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Dimensions of WellnessAccording to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a change for constant growth to have an extraordinary life begins with first focusing on the physical body. I took it upon myself to lose my unnecessary weight because I felt like I was at the lowest point in my life emotionally, physically, spiritually and financially. In the summer of 2017, I decided to take my life more seriously and within a span of five months, and I lost more than eighty pounds. After getting to a content state of my physical appearance, I transitioned into my security level and I've made sure to withhold at least three sources of income. Next, I stepped out of my shell and worked on becoming more people-person by openly communicating with others to build and create new relationships.
For the fourth level, my self-esteem/confidence has been a work in progress. I've been trying to come more in tune with my emotions and taking pride in the work I do. As a young black man, I've always been taught by those who I've surrounded myself with and by society to mask my emotions and not express what I actually am feeling at moments. By doing this for years, it has become a habit that is hard to shake but I will not let it mold me into an insensitive human. The final level, self-actualization, has been something that I have been working on as well. I have found that I am a great photographer and have been enjoying working with various persons and attending events that I am asked to be apart of. Since working on the fifth and last level, I have come to realize that you are to maintain your level of success. Becoming a professional photographer has become another source of income for myself and it helps me ease my mind from stressful events that may have taken place throughout the day. The hierarchy of needs very well correlates with the eight dimensions of wellness, focusing on your physical, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual, financial, intellectual, and occupational states. This guide has given me an awesome life to live and makes waking up in the morning refreshing! |
My Strengths
On a daily basis, my strengths prevail and every one compliments the each other, defining the person who I am today. My first strength, according to Gallup's CliftonStrengths, is being competitive. I always strive for first place and I gauge my accomplishments by the success of others around me to push myself to newer heights. My second strength is adaptability, which makes me a great relationship building individual. I am a "go with the flow" type of person so I take things as they come and I am working to discover the future one day at a time. My third strength, relator, is essential for relationship building and has enabled me to expand my network. My fourth strength is command, which defines me as having a presence and being able to take control of a situation in order make a decision. Finally, my last top five strength, restorative, highlights how I am very emotionally intelligent and also great at finding a problem and solving it. |
True Grit
As a first-generation student, I have overcome obstacles that have tripped individuals up, even stopping some people in their tracks. I started to embrace the idea of being individualistic and working for things that I deserve at a very young age and this has developed me into a competitive adult who has the ability to outwork the competition and cohesively work as a team with others to accomplish a task. Coming from a background of being less fortunate than others, I have what I call "hunger" (or as some may call it, "grit") to be the best at whatever it is I am doing. I love hustling and working hard, putting my confidence and mind to through challenges that encourage me to step out of my comfort zone to conquer any obstacles that are placed in my path.
True grit, in my case, would be being placed on academic probation at UNL and being released, to finding my way to UNO and doing very well academically. At this university, I have made a name for myself as being on the best leaders on campus, have maintained over a 3.0 GPA while being enrolled, been recognized as being one of the most notable photographers on campus, and have truly found myself and my calling. After taking a semester off from school because of my poor decisions of not taking school seriously my first year and a half in college, I forced my way back into school and have worked to show that I am not a reflection of my GPA, but that there is a strong leader who is eager about the accomplishments that I will make because no matter the adversity that is to be set in my path, I will overcome it and be an exceptional individual.
As a first-generation student, I have overcome obstacles that have tripped individuals up, even stopping some people in their tracks. I started to embrace the idea of being individualistic and working for things that I deserve at a very young age and this has developed me into a competitive adult who has the ability to outwork the competition and cohesively work as a team with others to accomplish a task. Coming from a background of being less fortunate than others, I have what I call "hunger" (or as some may call it, "grit") to be the best at whatever it is I am doing. I love hustling and working hard, putting my confidence and mind to through challenges that encourage me to step out of my comfort zone to conquer any obstacles that are placed in my path.
True grit, in my case, would be being placed on academic probation at UNL and being released, to finding my way to UNO and doing very well academically. At this university, I have made a name for myself as being on the best leaders on campus, have maintained over a 3.0 GPA while being enrolled, been recognized as being one of the most notable photographers on campus, and have truly found myself and my calling. After taking a semester off from school because of my poor decisions of not taking school seriously my first year and a half in college, I forced my way back into school and have worked to show that I am not a reflection of my GPA, but that there is a strong leader who is eager about the accomplishments that I will make because no matter the adversity that is to be set in my path, I will overcome it and be an exceptional individual.
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Self-Awareness
“You have to start looking in the mirror and saying ‘this is who I am, this is what I am and this is how I’m going to be’ and start demanding more from yourself.” – Charlamagne Tha God.
Over the years, my mindfulness about myself has evolved since I've grown older and gained knowledge about certain things. Hearing from others who have experienced many of the same things I have as a black man, I have been trying to take care of my mental state along with my physical state. As I have been coping with my emotions and making it a common thing to express how I feel with others, along with listening and having dialogue with them, I have seen growth within myself. I make it a chore to speak my affirmations out loud and after having professional development retreats with the collaborative program, I have been doing breathing exercises while thinking to myself "life is where it needs to be". Breathing exercises, photography, and daily reminders that life is where it needs to be has eased my mind exponentially.
Great books that I recommend to all are called 'Black Privilege' and 'Shook Ones' (read them both in that order) by Charlemagne Tha God. The author is a radio host, motivational speaker, and entertainer and is known for his remarks to celebrities in person and debates on Twitter. While walking down the street, the title 'Black Privilege' caught my eye and I bought the book out of curiosity and after reading, there have been many life lessons I have taken that I exercise in my daily life. 'Shook Ones' opened my eyes to different anxieties and how we can deal with our stressors. As social justice leaders, it is important to relieve our stress and live healthy lives with regular exercise and balanced diet because unhealthy habits and extremities can take a major tole on our bodies and spirits if we are not aware of our total health. Command yourself to be healthier and to take great care of yourself because nobody but you has control over that.
Great books that I recommend to all are called 'Black Privilege' and 'Shook Ones' (read them both in that order) by Charlemagne Tha God. The author is a radio host, motivational speaker, and entertainer and is known for his remarks to celebrities in person and debates on Twitter. While walking down the street, the title 'Black Privilege' caught my eye and I bought the book out of curiosity and after reading, there have been many life lessons I have taken that I exercise in my daily life. 'Shook Ones' opened my eyes to different anxieties and how we can deal with our stressors. As social justice leaders, it is important to relieve our stress and live healthy lives with regular exercise and balanced diet because unhealthy habits and extremities can take a major tole on our bodies and spirits if we are not aware of our total health. Command yourself to be healthier and to take great care of yourself because nobody but you has control over that.