Random food for thought: Sometimes in order to remind ourselves of our roots, we share our experiences.
Words have the power to build, but they also have the power to destroy. At the end of the day, they can make a difference in how you present yourself to others and how you end up accepting your unapologetic self for years to come. How you express yourself will depend on how you act on those goals that will always compete to be your #1 focus in any particular situation.
I do not know what tomorrow will present me with, but I still love to make plans. I have a small piece of paper with all my goals laid out for the next day, next week, next year, and next ten years (yes, even amidst a 100-year-pandemic). More than anything, I still love to take the leap of faith, take risks, and take on challenges with open arms every single time. Sometimes, it causes chaos and uncertainty instead of peace and clarity — but from that new experience I learn something about myself and I never regret it.
Every new experience that we go through in our lives has a purpose. Now, I know with the pandemic and the unique circumstances that it brought for every organization in the world, the word “purpose” has been overused so much that at this point you might not continue reading.
I want everything I learn, do, and share to mean something deeper than what meets the eye. I hope for anything I accomplish in my professional, academic, or personal life to remind me of my roots. But where I am right now and the steps I take in the future, will one day help me understand just how far I have come.
Dreaming about the future is only half the battle. Acting on those dreams, resolving those issues that keep you up at night and when you wake up in the morning — that’s what really counts. Becoming a staff writer for The Stute helped me to challenge myself to become a better communicator and a better writer, so I can become a better professional, friend, and role model.
Obviously, I can still achieve many of the said goals on my own without writing for a student newspaper. But taking a role in the student newspaper helps me adapt my skills and reminds me of one of my other priorities: to perpetually better understand another person’s point of view.
So one goal I want to work on this semester with this column, is to be more concise with my readers. I want to give a layout for what to expect in future pieces because this is how I want to control the course of this column.
Here are some general topics you should see in the upcoming weeks:
- Figuring out a plan
- Working on a plan to achieve your goals
- How to strategize time and energy when taking on responsibilities
- How to become stronger, bolder, and braver when everything is seemingly against you
Some are just my own thoughts while others are from discussions I have had with friends on a number of occasions. While concrete examples are always nice for explaining these topics, I will try to write in a perspective that allows you to think of your own personal plans, goals, and responsibilities.
Second, before the body of the piece, you will see a phrase prefaced by ‘Random food for thought’ because… that is what it is.
Sometimes that phrase is something I want to act on for the said week or time I spent writing the piece. Other times, the entire article might be centered on that phrase. I will let time decide the purpose of that phrase for both of us. Oops, I brought “that word” up again.
Even when everything is under your control there will be chaotic times that test your proven and unproven abilities. While the mayhem too shall pass, there is always merit in developing your logical and emotional systems to let you wade through harsh circumstances.
Like last year, I hope Quarantine Times can continue to help bring some light in whatever dark uncertainty you are facing.
Till next time!
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