Decisions

Sometimes in life you just have to make those bad decisions.  Those decisions that you know you are going to regret further on down the road.  Sometimes you just can't live with the consequences of not making them.  Sometimes the consequences of making them seem far less severe.  Maybe today is one of those days.  One of those days where you just can't say no to said bad decision.  Maybe that bad decision will turn into a great experience. And if not a great experience, maybe it will turn into a great lesson.  A lesson of why you will never make that decision again.  But it could be the start of a great adventure.  Maybe today is the day that you will look back on when you tell your kids that you had an amazing life.  Or maybe today is the day that you will look back on when you tell your kids a cautionary tale of just saying no to decisions that they know are bad.  Or maybe today is the day that you never tell anyone about at all.  But the question is - if you don't do it, will you ever know?  Will you look back on this day and tell your kids that they need to take more risks?  Will you look back on this day and wish that you had the courage to take that giant leap of faith?  Or will you look back on this day and thank your lucky stars that you were smart enough to say no?  The answers are impossible to know.  But maybe, just maybe, this bad decision could turn out to be the best decision that you make in your entire life.  Life is a string of decisions that either turn out good or bad.  Hopefully some day we can all look back and say that - good or bad - we wouldn't change a thing.

Getting to know your audience.

Getting to know my audience through the form of a Q&A discussion board was a very interesting experience.  I really enjoyed seeing into the minds of my peers.  One major thing that I noticed is how varied the people in this course are.  One particular question that sticks out is the “Book vs Movie Debate.”  Though the answers were far from “50/50” (books won!!) there were a lot more different answers than I expected.  It was nice to hear the reasoning behind everyone’s answers and not just a thoughtless, one word “Book” or “Movie.”  This really showed me that I am not just writing for my professor, but for a lot of other people with different views and ideas.

Another thing that really stuck out to me was how different and yet similar we all are.  One question was “If you could choose anyone as your mentor, who would you choose?”  There were a lot of varying answers but Jesus came up in quite a few.  Another one was about being able to spend one day with someone and most people put relatives that have passed away.  There were a few oddities, like me, that chose celebrities or historical figures but for the most part the answers were very similar.

I also have to admit how much I enjoyed the sarcasm and silliness in some responses.  These made for some very interesting reads and several times I was quite literally laughing out loud.  One such post was on the question dealing with where you would like to have been born if you could choose and I loved the answer of “…in a barn.  That way I’d never have to shut the door behind me.”

This was a very fun and eye opening way to get to know my audience in the form of my classmates.  I think that this will help me in the future as I now have a better understanding of who I am writing for.

Another "I believe" freewrite/credo/IDK what it really is type thing.

I believe that I am in control of my own life.  I believe that it is all up to me and that I cannot expect handouts from anyone.  I believe that where I go and what I do is completely up to me.  I believe that I can make it through school because I believe in myself. I believe that I will find happiness but that I have to work at it.  I left home 2 weeks after my 18^th birthday because I wanted to do things my way.  That was a mistake because even though I am in control, sometimes I still need guidance. But it happened and it made me the person that I am today. I lost contact with my dad and my siblings but I got those things back because I wanted them.  I left my first job after 4 years when I realized that it was going nowhere.  2 months after I started my second job, I made management.  I moved up in the company over the course of the 3 years that I was there before realizing that this one was a dead end as well.  I am currently in my third dead end job but the difference is that now I am in school and making strides toward my future.  I have had several bad relationships and I know that only I can fix it or end it.  I have lived in some bad situations as well.  One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was living with my boss.  Anytime that I feel stuck in a situation I know that I am the only person that can fix it. Bad job?  I’m done. Bad relationship?  I’m gone.  Bad living situation?  I’m moving. As Smokey the bear says “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.” 

My "I Believe" list

1. I believe that I am a good person.
2. I believe that I am a good friend.
3. I believe that my nieces are the cutest kids in the world.
4. I believe that I am in control of my own life.
5. I believe in God.
6. I believe in Heaven.
7. I believe that Jensen Ackles is hot.
8. I believe that Supernatural is the best show ever.
9. I believe in ghosts.
10. I believe in demons
11. I believe in angels.
12. I believe that ten minutes is a long time.
13. I believe that penguins are adorable.
14. I believe that Sony is better than Microsoft.
15. I believe that I will play some Call of Duty when I am done with this.
16. I believe that I have the best friends in the world.
17. I believe in true love.
18. I believe that I have never found it.
19. I believe that Netflix is addictive.
20. I believe that Family Guy is hilarious.
21. I believe that I'll have a drink.
22. I believe that reading is fun.
23. I believe that J.K. Rowling is amazing.
24. I believe that high school sucks.
25. I believe that if not for my high school teachers I wouldn't be in school today.
26. I believe that my family is amazing.
27. I believe in my little brother's future.
28. I believe in my mother.
29. I believe that we can get through this together.

Jung Typology

Wow.  The first word that comes to mind with this test is eerie!  These results said things about me that I have never wanted to put into words.  I tested into the, apparently rare, INFJ (Introvert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging) typing which, in a nutshell, means that I am easily run over and very private.  The results state that "INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates.""  This is a very accurate way to describe me as I only consider myself to have one true friend that I don't have a problem being myself around and telling my deepest secrets to.  I have yet to find a "soul mate" that I feel this way about.  It also states that INFJs are often misunderstood by outsiders which I feel is very accurate as well.  I tend to be quite socially awkward and most people don't understand my sense of humor.  I feel that this may be a part of why writing is so hard for me.  I have a hard time getting others to understand me so I feel as though they aren't going to understand what I am writing, either.

The results also state that "INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden.They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress."  This also describes me in the sense that I tend to be the person that friends and family come to with problems and expect me to pick up the pieces and give them advice - even when I have no experience in the area of what they are going through.  I am also the person that is in the hospital visiting and seeing to the needs of friends and family.  

One of the only things that I feel does not really describe me  is that "INFJs usually have very strong writing skills."  I don't feel like my writing skills are as strong as they should be at this point in my life. I hope that my typology will help me in becoming a better writer through my college career.  

However, they did say that INFJs are "well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching."  I really hope that this is true as teaching is the career path that I hope to take.  

I am really glad that I took this test.  It helped me see that, though rare, there are others out there with similar traits to my own.  It is good to know that I am less alone in this world than I originally thought.