Ted Talk

I really loved the Ted Talk I had, but watching it again I realized some of the things he says/does is sort of innapropriate, still watch it on your own if you'd like, here's another one for you enjoyment.



http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_chen_a_warm_embrace_that_saves_lives.html



I chose this link, simply because I love babies, and I found it to be a really interesting subject.

Injustice

Everyone has suffered from an injustice at some point in their life. Whether it was something that was truly unjust, or just something someone felt was so. Though in my life of course I’ve suffered from some form of injustice at one time or another, not many come to mind at the moment.

It’s not that I’ve never stood up for myself; anyone that knows me knows that I am hard headed, and unafraid of saying what on my mind. If something really upsets me or I see something being down that I think is wrong, bullying, stealing, cheating, things like that  I will stand up and say something about it.

It’s not that I’m out looking for a fight or anything like that, I really would rather everyone just get along, but I know reasonably that’s not likely. Injustices happen everyday, as long as I have a good head on my shoulders I will be able to judge what’s right and know when to stand up for myself.

This prayer always helps me in situations of injustice so I’m going to share it here today.

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Animoto-ing it up

So as I mentioned in a few of my other posts I really love swinging. I can swing anywhere in any weather, so I made a show of sorts to show off all swings I enjoy!

On the Inside

There are a lot of different ways that people can express themselves. From painting, sculpting, performing their feelings in an interpretive dance, or anything that makes someone feel like they can indulge in their inner self. I have a couple different activities I partake in when I'm feeling the need to express myself. One is rather odd, the other is far more "normal" so to speak.

The first that I always do, and this is the odd one, is that I swing. Swing set are my favorite place in the world. There is one in my backyard, or I can go to almost any park, that isn't at a school, and find one. The park swings go higher than high, I feel like if I stretch just a little more I could touch heaven. The swings let me clear my mind, and create a world of my own. It's where I use my imagination, painting places in my mind, almost telling myself stories. When I'm swinging the world melts away and I can create one all of my own.

The other inner-self finding activity I do is writing. I love writing stories. Knights in not-so-shining amour, girls struggling with finding themselves, or best friends going on a road trip. Whatever the subject is, I always try to write something faced on what I'm doing at the time. It's a good way to get out my thoughts and feelings, being able to express them in another more useful way. I just sit down with a notebook and pencil and create. It's amazing to have the time to watch a character come to life on the page, or a setting take form and solidify in my mind. Writing stories is just a really great way that I express who I am and what my inner thoughts and feelings are.

All in all no matter how someone expresses themselves isn't what's really important, as long as they take the time to try to do it. I think everyday people should try to show a little bit of who they are and what they're really about by expressing their inner self. Making yourself vulnerable can be good at times, and it's never a mistake to try something new. The idea is to let your idea's run free, when they're free, it feels like you are too.

Googling the Problems Away

The question: If you could "google" any question in the world and get the answer, what question would you ask and why?

This question really baffles me. There are so many things I would love to know but how to choose a specific one to explain here. I can't even begin to think of something to write about. The information is zooming through my head. I want to know if there could be just a simple cure to all cancers, what happens next, why do they make more than two of any movie, do we really need follow ups to every Disney Princess movie? I can't begin to fathom how many things would be different if google just gave us a direct answer. As simple as two plus two. A response all could understand. It would end wars, it would make the world a completly different place.

I suppose a question I'm intersted in knowing the answer to is "What is the meaning of life" this is quiet a hackneyed thing to say, but I'm truly interested. Why am I alive? What is my purpose? What is God's plan for me? Is there really even a plan? So many questions come out of this one simple thought that I want google to just spell it out for me plain in simple. I feel it would go something like this "Hey Google, what's the meaning of life" and Google would say "Well, Chelsea, that one is easy the meaning of life is..." Then I would no longer have to worry about the meaning of life, and I could go on and do something else with my time, like learn to play guitar.

I realize there may be some downside to knowing what the meaning of life is. It may make me lazy if I know what the meaning is. Google may even not give me the answer I'm looking for, sometimes the right answer isn't the answer we really want. Like when your friend gives you advice, they tell you the right thing, but that doesn't mean you want to hear it. So though I think it would be interesting if google could just tell me what the meaning of life is, or what happens next, who will be the next American Idol, etc it doesn't mean I really want to know the right answer. Life is full of of the unexpected, but sometimes that's what makes it so sweet.

Ending on a High (school) Note

When graduating from high school there are many things I have to think about, reflect on, and evaluate. From what did my school do right? What did they do wrong? What is the most important thing for me to know when I leave? As well as what my school could do better for the kids following after me?

There are so many things I love about Central High School. I enjoy my classes for the most part, I've had experiences with absolutely amazing educators. Really I've learned a lot of information as well as many important life lessons. I know more than I care to elaborate about U.S. History, Government, and Politics thanks to Mr. Flaherty, I can speak French very well thanks to Mlle Weir, as well as tell you all the States in Germany because of Herr Kierblewski, & of course every Spanish speaking country, in song, thanks to my Spanish teachers, Senorita Day, Mrs. Trimble and Mrs. Preciado. Of course I've learned more than just these things, but all in all they are some of my most coveted memories and important information.

Though this is a great school with great teachers there are some weaknesses. There are times when I wonder "Why in the world do we have to have seven senior meetings, when all we do is talk about the same things?" Though I understand it's hard to fit all our information into one time, I get frustrated missing class for things that I have heard a million times before. There is also the argument with lanyards. I don't wear mine, I admit it, and I see why they may be important, but if it's not enforced why do we bother? There is a flaw in the system, unless everyone enforces it, it isn't going to make a difference to the school. Same goes for tardies. If it's not enforced no one cares. End of story.

When I graduate this June, it is very important that I know how to study. People often times underestimate the value of a good study session. In college it's going to be hard to show up to class, breeze through your homework and expect to get an A on the tests that you haven't even studied for. It just doesn't work, it's not logical. I really value my physics teacher, who wishes to remain unnamed, in my high school career. Yes he brought me to tears at times, and his class really challenged me, but it was one of the firsts that I really had to study. I've always been a studier, but physics was the class that taught me the ability to sit and really focus on what I'm doing. The study sessions that lasted all until all hours of the night really taught me that you need to succeed, but without working hard, you won't. When it comes to expectations, I always have high expectations, and believe everyone should. Even if the teachers don't have high expectations, it doesn't mean you have to have the same level of expectation that they do. The more you expect from yourself the more you get back.

I'm not going to be here next year, but I have plenty of friends who will be. I really hope that they are just able to learn what I've learned. I hope Open Campus gets worked out so that they won't have to wait weeks after midterms and finals to find out if they are able to go out again. Central is really doing well I believe, that could just be my optimistic outlook on life, but I really think it's one of the best schools in the Midwest, and I have no worry for the kids coming after me. We're all going to turn out just fine.

Inspirationally Speaking

I thought it would be fun to make an inspirational-esque "poster" with a cutsey French monument, seeing as lately that's been the theme of my blog posts. I should seriously think about getting my obsession with all things French checked out. For now though I'm going to let it flourish! Ciao mes amis, je vous aime :)

Experimentation with Technology

J'aime les mots français!

Music is the food of the soul.

A Dream is a Wish the Heart Makes

The assignment: Tell about a recent dream. What do you think it meant?

My dreams are not something I really remember. I can always find a wisp inside my brain, but never anything with a whole lot of sustenance. Sometimes I chose to sew them all together and hope for the best. My most recently sewn together dream consisted of me on a boat. I vaguely recall being with two people who aren't my parents, but I referred to as "mamon & papa", as well as speaking in French. Seeing as I've grown up in Iowa and only spoken french for a solid nine months this is odd.

Basically I think this dream indicates that I need to go on a boat ride and speak French. Two of my absolute favorite activities. I'm not sure if there is really any deeper meaning. It's not really unusual for things to be in French in my dreams, because I stress so much about my French assignments and what not throughout the day, as well as read different things (stories, notes, passages, etc.) in French right before bed. The whole boat ride is probably because I love  being out on the water with the feel of the air rushing through my hair and the feel of the water spraying all around.

In general I don't believe that this dream is very significant, but it is interesting to diagnose what I think that my dreams might mean. As Princess Aurora says "a dream is a wish the heart makes".

My Best Advice

The question: What's the best advice that you have ever received or given?

Not to toot my own horn, but I feel that I am actually full of a lot of good advice. Whether I personally always take it or not just depends, but I sure can dish it out. It's not that I'm exceptionally wise or anything, more that I am almost a sponge, I soak up all the advice I can from others, and then put a spin on it to make it my own. Solving other people’s problems has always been easier for me than facing my own. Which is some of my advice, always face your problems before you try to help others (like I pointed out I don't always take my own advice).

My best advice that I can possibly think of is "make a difference to at least one person a day". No matter what I try to impact someone, a stranger on the street, a teacher, really anyone in a positive manner. This can simply mean giving someone a simple smile or holding the door open for a group of people. Whatever it is, making one small gesture can really make a difference to that person. This is advice even I take, so you have to know it's good!

No matter how small the impact anyone makes on another person, they've still made that impact, positive or negative, and for the majority of the time, everyone should try to make thier impacts positive. The more positivity you put out, the more positivity you get back.

The A to Zen of Life

The Task at Hand: The A to Zen life principles is a list of twenty-six ways to zen out your life, pretty self explanatory. Though I could probably find a reason all of them are important to me, I have been limited to two for this specific assignment.

C-Consider things from every angle

It is really important to always look at things in a new way. You may have to stand on your head to look at the world, or, if you become easily light headed, just listen to someones opinion with an open mind. Problems can always be solved more than one way. There is never a right or a wrong way to look at things, there are ways that may make sense to one person, but not at all to someone else. Though I tell people, the way I do things and decide them is always right, doesn't meant that it's necessarily true (though I really am always correct, don't question me). I always try to look at things from different angles, if it means literally laying on the ground to see the problem from the bottom up, or figuratively but just talking it out, I always try to figure out the best way to solve a problem.

L-Love yourself

I believe that everyone should be their favorite person. I am my favorite person. My mom always says "If you don't like yourself how do you expect other people to like you?". No matter what I think everyone should love themselves for who they are. I may not like everything about myself, I'm loud, I talk too fast and sometimes I don't filter my thoughts before they come out. In the end though I think I'm great. We all have flaws, it's just how we look at them, try to fix them, and sometimes we just have to accept them. There isn't always going to be a way to fix something we do, it's a fact of life. At the end of the day though, I always try to tell myself three things I love about myself. Having self confidence and really truly loving yourself for who you are is one of the most important things I have ever learned in life.

So though I could go through the whole alphabet and say why it's all important, for now I'll just settle with these two. I am going to live my life considering things from every literal and figurative angle, as well as knowing that I must always love myself, because if all else fails, at least one person will always love me.

An Adventure To the Past

The question "If you could travel through time and talk with a prominent figure in art, politics, religion, or science, whom would you choose? Describe the person and explain two or three reasons why you would choose to talk with him or her."

There are so many people that I would love to meet and speak with. So many eras are so appealing, from the Elizabethan period to the psychedelic seventies. So many prominent figures existed. I would truly love to speak with Jane Goodall. Since I was a child I've had a fascination with her life. From her childhood with divorced parents, and going to college to be a secretary.

She was a strong willed women, who went out and did what she wanted to do. Just going to Africa to visit a friend she was able to spend time out in the jungle observing the habits of her long favored animals, chimpanzees. She was the one who realized that chimps and monkeys use tools just as humans do, and eventually earned the trust of these sweet creatures. She went through her life and made it from being a casual observer to getting a degree in zoology and primotology.

I would be overjoyed to speak with her because she went for her dreams. I would talk to her about the first few months she spent in Africa, and ask her what it was like to be able to do something she'd always dreamed of. I would want to speak with her about all the discoveries she made and how she came to be such a strong women in a male dominant career.

After all the years I made so many different slide shows, wrote so many papers, and even in my free time researched her and her wonderful life. Of all the people Ms. Goodall has caught my fascination and I would love to sometime meet her and ask her all the questions that have been building up in my mind.