Thanks

I think it’s difficult sometimes to think about what you have as a reflection of what other people have given. To think about, for instance Josh’s ipod, as the collective care of five other people, the sacrifice of five other people for him so in that sense not really getting excited about the thing that he has but instead reflecting on what has been required to achieve that. I think that the joy I’ve had, two…three days before my birthday (and it’s not even over yet) has been great. I think not because my birthday was on a Monday and I’m going to have had four days to celebrate it, but I think because I’m surrounded by people like Josh, like my parents, like Jonathan, friends and family, who I’ve shown how much I care about them and they’ve shown me how much they care about me. I think I’m going to write notes in way to thank people who I’m not going to be able to see and thank in person through my actions, but the people who I don’t write letters to or thank you notes are people who I try to act on a daily basis of thanks towards and to let them know that I care about them and what they’re doing and that I appreciate their efforts and them being themselves.

Tenacity

I wish to always work in a way which shows my tenacity and devotion to passion in my life. I want to work and live in such a way that I am always deliberately doing exactly what I mean to be doing. I have this life to live, these responsibilities to fulfill which include my academic and community work, my personal and my interpersonal work, my duty as a citizen the same as my duty as a family member. I desire to always feel driven, to feel charged to do good, to work hard and to be cheerful in my work, my service and my faith in all things which guide me on my path of meaning and strength. I wish all of these things in the name of my humanity, in the spirit of my life and time here on this earth, with these people in my community of life, with strength and with honor.

Groundhog Day

After the Impromptu speech I wrote in Public Speaking and after having watched Groundhog Day last night, I feel like the thought for yesterday was the value of one day, the need to make your desires fulfilled in that one day, to accomplish what you need to and not to wait or plan on the days to come. In Groundhog Day, Bill Murray was able to see things all around him that he could help with, learn from, enjoy and share with people around him. By the end of the movie, he had made the best of that day, literally. He had the opportunity for dozens of days in a row to improve himself and make a difference but he didn’t. He tried to kill himself, every which way he could but it didn’t work. Gandhi said “Learn as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die tomorrow.” After watching the movie, you could easily say, “Live as if tomorrow isn’t the issue.” Time went by in such a fashion during Groundhog Day that it didn’t matter what would happen the next day, Bill Murray had to make the best of that day he was in. He had to repeat it every day until he did it right. In the end he knew when he did his best, when he was his best. I think we are all in that position (though we might need to pretend about the tomorrow not coming part). We all know when we’ve done our best and given our all to that day.