"What's the [Motto] with you?"

Often times, we like to have a tag line in our lives that motivates us in our every day lives. Sometimes, they serve as a reminder of certain ideas or goals that we set at some point. Then again, sometimes those "tag lines" that we think we came up with on our own, are not really our own, much less the first time for them to be used. For example, Nike's "Just Do It." It is a common phrase we use in our conversations with our peers, but it is also a logo/motto for a major shoe company.

Here is a phrase I have always loved:

"Never b flat, Never b sharp, Always b natural"

In other words, it is saying to just be yourself, in just a more musical sense. 

But, I have never succeeded in finding the original author. Again, that is why motto's are sometimes difficult to work with because we often times do not have an original author. So, if this does belong to someone, I do not intend to steal it from you, it is just a phrase/tag line that I have always enjoyed. I would give all the credit to you if only I knew your name.

Review #1: J. K. Rowling's "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination"

J.K. Rowling's, "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination," at Harvard, is a truly beautiful and motivating speech. Throughout, she never loses her audience because even her speech involves a storytelling. Her techniques involve referencing to her own works, such as the Harry Potter series. Plus, she is humorous, honest, and personal. For example, she humorously and sarcastically explains that the commencement speech made her so nervous that she lost weight in preparation for her presentation at Harvard.

There are also some life lessons that Rowling brings forward in her speech. First, she provides some of her personal experiences and lets her audience know that it's okay to make mistakes because without them we are not truly living life. Because in life, risks need to be made. Sometimes, risks are good. Then, she goes on to explain that imagination is an amazing thing. That our imaginations can save us at certain points. And it's true. If we do not have the capacity of imagining how things can turn out to be, then, we would not be as successful in meeting our goals, needs, and wants.

When Love Arrives

This Spoken Word poem is very unique, true, and humorous  It is very effective in capturing its audience because of the tone and voice the speakers use. At times, the speakers voices will change from excitement to silent-whisper-romantic-like. By having both a female voice and a male voice, the audience is better able to follow and understand the words being said. There is no confusion on who said what, such as a question like, "Was it the female or the male speaking?" This is very different to other love poems and writings. For one, it is an audio, and two, it allows one to follow the reading easily in addition to brief drawings. There is definitely a lot of visuals going on. But, that is in a way what makes it effective. At the same time, the words are very true and humorous because it speaks about love in both the beautiful things and the non-beautiful things like embarrassing moments with family and not expecting love to arrive at certain points of life. It talks about loving the other individual with all its faults and virtues because, after all, that is what love really is-- accepting one for who they are. 

The words do a great job at appealing to the senses such as looks and smells. For example, there is a point in the video in which both individuals talk about how in seventh grade they knew how love looked like. There were certain ways they dressed and did their hair. This was a very unique approach to "love" as compared to classic and contemporary love poems. Shakespeare's, for example, tends to have language that is rather difficult to read, follow, and understand. Plus, they rarely speak about the bad habits of the other individual, instead, they only look at the "good" things of love or the "good" things of their loved one. Rarely do they speak of the negative things of love.

Below you will find a sample love poem I wrote. It has a different approach to love as well. It is not necessarily a romantic kind of love, but definitely has allusions and metaphors to it.

Heavenly “Boyfriend”

       You are my Boyfriend         
the one I dedicate my time to.

I listen to Your Word every night before going to sleep
And
Every morning that I wake,
I am thankful for You being a big part of my life.

For every meal You are there
For every tear You are there
…to wipe away
For every wrinkle on my face
…You were there.

The more I know of You, the more I want to seek of You…

You are my first love
You loved me before I ever loved You

And when I left You,
You never did leave me.

The Rooster let You know the times I denied having known You
and You didn't hold it against me.

You took from me the ones I most loved
So I told You I hated You
I didn't understand how they could be in a better place
when You tried to explain
But with chocolates and roses I forgave you.

I didn't deserve Your help when (on my knees) I asked You for it,
But You helped me anyway.

When I cross a bridge
You send Your Angel to protect me

In my dreams I am like Sleeping Beauty
only a Royal Prince can wake me

You are my Boyfriend
There is no other like You

I Love You

Mission Statement

All of our lives we are in search of that-- our purpose. But what exactly does that mean? It's been said that God sent each and every single one of us to a mission on earth. A lot of us spend years and years seeking our true purpose, and little are those who truly fulfill their mission. Sometimes it's like searching for love, we look and we look and when we think we've found the right one, it turns out it was another one of those that don't hang on for very long. But, once you've found the one, life is much more beautiful. Everyone has the freedom of claiming their mission, it may not necessarily be pursued to its full extent but, it is an attempt nonetheless.

My Mission: 

To obtain higher education and seek the knowledge and wisdom necessary to make a difference in the lives of many individuals, to be a voice for those who don't have it or are too afraid to speak up, to teach and pass on the Hispanic culture and the Catholic tradition for many more generations to come. In other words, my mission is to simply put my life to good use, to be able to use all my skills, gifts, and talents so that I can help others, and to live a healthy and balanced life full of faith, hope, and joy! I want to make a positive difference, wherever I go.

My Vision:

Love and happiness. The two things that we, as humans, tend to seek the most in life. It may not necessarily be obtained from knowledge and materialistic objects/items, but nonetheless, knowledge is key in my vision. I see myself reaching far out and obtaining a graduate degree in Law and/or Education. I want to be well prepared for the new challenges that our next generation will face, especially in the minority population. I plan to obtain my graduate degree from the University of Chicago and later find myself working within the United Nations.

My Values:

My morals and values derive from a Christian-based faith. I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church and attended catechism until eighth grade. Religion and spirituality have always been a great role in my life. I seek a life full of faith and wisdom through search in God. Along with that, education has been equally important to me; I am committed to academic excellence. I value education tremendously because it is one treasure we posses that cannot be taken from us. Once we have it, we always have it. No one can physically steal it from us. That is why I am continuing my education, setting up goals and reaching out to them so I can fulfill my mission and my vision more effectively. 

"This is Your Life"

Former Mesa High School Honors graduate, Laura Sanchez De La Cruz is a Student at Benedictine University at Mesa, where she intends to major in Communication Arts. She is attempting to live the traditional college life in a non-traditional way-- as bizarre as that may sound, it's true! Currently, she is a student housing at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa Hotel and Resorts, a partnership of the university's, which is a unique experience because, while she is being "traditional" by housing on campus and having the whole college experience, her accommodations are very luxurious. Her classroom setting is lecture free, making her courses problem based learning. She serves on the Executive Board of Student Government at the Mesa Branch Campus, is an active leader of the Jo Wilson Leadership Program, and is a Student Blogger and Student Receptionist at the university's Welcome Center.

Originally, she was born and raised in one of the smaller states of Mexico, Colima; on the Pacific Coast in a pueblito named "El Rinconcito del Diablo" which in English translates to "Devil's Little Corner." She claims to recall very little about those memories.

Before coming to Arizona, she lived in Washington State for most of her life, having arrived in the Evergreen State at the age of seven. She began high school in Lynden where she grew as a student, as a person, and as a leader. Her accomplishments are incredible, but one that is surely impressive is the one she completed in June 2011, after having finished her sophomore year at Lynden High School.

While in Lynden, Laura lived with her father, her younger brother and younger sister. Being the oldest, she carried great responsibilities. She played a mother role, taking care of her siblings, preparing meals for the family and doing chores, and on top of that she was involved in her community and was an outstanding honor student. Her dedication to helping others was so great that, instead of spending her last days in Lynden with friends and family, saying her good-byes and farewells, she spent them putting together a fundraiser project that she had been planning to put on for a while.

Her goal was to obtain funds for the school's sports department so that they would allow the opportunity for talented students of low-income families participate in sports, covering their sports fees and uniform and equipment costs. She did not like to see the athletic talent of so many students go to waste simply because they could not afford to pay for sports fees. Her last week in Lynden, she managed to organize and put together a fundraising event through the help of her networks. In the end, the fundraiser event was a Kid's Fun Night of which elementary school students had a blast with dodgeball, face painting, popcorn, and much more. The fundraiser was named Equal Playing Field, signifying that in any sports field, there needs to be an equal opportunity for everyone to play. The total amount raised was $466. Luckily, InvestEd.org was willing to match that amount, equaling nearly $1000. When all was finished, she could not believe that early morning the next day, she would be on the road towards desert land. All her life and all her memories were built and constructed in that little town. She never thought that there was the possibility of her graduating from a different high school. She left everything behind, literally, almost everything. All she took with her was what she and her family could fit in her dad's Dodge Caravan.

After having completed her first two years of high school and her family and her moved to the state of Arizona, she enrolled at Mesa High School as an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) student. Here, she had to begin from zero again. At first, she disliked the new changes. She wasn't used to excessive heat, and she was not used to sharing her family. Her father had married. The lady was very nice and her two kids were too. Yet, it took her some time to get used to a new family, a new school, and a new life. It took her her entire junior year to finally adjust to everything. Still, she didn't lose herself completely; she became an active member of her community, volunteering in her school and at other organizations throughout the valley. Including, the Be A Leader Foundation of which she is currently a college-going mentor for senior high school students.

Her life adventures and journey's are yet to continue. College is going to be an extraordinary chapter in her life.

I am God and You are Not

I am God and You are Not

 

Love Me or you will die.

Love Me and you will live.

Tell Me not one lie,

And all, to you, I will give.

 

All My love and all My wealth

In My Kingdom, forever, you shall stay

For I promise you the greatest health

As long as you follow My Holy way.

 

Remember always that I am God,

And you are not.