I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be rich. I’d have a big house with multiple rooms: one for my library, one would be the musical instrument room, and the last would be my room for writing. In the writing room would be a giant corkboard where I could pin up scenes to help plot a story. All the latest reference and market guides would be within reach. Maybe after my writing session, I’d go take a dip in my heated pool…
But then again, I’ve just wasted a few minutes of my life writing about some ideal alternate future. I could have been working on a submission for a contest or studying for my Motion Media class or calling the local library to volunteer.
Many of us blog for progress, but how many of us try for progress? Simply helping a person in need, volunteering, or doing good deeds throughout your life could promote progress. Maybe it's just laziness or procrastination that keeps us from achieving this progress. Maybe it's our own self-doubts.
How have I tried for progress? Here’s just a couple little examples. I got over my fear of speaking to strangers in an…unusual way. I volunteered at the local library and read to children. I also donated hundreds of books to this small library. It felt so good to be doing something, even as little a thing as reading to the kids. I’ve worked on being less introversive around strangers by trying new things: joining new clubs/activities, joining County Band for two years, trying out fencing….it was great to be working out such trivial concerns in order to better myself.
Laziness. Self-doubt. Procrastination. These are things I’m trying to get over so I can make a difference. What about you?
Enough excuses! Now stop reading and go do something for progress!
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It helps that we talk about progress, but you're right, how much progress are we actually accomplishing?
I'm trying to participate in more volunteer activities and I really appreciate your idea of reading to children at the library. Thanks for the idea, and it's fantastic that you are making such an effort.
WOO! Amen to that! and yep it never hurt to be little optimistic.....afterall optimistic is basically my name. hahah
Every summer I volunteer at the library near my house and work on the Children's Summer Reading Program. My friend and I basically listen to kids give us summaries of their favorite books that they read over the summer and count the amount of hours they have read, hand out prizes to them, etc. I have been doing it for 4 years now and it is so much fun!! I still don't know exactly what I want to do in college, but I do know that I want to do something with kids and this time that I have spent at the library is one of the things that helped me to realize that.
Great blog with a great message. Although blogging for progress helps people be more aware of certain issues and gets opinions and different views out there, I'm sure not all of us get up in the morning and say, "Instead of blogging about progress, I'm actually going to BE progressive today!"
I hate to admit that procrastination, laziness, and time management is definitely a problem for me though, heh.
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"No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it." -- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
We all have to admit it sometime. Here's me, admitting it now!
I see both sides. Yes, I think that people should be doing more for progress than just blogging about it. But at the same time, raising awareness is half the battle, and blogging does help do that.
As for me, I am an officer in an organization aimed at raising awareness about suicide prevention and mental illnesses. In a couple weeks, we're having a lecture/movie night, where we talk about schizophrenia and have a lecture by an 'expert' (she's a graduate student in psychology, I believe). We're working on getting a panel of people who specialize in mental illnesses (including a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist, and some patients suffering from mental illness) to open up a discussion about it. We're working on getting a bunch of activities together for Stress Out day in April, to help people learn how to better deal with stress, so we don't end up with people committing suicide.
I also do a lot of random community service activities (I find it difficult to fit a weekly one into my schedule, and it nearly killed me last semester), especially dealing with teaching kids about science. I was considering applying for Teach for America, but the deadline for this year has already passed, so I won't be able to do that.
~C
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That organization sounds really interesting. It's not just students, it's also "experts" who engage in that discussion, which sounds like a great idea. I wonder if there's something like that at my school...
Well, you can see about this specific organization by looking here: http://activemindsoncampus.org/chapters/
Not every chapter will do it the same way we do. I helped push the panel discussion because we do a few in other clubs I'm in, and I thought it would be a nice way to raise awareness.
~C
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I can see both sides to your ideas. I agree that there is also time for fun in blogs. It releases the tension.