Who are you? What do you do? Is it your name, your job or your age that defines you. Does being called Zeus make you more powerful than Andrew? Does being a lawyer make you smarter than a teacher? Is being 25 make you less aware than if you're 65?
While a name can have a lot of influence on your personality it doesn't necessarily define you. When people ask us who we are the most common responses are, 'I'm Sally, an accountant.' or 'I'm Bob, the personal trainer.'
That's not who you are. That's just what you do.
Is there a better response?
Who are you? Well, I'm a hard working individual with big dreams and ambitions. While that might be true, it's not usually the thing we say when someone presents us with that question.
When we think about what defines us we need to look at all the moments in our lives and how we reacted to them. We need to remember our thoughts and feelings and why was this moment so important to us.
My defining moment? I think there's been many. However, as I'm getting older, the defining moment would be leaving my adopted country, Australia, and going back to my birth country, Poland, and trying to start a new life. I think this showed my need for change, for independence, and being challenged. Maybe even proving to myself that I was capable of anything I set my mind to.
What defines you?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Keeping an Open Mind
Being open-minded is having the ability to listen to other people's opinions, consider them and come to your own conclusions. I don't believe there is just one answer to every problem. Nor do I think that what open-minded people say is convenient. It might even be derogatory but with good means. Maybe it's simply to encourage discussion, provoking emotional outbursts and debates.
Not everyone's likes what we say. Life would be too simple if we could satisfy every person we come into contact with. However, when two or more people are having a general discussion, getting offended or being proven wrong is not a reason to get snappy or judgemental. Living in a democracy we are permitted to have an opinion, that's what freedom of speech is for. Unfortunately many people refuse to accept opinions that are not their own.
I think it's important for writers to have an open-mind. Writers deal with many different stories, people, situations. They come in contact with so many tales of fame, fortune, tragedy, drama and everything in between. In order to write well, they need to not only be able to see two sides to every story but also remain open to new ideas. Sometimes you even have to play devil's advocate.
Teachers, I think are in the same position. In order to teach you have to stay open to suggestions, difference in opinion, and taking sides in order to entice discussion and debate. Usually this works well, problems arise however, when students take offence and don't like your opinion. The best way to deal with this is to change the subject and next time choose a less controversial topic to discuss. However, don't be afraid to play the devil's advocate to keep the conversation flowing.
Do you consider yourself an open-minded person?
Not everyone's likes what we say. Life would be too simple if we could satisfy every person we come into contact with. However, when two or more people are having a general discussion, getting offended or being proven wrong is not a reason to get snappy or judgemental. Living in a democracy we are permitted to have an opinion, that's what freedom of speech is for. Unfortunately many people refuse to accept opinions that are not their own.
I think it's important for writers to have an open-mind. Writers deal with many different stories, people, situations. They come in contact with so many tales of fame, fortune, tragedy, drama and everything in between. In order to write well, they need to not only be able to see two sides to every story but also remain open to new ideas. Sometimes you even have to play devil's advocate.
Teachers, I think are in the same position. In order to teach you have to stay open to suggestions, difference in opinion, and taking sides in order to entice discussion and debate. Usually this works well, problems arise however, when students take offence and don't like your opinion. The best way to deal with this is to change the subject and next time choose a less controversial topic to discuss. However, don't be afraid to play the devil's advocate to keep the conversation flowing.
Do you consider yourself an open-minded person?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
A quick update
Session 1 of Uni starts today. Master of Communications. OK, I am a little bit worried. After having a look through the course content and assignment requirements my pulse quickened. How in the world am I going to manage this and everything else I have on my plate?
Ten minutes later I am a little bit calmer, though I know that there is a lot of work ahead of me. I'm still trying to decide whether I made the right decision taking up this course. I hope so. I think so.
For the first time in like a month I went running today. It felt great. Why have I neglected my running routine? A lot has been happening. But now with spring in the air, it's time to start running again. No more excuses!
The Lent sacrifice of chocolate and sweets is working well. Two weeks down. Four to go. Surprisingly, I haven't experienced any cravings even when people were eating chocolate and chocolate brownies in front of me. Could I be cured of chocolism or is this just a phase and I'll be back to consuming it every day after Easter?
Query letters. Don't you love those? Yeah. It's a love and hate thing definitely. My aim is to write 100 before Easter. Huge feat but hey a girl's gotta have challenges. I've submitted 6 queries so far (yeah not many I know), received two rejections, a request for an on spec piece, request for a piece with no payment, and received from an editor a potential market to send a piece that was rejected.
Ten minutes later I am a little bit calmer, though I know that there is a lot of work ahead of me. I'm still trying to decide whether I made the right decision taking up this course. I hope so. I think so.
For the first time in like a month I went running today. It felt great. Why have I neglected my running routine? A lot has been happening. But now with spring in the air, it's time to start running again. No more excuses!
The Lent sacrifice of chocolate and sweets is working well. Two weeks down. Four to go. Surprisingly, I haven't experienced any cravings even when people were eating chocolate and chocolate brownies in front of me. Could I be cured of chocolism or is this just a phase and I'll be back to consuming it every day after Easter?
Query letters. Don't you love those? Yeah. It's a love and hate thing definitely. My aim is to write 100 before Easter. Huge feat but hey a girl's gotta have challenges. I've submitted 6 queries so far (yeah not many I know), received two rejections, a request for an on spec piece, request for a piece with no payment, and received from an editor a potential market to send a piece that was rejected.
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