Purple Heart Medal

I have a new interest in Presidents’ Day. Although, this holiday honors, “the Father of this Country,” George Washington and other presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, I found a  linkage of this holiday with the awarding of the “Purple Heart Medal” to men and women who suffered wounds or died during combat. This medal originated by General George Washington, and it became the most recognized and respected medals of the U.S. Armed Forces.  As noted in “Celebrating America’s Freedoms” published by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C. https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/purple-heart.pdf, the Purple Heart regain its significance under General Douglas MacArthur who reestablished the Purple Heart award in General Order No. 3:

On February 22, 1932 -- the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth -- the War Department (predecessor to the Department of Defense) announced the establishment of the Purple Heart award in General Order No. 3: By order of the President of the United States, the Purple Heart established by General George Washington at Newburgh, August 7, 1782, during the War of the Revolution, is hereby revived out of respect to his memory and military achievements

The Purple Heart represents a symbol of bravery of which more than 1.8 million persons have received such an honor. As you read the account of bravery performed by Purple Heart recipients, you will see ordinary persons acting selfishly to save the life of another person or persons. When you display bravery, a person refrains from an egotistical behavior to acts of modesty leading to courageous performance. In other words, bravery moves you to focus on others while negating selfish motives. Therefore, TRiO participants must establish within themselves that their life consists of more than just pleasing self. TRiO participants must develop the mental fortitude to continue their educational pursuit despite life challenges. They must realize their pursuit of a college Tassel will give others the assurance of possibilities. So think about these Purple Heart recipients the next time you get that “Don’t Care” attitude and find that bravery determination to assure others of the possibilities toward graduating from college. 

Therefore, I encourage you to click the link and find a Purple Heart recipient and read his/her bravery during President Day. https://www.thepurpleheart.com/roll-of-honor

Inspire to Dream

Wallace Community College Upward Bound motto: “Inspire to dream more, learn more, and do more so I can become a LEADER.”

A dream consists of a visionary representation of ones’ imagination that originates inwardly from his or her exasperation. Yet, for a dream to move from the abstract to the concrete, one cannot lose sight of the dream. Below is one key to prevent losing a dream.

A dream rests with your mental preparedness. For instance, a dreamer visualizes more than just a dream. For a dream to move toward realism, the dreamer mentally prepares for the “what if.” What if a setback occurs, what if this happens or that materializes in conflict with the dream? Such thoughts and actions create an illusion that causes the dreamer to lose the dream. Remember, a dream starts as an inward vision to fulfill your true purpose; thus, the dreamer must develop the mental fortitude to sustain any setback while keeping the dream alive. Likewise, the mental preparedness transpires when the dreamer sets certain ground rules. Pastor Rufus Grant (age 83) gives this guidance for the ground rules. “Don’t give in. Don’t give up. Don’t give out.” These simple words provide that authority for a dream to become a reality. Therefore, the dreamer must exercise the mental stamina of endurance, perseverance, and determination to continue the pursue of that dream despite future and current setbacks.

What is your dream?  Have you lost that dream?  Do you still desire to dream after your setback? Analyze your dream in perspective to one of characters in the movie Hidden Figures.  

The lyric to Unsteady by X Ambassadors provides a message for dreamers to hold on even if you become unsteady about the fulfillment of your dream. Listen to lyric of this song and see if you agree with this mental preparedness to hold to that dream.

Hold
Hold on
Hold on to me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold
Hold on
Hold on to me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady

Momma
Come here
Approach
Appear
Daddy
I'm alone
'Cause this house don't feel like home

If you love me
Don't let go
If you love me
Don't let go

Hold
Hold on
Hold on to me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold
Hold on
Hold on to me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady

Mother
I know
That you're tired of being alone
Dad I know you're trying
To fight when you feel like flying

If you love me
Don't let go
If you love me
Don't let go

Hold
Hold on
Hold on to me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold
Hold on
Hold on to me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady 

Overcoming Regrets

One of the greatest challenges in life revolves around overcoming regrets. We tend to dwell on past events that affect our presence just because we process cloistered messages that a regret will repeat again and again. Time ticks away if we live in the past. We must grasp the understanding that everyone experiences miss opportunities, miss relationships, and even miss events that plague even the best of us. Yet, how can you overcome these life realities of regrets that plays on our feelings of despair and hopelessness? The feelings of hurt constantly enter our lives through natural tendencies as a by-product of moving forward. However, the results of regrets must move toward positive instead of natural negativism that we often feels. So can one feel positive after a regret occurs or whether one has the power to overcome these hurtful regrets is the question we must ponder.  I believe the lyric of “Hurt” by Christina Aguilera provides an insight to this question.

Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face

You told me how proud you were but I walked away

If only I knew what I know today

Ooh ooh

I would hold you in my arms

I would take the pain away

Thank you for all you've done

Forgive all your mistakes.

There's nothing I wouldn't do

To hear your voice again.

Sometimes I wanna call you but I know you won't be there

Oh, I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do

And I've hurt myself by hurting you

Some days I feel broke inside but I won't admit

Sometimes I just wanna hide 'cause it's you I miss

And it's so hard to say goodbye when it comes to this, ooh, whoa

Would you tell me I was wrong?

Would you help me understand?

Are you looking down upon me?

Are you proud of who I am

https://youtu.be/___l8Y21yNM

As you listen to that song,  focus on the lyrics as a regret in your life and try to answer the questions – Would you tell me I was wrong? Would you help me understand? Are you (regret) looking down upon me? Remember, regrets can really explore the inward feelings about your true intention as you understanding the hurt from that miss opportunity, that miss relationship or that miss event. Such understanding leads you toward growth. Experiences brings growth even Muhammad Ali quotes, "A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life." Basically, Muhammad Ali alludes to maturity which occurs with regrets as we experience life to its fullness. The understanding only occurs when you miss that opportunity, miss that relationship, or miss that event which unfold from unpredictably circumstances.  Although, the outcome may seems like uncontrollable circumstances that we tend to react instead of processing for our betterment. Nevertheless, you can control the regret by imposing the feelings of positive instead of fatalism. The fatalist thinks that fixed events will occur no matter what and humans have no power to change future events. Yet, the realist grows with each regret while learning to make positive and different choices to move him or her toward identified goals.  Remember, regrets occur naturally but you can control the reaction of your regrets. Move your reaction toward positive thinking with an optimist’s attitude. Like an optimist, you must strive toward your goal using different methods or exploring another avenue of approach just to create different results. As the old saying, “if you do the same thing over and over again you will get the same results.” So make that change to breathe a different result.

Always remember your experiences influence others despite your regrets for having that miss opportunity, miss relationship or miss event. Now as you journey through life embrace your regrets by controlling your inward feelings with an understanding of a purpose for that particular regret.  

Graduation from a Different View

The month of May represents the season of graduation when TRiO students everywhere walk across stages to receive commencement honors of completing their course of study.  They wear caps and gowns while taking pictures to capture the jubilant feelings of completion. This fitting attire dates back to the Catholic Church during the 12^th century when priests adorned themselves during special occasions. Regardless of where you live, graduation caps and gowns, along with tassels, hoods, stoles and diploma covers signify the common apparel whenever you graduate.

(https://www.youniversitytv.com/college-tips/history-origin-graduates-wearing-caps-gowns).

Although the meaning of graduation indicates the completion of ones’ studying, I prefer to see it as a gateway toward a new beginning.  The honors you received at graduation will increase your chances of advancing your status whether to improve your ability to earn money or to open doors of opportunities. Yet, this gateway of opportunities can easily provide you an opportune to serve. Just think…if each TRiO graduate’s presumption veers toward service instead of advancing themselves what other doors will open for them. Usually, I see graduates reaching for employment to promote themselves instead of seeking opportunities for service. If you think about your chosen field of study as a service opportunity instead of a job selection toward richness, the rewards will become intangible instead of tangible. For instance, people change jobs 10 to 14 times in a career before they really find the right job. Dissatisfaction of ones’ job comes from the lacking of intangibles since the majority of work only multiplies the tangibles like money. So the tangibles must allow you to experience the intangibles to gain the truly fulfillment from your job. The intangibles keep work from becoming mundane and routine. When you experience the same routine repeatedly, you become dissatisfied which causes constant job changing.

Therefore, as TRiO graduates, you have a higher purpose based on a different perspective. As Luke Graham states in his song 7 Years “that once I was seven years old, and mama said, ‘go make you some friends or you will be lonely.’”  As you listen to this song, think about the intangibles that you must experience to fulfill that certificate, diploma, or degree of which money cannot purchase. For this reason alone, I encourage you, TRiO graduates, to view your accomplishment as a gateway to explore opportunities to gain these intangibles. The TRiO staff experience these intangibles seeing you walk across that stage “to get the tassel.” Likewise, you must seek the same intangibles after graduation while fulfilling your purpose in life.

When you have a chance listen to the lyrics of 7 Years by Luke Graham who I think magnifies this story of purpose from years 7, 11, 20, 30, and 60.  What do you think?

 #TRiOWorks

Dr. Quintavius Rover, 
Graduate of College of Osteopathic Medicine

 

Maria, a HS graduate, bound for Troy.

Choosing to Endure instead of Failure

“A lot of people still think of failure as a sign of personal incompetence and try to avoid it at all cost,” said Andrew Filev, CEO and founder of Wrike, a software firm in Mountain View, California. “But when you view building a business as a series of experiments, you start to see failure as an inevitable step in the process.” (By Sarah Cruddas “The Hidden Psychology of Failures” 24 March 2016) 

If such is true for the business world, can we hold the same truth for academia? I suggest it depends on how you view failure.  If you are experiencing failing grades in your classes to the point of feeling defeated and hopelessness, your prospective may need changing. To change your prospective, you must view failing grades differently. 

For instance, the first glance at this picture, one may see two horses competing on the beach, but from a different prospective, you may see only one horse fighting self. Failing is similarly if you analyze the effects of failings. Does failing influence your external environment or does it influence how you compete against self?  In other words, are you concerned about how others feel about you or are you focused totally on self-determination?  

If you change your focus toward self-determination, one’s failing will move you toward different techniques by exploring other means to acquire success just like the business industry. Failing in the business world causes different techniques for the industry to explore other means to create sales, etc. Even Apple with Steve Jobs experienced various failures trying to create the iPod. So I encourage you to take the business approach, and endure your failures by creating better means of preparing for classes to acquire success. If others can succeed, so can you!  Tell yourself after the failure - What's Next!

   
#TRIOWORKS