Drops of Oil

The old man teaches the boy to focus on your task, but still make sure to be aware of everything around you. Today, our lives are so busy that we get caught up on just one task. We become tunnel visioned and blind to everything around us. We are so busy that we miss the beautiful world around us. The king helps Santiago find omens by giving him two stones. However, he tells him to only use the stones when he needs them. Santiago starts to learn the language of the world- a language without words. He also notices what is happening around him. He also noticed that he was able to apply the lessons he learned with his sheep to the real world.

For the past few weeks, I have practiced noticing things around me. With finals coming up, my mind easily becomes tunnel visioned, and I become stressed about finishing up school and getting ready for Christmas. However, I have been reminded to also make sure to be joyful this holiday season. It is important for me to focus on finals. However, I should not obsess over them. It is easy to forget the world around us when we become busy, so it is essential that we practice stopping to look around.

Dialectical Journal 4

“Naturally it’s afraid that in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you won” (Coelho 123).

Paulo Coelho is pointing out how people stop pursuing their dreams because of a fear of something that could happen. It is strange that people are completely stopped in their tracks by something that hasn’t even happened yet. While this concept seems so ridiculous, it is something that affects almost everyone. It is good to anticipate problems, so you can be prepared to handle the situation. However, letting something that hasn’t even happened yet prevent you from trying is something that can set you back forever. Personally, I let my fear set me back all the time, and I am glad that Coelho challenges the reader’s fears.

“Well you’ll have to learn; your life depends on it.” ( Coelho 135)

One thing that this quote this reminds me of is how people are able to overcome the impossible in times of life or death- for example, a mother lifting up a car to save a baby. Santiago eventually does do the impossible, because his and the Alchemist’s lives depended on it. In the real world, I think people are able to due this because of a more scientific reason. However, Coelho makes Santiago dig deep and find the power within himself.

 

Dialectical Journal 3

“he was actually two hours closer to his treasure… the fact that the two hours had stretched into an entire year didn’t matter”

This quote fits into the reoccurring theme of perspective affecting our drive towards pursuing our dreams. Every time Santiago finds motivation to keep searching for his treasure it is because he finds a new perspective. This is seen before when he decides that he will think of himself as an adventurer instead of a poor helpless victim. It helps give him the motivation to keep going, because he knows he is capable. This time, his new perspective prevents him from being discouraged from set backs. He has to keep an optimistic view, and focus on progress rather than set backs. This is a useful lesson for Santiago, and the reader can also learn from him.

“Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees”

This is another quote that fits into a theme of perspective. People could take date trees for granted, but after not having accessibility to them, people can start to miss them. Being away from the trees gives people a new perspective- a life without them. This allows them to be more appreciative of things. This is the same concept as trials causing people to truly notice all the blessings of life. The concept may be used later on in the book for something larger than date trees. Appreciating date trees is not applicable for the average reader, but new perspectives that lead to appreciation is something that can be learned by anyone. The author uses a subtle way to once again teach about the power of perspective.

Dialectical Journal 2

“… he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure”

At this point in the story, Santiago realizes that he is stopping himself from reaching his goals. The power of his thoughts is enough to either drive him towards his calling, or push him away. Before, Santiago thought that the outside world around him caused him to not reach goals. However, this quote shows that we stop ourselves more than anything else does. If people let their fears get in the way of their “mission”, it may appear as if they were never in control at all. Santiago was able to realize that a change in perspective makes all the difference. Once people learn to find new perspectives and take control of their thoughts, they end up taking control of the course to achieving their dream.

“I’m afraid that is would all be a disappointment, so I prefer just to dream about it”

This quote points to one of the reasons that people never reach their goals. In this case, the man does not want to pursue his dream because he is scared it would all be a let down. He had to much time to fantasize about his journey that he was scared that it would be less than perfect, and therefore, not worth it. The author had written about the four reasons people don’t reach their goals in the beginning of the book. He then used this character to demonstrate one of these reasons. It teaches Santiago to not fear the disappointment, and shows the reader how this reason would occur in real life. It serves as a reminder to not let fear be a reason to stop pursuing our dreams.

Dialectical Journal 1

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting” (Coelho 10)

This quote calls attention to what most (if not all) people’s lives revolve around. We all have some sort of a goal, dream, or wild fantasy that we strive, or at least daydream about. If we didn’t have goals to meet, we would have nothing to look forward to, and nothing to strive towards. Life without dreams would be unbearably dull. There would be no reason for hard work and dedication, nothing to look forward to, and no sense of accomplishment in finally achieving a life long dream. Coelho reminds us to keep dreaming, (I know… so cliche) so that we feel our lives have meaning and excitement.

“It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them” (Coelho 14)

This quote encourages the reader to take a step back and think about how they are trying to find joy. The author suggests that only the few who take time to enjoy the small things in life are the ones who find true joy. I find it interesting that the lady says she is not wise, so she found ways to busy herself. It is like she has a way to find joy, but chooses the joyless route instead. The author may be trying to convey that most people can have joy, if they only took a step back, but most people ignore it. It is a good reminder to pay attention to the small, everyday blessings in our lives.

Alchemist Interview

An interview with my mom about what prevents us from reaching our dreams.

Q: Were you ever told as a child that reaching your dream was impossible? Why or why not?

A: No, I don’t think so. I guess I didn’t have impossible dreams.

Q: Did love, or fear of hurting those around you ever became an obstacle in pursuing your calling?

A: Not really. My only fear now is that I am too busy to give you guys attention.

Q: Did you ever stop pursuing a dream because of a fear of anticipated obstacles?

A: No, I tend to trust that God will take care of my obstacles.  I’m not a quitter, and I will trust that God will guide me through my obstacles.

Q: Has the guilt of almost reaching, or that you did not deserve to reach your goal stopped you from finally reaching it?

A: No I don’t think I don’t deserve to reach my goal. I tend to trust in God, and work hard at what he has called me to do.

Reflection:

I don’t quite agree with all of Coelho’s obstacles for reaching a goal. I think that love should never be an obstacle in reaching your calling. If someone is preventing you from attaining your goal, then they don’t really love you. Therefore, it cannot be love’s fault that people don’t reach goals. Also, I don’t think most people feel guilt when they reach their goal. This is a bit condescending, but I believe we live in a society of very entitled people. It may prevent some people from reaching their goal, but not the general population. While Coelho does make a couple strong points, I’m not completely convinced about what he has to say.

 

Short Story Prompt 1:

     1:02pm

It was a sunny autumn day. I wrapped my jacket around me as the crisp breeze blew into my face. I was taking a walk through a large park near my house. I had a big history test coming up that I didn’t feel like studying for, so naturally, I found something else to do. I looked at the small, recently frozen creek that ran under the brilliant fall colors. The gravel and fallen leaves crunched under my tennis shoes as I rounded a corner. My ear buds were in, and some strange 60’s or 70’s song came on. I continued my walk; only half aware of what was going on around me. Suddenly, The song skipped back 30 seconds.

“Huh, that was strange…” I thought to myself.

Then I realized that I was back at that same corner again. Was I experiencing déjà vu? I shrugged it off, and continued my walk, but then the song jumped back again. Something was off. I quickened my pace this time. Maybe my brain was a bit fried after studying. No, that couldn’t be it; I was putting off studying right now. I advanced around the corner, and there was that same tune repeating in my ears. This song was starting to get irritating. I checked my phone to see what was playing. What is “The Chain,” and how did this song even end up on my phone? I stopped the music and took out my ear buds. Suddenly, I remembered my real problem. It appeared that I was stuck in time, and I could not advance any further on my walk. I noticed that time hadn’t changed on my watch. It had been 1:02 pm for (what felt like) five minutes now. Slightly panicked (well, more like extremely panicked), I started to run around that cursed corner.

Again and again I found myself being brought back to where I had just been. I knew I should have just stayed and studied for history. Was this some sort of cruel punishment for procrastination? Maybe if I changed what I was doing, I could figure out why I was trapped. I took a minute to catch my breath. Considering the fact that I only ran a couple yards over and over, I shouldn’t have been so out of breath. I needed to get in shape, but I  put that off for another time. I walked slowly, and I was careful to take everything in. It wasn’t until then that I noticed another person walking by in the opposite direction. They had their hands tightly tucked in their black sweatshirt pocket, and their hood was pulled over their head. I stopped and looked at this previously unnoticed stranger. As they passed and left my sight, I found myself back again at they same spot I knew quite well now. So the stranger must have something to do with why I was stuck at 1:02 pm.

This time as I rounded the corner, I casually said hi to this stranger. She looked up, and we made eye contact. I softly smiled at her. She had tear stains on her cheeks, and bloodshot eyes. She was definitely older than me, but still probably in her 20’s. She smiled, and her whole face lit up (metaphorically speaking). We both continued our separate ways. Human interaction has never been one of my favorites, but it looked like she needed that. I cautiously walked forward. I check my watch, and it now read 1:03.

“Thank goodness!” I sighed under my breath.

I continued my stroll through the park. The trees were beautiful, and this section of the creek wasn’t quite frozen. Maybe I was stuck in time because that lady needed just a simple smile, or a reassurance that she isn’t alone. Even if I was wrong about this lady, I still made sure to smile at any passerby that I made eye contact with. You never know how it may affect them.

Freshman Year

I cannot find a way to write this blog post without sounding extremely cheesy and gushy, but here you go:

This year has been quite an amazing experience, and it was far better than my experience in  middle school. I remember being scared at the beginning of the year. I was nervous about meeting new people, getting settled in at a new school, and managing the work load (which is not nearly as bad as my middle school teachers made it seem). However, none of those things turned out to be problematic. I am still amazed that I was able to meet so many fantastic people this year. I met so many great teachers, new friends, and fun classmates. I know that it is cliché and cheesy, but I believe it was the healthy community that made this year so great for me.

                       

This year has also helped me grow a lot when it came to academics. For example, at the beginning of the year, I had no idea what “claim, evidence, and commentary” meant. However, I actually began enjoying my classes. I started to like going to geometry, and writing a blog post every week. Sure, it was still school, but it was slightly fun. I had something enjoyable to look forward to almost everyday (which makes getting out of bed in the mornings kind of easier).

While all those things are great, I am most thankful for being able to spend time with my sister this year. I wouldn’t say we hated each other last year, but we definitely didn’t get along very well. However, this year we became best friends. I’m not sure if it was because I spent about an hour in the car with her everyday, or because we went to the same school, and had things to talk about. Regardless, I am so glad that I had someone like her to guide me through my first year of high school as I encouraged her through her last.

       

The art (and science) of Persuasion

  .   So, I have nothing very interesting to write about this week. However, I finally came to the decision to write about persuading (don’t ask why, because I don’t know). So anyway, there are many factors that should be taken into consideration when persuading someone, but I am just going to talk about one.

    . It is very simple. Start out with small requests. Once people agree to that, they are more likely to agree to a larger request. There was a study where people asked if they could put a small sign in people’s yard. Later, they came back and asked if they could replace it with a larger sign. Most people agreed to having a larger sign. However, a group that was only offered the larger sign declined. So, start out with a small requests, and build up to bigger ones. Time to go convince your parents to let you get that puppy!

If you are interested in learning more about persuasion, or you are trying to find an excuse to not study for finals, then here is a video about how else to persuade:

My Name

As most people know, faith means to put your trust into something. However, I was named Faith because of what it means spiritually. To my parents and to me, faith means fully trusting God when we cannot see the outcome. In my religion, our faith defines who we are. Apparently, my mother decided to name me Faith one day during church service. She said that the name suddenly struck her mind, and she knew that it should be my name. Faith has always been an important aspect of my parents’ lives, and they believed it would be a beautiful name. Faith is something that is very important to my parents, and it soon became important in my life.

Faith has two different meanings for me personally. First, it is (obviously) my name. It is a name that I respond to, but it didn’t necessarily have to define me if I wouldn’t let it do so. However, this is not the case. To me, faith is not easy. At times, it is really hard for me to trust in things that I cannot see. Sometimes, it almost feels crazy. Yet, when someone does experience what it is to truly trust something (and I mean anything- not having a religious faith for some people), it can bring such joy when it is carried. out. Personally, my faith brings me peace, because I can know that I don’t have to have everything under control. As a perfectionist, I can know that it is okay when I mess up, because my savior already fought that battle. Having faith in someone is never extremely easy, but it is something that we have to learn to do (religious or not), because at some point in everyone’s lives, trust in other people is needed. So my name is something I respond to, but also something that defines me.