Practical wisdom for your life's journey
Life is an open-air market. We have before us, each day, an array of choices. These choices are equally good, and just waiting to be chosen.
Celebrate the fiesta!
Look around. An abundance of life is at our fingertips. 
Photo: Courtesy of Britannica.com
Joy,
Cheryl
Success is not measured by the amount of material wealth you’ve accumulated; it is measured by the valuable lessons you’ve learned.
Joy,
Cheryl
Sometimes, flying alone is the key.
Have you ever been asked to do something that just didn’t feel right? Giving into peer pressure can hurt your sense of self awareness and self-respect. In these types of instances, some people will try to convince you to do something you would not necessarily do on your own accord. The suggested task makes you feel some sort of way that may or may not be immediately explained. Whatever it is that is asked of you usually comes from someone else’s agenda. And it might not be a positive agenda at that. The task or event might be something they were pressured into and don’t want to go it alone. For your own sake, don’t do it. The pressure you feel is precisely why they call it Peer Pressure.
Now, you may be tempted at first, especially if approached by a friend, but don’t give in. Chances are, those who ask you to do something against your nature are only involved in themselves and their own reasons (self-centered). And for that, they will not miss you if you decide not to go ahead with their wishes. Remember, you never have to give in to any situation in which you do not feel comfortable. In the future, you may have to re-evaluate your friends.
It is when you break free from giving into the pressures of others is when you have reached the threshold of maturity and integrity. You are becoming your true self.
Joy,
Cheryl
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There’s nothing like panning for gold. Last month, I was in a river bed in California with a gold pan in my hands as did many generations of miners before me, each seeking his or her fortune. On a whim, a friend and I decided to try our luck and have some fun. The day was bright and sunny as we waded through the glistening water. The ore flakes float as the sun rays reflect on them as we swished the stones in full anticipation.
When I think about it today, I recall the fun we had; but I also think about the immense concentration and focus gold panning takes. We barely spoke to each other during those few hours. Each stone needed examining. Each deliberate swish of water was needed to clear away the unworthy stones. We looked for the heaviest of all, gold.
At the end of the day, we both had to be pulled, no, yanked from our meditations because we had lost all track of time.
You see, it’s like that. When we meditate and focus on the self, that same type of concentration should be used not just to pull a metal from the waters but to discover the gold within ourselves.
So the next time you want to find the treasure that is within yourself, sit quietly in nature to help you achieve this mental attentiveness. It will not only refresh you, but you’ll look forward another moment to be with yourself. Priceless.
Joy,
Cheryl
Artistic expression is the epitome of a thriving community. Whenever ancient artifacts are found, a glimpse into the past presents itself. Visions of prosperous individuals, imaginings of communal events, and evidence of the past help the modern person understand the importance of expression. After all, any artistic expression indicates the value of human events, the struggles of mankind, and perhaps the desire to demonstrate the beauty in everyday things. Sophocles’ plays are indicative of the time they were created for a certain purpose in his society. Acting out the order of events often helped the people around him see, feel, and maybe even change their minds about controversial issues. Petroglyphs, and the like, leave impressions for the viewer to ponder the thoughts and realities of a past culture. The pictures, while primitive, display man’s early need to create. Proof of this desire is demonstrative in music formed to prepare or educate those around the performers. Musical patterns are fascinating to the human ear. Our nursery rhymes are based on repeated patterns that stimulate the brain and help people learn. A past discovery of musical vibrations enabled many deaf students tremendous opportunity for growth. Recently, taking theater, art, and music out of schools has been a heated debate. Educators of these genres fight to continue these programs while others see less significance. What is troubling is a possible future without the modes of self-expression established early in life. Individuals in these fields currently bring delight to many and fulfill basic needs, especially through catharsis, an emotional cleansing. Solid cultures rely on human expression and emphasis must be made to help developing students by teaching them the basics of theater, art, and music in school all three of which enable students to learn efficiently, serve as an invest in people, and establish a sense of pride in individuality that transcends into the future.
Proficiency in any area of the current curriculum is brought forth when the style learning and application suits the students. At an early age, the brain is attracted to patterns, rhythms, and geometrical shapes engaging attention. As people grow older, established patterns of language in stories or in music trigger what is known as anticipatory skills. When one hears a pattern in either story-telling or in music, one anticipates what comes next. If what is predicted follows, the brain is further encouraged. The same happens for students who are involved in dance or performing arts. They tend to learn anatomy much quicker because they associate the movement with function. Younger students learn motor skills integral for early development. The math classroom engages a student more when she can learn time signatures when playing the drums. One of the fundamental truths about music beats and rhythms is that makes people move. “It is as important to have music in the school as it is to have clean windows, adequate ventilation, and sanitation. A half-day in school without music is like a face without a smile, or a desert landscape” (Winship 508). When something is as essential to the early development of the brain, it makes better sense to endow its abilities to continue. If schools understand and utilize the concepts here, learning becomes natural and less of a chore.
Engaged students express their individuality as they learn to become self-directed. The usual banking based education is less a problem when valuable skills are learned through discovery and not just on facts. While details of the past and present are needed to fully grow, autonomous students gain meaning when they seek out the answers on their own. A study at the Chicago High School for the Arts indicated that students became individuals during their four years: “A key part of an artist’s development comes from an acceptance of oneself and one’s point of view” (Brown 18). Maturity is useful in any situation because it prepares the student for life. It is not to say those who “embrace an artistic identity” are less likely to be team players (Brown 18). Collaboration is taught within performance, whether that performance be in the orchestra, or a single singer on a stage. The painter, sculptor, or photographer builds community as well. She understands the human condition, feels her own completeness, and aims to demonstrate her views: “Esthetic perception of art is associated with the development of personality and disposition” (Lese 184). Art in schools enables students to embrace and grown into their individual natures. The world outside the classroom needs people who are confident in their abilities and who know which temperaments they possess. A common complaint among employers is the lack of team players who can bring new approaches to difficult situations. The foundation built by allowing students creative outlets aids within the work-a-day world even if the individual does pursue a career in the arts: “Special relations of friendship were established among the students […], which in turn lead to a better collaboration between the departments” (Lese 184). The Lese study also indicates that no matter which medium a student is familiar, lessons learned in the arts establishes adaptability. Those who enter the workforce with this background are able to direct individual skills and function well across any discipline.
Empowering students should be the main focus of any school’s curriculum. Students who are allowed to express themselves creatively attain the well-rounded attributes often looked for by colleges and society. A high school transcript that reflects the grades is helpful, but it does not assess a person’s capability after receiving a diploma. True investment in students builds self esteem and establishes certain coping mechanisms. A student taught to have integrity, along with humility and balance is more likely to adapt to the ever-changing situations in life. Art allows students to learn self-calming techniques because it “brings a chance to talk, relax, get out any blocking social dramas, or forget their doubts” (Brown 16). When students unlock and focus on the task at hand, art becomes constructive, similar to the means of therapy. Concentration becomes an outlet while the student builds on his talents and confidence. Often the appropriate allotted time immersed in artistic activities, whether through movement or creative thinking, allows for stretching and attempting new things. Because disparity is rarely seen within the arts, students are free to partake in the beneficial aspects of self-expression without artistic or societal boundaries. Remember, society receives what it puts out: “A work of art triggers emotion, admiration and appreciation in the onlooker, thus revealing the author’s comprehensive view as he moves through various stages in knowing and comprehending art” (Lese 183). Schools that allow art programs authorize students to take ownership of the contributions they will make to the world.
Society needs people who are not afraid to express themselves through art. Artists and onlookers appreciate the role education plays in the world. Without the values placed on former and newly built cultures, life would seem dull. Seeing a play, watching or listening to a musical performance, or entering a gallery are some the many pleasures of the human experience. The foundation built in schools enables the new artist a position in a circle of expertise. It fulfills a human need that spans all backgrounds. Art education in the school unlocks unique abilities in all students whether or not they choose to pursue a path of artist expression as form of income. It must be emphasized again that those abilities are established because the art of learning is individual. When the schools can teach that individuality is recognized and praised, students are given the chance to learn specifically what they need to flourish. It is when the students’ ideas and talents are invested and groomed that society gains its most useful resources.
Joy,
Cheryl
Without the arts, we would not have Harper Lee’s latest publication. Get it here:
If you’re into Georgia O’Keefe, take a look here:
Works Cited
Brown, Tina Boyer. “A High School for the Arts.” Journal of Education 195.1 (2015): 15-19. Education Research Complete. Web. 13 Aug. 2015.
Lese, Ana-Cristina. “The Importance of Artistic Creation Resulting from the Collaboration/Interaction of Arts.” Review of Artistic Education 9 (2015): 182-5. ProQuest. Web. 13 Aug. 2015.
Winship, A. E. “The Vision of Public School Music.” The Journal of Education 77. 19 (1913): 507-508. Jstor. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
I recently attended an emotional intelligence mini-seminar. It's the latest catch-phrase in business and in psychology. When you need to be prepared in your personal relationships or professionally, you will want to draw on your own emotional intelligence. By doing so, you'll need to be more aware of your emotions to be able to control them in any situation. And when you can handle these interpersonal relationships with empathy, you can temper heated scenarios. "Know Thyself" is a Greek aphorism which means the more we know ourselves, the more likely we can guess how others will behave. But better yet, we will know how we will behave when someone pushes our trigger buttons, our emotional weaknesses that make us defensive, feel hurt, and the like. Self awareness helps us identify our own reactions to situations, and thus sensibly respond rather than react to them. Socrates suggests that we may jump too quickly to external cues with a full evaluation. Sometimes we need to access the situation, make inferences or determine what other situations you're associating this moment with, provide introspection first, and then respond differently for a better outcome.
Sometimes, we resort to our own natural tendencies and behave in similar ways from our past. This is normal. But to improve, we need to go through the process of self discovery. Ask yourself why you are feeling the way you do. Discover what connection you make to some past event. Then understand how you would normally react before you can shift gears and respond DIFFERENTLY.
Occasionally, in situations, I notice the back of my neck getting really hot before I become the dark-self I don't like. Responding differently is the ability to differentiate the new situation to the past ones. At this point you can consider other people's feeling and acknowledge them either by stating that you recognize the intense moment and emotional impact or offering your help. Continue to utilize your new skills; they are certain to come in handy.
When we can change our own behaviors, we are likely to find ourselves happier in our healthier relationships.
To 'Know Thyself' is the beginning of wisdom.
Joy,
Cheryl
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On the day we decided to head to the Lagomarsino Canyon Petrogylph site, we really didn’t know what to expect or exactly where we’d find them. Our journey was filled with a bit of rocky terrain and a couple of washed out roads. Yes, even in the Nevada desert which looked more like a lush forest in this area. 
When we arrived, we were met by a gate – the kind you’d see that allows someone into a typical high school playground – big enough for one at a time. As you can see from the two photos, the carvings were done by ancient people who lived thousands of years before us. We were shocked by the simplicity of each one. We spent some time there taking various pictures of the engravings and the beautiful surroundings. It was a picture perfect weather day – the sky intensely blue. 
As I reflect on the observation of these and the location, I questioned the purpose of the engravings. While we do not yet know what each means, we can gain a sense of why people choose to create art that speaks to a possible future that our bodily remains cannot. It seems these petroglyphs are speakers, the recordings of a life or many lives.
Digging into rock is an incredible feat. Ever try it? It’s darn near impossible unless you have the correct tools. Imagine how long it took to engrave such intricacies into this material. Speaking of material, anyone would have to use what is readily available to make his mark on the world – to leave behind a legacy or story. Do you leave behind your own form of depictions? Do you speak from your chosen medium, say poetry, story-telling, music, writing, or do you communicate in hieroglyphics which need interpretation? Are your signs so encrypted no one understands them? Perhaps the answer is the same for the very primitive shapes made upon the rocks. Too intricate, and the image is spoiled due to a lack of space and possibly unreliable carving tools. Too simple, and your idea may be better explained in words. I’ve thought of the process of these particular carvings and wondered if in fact these were done with an accompanied tale of their reality or just something made up. One of the pictographs is clearly an old man, but just underneath is a more rounded humanoid figure possibly holding a laser gun.
So next time you’re thinking of leaving a legacy, think of impact you would like to have on those in the future. Do you want your story to be clear, or one that has future beings pondering the possible meanings?
Joy,
Cheryl
We are responsible for our own lives. Each of us must recognize what has worked for us in the past, what has not worked, and make new decisions based on that knowledge for the next move.
We have all made mistakes.
We must determine if we are present in life or absent from it. If we are present, we continue to move forward understanding ourselves and how we react to good and not good times in life and are able to understand what we can correct as far as our behaviors those things we do that hinder our progress. If we are absent from our lives, events will continue to happen to us and should be no surprise that we have no control.
Which is better? To be an agent and act in such a way that we make our lives happen for us the best we can, or shall we allow the world and circumstance to toss us about like a boat with no anchor?
Joan Didion’s essay “On Self-Respect” can serve as a reminder to accept our own failures and make them our own. Maturity does not come as we hit benchmarks in age, only when we can make peace with our failures and shortcomings. The honor society that Joan hoped to join did not allow her a second chance because she messed up. It was her own responsibility to perform in such a way that would gain her the recognition she thought she deserved. Her aim for the essay is to help us see the errors we make as just another happening or occurrence in life, to help us understand that we control some of those unfavorable outcomes. We may not live up to the expectations that are either placed on us by others or the expectations we place on ourselves. Those mistakes, regardless of the matter, are our own. At this time we move on. We will carry the memory of our errors, but we must not live there. We keep pressing forward. We respect ourselves for what we did or did not do. Nielsen used to say to me, “The choice you made, either good or not good, was the right choice for you at that time.” We own our choices and move forward, not stopping to dwell in the past.
We do not stop living after a mistake. We do not need to stop trying to be the best we can be due to past errors. We do not stop striving for excellence.
Setbacks are setbacks.
A future will happen. Will you be awake and present for it, or will you be absent? It is your choice.
Joy,
Cheryl
#choice
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