Maximizing Potential
Well a lot has happened since the last time I blogged which was sometime around Thanksgiving. Therefore, I will give you all a brief summary of everything that has happened in my life, so that I can then focus on the topic of this blog addressing potential.
Thanksgiving was a joyous time for me despite being away from family and most of my friends. Now don't get me wrong, I missed them all dearly, but I was able to experience the true meaning of thanksgiving, that is giving to those in need. My journey began walking the streets of San Francisco bright and early Thanksgiving morning trying to find a soup kitchen that needed a pair of extra hands. Me being the procrastinator that I am did not call in advance to get on a roster, but hey it was more adventurous walking around aimlessly :-). After being turned away from two kitchens (they had too many volunteers believe it or not) I was able to participate at the third site.
I had a blast working with the rest of the volunteers and the line of homeless people outside stretched all the way to the end of the street and beyond. I had never seen so many homeless people in one place, but from what I have seen thus far is that San Francisco has a very, very, high homeless population. It felt good being able to give my time and energy, whether than a buck or two. Not that I don't occasionally give money, but I find it more beneficial to get to know people on an interpersonal level, and to do that, it takes more than money.
Christmas was spent with my friend Amanda and her boyfriend Chuck. Amanda is a girl I met in Ohio before I left for Taiwan. We kept contact off and on throughout that year, and it just turned out that she was also moving to California the same time I was. It was nice to know that I would know at least one person here in San Fran, and her and Chuck have been nothing but extremely nice to me. So, they invited me to their family's Christmas dinner and what a Christmas dinner it was.
Let me start off and say that Chuck comes from a very diverse family. Japanese, Italian, and Pacific Islander just to name a few. Therefore, the table consisted of an array of cultural dishes. The food was absolutely AMAZING, and it reminded me how important it is to appreciate cultures. Everyone brought a piece of themself to share, and together everyone reaped the benefits.
We played this game called "White Elephant" that requires everyone to exchange absurd or reject gifts to try to make out with the least crappiest gift. It was really fun to play, and I ended up walking away with a blue dancing frog that was dressed as Vanilla Ice during his glory days. To top it off this hideous frog sung, "Living the Vida Loca". Hilarious one might say, however I just tried to hide my gift so that people would stop reminding me that it was mine ;-).
Now here comes the big hooray of my blog. As the clock struck 12 and we all left what we knew as 2006 to enter a new terrain of 07, it dawned on me that I should make this year the best year ever. Now you might ask how would I do that and what do I mean about making it the best year ever? Well, to start off I feel that as a young adult in my mid 20's I am creating the rest of my life, determing what I can/can't do, and what I want/do not want to do. I am shaping my destiny, and most older people that I consult with have given me wisdom.
After years and years of thinking, and contemplating my life and how I relate to others, I clearly know what I want out of life. Therefore, I know what I need to do to get there. Maximizing my potential is a key to getting where I want to go. Creating New Years Resolutions are ways by which I can check myself. Finally, progress is shown by my need to have accountability for my endeavors. Everyone that knows about my resolutions act as checkpoints. So, the pressure is on, and I tend to work well under pressure.
First off I would like see my physical limits. Studies show that people in their 20's are at the best shape of their life. Those are the "prime-time" years for athletes, and there's no difference for everyone else. Once a person leaves that decade their physical health starts to decline, and gravity starts pulling harder and harder. Now I am not saying older people are unhealthy, I am just saying that youth has its adavantages. Therefore, I am going to take better care of myself so that I will be less likely to have bad health in the future. Much like a car if you want it to run well for a long time you must keep up the maintenance, and your body is no exception.
Sadly, most people take better care of their vehicles than they do their own body. So I advise all to routinely visit your doctor, dentist, psychologist, etc. A healthy person is a happier person, and I believe everyone deserves to be happy.
Next resolution is to optimize my mind. I am already in a doctorate prgm for psychology so I am continuously challenged there, however I would like to branch out my options so that I have mobility when I get older. So I will improve my Japanese, and Spanish. To really know a culture one must speak the language and I am on my way to doing that. If language is not your thing, broaden your bookshelf with books that are not normally your taste. I am reading Colin Powell's autobiography now, and so far it is a hell of a book. Go to events that you are unfamiliar with such as: poetry sessions, cultural festivals, line dancing, etc. With all that life has to offer no one should ever say that they are bored.
Last but not least is the soul. Now you don't have to been religious to do this however, everyone needs to work on this aspect to become a healthier person. Step outside of yourself and get involved with your community. Do what you can to make an imprint on society. Volunteer once in a while, join a cause worth fighting for, visit a senior home and talk with the residents. There are many things you can do to help develop this part of your self. Unfortunately, the soul is the most neglected part of a person in this society, and it is easy to fall to the "superficial desires" of the world. Since many people neglect this part of their life, I wonder why they are surprised when they find themselves incomplete.
Well that is all for now. I slowly but surely will add more information on my page. I have been somewhat enigmatic ever since I started this page, but I promise more information about me will come. I would like to show various aspects of my personality on the page, but I am now in the process of figuring out how I can incorporate that. I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and until next time.
-Bob
Thanksgiving was a joyous time for me despite being away from family and most of my friends. Now don't get me wrong, I missed them all dearly, but I was able to experience the true meaning of thanksgiving, that is giving to those in need. My journey began walking the streets of San Francisco bright and early Thanksgiving morning trying to find a soup kitchen that needed a pair of extra hands. Me being the procrastinator that I am did not call in advance to get on a roster, but hey it was more adventurous walking around aimlessly :-). After being turned away from two kitchens (they had too many volunteers believe it or not) I was able to participate at the third site.
I had a blast working with the rest of the volunteers and the line of homeless people outside stretched all the way to the end of the street and beyond. I had never seen so many homeless people in one place, but from what I have seen thus far is that San Francisco has a very, very, high homeless population. It felt good being able to give my time and energy, whether than a buck or two. Not that I don't occasionally give money, but I find it more beneficial to get to know people on an interpersonal level, and to do that, it takes more than money.
Christmas was spent with my friend Amanda and her boyfriend Chuck. Amanda is a girl I met in Ohio before I left for Taiwan. We kept contact off and on throughout that year, and it just turned out that she was also moving to California the same time I was. It was nice to know that I would know at least one person here in San Fran, and her and Chuck have been nothing but extremely nice to me. So, they invited me to their family's Christmas dinner and what a Christmas dinner it was.
Let me start off and say that Chuck comes from a very diverse family. Japanese, Italian, and Pacific Islander just to name a few. Therefore, the table consisted of an array of cultural dishes. The food was absolutely AMAZING, and it reminded me how important it is to appreciate cultures. Everyone brought a piece of themself to share, and together everyone reaped the benefits.
We played this game called "White Elephant" that requires everyone to exchange absurd or reject gifts to try to make out with the least crappiest gift. It was really fun to play, and I ended up walking away with a blue dancing frog that was dressed as Vanilla Ice during his glory days. To top it off this hideous frog sung, "Living the Vida Loca". Hilarious one might say, however I just tried to hide my gift so that people would stop reminding me that it was mine ;-).
Now here comes the big hooray of my blog. As the clock struck 12 and we all left what we knew as 2006 to enter a new terrain of 07, it dawned on me that I should make this year the best year ever. Now you might ask how would I do that and what do I mean about making it the best year ever? Well, to start off I feel that as a young adult in my mid 20's I am creating the rest of my life, determing what I can/can't do, and what I want/do not want to do. I am shaping my destiny, and most older people that I consult with have given me wisdom.
After years and years of thinking, and contemplating my life and how I relate to others, I clearly know what I want out of life. Therefore, I know what I need to do to get there. Maximizing my potential is a key to getting where I want to go. Creating New Years Resolutions are ways by which I can check myself. Finally, progress is shown by my need to have accountability for my endeavors. Everyone that knows about my resolutions act as checkpoints. So, the pressure is on, and I tend to work well under pressure.
First off I would like see my physical limits. Studies show that people in their 20's are at the best shape of their life. Those are the "prime-time" years for athletes, and there's no difference for everyone else. Once a person leaves that decade their physical health starts to decline, and gravity starts pulling harder and harder. Now I am not saying older people are unhealthy, I am just saying that youth has its adavantages. Therefore, I am going to take better care of myself so that I will be less likely to have bad health in the future. Much like a car if you want it to run well for a long time you must keep up the maintenance, and your body is no exception.
Sadly, most people take better care of their vehicles than they do their own body. So I advise all to routinely visit your doctor, dentist, psychologist, etc. A healthy person is a happier person, and I believe everyone deserves to be happy.
Next resolution is to optimize my mind. I am already in a doctorate prgm for psychology so I am continuously challenged there, however I would like to branch out my options so that I have mobility when I get older. So I will improve my Japanese, and Spanish. To really know a culture one must speak the language and I am on my way to doing that. If language is not your thing, broaden your bookshelf with books that are not normally your taste. I am reading Colin Powell's autobiography now, and so far it is a hell of a book. Go to events that you are unfamiliar with such as: poetry sessions, cultural festivals, line dancing, etc. With all that life has to offer no one should ever say that they are bored.
Last but not least is the soul. Now you don't have to been religious to do this however, everyone needs to work on this aspect to become a healthier person. Step outside of yourself and get involved with your community. Do what you can to make an imprint on society. Volunteer once in a while, join a cause worth fighting for, visit a senior home and talk with the residents. There are many things you can do to help develop this part of your self. Unfortunately, the soul is the most neglected part of a person in this society, and it is easy to fall to the "superficial desires" of the world. Since many people neglect this part of their life, I wonder why they are surprised when they find themselves incomplete.
Well that is all for now. I slowly but surely will add more information on my page. I have been somewhat enigmatic ever since I started this page, but I promise more information about me will come. I would like to show various aspects of my personality on the page, but I am now in the process of figuring out how I can incorporate that. I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and until next time.
-Bob
posted by Bob | 1:21 PM
1 Comments:
Bob you never cease to amaze me. Hope all is well with you.
All hearts, peace.
James
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