William Ernest Henley once said, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” in regard to the ability for humankind to decide what the future will possess for each and every one of us over the course of our individual lives (15-16). From the famous last stanza of this valiant motivational poem alone, you would never assume the background of the ill-fortuned young man, only in his mid-20s at the time, who wrote the bold and memorable piece. Lying in a hospital bed, staring at his recently amputated foot, fearing death from the tuberculosis that continuously ruled his bones since the age of 12, Henley cultivates the beautifully poetic and stoic message about approaching life’s hardships with an unconquerable mindset. Written in 1875, Invictus reenacts the single most important secret to life’s success that nearly all distinctively brilliant minds traced back in the history of the world encompassed and promoted.

 

Plato, Newton, Einstein, Edison, Emerson, Beethoven, and Shakespeare are among the countless revolutionary thinkers, artists, musicians, and writers who lived by this secret on a consistent basis and made immeasurable progress because of it. The secret, which each and every one of us already possesses the capacity to manipulate for our own personal benefit, provides enough power to create unfathomable realities in even the most hopeless cases.

For Henley’s scenario in particular, his positive thinking allowed him to lead a full and active life regardless of his disability and the sudden death of his loved ones. Even after his own passing at the age of 53, Henley has remained a canonized poet for his timeless and moving works, even inspiring Nelson Mandela to recite Invictus to his fellow incarcerated prisoners on Robben Island. In 2009, Clint Eastwood produced a film by the same name, Invictus, Latin for ‘unconquered’, proving how the implications of the poem still resonate with modern generations hundreds of years after it was written. Hensley and the other great wonderers listed above figured out the secret to advancement and growth entwined with the enigmatic intricacies and obstacles of existence, and Rhonda Byrnes makes the comprehension easily accessible with her novel and documentary in 2006. With the knowledge shared in The Secret, a story of personal growth and development that offers wisdom that assuredly lasts longer than a lifetime, anyone can practice the control over their mind which allows them to manifest the future they aspire to attain.

As we bring in the New Year, it is a common tradition to envision the version of ourselves we long to portray throughout the 12 month period set before us. Some aspire to become more productive, to handle money more wisely, to reach the optimal body they desire, to wake up earlier, develop stronger relationships with themselves and others, or simply find a healthier overall balance in every aspect of their lives. There is only one solution that applies to each of these anthologized goals, and that explanation is clearly underlined in Byrnes’ widely-accepted bestseller.

The Secret centers on the law of attraction, the one infinite force that has constantly been in existence since the beginning of time. With this said, it will remain endlessly prevalent for all of time, and there’s nothing anyone can fall short of fulfilling if they fully embrace this all-empowering wisdom. Understanding that we can only manage our own thoughts, feelings, and actions allows humans to accept and let go of that which is out of their control and focus on that which is instead. Becoming more aware of the concept of like forces magnetizing like forces, the strategizing of visualization can be seen as the primary and most essential step in the diffusion of our energies into the universe, eventually returning back to us at full velocity.

 

The novel uses the analogy of a television station’s transmission tower to paint an idea in the reader’s mind of how frequencies are sent. Imagine each channel you select tuning into a specific frequency and returning the feedback to the source, which is you, the person screening it. Similarly, thoughts reverberate through the cosmos and become reality through our existences. Broadcasting affirmative thoughts into your mind generates more of the same kind, becoming hundreds of times more powerful than allowing yourself to participate in a single counteractive or weak thought. Stating that in order to make meaningful alterations in your life you must “change the channel and change the frequency by changing your thoughts,” Byrnes depicts the vibrations of mental forces as the remote that controls the virtue of the images in your mind (11).

Considering how there’s an ongoing stream of consciousness in each of our heads that never takes a momentary break, trying to monetize the 60,000 thoughts a day we approximately obtain can seem extremely daunting at first. However, if instead, you chose to comprehend how your feelings directly correlate to the thoughts you seize, you could regulate your emotions and attempt to mold your feelings to represent the thoughts you want to have and the actions that inevitably result from those thoughts. Humans are the only living things on the planet who have the capacity to use “free will to choose their thoughts,” and that kind of dynamism comes from having a mind which can effectively discern messages (20). Allowing this to function as a technique to intentionally think and create our entire lives with a switch of our minds, a suggested method is to figure out your personal “Secret Shifters”, or resources you can draw from that have the ability to modify your mood instantly. Some examples include “beautiful memories, future events, funny moments, nature, a person you love, your favorite music,” and having them readily available at your convenience allows the unfavorable moment to pass rapidly and with ease (37). Our energy is so commanding that it can completely alter the pictures that construct the collage that eventually becomes our lives.

Even quantum physicists agree that “you can’t have a universe without a mind entering into it, and that the mind is actually shaping the very thing that is being perceived” (21). The entire system of creation relies on the quality and refinement of the signals you circulate into the world, allowing the unimaginable (such as launching rockets into space or curing estranged diseases) to become imaginable. The novel compiles wisdom from 24 different teachers with countless phenomenal stories of “financial miracles, miracles of physical healing, mental healing, healing of relationships,” opening a window in the reader’s mind that allows a breath of fresh thinking to enter a person’s soul (3).

I am forever grateful that I came across this book during my college career because exposing myself to such a profound idea at a pivotal stage in life has allowed me to reach a mindset stronger than I have ever wished to gain from a novel you could start and finish in one sitting. The Secret introduced me to concepts that truly changed my perspective and thought process on a daily basis, instilling in me the wisdom that I am fully capable of possessing, becoming, and doing anything I set my mind to. Reminding readers that they are the masters of their own fate, Rhonda Byrnes creates a classic self-help book that has brought joy into the lives of millions. Permitting each of us to construct the masterpiece we choose to envision for ourselves, the secret to life has perpetually come from within.

Works Cited

Byrnes, Rhonda. The Secret. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2006.

Henley, William Ernest. “Invictus by William Ernest Henley.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 1875, http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51642/Invictus.

As the three month mark of my journey as an online profession blogger approaches, I reflect back on the lessons this experience has brought me with a profound respect and appreciation for the presence of online writers and writing platforms. Having the chance to transport myself into a universe created entirely out of my own words and narrated by my own voice has granted me more confidence to call myself a genuine writer than anything  before this venture ever has. Considering the constant consuming of all things technological in this day and age, seeing my own thoughts come to life in digital form somehow makes the writing feel paradoxically more real. Undergoing the process of producing a sequence of web posts, I’ve developed a broader understanding of the hard work and dedication it takes to publish quality content on a regular basis. Having a representation of my writing to reveal to the people I encounter or even just to keep to myself in order to document time as it passes urges me to continue making blog posts regularly in the approaching stages of my life.

The enormity of an endeavor like this relies on a person’s will to put in the time and effort to make a mere vision into reality. With this said, some of the biggest takeaways I’ve received from working on this project so far has been the ability to get out of my comfort zone and share a depiction of my writing with the humans surrounding me. Because I am still laying the foundations of my identity as a writer and attempting to meet the high expectations I have placed for myself, ensuring that any writing I post will continually meet a certain level of excellence due to its association to my name makes it challenging to submit just anything onto the Internet. Moving forward, I aim to keep raising the bar for the strength of my ideas/voice and the resulting quality of my work.

As someone who considers herself an aspiring writer no matter how many essays and pages of text I have compiled over the years, the fact that there is now a website link that can take absolutely anyone to a direct manifestation of my talent and ability to string words together makes me feel very accomplished and fulfilled. Because of social networking such as Snapchat and Instagram, I found an accessible way to reach out to friends, coworkers, and family members who endlessly wondered and questioned me about seeing samples of my writing. Offering an accessible portrayal of my work has allowed my blog to form a small audience of viewers, comprised of people who were already interested in seeing the art I make based on knowing the artist herself. Feeling a sense of pride about finally having something to showcase for myself that stands alone aside from academic papers written for other people on topics I had no say over allows the gap from student and actual writer to finally be bridged. Often times, the realization that countless hours go into the production of something that a single professor may only look at for two or three minutes can feel exhaustingly unsatisfying. However, if two or three people come across this particular post and find even the smallest thing of value that they can connect with, my role as a writer has been sufficiently met in my eyes.

Having the chance to practice articulating my thoughts on a platform that could potentially attract a crowd sparks a fire of hope inside of me declaring the reminder that anything is possible as long as you try (extremely hard). A gentle piece of advice I would allocate to anyone stuck between wanting to start a new project and actually initiating action would be to begin small and continuously add water to make that idea grow at a healthy and natural rate. Everything is built from nothing and no goal is quite so big that it can’t be reached with high levels of drive and determination. Committing myself to publish posts in a timely fashion has provided me with clearer insight into how challenging and stressful the actuality of writing as an occupation will be. However, this opportunity has also proven to me that I am fortunate enough to possess the competency to accomplish anything I set my mind to, including becoming a real-life online writer!

Do you ever recall a particular memory by the image it produces in your mind upon thinking about it? Whether a physical photograph exists or all a person has left are the ones they’ve snapped inside their head, these pictures allows humans the opportunity to revisit elapsed periods of time and examine what we took from them as we carry on with life. During the critical stage of childhood, illustrations accompanied with wholesome messages remains a vital instrument used to positively shape the mindsets of future generations.

My own love for reading has been constructed by the joy of picture books, and the memories that accompany the comfort felt with a book in my hands. Going to the library or a bookshop has always offered me gratification and a sort of alleviation, creating a safe space for the cultivation of wisdom to endlessly grow. While flipping through pages and examining the words, pictures, and ideas that fill them, I found my favorite form of escaping my immediate surroundings. As well as feeling like I was discovering the whole world at my very fingertips, I also realized the meaning of art for the first time in my life.

 Because of the gut-feeling within me declaring that books strengthen a person’s ability to formulate visual concepts in their minds, I hope to inspire the same thinking for today’s adolescents. Last night I dreamt that I was in a 2nd grade classroom, embodying both the teacher reading to her students and an 8-year old sitting on the ground looking up in amazement at the images coming to life off the page. This sensation brought me a sense of clarity about the impact reading has made on my life and the person I am today. In ways beyond my comprehension, the enlightenment gathered from simply choosing to pick up a book remains with me as I embark on my own adulthood, producing a sense of urgency to provide the same liberty for someone else.

Notable children’s stories, such as Where the Wild Things Are, manage to say immeasurable amounts in very few words. This book, composed of the author’s own illustrations, has gone down in history as one of the true classics and treasures of children’s literature. In only ten sentences, Maurice Sendak voices imagination, rage, emotional absence, and the neglected “parts of a child’s psyche” (abc news). The importance of producing a visual representation for the emotions a child may come across allows them to connect with their own introspection about life and self. Not only is reading with the aid of pictures a good way to demonstrate looking at and interpreting concepts to kids, they will feel a sense of control for the first time in their lives. It’s because of his lively and fantastic images and ideas that Sendak is able to gain success and a spot in the hearts of young adolescents.

Interacting with books and pictures gives us the power to imagine and dream while we’re awake. This is a universal tool that could change the world, if we choose to encourage our young to endlessly discover the magic of words and pictures. As we grow older, our minds rely on the mental pictures we store in the album in the back of our heads in order to remember certain sensations we’ve lost with age.

 

 

Skylar Grey once said, “Your personal life, your professional life, and your creative life are all intertwined.” In order to establish an image for oneself that both combines and balances these three elements, writers often find it a challenge to choose the specific works they have created which they believe most clearly express the messages they wish to send into the world. Having a collection of his/her most skill-reflecting works readily available allows writers the opportunity to gain recognition for the material they feel most accurately depict the potential they have to offer. To effectively portray the capacity to perform excellence to the writer’s fullest advantage, selection and organization of the information distributed must be closely considered.

As people experience life, their minds continuously adapt to new ways of thinking and performing tasks. Displaying the development humans undergo during the course of their careers, a portfolio allows professionals to highlight their successes while demonstrating ability to expand and improve over time. Forbes compares the concept of portfolios as a phenomenal telling of a unique story, each page forming a narration describing the approach taken to overcome a particular challenge. Illuminating core strengths and talents, portfolios can illustrate a person’s educational and professional journeys in a way that permits their projects to speak for themselves. 

Generating credibility and acknowledgement of previous accomplishments grants the person observing another’s portfolio the chance to visualize working with them based on the content they have previously created. Allowing action to triumph talk, portfolios reveal a depth to people’s capabilities that resumes alone simply fail to delve entirely into. Putting hard-earned achievements on display takes determination and bravery, but unlocking the door to a well-rounded portfolio could open up the possibility of a person’s work reaching audiences on deeper and more meaningful levels.

 

Setting a person apart at first glance, portfolios creatively collect and integrate the ideas that a person feels most instinctively passionate about. Controlling the crucial aspects of themselves a person desires to communicate, sub-categorizing certain genres, types of works, and topics aids in supporting the overall navigability of portfolios in an effective and fluid manner. Analyzing one’s assortment of materials and figuring out how to best organize the variety of concepts gives the person who later accesses the portfolio the ease of not having to figure out the purpose of each document. For writers in particular, the vast quantity of alternate forms of writings can confuse and disinterest a reader. Because of this, a trend typically noticed includes the division between professional and creative works. A person wouldn’t show poetry samples to a technical writing hiring company, and vice-versa in regards to creative pursuits and technical documents. Understanding the diversity of the types of writings and who the audience includes, the comprehension that the writer’s job includes figuring out where pieces falls among distinct groups is transparent. Briefly labeling what the reader can expect if they choose to inquire further attracts their interest and intrigues them to invest their time into exploring the writer’s content. Utilizing the separation of subjects and writing styles leads to a more satisfied consumer, finding out what the writer delivers and if it is a service that appeals to them.

The internet and digital media have led to electronic portfolios almost entirely replacing paper portfolios. 7 Ways to Create E-Portfolios showcases how e-portfolios heavily impact the way a person’s professional endeavors are perceived in today’s day and age, stating that the representation of oneself on the Web often classifies the work ethic they embody in real life. Keeping in mind the current digital zeitgeist and remembering the importance of personal branding, putting private publications on a pedestal through the practice of developing an efficient e-portfolio becomes inevitable. For more discussion about the power of professional identity, Professional Branding for Writers, a previous blog post, goes into details about the purpose and technique of finding out what distinguishes a person from the other people fighting for recognition in their field. The advice to offer one’s work with careful examination invites writers to have greater control over the way they accommodate the guests visiting the different parts of his/her mind and experiences through the portrayal of a professional portfolio.

 

Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” Coming from the man who got kicked out of class for daydreaming, I imagine Einstein means that reading stimulates new thinking of one’s own far more than simply conforming to what preexists does. Believing in the importance of critical thinking, he found the capacity to endlessly dream and constantly discover new ideas simultaneously necessary in order to learn about life abundantly. In my last couple of posts, I discussed the idea of books becoming more and more of a lost art that we, as consumers of instant knowledge, don’t always still see the value of investing our time in. However, reading is an out-of-body experience that allows a person to perceive the world around them behind a new lens each time they open up a book, along with their minds.

People who read know things. They are educated in all kinds of subjects and materials through the flipping of pages and engagement of words that fill their minds with meaning in every sentence, paragraph, and page. The more you read, the more you know. With this being said, it breaks my heart to think that even today, not everyone is granted this capability of expanding their souls by encountering books and cultivating all the wisdom they wish. According to a study conducted in late April, 2014 by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in the U.S. (14 percent of the population) can’t read. 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5^th grade level, and 19 percent of high school graduates can’t read. This means that in the last 10 years, no progress or improvements for literacy rates in this country exist. But the benefits of reading completely surpass the mere idea of being literate, the building blocks tower from there. The capability to expand your vocabulary, gain stronger communication skills, and learn anything we will ever want to know about make sights soar.

Not only this, but it could also be the difference between having access to the proper information and care when it comes to important issues regarding politics, health, and news. The benefits of reading and writing, such as economic security, access to health care, and the ability to actively participate in civic life don’t need to be spelled out for you. Understanding the importance of helping yourself by becoming a more informed and self-educated citizen could truly impact the way people everywhere think and communicate about matters of life.Being able to discern and interpret new information constantly opens up windows and doors in our brains, which allows a breath of fresh air into our bodies and beliefs with every new topic we connect with.  How limitless and powerful is that? It can even increase blood flow and improve our memories! It’s safe to say that Joseph Addison was onto something 300 years ago when he said, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”  Imagine how much less you’d understand about this crazy, beautiful world we live in if you never picked up a book and unleashed your brain to a whole new universe of knowledge at your fingertips.

Starting a new book could possibly be the cheapest vacation you’ll ever take. You can even choose to explore new places and walks of life that you otherwise may never get the chance to come across. In an article published in 2015, Ariel Abke demonstrates how reading books set in cultures different from our own provides knowledge of those cultures and the emotional and spiritual lives of the people who live there. It’s amazing that we can travel through time and space if we just decide to make our way over to a library or bookstore. No feeling quite identifies with finding that perfect novel at the perfect time and letting yourself become consumed and immersed in something more than you and your day-to-day routine of endless struggles and responsibilities. Sometimes, the book that lands in your hands carries the exact comforting thing you’ll need to hear at that given moment, and that’s when you realize the very real magic of reading.

Putting yourself in another character’s shoes and undergoing their lives temporarily often acts like a refreshing outlet, and it could help a lot of people dealing with the inevitable burdens of life in their own ways. It can make a person feel peaceful and safe all while producing a wonderful escape that entertains us in multiple alternate ways. Challenges that the majority of people must overcome about reading: finding their own concentration, discipline, and creative imagination, come with desire and practice. We must want to become better versions of ourselves by investing in our own literacy, and equally important, our children’s passions to regularly read.

Most parents have two major goals for their children: safety and success. If you genuinely hope this for your offspring, you would read to them, teach them how to do so on their own, and educate them to treat it as something that will benefit and entertain them. Start young and the results will amaze you. In his article titled Reading With Your Child, Brod Bagert explains how at just a few months of age, infants can look at pictures, listen to voices, and point to objects on cardboard pages. By drawing attention to pictures and associating words with both images and real-world objects, your child will learn the importance of language. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. A picture is worth a thousand words, and painting these ideas in their heads formulates them to become artists themselves. “It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word. When the rhythm and melody of language become a part of a child’s life, learning to read will be as natural as learning to walk and talk” (Bagert). As illustrated above, reading to your child is a worthwhile part of the cycle of life and growth overall.

If you want your child to push the boundaries of their minds and be better equipped to handle all kinds of situations, support them to read every single day. In doing so, they will discover themselves and other things, as well as produce a sense of the Earth we inhabit, further encouraging advancement for society as a whole. Let your kids wonder, let them create, let them have open-minds that endlessly discover their own opinions about mankind and the experiences of life. By doing so, you give them a priceless gift that will help them endure all of the obstacles they must overcome.

Immersing yourself in reading and writing will give you more control and happiness in your life than you ever thought imaginable. An act that induces awareness and satisfaction, it provides the capability to expand our consciousness while present and alive to do so. We only get so much time here on earth to enjoy the arts that make our spirits feel engaged to those around us, and we must awaken the motivation to find the energy to take our thoughts to all the marvelous places that await us inside of the spines of novels. The significance of child literacy, and human literacy as a whole, is a primary aspect of improving individual well-being and future of communities worldwide.

Take the skill of reading for granted could mean missing out on the opportunity to explore an infinite number of adventures and lessons. Be the best you can be and support others to do the same because reading is proven to improve lives. What could possibly give you more empowerment or gratification than this? Cheers to books, to literacy, to knowledge, and to those who are smart enough to read and then read some more!

Nowadays, composing and connecting with literature has become somewhat of a exasperating and dismissed art form. Coming across people that read at their own leisure on a regular basis rarely occurs, and as an aspiring writer the challenge of finding an audience that truly listens to what you have to say remains one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. Considering short attention spans and constant need for instant satisfaction the majority of people in this generation encompass, the idea of asking someone to read a 300 page book only to realize the meaning in the last chapter describes a hefty request and unrealistic expectation to hope for. With this said, we become forced to alter our mediums of choice in order to adjust to modern addictions to technology and fit the times we’re living through more realistically. Although physical books are losing their popularity, cell phones have gained a huge role in distributing sources of information instantly. The truth of the matter about how we constantly read and digest written thoughts and ideas at high rates without even realizing it reminds me that humankind need words, potentially now more than ever. As a young writer I understand that in order for people to see and hear you, one must have a regular online presence. As intimidating and risky as this seems, without it you simply don’t exist on the same levels of society anymore.

There are many platforms and resources for writers to use now that didn’t exist 10 years ago. For example, I have read many more online articles for school, work, and pure fascination in my educational career than I have ever read physical copies of. Without trying, we come across several sources that provide written text for consumers to completely eat up. More and more writers are getting hired to formulate the words that coincide with apps, journals, ads, social media, etc. A lot of people believe that when everything can exist in a small device held in the palm of their hands, why would they possibly need junk like books to take up space after they are done receiving what they need to from it? As collecting books and magazine as a pastime outdates itself due people’s greater concern for the wave of technology, the resulting decline in book sales pressures the writing industry to mold into something more relevant to the desires of the general public in today’s smartphone-obsessed generation. In order for writers to make progress in this industry modernly and connect to as many people as possible, they must compose their work in multiple different forms of medias for readers to reach and perceive them through. 

It’s no secret that humans have different tastes and preferences, but a lot of us commonly find the most stimulation in visuals. For literary minds, the line between having fully text-heavy works versus the combination of words and pictures rarely gets crossed outside the genres of picture books and poetry. However, coming across a huge chunk of text-only can be very discouraging for readers, especially because we don’t usually have to put in very much mental energy when receiving mostly graphics followed by only a few words (like a caption) here and there. Coming up with an innovative way to produce written word that applies to all of the different kinds of people out there in the form that they can successfully interpret could mean new-writers will have to adjust how they create and combine various contents.

Networking has become such an essential part of finding a job, regardless of the field you pursue. Websites like LinkedIn that allow you to meet other experts in your area working towards the same plans as you has created one of the best ways to utilize the internet for professional gain. In this world, a lot of victory comes from who you know and word of mouth, so it makes perfect sense to network socially as much as possible when searching for your next career.

For me personally, I still feel a little behind when it comes to technology due to the old-fashioned nature I find myself most comfortable in. I am realizing more and more how important it is for me, as a writer, to break out of this comfort zone and experiment in the realm of internet and social networking. Whether we have any control of it or not, those already proficient in technology and internet-exposure find themselves several steps ahead of anyone doing the opposite and staying complacent by avoiding it. Making yourself known on the internet has become a big part of our culture, and similar to the social aspect of how it makes you more memorable for friends and the people you come across through experiences, the same can be said about employers and the employees they choose to hire.

In honor of National Banned Books Week, the issue of censorship and where exactly the line is drawn remains one of the more prevalent ethical dilemmas for writers worldwide. Silencing certain stories in literature under the façade of protecting agreeable culture denies people their constitutional rights on every visceral level. Attempting to limit another person’s thoughts and therefore their individual interpretation of the universe describes a form of mind control that creates a feeling of restraint in humans, hindering their ability to discover the world to its fullest extent.

Some of the most instrumental works of fiction, including but certainly not limited to Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Catcher in the Rye have found themselves on several banned book lists across the globe over the years. What do these fearless and impactful novels have in common? The ability to incite examination of daily life and intimidate authority are the root of this prevailing issue. Deciding what can or cannot be observed is subversion in itself, and in order to liberate the concept of obtaining complete and utter awareness of mankind’s existence here on Earth we must exterminate this thought process entirely.

Determining the fitness of literature to exercise our minds in a healthy or unhealthy manner should never be a decision for another person to dominate over our own bodies. Putting our brains to practice through the act of reading is a workout that yields major life progress. Researchers have found that neurological regions make almost no distinction between interpreting written words for what they stand for versus actually experiencing something first-hand, getting equal stimulation from exposure to both. Because of this, the extreme lengths people go to preserve provocative texts from reaching developing minds can be justified by the hard evidence showing that literature truly has a profound effect on us. Also for this reason, the fact that writing is an all-encompassing and soul-reaching art cannot be ignored. The enchantment that occurs from stringing words together to convey meaning is a virtue that enlightens mankind to a multitude of faceted perceptions they would probably never come across otherwise. The importance of being able to see a depiction of yourself in the form of a fictional character or story can make a person feel more connected to the world than just about anything else. Withholding pieces of history from anyone is a violation of rights as it reduces that person’s knowledge of reality, making them less prepared to experience similar circumstances themselves.

We aren’t given much of a choice when we are brought into this world, but we are handed a mind that starts off as what’s known as a “tabula rasa.” This describes the blank slate each and every child is born with. Purity of this nature only lasts so long before it is completely altered. We want so badly to bottle up this innocence and keep it cherished forever, however, that would only be an illusion. Sooner or later, we become aware of the realities that surround us on a daily basis; when it does, would you rather your child be prepared for what lies ahead or ignorant and oblivious to what’s happening to them?

Objection quickly arises about the concerns of what should or should not be deemed appropriate for certain age groups, and what perhaps needs to be censored. Reading is an experience that can teach us about the world through many alternate lenses. What you take from a piece of writing is not necessarily what the next person might. We learn a great deal within the moments built in the books we choose to read. Limiting what you allow your child to read is depriving them, in a sense. It’s depriving them of the potential joy or knowledge or acceptance it could’ve brought them. The world surrounding us is full of harsh realities unimaginable to the ignorant mind. The way we become prepared is by learning from others and becoming mindful of other walks of life besides our own. If a love for reading and attaining knowledge is present, the people who should be challenged are the parent/guardian, school, or government that tries to devastate that curiosity.

Joseph L. Tauro once said, “The library is a mighty resource in the marketplace of ideas,” meaning that the student who discovers this enrichment can experience self-education eternally. Reading pushes the boundaries of our minds and makes us better equipped to handle all kinds of situations. Whether regarding social issues, governmental debates, religious affiliation, political standing, etc. no piece of writing should be criticized or shamed for simply being an expression of a living souls experience here on Earth. If we are all entitled to our unique opinion, shouldn’t we be entitled to the analyzation of those opinions?

Due to the controversial conversations conducted by talking about topics that inspire questioning the social and governmental system set in stone before us, banning books based on bias scrutiny of the content frequently occurs regardless of the novel’s overall merit. Presenting substantial works with a bad reputation for merely raising awareness about real-world experiences and issues that anyone could grow and gain understanding from learning about. Interpreting what warrants the dishonor of censorship and crafting a solution to avoid this selfish deceit becomes a mission for those of us that believe in the magic contained within the binds of books. Let us not fear the endless places our reading journeys may possibly take us, but rather rejoice in this birthright that permits us all access to an open mind and the ability to live vicariously through the fictional characters we choose to encounter in our individual lifetimes.

Do you ever get the sense that no matter what, there are simply never enough hours in a single day, week, month, or year to accomplish all of the tasks set before you? Between the endless priorities and plans we continue to commit ourselves to, finding slow moments of mindfulness during a fast-paced schedule can often feel like you are jeopardizing the whole race. The working college student can relate to this marathon on a habitual level, forcing their minds and bodies to sprint at speeds that exhausts themselves before ever crossing the finish line. Achieving the right balance between pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone in order to seek growth and pursuing a healthy lifestyle that brings you happiness above all else is a challenge that can sometimes mean having to sacrifice other aspects of your routine that are of importance to you. Regarding time at face value (priceless) is the first step towards managing it with the delicacy it deserves.

Benjamin Franklin once posed the question, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” Illustrating the fact that everything we do in life is created by atoms of time, Franklin clearly believes that the power of the present moment is too crucial to take for granted. For more useful quotes about the ticking of clocks, follow the link attached below:

https://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2007/03/08/66-best-quotes-on-time-management/

One way to recognize how critical the decisions we make in each instance are is by reminding ourselves that every moment is simply bringing us towards the next moment in time, the consequences being how prepared we will be when it comes. In terms of education, this directly refers to the idea of procrastination, something students battle with as if it’s a disease that takes over their whole bodies. We will rarely choose out of our own personal will to do something strenuous that requires all of our efforts at that time, although that is truly when progress is reached. So the next time you think of complaining about the homework piling up around you, try to remember that it is really a blessing to be able to study and become better at something you’re passionate about.

I know what you’re probably thinking at this point: I would be more grateful for the copious amounts of schoolwork if that was the only thing I had to worry about… however, when it’s stacked up against a part or full-time job, family obligations, taking care of physical and mental health, attempting to meet new people and have a social life, maintaining internships and other resume builders, personal projects, even sleeping on a daily basis, etc. what’s a mere mortal supposed to do!? Well, the solution varies from person to person, but the common factor of your mindset about it remains. Sadly, motivation isn’t something you can run to the store, buy a packet of, and sprinkle on top of your head like magic. When motivation fades, we must turn to discipline as the source of our energy and ability to accomplish that which we desire.

Personally, I believe cellphones are the root cause of the distractions that make it seem as though there are less and less hours in a day. We become so consumed by these devices and all they encompass that we are willing to make them the nonstop focal of our attentions. When was the last time you completed an assignment start to finish without picking up your phone to check it even just once? Chances are it was probably in elementary school. Imagine if we found a way to control these urges and limit the time we waste on a regular basis. This would make a huge difference in stress levels and feeling like time is always limited. It’s fascinating how, we as a society, want and need more time greater than any other single thing, yet it’s also the thing we waste above anything else.

With this being said, we must aim to discover more ways to be productive and less ways to be unproductive throughout the day. Life is like an hourglass; even if it feels like we’re dealing with quicksand seeping through our fingertips, in reality it’s moving at the same rate for all of us.

Who are you as an individual? What distinguishes you from the rest of the world? When did you realize how powerful these differences you encompass truly are? Where have you previously been, and where are you going next? Why do you behave the certain ways that you do? How have your experiences shaped and defined you profoundly?

The questions listed above describe the people we’ve become through the various courses of our lives thus far. They represent a uniqueness that can never be reproduced, and attribute to the idea that each of us are CEOs of a brand that we own and must endorse proudly.

Professional branding plays an important role in almost every single occupation to date; therefore, utilizing it as a tool to advance your success becomes inevitably crucial regardless of chosen career path. Over the past 10+ years we have seen the advancement of networking skyrocket into a solar system where they way you portray yourself defines you far more greatly than who you are in actual reality. Do you ever base what you know about a person through the posts on their Instagram feed or the content of their Snapchat stories? Though it rarely means you could say you’re familiar with who this person genuinely is, often times we feel as though we have the right to judge people based on the parts of them they choose to openly present us with. As disillusioned as this may be, we tend to assume that what we view on the outside is an accurate reflection of what’s going on the inside, causing appearances to be one of the most powerful weapons in this world. The creation of self through the lenses of media and technology has become the way we brand ourselves modernly  in order to stay relevant in the social world. Keeping this in mind, the significance of professional branding should be evidently clear after analyzing the pressures of how we choose to introduce ourselves and remember that first impressions almost always leave a lasting impact.

For aspiring writers specifically, the way your viewership (readers) perceive the person with the pen makes all the difference in whether or not they are inclined to care about what you have to say. At some point or another, we’ve all been guilty of tuning in to specific content due to who the individual providing us with it is. We’re told to separate the artist from the art, but this is rarely the case when it comes to the willingness to take the time to sit down and evaluate another person’s thoughts. Wouldn’t you be reluctant to pay full attention to a lecture if you had no previous background information about the speaker and what their purpose to talk to you was? You likely wouldn’t care about some random, unknown stranger’s rambling on and on, but if you were a film major and the guest speaker was Steven Spielberg for example, you’d willingly contribute your undivided attention the entire time just because of who it is and the information you previously have about them. The same could be said about writers and how they attain readers who are loyal to their work. Once a name and brand is established, it’s easier to recognize their work and provide focus because you’re already interested in them as a professional.

Thinking of it in terms of walking around a bookshop, what usually grabs your eyes at first glance? As someone who sees this happen every time I work, the customers nearly always gravitate to the books written by the most-notable authors. This is the exact reason why places such as Barnes & Noble keep the best-sellers at the front of the store, the very first thing people approach when they walk through the doors. Book shoppers want to be able to find John Grisham’s latest book without looking for it the second it hits the shelves because of the brand he represents. When someone monopolies a genre the way he has with legal thrillers, it’s hard not to associate that type of book with their name. The same could be said of Rupi Kaur and the recent flooding of poetry books with the similar theme or short stanzas and accompanying doodles. Attached is the link to an article published by The New York Times titled Why Rupi Kaur and Her Peers Are the Most Popular Poets in the World and it explains the reasons for this phenomenon more in-depth. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/books/review/rupi-kaur-instapoets.html

In conclusion, designing a professional brand that matches your beliefs and the goals you hope to accomplish through your work is one of the most important steps taken towards developing an identity for yourself. Finding the thing that’s different about you and everyone else around you fighting for the same positions is as important as ever, and learning how to skillfully cultivate this image will be the most valuable masterpiece you will ever work on.