Final Blog

1)

After blogging about my ideals (Twix commercial) and looking back over the past year, I have come to realize that I have a disciplined and synthesizing mind. I take information from different sources, remember it, and eventually use it in my essays, blogs, conversations, etc. I have a certain way that I think and write, and I stick to it for the most part. I use similar phrases and sentence structures, which may be something I need to improve on. I try to add better words to my vocabulary and mix around the types of sentences I use when I think about it.

2)

1. Exhibit Curiosity: I tried to find different examples of success and happiness in music, movies, people, etc. I did not want to just have one view.
2. See Others Points of View- I tried to find different ways of looking at success and happiness, and how one could view the other as superior or inferior. I wanted to see if people agreed with my beliefs.
3. Read with Awareness of Self and Others: I tried not to put anything that would offend any sort of audience. I attempted to provide evidence in diverse areas.

3)

I realized that blogging is a fun and easy way to express my beliefs. I really enjoyed blogging about my topic of success vs. happiness. Using Blogger gave me the opportunity to add pictures, videos, music, polls, etc. to get my idea across to my audience. I wish other teachers would assign blogging projects.

Live Like a Princess

In the Disney movie, "The Princess and the Frog," a young African American girl, Tiana, always dreamed of owning her own restaurant when she grew up serving her father's gumbo, jumbalaya, and other Southern delicacies. After her father died in war, she took it upon herself to make that dream come true. She faced many difficult challenges being born into an impoverished black family. She had to work through many obstacles, such as working at two diners to save up enough money to buy a place, being turned into a frog with the Prince of Maldonia, being chased by evil spirits, falling in love with the prince, and finding out how to become human again, to eventually achieve her dream. In the end, she chooses love, which means she has to stay a frog, but when she kisses the prince at their wedding, they both turn into humans again. Her choice of love eventually brings her success, because the prince has all the money they need to buy the place and create her restaurant. Although this is just a children's movie, there is a great lesson stated by her father: "never, ever, lose sight of what's really important."

Mother Teresa

In the opinions of many, living in a third world country, with no personal possessions, among the dying and needy would, in no way, be considered successful. Mother Teresa was an Albanian Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. She spent over 45 years working with the poor, sick, and orphaned people of India. She gave up all she had and moved to such a destitute area in order to help all of the people she could. As most, she experienced doubts when she first began her patronage, writing in her diary:

"Our Lord wants me to be a free nun covered with the poverty of the cross. Today I learned a good lesson. The poverty of the poor must be so hard for them. While looking for a home I walked and walked till my arms and legs ached. I thought how much they must ache in body and soul, looking for a home, food and health. Then the comfort of Loreto [her former order] came to tempt me. 'You have only to say the word and all that will be yours again,' the Tempter kept on saying ... Of free choice, my God, and out of love for you, I desire to remain and do whatever be your Holy will in my regard. I did not let a single tear come."

Mother Teresa used her faith in God and strong will power to overcome her ambiguities. She later came to win the Noble Peace Prize in 1979 and India's most prestigious award, the Bharat Ratna in 1980. After her death in 1997, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In the eyes of God, she was one of the most successful people in the world.

I Just Wanna Be Successful

For many people success is attaining physical possessions. In Drake's song, "Successful," he speaks of "money... cars... [and] clothes," inferring that those are ideals of success. Expensive material belongings, such as those previously stated, are commonly thought of as symbols of achieving high positions of power. This idea consistently portrayed by famous celebrities, singers, etc. makes the hoi polloi feel as though they need these things in order to be considered successful. Therefore, the common people put their job and obtaining these goods before their family and friends, causing them to fall into corruption. In my opinion, people should not be judged by their physical belongings, but by their character and morals.

Necessary Evil?

Is corruption a necessary evil for success? Many people seem to fall prey to corruption when they achieve high places of power, but does it have to happen? I believe that, in the end, it is the choice of the individual whether they give into the temptations of degenerateness. One must have high moral standards and great self control to be able to avoid this easy inducement. All of the glitz and glamour can cause some to fall off track and act irresponsibly, even immoraly. Although, it is such a simple path to fall onto, a truly strong person is able to evade it.

Be Not Afraid of Greatness

"Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." -- William Shakespeare

I believe that this quote is relevant and ties in well with my question. You can't choose your parents, the family you're born into, or where you are born. Some people are born into very wealthy, as some may say, successful families, where money is not an issue, and one can have anything he/she desires. On the other hand, there are people born in to poverty, where one does not know how he/she will get his/her next meal or how long one will have to wear the clothes he/she is wearing. Then there are people that are born in the middle. Most people I know are in the upper middle class. We have to work to get where we are, but our parents and family will help us along the way. Since one cannot choose his/her life, there are many different comprehensions of the terms success and happiness.

Pursuit Of Happiness

Contradictory to my last post, happiness for some may come in the form of drugs and alcohol. Many people in college, even high school, depend upon booze and narcodics to have a good time. The Kid Cudi song, "Pursuit of Happiness," talks about attaining happiness through illegal substances. Although it has a good beat, it is subconsciously putting this idea into the minds of listeners. I have heard this song on the radio; therefore, children are hearing these lyrics and being negatively influenced. Partaking in these substances should not be the basis of whether something will be fun or you will be happy.