What makes me feel alive?

I want to ask you that question. Awhile back I made a sort of a flow chart (looks like a scale to me haha) of the things that really mean a lot to me. You could say they're things that makes me feel alive. It could take some time to really dig deep down inside to find out what is the essence of who you are or what you want to become. There's always room to change stuff around or erase if you feel it doesn't fit you that much or you feel it's not that important later on.

So basically the first row from the bottom you'll list what makes you feel alive.
1. The first row will denote your ability to:

Heading up is the second row which asks you why you choose those qualities listed below.
2. Why?

Lastly the furthest row up will ask how will you enable the qualities to be manifested.
3. How will it be manifested?

Below is my chart that could be used as a reference... it's a bit messy, but hope you get the point

“Being at the right place at the right time”

“Being at the right place at the right time”

What an interesting week it has been. I guess this post would be related to my previous post called the “The Calling.” I’m not a superstitious person by nature, in fact, I kinda shy away from those kind of stuff. But as life experiences unfold itself before me, especially recent events, it got me thinking about the laws of attraction. I remember watching a movie about it, but can’t seem to remember the title of it. Anyways, from what I could remember it states that your mental state and consciousness will attract people, places, or things in general that are similar to that mental state or consciousness. So basically if you’re in positive mood you’ll attract positive things and vice versa. I guess this could be applied practically everything or at least what’s ever inside your head. I say this with still some hesitation, but for example, if you’re “actively” searching or wanting something in your life it will eventually manifest itself. I guess the keyword here is “actively” and so it just can’t be wishful thinking only, but the active pursuit of wishful thinking. I’m guessing this could be related to positive psychology, but I’m not too sure on this.

Like I’ve have said before, this is my journey in understanding various parts of my life both personally and professionally. A big part of it will be reflecting on the various people and experiences that have come up on this journey.

So going to back to this week specifically. Was there the law of attraction in play? Maybe. But I would also hope and think that a higher being has plan for all of us. He will give us the wisdom, courage and put us in situations for us to learn and grow whether we are actively pursuing it or not.

Okay about this week.  So I’ve decided to take an intro to programming class at a CC. In order to do so, I had to go into the counseling center to have a prerequisite waive since I had already taken that class at a university. My intention there was to go in and go out, but in the process my counselor and I ended discussing about how we wanted to help students, and some of my career interests have been in human and career development. One of the interesting points of the meeting was actually the collection of books she had which I had prior interest in. Some of the topics included career and self-exploration, learning and among others. It just struck me as to how strange and really cool at the time to initially not really expect much out of this event and yet from this you are shown all these topics and subjects that you’ve been curious about throughout all these years. I can’t really explain it, but only to say I was there at the right place and at the right time. Maybe somehow or someway the laws of attractions played a part. Out of all things, I was just there to get a math class waived. That’s it. Call it a calling, it’s very plausible at this point in time. Maybe to a certain point I’m just over hyping it ’shrug.’ At the very least, I know for a fact I still have some more exploration to do.

Ok the last two events. I don’t want it to be too long so I’ll try to summarize it. So at the end of the first day of my programming class, I had a casual conversation with a random classmate and as she was about to explain her excitement in this program at UCI of which she plans to transfer to I interrupted her and said, “Is it informatics?” To her own surprise she couldn’t believe that I had said that. Again, here is another topic I was interested in and that presented itself in a random classmate. I just thought it was really cool for another person to know about informatics being that it’s a new field. 

On to my last interesting encounter for the week. As an art enthusiast particularly in the field of bio-art and new media, every so often I would try to make a visit to the Beall Center for Art and Technology. It was the first place that got me really inspired and fascinated in the arts. It has still been an inspiration of mine which I hope I could incorporate that inspiration into my future work. A big thanks to David Familian and the staff that have made the Beall such a place of wonder for both the university community and the public at large. Soooo…upon my conversation with a gallery presenter about the various exhibits, I had found out about that she was a cs major. Computer technology is something I’m looking into and so that was a great opportunity to pick her brain. Though she wasn’t familiar with some of my ideas, she was very enthusiastic and helpful in what she did know.

All in all, I guess there are several points I got from this week:

       1)  Everyday can hold many new possibilities, sometimes unexpected, for learning and interacting.

        2)  Build upon those learning experiences and interactions.

       3)  Actively seek out what you have questions in…so go out and ask questions.

And I guess it never hurts to stay in tune with that “Calling” because it can somehow or someway lead to you to “Being at the right place at the right time.”

Cheers,

VN

The 5th element...cont from "Mastering the Craft"

5th element: "The Calling"

So I want to elaborate on this 5th element from "Mastering the Craft." I call it "The Calling." I guess there could be a better term for it, but this will suffice for now. So this 5th element encompasses both your intentional and unintentional life experiences. It's more or less a reflection on these experiences that led you to believe who you are as a person, how your goals and actions have shaped your surroundings and how your surroundings shaped you. I think it's an essential part in "Mastering the Craft" as it helps you to understand where your at and hopefully guides and motivate you to where you "should" be. I guess this is where you'll produce your best work.

Everybody has a life story of how they got to where they're now. I'll share a part of mine:

At first impression, it's a weird phenomenon, but I as reflect on it it's not so weird, well maybe a little still. So have you ever had a situation where you have met someone indirectly, like through a presentation, or more directly like through a one-on-one conversation, and your intention was to meet him/her again at a later time? Well somehow the meeting never came soon enough and then after a good period of time, and maybe out of  your subconscious mind and sheer faith you guys cross path years later.

After college, I went on a self reflection/exploration stage and was deeply interested in how art could improve education as well as among other topics. During that time, I was given a chance to do educational research and was able to meet several education professors there. One professor who I had previously talked to agreed to have a second meeting with me to more or less bounce ideas off of. However, due to life reasons the meeting never took shape as soon as I would of wanted. After the research was over, I went on to do some internship, but still couldn't define what I really wanted to do in education. After my stint with some educational jobs, I decided to switch gears and went into the sciences where I have a background in. My independent exploration into education soon slowed to crawl for a period of time as I focused more on my task at work. However, about after 7 months there I started to really miss my previous side project of exploring about education and art. So then I took the initiative to be more serious about this interest and I soon went back into exploring on the side. So now it has been about a two years since I first met this professor, and I was fortunate enough that my job allowed me to have some free time and I was able to visit the university library more often to do my own research. And it soon got me thinking about the meeting I had once planned, but never had. Then on a very special occasion when I was visiting the university library I had saw him walking by. Though I didn't approach him, it led me to believe that something was in the works. It was as if something was pulling the strings for me to meet him, but more importantly it was a nudge for me to possibly take the next big leap into my interests. (It has now been about 6 months since I last saw him, but this time around I have setup a meeting with him which is this coming Friday!)

More recently in this new journey of mine, a similar event happened to me a few days ago. Again it was out of coincidence that I was able to meet an art professor that I had recognize from like 1 or  2 years ago. And out of all places the "science" library. It just so happened that I had attended an educational technology presentation and one of the speakers was her. Had I not gone I wouldn't have known her. (Her meeting with me is this coming Tueday!)

I can't explain these two events other than the fact that I was at  the right place at the right time. Just maybe, maybe there is something to it. I like to believe the guy upstairs is working his magical plan on me.


So would I say this is a "calling?" I don't think so just yet, but these and among other events in my life have definitely provoke that thought. I guess the only way to know for sure is to experience it first hand. Heck, I don't even know how it will turn out, but I'm optimistic it will turn out well.


Though it's a matter of perspective  my definition a of "calling" is "the gift you give to yourself and to the world."



Maybe start small with just feelings of what makes you feel alive...at least it helped me find some clarity.

On a personal note, it has been a long journey with many highs and lows. I guess these events and many before somehow shaped the circumstances of today. I can't change the past, can't explain certain events that had happened, but what I can do is learn and grow from it. :)