Personal
Well.....these past few years have been really hard to say the least, from the death of close family members to various other events that have made me very defensive and protective of myself...I can honestly say that I've been let down so many times that I'm ALMOST (not quite there yet) immune to disappointments. I heard my Professor say it best in class one day..She said " I won't lie, even at the age I am at now, I still have abandonment issues"....This really made me make the same exact realization of myself; Which is why I understand why I can't open up to anyone really except for a selective two. I've been ostracized, ridiculed, disrespected, talked about (sounds typical right); yet I've always found a reason to smile. I often think about how I was a kid and people didn't want to play with me and they always left me by my lonesome or how I was treated so cruelly by people that were old enough to be my parents. This happened so many times that I reached a pinnacle in my life where I stayed by myself, and became content with that. Despite disappointment after disappointment, I've learned to persevere. The hardest part about perseverance is that you have to go through it no matter what; yet your attitude dictates how you will respond. Now here's the catch....When you persevere, you can try your hardest and give your best effort, but, if its not your time, it simply isn't your time to be blessed...YET!....Now that was the hardest part for me to grasp and I think that I'm finally coming to grips with that as well. But there's a few things that I've learned one must have in order to have a prosperous life, Humility, patience, perseverance, and obedience. Obedience, is synonymous with Humility because in order to be humble, you have to be obedient to the call of God (or your conscious or whatever you believe or confide in, whether spiritual physical etc). Patience and perseverance coincide simply because in order to persevere you need the patience to wanna get through. For example, prior to beginning a workout, we all have some sort of an idea of what we want to look like; With that being said we know it's going to take a lot of perseverance to reach that ultimate goal, But, in order to do so you know you have to be patient; because as the old saying goes "Rome wasn't built in a day" (But later became know as one of the most powerful empires EVER!). With all of that being said, I've realized that this has made me a person so strong, that it amazes me at times. I've also realized that all of these things have happened for a reason and will ultimately propel me to many great blessing in life if I just stand firm and don't give up. I say all of this because "change comes with the realization of the dissatisfaction of self and the need for improvement''...If the seasons of nature simultaneously change, how much more are we different than that??...After all, from "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" we've come...and shall return.
Educational- Anyone who has studied or taken any sociology or Psychology courses, or are majoring in these fields should be familiar with the "Looking Glass Self". The "Looking Glass Self" concept, created by Charles Horton Cooley, is a concept in which "a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others" (Wikipedia). In other words, everyone's perception plays a part into your development of self. For example, to your Loved ones you may be seen as the innocent flower, while to friends your the wild drunk who loves to party! I mention this concept because, although certain peoples opinions are meaningless, the valued opinions have a way of swaying and shaping your interpersonal perceptions of self and social development. Subsequently, as you journey through life, you can almost become caught up in the Nexus of The"Net Of Indra". This simply means that you'll be just another name, face, and identity to the world. But I Dare you to be different!
Now Why did I choose A Change is Gonna Come as a title? Well...Last Semester in my Voice & Diction Class, My Professor voice recorded each student in our class individually asking us to explain our favorite influential song. I chose "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke initially because Cooke soulfully sang the public outcry of the stereotypes, struggles, and adversities that were relevant to those times...It was also written shortly after Malcolm X's death. Overall, I understood that Cooke had to Look deeply into his community, society, and most importantly himself in order to make such a powerful masterpiece that would also be a cry out for change.
So I ask you all, what do you look at when you see yourself, or your community? or where do you see yourself going in Life???...
