What a difference a year makes

Reflections magazine celebrates its first anniversary this month. Prof. Marlene Cueto the magazine’s creator and chief editor has changed and developed it dramatically in one year. I welcome you to read previous issues and study the magazine’s evolution.

A lot happens in one year. People and things change in one year. Prof. Cueto proved this with her magazine. I often talk to my students about this topic and they write about it as well. Can a person change? I think so if not I picked the wrong profession. I recommend to anyone who goes into the education field to believe in the ability of people to change. I see it in my students and I’ve seen it in myself.

In less than a year I’ve made some big changes in my life. In August my doctor told me I needed to lower my cholesterol levels. Because of my fear of the permanence of death I took immediate action. I applied the same habits I use to keep my resolutions. Below I discuss these habits and I’ll use myself as an example. I came to the conclusion some years ago we have the intelligence to control our lives and to a large extent our health.

To improve my health I had to make the effort. Nothing of value in life comes easy. When did you last find a million dollars strewn on the sidewalk on your way home? First I needed to learn more about fitness and health. I picked my doctor’s brain. I read, talked to wise people, found role models. I couldn’t just wish for better health and make it so. Every time I failed at my goal I tried again. I started fresh. I felt frustration but I said, “If others can lower their cholesterol with proper diet and exercise so can I.”

To lower my cholesterol I had to develop a certain attitude. Attitude affects success and failure. I wrote my goals and I read them every week so I wouldn’t forget where I wanted to go and to remind myself that if others got there so could I. I thought about how everything I learned would take me closer to my goal not that I didn’t want to learn anymore. Once I controlled my attitude I could then control my health.

As I made efforts to train and eat healthy and worked on my attitude I had to focus. I learned when I lost focus of my specific goals I wasted effort. I discovered the paradox that the fewer things I focused on the more I accomplished. When I concentrated and focused my efforts I eliminated distractions and excuses to not exercise and excuses to eat some of the poisons I used to eat. The more I learned about how to control cholesterol the more easily I could focus on my goals so you can see the correlation between focus and control.

I tell my students when we talk about the ways to change aspects of our lives these three habits work together. It takes effort to develop a good attitude. A good attitude helps us stay focused. Focus helps us reach goals more easily. It helps us avoid distractions and helps make effort more effective. As we apply these three habits we must also make intelligent choices.

I made small/simple changes to my diet so I can easily manage what I eat. I edited all fried food, sugars, refined flour and most of the red meat I used to eat. I consider these all simple, intelligent choices. I eat baby back ribs once a month as an indulgence. I found many years ago control came down to the choices I make. When I make intelligent choices I gain more control of my life and in turn can make the changes I desire. I use role models both good and bad. From the bad role models I discovered the correlation between bad choices and bad health. From the good role models I learned about the best exercise routines to lower cholesterol, increase my agility, flexibility, stamina, energy and mental clarity and to lose weight and stick with it.

I continue to learn more about how to control my life and I continue to develop my life philosophy which includes the belief that people can change. Perhaps I can’t change every aspect of my life. Personality and genetics do exist but I do control my actions and choices. This gives me the power to change some important parts of my life and this includes my health. With six months down I’ve got the rest of my life to go. Good habits should last a life time. With proper diet, exercise and my doctor’s prescribed medication I’ve lowered my cholesterol to 122.

If you set a specific goal, write it down and apply these four habits you can do a lot in one year. To Prof. Cueto, I wish you a happy anniversary and many successful years to come.

Copyright Bert Lorenzo, 2007

Being an Individual by Stephanie Rodriguez

2007 North Campus
College Prep Writing Contest FIRST PLACE WINNER

Have you ever known anyone who always follows trends to be cool? Do you know someone who acts like someone they are not? In life many people are followers not leaders. Knowing who you are at heart is the most important aspect of life; that is why being an individual is the greatest human achievement.

First and foremost, being an individual can be the hardest achievement a human can ever accomplish. It is well known that fashion has a great influence on society, which has made it difficult for people to remember how important it is to be themselves. For example, teens and young adults want to look as beautiful as the models in magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and Men’s Health. In desperation to look fabulous; both men and women are going to extreme measures such as shopping uncontrollably at designer name stores, working out excessively, and even developing eating disorders.

Being an individual is a great accomplishment. It has never been an easy task to walk to the beat of your own drum. Individuals have faced many trials and tribulations, and are not always accepted by society. For example, individuals are constantly criticized because of their choice of clothes, religion, music, foods etc. At one point or another college students that just want to be themselves are rejected by their peers. The strong students stick to the beliefs and choices that make them happy, and they do not care what the rest of society will think of them.

The people that are able to wake up every morning without worrying about what society has to say about the way they choice to live their lives are the happiest at heart. Being able to be yourself at all times without doubting yourself is exceptional That is why being an individual is the greatest human achievement.

What makes a mother? by Yasmin Moses

A wise person once told me “mother’s day is everyday”. Everyone has a different perspective and definition of a mother. In my opinion, I think mothers are a gift from god; I also think mothers are brave, warm-hearted, vivacious individuals. Although I am not a mother yet hopefully one-day I will be. My observations of mothers are like angels sent from above. Mothers are protective providers who take the life that they brought into this world and raise their child to the best of their ability: teaching their child about life and its lessons. As every child matures they are filled with curiosity, heart-aches, and blessings and as teachers of the home mothers have a contingency of scolding with good-intentions. What makes a mother? One can ask the question; however, only a mother can show you the answer: when you see the smile on your child's face after an accomplished goal, or when the child is faced with discrepancies how does a mother cope; especially when the mother has to make a life-alternating decision. What does the child think of the mother's decision in the years to come? A mother provides guidance, when the mother lets go of her child who faces the real world. The child reminisce on the past and is anticipating on the future and is grateful for their mother, yet what makes a mother is her courageous, and unconditional love for a child that blossoms into an unique adult; Moreover, the heart-filling advice given throughout life. A single word cannot express how appreciative he or she feels for the mother they were blessed with. On this mother's day I wish all the mothers a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.