This Thursday, I had a chance to reflect on where I was as a student. As routine calls, I sat down in a one-to-one with Mr. Topf and we looked over my growth chart where I asses myself and give comments on where I am in different English Honors, Global Business Management and Media Literacy skills. Once I cruised over my progress, illustrated with a few yellows, most greens and a decent amount of blues, I couldn't help feeling that although I had maintained some strong aspects of my character as a learner, I’m not pushing myself enough to improve. To be better. To take that. extra. step.
i started facing a few questions:
The answers made me internally uncomfortable.
In a way, I’m calm because I know where I stand. In these two years I've learned for a fact that I can be a working maniac once I find a project that fascinates me. Even if it can get out of the leash sometimes, It's that state of thirstiness for challenge that makes a difference in how far you get and how much you gain from every experience. Because instead, if you conform in your past achievements, you stagnate; here's where motivation crumbles. I don’t know about you, but I want to be part of a motivated culture, one that seeks for more--it’s far more exhilarating.
Take Apple for instance: They've been thriving with their groundbreaking innovations in the world-scale market for years. And it is, that they’re never satisfied with being "good" or "great", and every product they launch, you can bet that will be rethought and redesigned. (After all, the iPhone 6 and the iWatch didn’t appear just because.) What makes apple a role model is the way they seek for growth through detail, through changing their motto from “think different” to “think differently”, through manufacturing products that never have a stop-line, and most importantly, by being transparent about it. | |
In a way, I’ve already implemented this in some of my school work as I’ve been thoroughly engaged in my math IA because it connects to the management of a clothing start up I will actually launch. In reading, I want to start choosing books outside what school demands, reading for pleasure without allowing me the lack to stop after the first two chapters—as a result I’ll become a better writer. I will start tonight with Stephen Chbosky’s novel, “The Perks of being a Wallflower” . Once I’m done, I’ll take pleasure from the movie, analyzing and learning about film techniques used to express the original intention of the author. As it is for BlendZ, I will start taking opportunity as it comes to play around with media production. I will begin next week with creating the first commercial of our brand, and have already started to search the web for inspiration in other great marketers work in Tv commercials. In a separate note, starting this week, I will also give tutoring classes to Miranda, a second grader, every Thursday to become more patient, walk out of my comfort zone and at the same time, learn to take responsibility for others learning.