to build not to cut you down. I was reading one of my many jounals last night and noticed a quote that I quickly scribled into the coner of the page that was said by a teacher I had once. It read "This life is a tiny tiny moment. Endure it well." Its true. We as humans get caught up in the everyday busy momnets and forget to look at the forest through the tree. Who cares if I fail. At least I tried. So, From this moment on no more delayed recations. Time for a bit of perspective

The Snap Perspective

I feel so bad! I kind of snapped at a kid I work with today. You see, he is the younger brother of my ex boyfriend who is currently on his mission in New Jersey. We were talking (which is terrible awkward due to the fact that he looks talks and basically is a miniature of my x) and he wanted to know something which lead to a topic that somehow made me, well, snap. It was weird. One phrase sent me to a whole rampage. It was like my eyes had turned a deeper shade in utter rage, passion, and defense. I felt my body tense like a wolf about to attack but I had no control. I said one phrase twice and averted my eyes. "He dated her for a week!" Then I sighed and looked away. He was in silence for awhile and then continued with a different topic. Poor kid. Is the human mind that fragile that it can snap in a moment like that? I am going to say that this was a random event and move on. The human mind truly is a very strange thing. Oh!!! I almost forgot! X-Men: First Class is amazing! I recommend it. So question if you could be a mutant on the X-Men team, what do you wish your abilities were? Personally I would love to control water. HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE!!!!! Well, that's all for today. Go enjoy some new perspectives ;)

Minimalistic

So we spent some time focusing. no lets take a closer look at things.

See minimal distractions. Its called simplicity. Sometimes in our lives we tend to over due it. Ok so all the time we tend to over due it. I was told once that "if the reason why doesn't make you cry you are going to fail." meaning if you really dont care about doing it then you wont be inclined to continue. So lets sit back once again and this time lets make our firsts first.