Remember, Pursue Path

"I have learned that to be with those I like is enough." Walt Whitman

On Endings. My Final Thought.

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Albert Einstein

As we wrap up the semester, it is important to remember "The number one reason why people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of how far they have come."

You have come far & accomplished much this semester. As Einstein said, "Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them."

My hope is that you will all continue to go beyond any limits that are set for you--by others or yourself--and keep pursuing all of your goals and dreams. Don't let obstacles, or setbacks, or challenges get in the way.

Those are minor detours, not road blocks. So don't stop until you reach whatever destination you have in mind. Believe in yourself along that path. You will get to your purpose. As long as you keep moving forward.

Have a great break, read something for fun, and do something new or unexpected. I wish you good luck, happiness and success in all your pursuits. Come back and visit anytime.

~~Lisa Mott
#thatsawrap #journeysend #connection #rememberpursuepath #itsabeautifulworld

“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you.
You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born,
and did not know.
Perhaps it is everywhere - on water and land.” 
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

"Happiness, not in another place, but this place...not for another hour but this hour."
Walt Whitman

Four Lessons for Living a Happy Life from @English_Musings

My life lesson in 100 words...er, um, I think I may exceed the word count....

The kind of advice I would give someone? Well I'd turn to the mantras that keep me going on good and bad days. On good days, these words put a smile on my face and a little extra "oomph" in my step. On the hard days they keep me going and help me realize that life is that beautiful tension of opposites we read about in "Morrie."

So for me, these lessons are like a collection of sorts, some are my own, some are from books I've read, some are quotes I've encountered along the way. Each lesson is an interaction, each connection, a piece of a puzzle. By itself, a single piece might not make much sense, but when you put it all together, it becomes a clear snapshot--a landscape of beautiful meaning.

First, there's what I would call my "6 Word Memoir":

Always Swing as High as Possible. 

Those 6 words bring to mind the image of someone high up in the sky, with that feeling of exhilaration you get from swinging. It also implies going for it and not holding back. If you can do this most of the time, you'll be happy.

Second, is a simple mantra that says:
"Keep Moving Forward."
This one gets me through hard times and dark days. We all have them. Life is daily challenge. But if you just keep making small steps forward then you're headed in the right direction.

The third one comes from good ole' Dr. Seuss:
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." 
When I'm feeling less than positive about an interaction with a friend or family member, or even a colleague, I remember these words. They help me re-focus and realize that the people who care about me are going to support my thoughts, ideas and opinions, even if they are different from their own.

These few, simple mantras don't even begin to touch on all of the lessons life has shown me over the years. I'm a little wiser than I was in my 20's, but I know that life isn't done teaching me yet--far from it! Like writer Jack Kerouac said, "I have nothing to offer anyone except my own confusion."  Truth.

My fourth and final lesson is a small bit of advice from Albus Dumbledore (of Harry Potter fame) who said,
"It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities." I simply couldn't end this post without including this line. When a teacher read that at my son's elementary school graduation, I actually cried. There's so much truth in it.

Finding truth in fiction. Yep, that's what I've been trying to do for a large part of my life. And this much I know is true. Reading changes lives. I'm living proof. If I hadn't believed in the stories I read in books, I just wouldn't be who I am today.

Thank you for being a piece of this puzzle with me these last 16 weeks. I think we came together quite nicely...how 'bout you?
~~Lisa

"I am in competition with no one, I run my own race. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone, in any way shape or form. I  just aim to improve to be better than I was before. That’s me and I am free" -- John Carlos, 1968 Olympian

Ewww: aka Commas. .They Matter

Reasons for a visit to the ER, or reasons to come to class. Simply put--Commas. Use Them.


(image courtesy of George Takei facebook page, Oh My.)

Commit to Revising your Writing

I know. It's not always easy. You just sweat blood and tears for that first draft. And well, heck, you kind of like it. Just. As. It. Is. So what is all this malarkey about revision? And why do it?

Let me start with quotes from a few people far more qualified to talk "writing" than me:

"Books aren’t written- they’re rewritten.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.”  Michael Crichton

“Half my life is an act of revision.”  John Irving
“Books are never finished, they are merely abandoned.”  Oscar Wilde

“There are two kinds of editors, those who correct your copy and those who say it’s wonderful.” Theodore H. White 

“I have rewritten–often several times–every word I have ever written. My pencils outlast their erasers.” Vladimir Nabokov  

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”  Ernest Hemingway

Good writing is thinking made visible. Thus, good writing is re-writing. But how to go about it? Should you carefully edit for spelling errors or the like? Well, sure you could do that. But right now, at this point we are talking about a re-vision of your work: re-seeing it from a new perspective or angle. Think about global changes you might make to content and structure.

Allow yourself to re-vision your draft. Try to divorce yourself from the writing as a product and see it as a process. Yes, you're thinking, but that is so much easier said than done. Especially when deadlines are involved. Can't I just click the "submit" button and be finished? Well, perhaps, but this semester, we are going to flex, sharpen and put into practice our re-vision, and revising, skills. That's the way to get to the finish line, with practice and determination. Step-by-step.

You have to take the shots

Welcome to the English 100 Class Blog Landing Page. From here, you can link to each class member's individual blog. This semester, you will have to chance to contribute your own original blog content, and also read what your classmates have to say.

This adventure will probably be filled with highs and lows, great amazing ideas and at times--writer's block and an empty screen. Each post you write though is the opportunity to add your voice to not only the academic debate, but the culture at large.

So remember what Michael Jordan said, and go ahead and "take the shots." Because it's only by not ever trying that we ever really fail.

Every time you write a post, that's a success. No idea is too big or too small. So what are you waiting for? Jump right in, shoot the ball and join the conversation.