I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I have decided to move forward with earning my MFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. I can’t explain my excitement for this step to my goal. It is now week 3 of my graduate studies, and one of our assignments was detailing “What do you love and what is your “life’s task” calling?” I decided to share my answer to this weeks discussion here on my personal blog. It will serve as a motivational boost! Woot woot!
What do I love and what is my “life’s task” calling?
This is where I get stuck. Well, not necessarily “stuck” – but this is the point where I get soooo excited about life and everything that I have a passion for. So much that I have a mental blockade in my mind & imagination. I have a passion for interior design, writing, & motivational speaking. All are skills that I learned at a very early age and decided to expand my knowledge as I grew. My calling is to find a way to merge these into something larger than myself. Something that I would hope inspires others to avoid the limitations and pave your own path. One of the only things that could prevent you from doing what you want – is you. I cannot stress this enough!!!! That is a statement that I continue to remind myself of everyday, or every moment I feel like giving up (which fortunately has decreased over time). If I wish to become a Master at what I do, I not only need to demonstrate leadership & the will to learn, but also the flexibility to adapt.
Provide an example of something I worked on that was a step on my Mastery journey towards my life’s task.
After much in-depth research, I took my first step to Mastery by entering undergraduate school to earn my Bachelor’s in Interior Design. Upon first starting, I was continuously questioned why I chose this path rather than immediately jumping into a Creative Writing program. I had an easy and quick answer for this. I control where my life takes me. I get to decide what I learn next. My passion for interior design developed from creating intricate dollhouses out of shoe boxes and cardboard to keep myself entertained at the age of 7. My writing developed when I began writing personal children books for myself to relate to as a child. I don’t see why I cannot combine the two things that excite me the most? After joining the interior design program, I knew what I was getting into. Not only did I create beautiful and inspiring designs, I was able to sell each design with my words in a concept statement. Each project required it, and this is where I was exposed to new terminology and methods of writing.Not only can I now contribute to sustainable and functional spaces, but I can help sell the vision with words. To me, that is the right step in the direction I want to go.
Share a positive and negative example of what I learned from that experience.
During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to learn more about one of the things I find passion in. On this journey, I also networked and created new friendships that I still cherish to this day. A positive example that came out of this experience is being exposed to an unfamiliar environment where you feel DON’T feel alone. Everyone in my program was there for a similar reason. Together, we conquered each challenge individually and supported one another. Learning and observing how others reacted in this learning design-based environment is very intriguing. A great aspect of it all for me was to be able to learn new things from others who are enduring this experience with me. It’s helpful and healthy to create relationships with other people. You are not alone in the world, so enjoy it with others. A negative example I took from this overall experience is witnessing those who didn’t have the motivation to keep going. We all have a goal to reach, and it is different for everyone. Although, when you see a fellow classmate not taking anything seriously, it can create a domino effect. It is important to not allow others decisions impact yours. Seclude yourself from the negativity and embrace yourself with the positivity.
I’d like to reiterate this quote:
Seclude yourself from the negativity and embrace yourself with positivity.
Describe two positive and two negative things you learned from the “Strategies for Acquiring Social Intelligence” scenarios in Chapter IV (p. 146 – 166) that relate to how you should communicate your expertise as you develop Mastery in your field.
One of two negative scenarios I came across in this week’s readings is that you will always come across fools, as Greene summarizes. He recommends forging the attitude “Suffer Fools Gladly” during our early stages of Mastery. Greene states, “If they are causing you trouble, you must neutralize the harm they do by keeping a steady eye on your goals and what is important, and ignoring them if you can.” (Greene 163) Some people feel the importance falls on appearance and money while others do and should focus on longevity and getting their work done efficiently. The last of the two negative scenarios is regarding Temple Grandin. With having Autism, Temple always viewed herself differently from others. As she grew into her teenage and adult years, she noticed others would sabotage her work – putting her in a bind and forcing her to move on. The negative aspect of this is that some feel it’s necessary to jeopardize others hard work, when it isn’t fair. There is no reason to act out like this. What I learned from both scenarios is simply a reminder for myself. Everyone is different individually and have different motives & goals. Some may not all agree with others, but that is not a reason to have it negatively impact someone else. As Greene reflects back on the example of Temple Grandin, he states “To see ourselves objectively, we must follow the example of Temple Grandin” (Greene 158). He then follows that by touching on the fact that we need to take a step back and reflect on our negative experiences to pinpoint where we may need to improve on our character, and putting that into another perspective.
Ending on a positive note, speaking from my work and the creation of a persona are two positive examples I pulled from the readings. Greene states “…your work is the single greatest means at your disposal for expressing your social intelligence.” (Greene 151) Be proud of the work that I produce, and continue to be detail-oriented, patient, & efficient. Hard work will pay off, and it will be recognized. Lastly, I found inspiration out of a quote from Greene, “In this diverse, multicultural world, it is best that you learn how to mingle and blend into all types of environments, giving yourself maximum flexibility” (Greene 156). Creating a persona for others to see doesn’t mean that you are hiding yourself. You are simple just expressing another side of yourself that you are comfortable with allowing others to view.
References:
Greene, Robert. Mastery. Penguin Books, 11/2012. VitalBook file.
^^^My favorite textbook EVER!^^^
Ta Ta for now,
A
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