Self-Help

"Your relentless pursuit of wisdom postpones your actually possessing it. Quit chasing after tonics and new teachers. The latest fashionable sage or book or diet or belief doesn't move you in the direction of a flourishing life. You do. Renounce externals once and for all.

Practice self-sufficiency. Don't remain a dependent, malleable patient: Become your own soul's doctor." -Epictetus

Don't have a hitch, a vice, or an unreasonable motive for doing something. Do it for you. Of course there are always people in our lives who we do things for or in concordance with, but choose to act as a direct effect from your feelings, not someone else's opinions. Many times we are perfectly capable of fixing our own problems, yet we may not feel confident or even take the time to consider options. Instead we lean to another for the answer. Sure, collaboration is good, two heads are better than one, and so forth, but often times problems remedied on our own turn out to be the most rewarding.

The Prince: My Life

"It is necessary not only to pay attention to immediate crises, but to foresee those that will come, and to make every effort to prevent them...In this matter it is as doctors say of consumption: In the beginning the disease is easy to cure, difficult to diagnose; but, after a while, if it has not been diagnosed and treated early, it becomes easy to diagnose and hard to cure. So, too, in politics, for if you foresee problems while they are far off they can easily be dealt with; but when, because you have failed to see them coming, you allow them to grow to the point that anyone can recognize them, then it is too late to do anything." -Machiavelli

I'd have to say that I can find no real relation to The Prince and my own life other than the fact that I can understand where he is coming from in a few instances. One example that I really took to is found on page 11 when Machiavelli is talking about mixed principalities and how you should not only immediately remedy complications that come your way, but also try to foresee those that will come. I think this is advice that everyone should try to live by becuase there is no doubt that once you start to put off your problems, they only grow in size and number, sometimes to the point to where they are too great to handle. I beleive (from experience) that it is a good thing to catch snags early, rather than to wait and tell yourself that you'll take care of it later, because in the meantime, it can only get worse. As Machiavelli explains it, it's like what doctors say of consumption: "In the beginning the disease is easy to cure, diffucult to diagnose; but, after a while, if it has not been diagnosed and treated early, it becomes easy to diagnose and hard to cure."

Childhood Vision of Success

One vivid childhood memory that I have is of my father and I driving home from something or another when all of the sudden my dad stops off on the side of the road to assist someone who's car was immobile. I was in the car all the while, but I soon learned that the man had run out of gas and was supposedly out of gas. I can remember my dad getting back in the car and driving up to the nearest gas station where they didn't sell gas cans. I then saw my dad come out of the store with a gallon of milk-he dumped the milk out and then filled the jug with gasoline and took it back to the man on the side of the road. I don't think I've ever seen someone so appreciative and somewhat stunned at what had been done for him. I, to this day, still think it was one of the most generous things that my dad has ever done (or at least what I've witnessed).

I think this instance has shaped my perspective on what it means to lead a successful life- it may not always be about making money or making yourself happy, but about assisting others and maybe finding some pleasure and satisfaction in what you do for someone else. To see how elated this man was when he saw a milk jug filled with gas is something that I will never forget and I think that it also made my father equally as happy that he could do such a jesture for someone. I would have to say that I am a beleiver in karma and this memory surely had much to do with my current outlook on success.

The Art of Living

I am particularly fond of the guidance that Epictecus gives about observing in proper proportion and moderation. I think that I am leaning toward this one because I am sometimes very impulsive when it comes to urges in purchasing items just for the sake of doing so, or because I have the money to do so. I like the first line: "Through vigilance, we can forestall the tendency to excess." I think this line says a lot about self control and knowing one's own body and mind. Now, whenever I feel myself falling into or thinking about satisfying an urge that is merely one of impulse, I tell myself that I just don't need to do it.

Regretful...

I suppose the biggest regret that I have is not studying abroad during my undergraduate career. I don't really like labeling it the "biggest" regret because it hasn't affected my life in ways that have caused trouble or discontent, yet I tend to look at it as more of an opportunity that I passed up for no apparent reason.



My parents were all about me going wherever I wanted within the study abroad program's options (which are numerous)- all I had to do was retreive all the information and paperwork and they had my back in terms of financial support. I actually did go to one information session during the middle of my Sophomore year and learned that I didn't have the GPA requirement to even apply for admission. This news somewhat encouraged me to pull my grades up which needed to be done anyway, but also kind of led me to put the whole idea on the backburner.