Success

1) How do you define success?


Success is defined as achieving your goals. This is the most basic meaning of success, or the definition that everyone knows. When goals are reached usually that would mean that you are successful, that you have put meaning into your life. For example, a goal for many is just to get through college and have a job that they want. This means that they are successful. They have done what they wanted to do and now they are doing what they please. They can mark this goal off of their list and move on the next one. In another instance, Chris is able to reach Alaska and feels successful, "He was elated to be there. Inside the bus, on a sheet of weathered plywood spanning a broken window, McCandless scrawled an exultant declaration of independence" (112). Chris achieves his goals, making him very successful. He is now free and feels independent. He also achieves happiness from it which is tied into another definition of success.


Another definition that ties with success is happiness. The feeling of being happy once a goal is completed is inevitable. It is like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. If anyone told you that you cannot do a certain thing it is like you just proved them wrong and made yourself realize that you can do it. Having success makes one feel happy and accomplished in life. For one, in the "Passion Project" not following your passion makes you unhappy. This is very true, and I believe it as well. I would not consider myself successful if I was not happy. Following your passion has a real impact on this. I would not be happy unless I was doing what I wanted to do because it would be fun for me. I could care less about the money involved. In a similar situation, Chris's parents worked very hard to earn a lot of money spending countless hours at work, "They ran a real good business together and eventually started making bunches of money, but they worked all the time” (75). While Chris's parents could be considered successful because they had monetary and superficial things they were not happy. They worked all the time and had hardly any time to spend with their children. All they would do it work which does not mean success. They do not get to do anything with what they have earned so it is kind of pointless. By working all the time the relationship formed with their kids was weak, which leads to another definition of success.


The relationships made with others also define success. If you are happy with your life because you are successful, you should be able to make strong bonds with your children and others around you. You can share your knowledge of what you love and try your best to touch other peoples' hearts. First, Carine mentions that the relationship with her parents was not strong, but it was with Chris, "I think it was one of the reasons Chris and I were so close. We learned to count on each other when Mom and Dad weren’t getting along" (75). Their parents were not happy although they were making money. They did not spend a lot of time with their children, making the relationships with them poor. Their family is not successful because they do not have a strong bond with one another. As for Chris, there are many relationships and bonds that he formed along the way to Alaska he was even offered to be adopted by Franz, "So I asked Alex if I could adopt him, if he would be my grandson." Chris touched other people's hearts and made them care about him and what he wanted to do. He was able to be successful and maintain relationships with everyone who helped him on his way to Alaska. He was very successful and made strong relationships because of that.

2) What helps you succeed in your community? What prevents your success?


One thing that helps me succeed in community are the relationships I have. This is related to being successful. You cannot be successful unless you have good relationships to help you achieve your goals. Goals cannot be achieved single-handedly. There is always something that you did or something that you have that is because of someone else's doing. Like for Chris, it was the relationships he made along the way and he even mentions in this journal, "It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. But I finally got here" (49). Without the help of others Chris would not have made it to Alaska alone. He needed help along the way in order to succeed. Even though he might not have had the support of his family, he had the support of others which made him more confident in what he was doing. Another instance shows how strong one of his relationships formed was with a letter to Ronald Franz saying, "Ron, I really enjoy all the help you have given me and the times that we spent together. I hope that you will not be too depressed by our parting. [...] You are still going to live a long time, Ron, and it would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience" (40-41). Chris gains the courage to tell an eighty year old to live his life to the fullest. He makes a strong relationship and even offers life advice to a person that he meets on the quest to achieve his passion in life. By succeeding in his own endeavors Chris tries to pay it forward to help others achieve a goal as well.


Culture also helps to succeed in endeavors. The way someone is brought up shapes them for what's to come. It can greatly help achieve goals and succeed in an unknown environment. How a community chooses to support those within the community forms a basis for a person's life. For example, in the "Roses in Concrete" video by Jeff Andrade, he explains the significance and importance of forming a community centered around the school and younger children within it. This helps them form caring characteristics towards their education, making them want to find a passion and succeed in it. Not only that, but these students who go on to pursue their life's dreams often come back to help the community who helped them. In turn, can become a never ending cycle of people who succeed because they were brought up in a good, supporting community. Another example involves Chris, Chris was especially close to his mother's dad, and this formed a certain kind of personality within Chris, "The old man’s backwoods savvy, his affinity for the wilderness, left a deep impression on the boy" (75). Chris's influence in nature came from his grandfather. He learned of the wilderness and wanted to live in it. He wanted to be able to thrive and have the feeling of living alone and knowing that he is able to do it. His grandfather plays a large role in sparking that interest in him and making him want to pursue living in the wilderness isolated from humanity.


Money is always a problem that gets in the way of success. Even though people say money is not needed to make your dreams come true, that is completely wrong. Money is always needed to start something. It is what gives people a start. Without money it is truly difficult to get to where you want to go in life. As for Chris, this shows as a problem as he is growing up as well with the explanation of his position on money, "Her son, the teenage Tolstoyan, believed that wealth was shameful, corrupting, inherently evil—which is ironic because Chris was a natural-born capitalist with an uncanny knack for making a buck" (80). Chris believed that money was not needed, but several times he has to get a job within the novel to be able to buy the supplies he needs to survive. It is quite a conundrum to me as to why he burns money then all of a sudden feels the need to get more money. I do not understand why he could not have just saved the money he burned for the supplies he needed. Because he did not have money he had difficulty at times in getting the things he needed to reach his passion. In another instance, he advises Ron Franz to live more freely and pick up his life even saying, "And you must do it economy style, no motels, do your own cooking, as a general rule spend as little as possible and you will enjoy it much more immensely" (41). While Chris makes the point on living on as little as possible will make you enjoy life more, it does not prove well for him. Chris later on starves because he does not have a sufficient amount of food. With money, this could have easily been fixed. He could have bought more food to survive through Alaska in case of an emergency, like what happened to him. He could have had a backup source of food just for the sake of living if conditions become too harsh.


Something that prevents success can be the personality of a person. People get in their own way and it inhibits how their habits can be fixed. Not accepting help or being stubborn stops someone from fixing their ways and getting help to do what they want. For example, Chris was a very good horn player but quits after limits are put upon him, "A gifted French-horn player, as a teen he was a member of the American University Symphony but quit, according to Walt, after objecting to rules imposed by a high school band leader" (76). He does not want to follow the rules, so one of his talents is wasted. He could have become a great player. He even enjoyed what he did, but having a limitation that he did not life automatically stopped him from pursuing something that he was quite good at. In addition, as Chris's father explains his personality you can tell that it was inhibiting for him when his dad says, "'Chris had so much natural talent,' Walt continues, 'but if you tried to coach him, to polish his skill, to bring out that final ten percent, a wall went up. He resisted instruction of any kind'" (77). Chris automatically stopped himself from achieving some things in life because of the way he acts. He does not like to be criticized and instead just does what he wants to do. If he does not like the way someone is telling him to do something, he will ignore it and just eventually have a weakness and plateau.

The Success of attaining a Badge and Overcoming an Obstacle

A Teacher's Responsibility to a Student

So what really is a teacher's responsibility to their students? Just as the kid in the video above explains, a teacher's job is to motivate students to learn and not just leave them to do packets. They have to actively engage in the classroom to have their students engage. With no one to care for students how do teachers and the rest of the education system expect students to care about problems within the society if they will not even care about their own education first? I am sure many people within America complain that students are not motivated and there should be something done about it, but have they ever thought about looking within themselves and trying to fix the problem by actively helping? In order to create students that will care, like I have said in previous posts, we need people who will care about them. By doing this, more people are likely to start caring about the problems of the world or their own personal problems. This will help those that are in school to get a better education and actually make school a place where they can express themselves and not feel like they are trapped in a boring class.

Into the Wild

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer relates to privilege in that the main character, "Alex", has a privileged life, but that is not what he wants. He is basically privileged without being privileged at the same time. He wants to be able to be free and live with nature. He is white and rich, meaning that he can pretty much get away with anything in this point in time. I believe that he has the right to do whatever he wants, and that it is ultimately his choice to decide what to do. Even though he has already completed college, he wanted to live in the wild, which is his passion. If someone has a passion, they should strive for it and not let anything get in the way of their dreams. Sometimes I do not think that is the case though, many things are able to get in the way of people achieving their dreams, like other responsibilities. Some feel that their family is more important to them so they have to put them before themselves, losing the opportunity to strive for their goals. Money also displays a huge problem. Without financial stability it is hard to live and continue to do what you love.

Privilege still plays a role in his quest for survival. "Alex" receives help throughout the novel from other people. He also changes his name to become a whole new person and abandon his past life. The privilege of being a white rich man, or maybe just white now probably plays a big part in receiving aid from others still. I am pretty sure if I was in that position at that time, I would probably be left to die. He is able to connect with people and still as for favors as he goes along. This is probably because he is white, he is able to send letters back and forth and still keep strong relationships with those that he has met along the way. He is able to ask for favors here and there. I truly believe that if he was not white he would not receive the same aid. As he goes on to live in the wild, he has to hunt and gather to survive. This still proves a struggle for him. Although he followed his dream, I do not know if it was worth it if he forgot about his own well-being in the process.


Education always plays a role within the novel connecting to our previous novels. At least with Chris's education he believes that he knows a lot about the world. For example, he sends that letter to Ron Franz telling him to live his life to the fullest and stop sulking around. Chris has no boundaries or filter. Franz is already 80 years old, yet Chris is still telling him to live a little and change the way he acts. If I was in that position I would not do the same thing, I would think it kind of rude to try and educate someone and tell them to change how they act and stop being a lazy bum, especially if they are older than me. Chris shows that his education gives him a privileged feeling, allowing him to say those kinds of things to elders. I think it is admirable that he is able to change someone's life like that and try to help them.

A Class Divided (Video related to Privilege)

I was forced to watch this video for psychology, so it's kind of lengthy, but the first 30 minutes of the video is sufficient enough to not keep you bored and learn enough. This video relates to privilege by teaching young kids (3rd graders) about discrimination. This exercise tries to instill the thought of discrimination and racism as wrong and that everyone is equal. For example, within the video students are separated by eye color, determining whether they were the "in" or "out" group. Children thought it was not fair that they were not able to have recess as long as the "in" group and not have has much privilege as the other kids. This made them feel that they were subhuman and less of a person than those of another eye color. I noticed how the children reacted to the way they were treated, and it was clear to me that they were already aware of not being treated equally after an hour. This exercise really opened my eyes to how harsh the world can be without knowing it.

Another great method the teacher used to show that privilege and discrimination was wrong was a reflection after the exercise. Children were asked how they felt while being both in the powerful and oppressed positions. Many kids thought it was not fair to treat others poorly. Over the course of two days, the teacher was able to relate this to racism against colored people in America. The children immediately got the idea, and it seemed that they would keep this as a lifelong lesson. I really enjoyed how the teacher brought the students back for a reunion I think after 15 years. The children, now adults, really kept the ideas of this exercise in their mind and let it affect them for their entire life. All of them stopped listening to what others in the town would say about colored people. These adults would judge people by the actions they chose and what is on the inside, not by the color of their skin. It made them want to change others as well and put them in the same situation. With exercises like these, the path to equality does not seem that far away.

Response to the Andrade Video

In order to produce more roses in the concrete we need to formulate a community that cares first. Providing students with the essentials they need to live like a caring environment will help them care just as much. If violence is reduced in violent communities children will be less susceptible to PTSD (Post traumatic stress syndrome). By trying to help everyone realize how important they are in life, violence can be reduced. Teachers and parents also need to show their children they care by showing how and not just saying "do this". Saying "do this" is a bad motivation technique because if you don't know how they should improve you are leaving them without care. This is basically saying I don't know how to do this, but you have to figure it out yourself and do it. Jeff makes a strong claim by saying that centering everything around school will foster a better class of students. If you show them that you care, they will also learn to care. This can make them return to the community after they have finished their education and try to raise other children just like they were raised. By listening to the youth and going on their journey with them, reminding them that they are not alone will install a tenderness in their heart for the community that raised them. Personally, I feel that I was okay in my studies. I always tried to put them above whatever else I had to do. I worked pretty hard in high school but money became a true problem. As for going to Chabot now, it is a good school, but some teachers just need to care more about their students. Just leaving us to do some work or talking down to us makes us more scared of class. It demoralizes us and makes us feel stupid. We need to be able to communicate with our professors and have them be able to understand us. We have to learn to be able to communicate with each other without any hostility between us. This will make it more enjoyable to go to class, especially if the teacher is engaged in the students and tries their best to make us care by showing us that they care.

Questions for thought:

Why does the violence start and how do we stop it?
What do we have to do to get people to care?
Where should we start this process and how long will it take?

Why is College so Difficult?

In addition to hard classes, one of the main deal breakers of going to community college is finding a place to study. Going to community college requires someone to commute. There is no dorm room, unless you find an apartment with your friends or do not live with your parents, but the majority of students at community college do not have a place to study within their homes. For example, as for me, within my house I can study for maybe 30 minutes to an hour before my parents try talking to me, my grandparents ask me to do something for them, or one of the brothers comes in to ask me a question. It becomes really hard for me to do my work because of these distractions. I feel like they should know I am trying to focus on my work and should not bother me at the time. It is like Sara from Bread Givers, she finds her own place to study and live independently to focus. The thing is, even when I tell them they they disregard it and continue to pester me. It makes me feel like they are not taking my education seriously. Also, it is hard to find a quiet place to study in privacy like a library. Sometimes there are people who do not follow the rules of the library and still are pretty distracting. It is hard to find the perfect place to study where it is quiet. You need to find a place that fits your habits so that you can study effectively.

One strategy to defeat this deal breaker includes finding study groups. Study groups help everyone study, but at the same time it feels less lonely because there are people you know also studying. They do not even have to be studying the same thing as you, but if they are it adds to your knowledge. Study groups create a better environment for learning. For one, occasionally I go to Starbucks with my friends to study. Even though we do not have the same classes we all study effectively and have fun at the same time. We get our stuff done, and it does not seem as much of a bore because you are with friends. I really favor doing this because it takes out the "boringness" of studying. Another example is going to your friends house to study. Chances are if both of you are studying diligently their parents will not try to bother you guys unless it is with food. This will help to get your studies done and not feel behind in them. You will be able to get your work done and have a place to study. I really recommend finding study groups because it will help you make new friends and learn at the same time. It makes studying less of a bore, and it can make you more productive as well.

Another deal breaker in community college is family. Family always poses a problem especially when you commute. Family gets in the way with asking for favors or having obligations to them. They are always at home where you are and that could be a big distraction. They could play the card that they provide you with fee food and free housing so you have to do what they say. If you went to a university there is less of an obligation to do what they say because you do not even live with them. In my family, sometimes I have to do chores so then I have to put homework off to a later time. Sometimes it gets too late when I have finished chores that I do not have time to do homework because I am too tired. It get really hard to balance family and school at the same time, especially if you have to do chores or other duties before they let you do your homework. It is like they do not really put your education as a top priority. This makes it hard to stay in school because they make you feel like you have to put your family first before you education.

A solution to defeat this deal breaker can be talking with your family and letting them know how this is affecting you. By explaining to them how you feel and saying that you need more time to study and be less distracted, they could lay off a bit and give you more study time. Make them care about your education like you do. If you do not show them that you care then they will not care either. This will help you have more free time and be able to study more. You can negotiate how much work you can do and how much sleep you will need for the next night. You have to be able to communicate with your family to strengthen the bonds between them, giving more trust to you and your studies. If you tell them your studies are really important to you then they will believe it. They will allow you to do as you please and get good grades this way.

The Relationship between Passion and Privilege

The Passion Project from Sean McFarland on Vimeo.

With Privilege, passions are easier to follow. If you are born into the right race, religious group, class or whatever characteristic, passions are less likely to be inhibited. Those who are less privileged usually have those (parents) who want them to do something else, to benefit the family (like making money). Being privileged could come with the perk of connections, wealth, and all kinds of other things. This means that their parents would be less worried if their passion is not likely to become true for them because by being privileged they still have more of an opportunity to make their passion come true than others do. I really do believe that this is unfair, but you cannot really choose what you are born into. While I may complain, I guess I should not blame some of the people that are privileged. In a way, they really can't help being what they are. They were born and raised that way. The only way to change them is to try and let them see what it is like to be on the other side of things, or try and make them see how they act to others. With that aside, passion is easier to obtain if you are one with privilege.

It is very difficult to follow your passion when you are not treated equally. Especially in the older times, when racism was still very prevalent within society people were classified and not treated the same. This is very true when there were still slaves in America. For example, in Thomas Jefferson's writing in "Notes on Virginia" he says "The blacks are inferior to whites both in the endowment of body and mind". This is straight up racist and unfair. Just because the color of their skin is different he believes that they are inferior. I think that he said this because he did not want to lose the many slaves he had when it was stated in the constitution that all men are created equal. This demoralizes those that are enslaved, saying that they are not even considered men, or even human for that matter. If a black person had a passion, they were not able to do it because they were discriminated against because they were believed inferior to whites.

Lawrence's Passion

The movie "The Passion Project" made me realize various things about myself and my surroundings. For one, I really connected with the movie when someone said that many sons and daughters are kept from following their passion due to expectations from their parents. The pressure of succeeding in life, which is engraved into our heads at such an early time, means making a lot of money. Although we may make a lot of money by  diligently following the paths our parents choose for us, are we really considered happy? I, for one, would be happier if I was doing something I love. One of my passions is helping others, especially in the subject of math. I also really love playing badminton, if I was good enough I would play all day every day.

Another strong connection I made to the movie was that I was never really told that being undecided was okay. With the pressure of trying to finish college fast and earn money, I had to choose what course to take quickly and with no choice of looking back. There was no one to tell me that it was okay to be undecided and to take my time. My parents want me to get in and out of college and into the work field as fast as possible. Right now my major is Electrical Engineering. I am not even that sure if I like it, but I can't really do something else now, or my parents would think I am wasting my time when I could be transferring soon.
Something in the movie that I believed was true about me was not really letting my ideas be heard. Sometimes the teachers I have seem kind of hostile. They are boring and do not try to engage the class like they should. They make me feel like they want to be in class even less than I do. They do not even want to listen or help sometimes. Sure they offer it, but they do not really help you if you come and ask. Some of them just say if you do not get it now then too bad. I really believe that teachers also have to be students in order to make class enjoyable and engaging for the students.

The last thing I would like to mention is if you have a passion for something go for it. The worst that can happen is that you fail, but you can always learn from your mistakes and try something different or new. You can always spark another passion. It's okay to not know what you want to do. Take your time and try your best. With passion I believe, comes success. While it may not be in the form of money, I truly think that happiness and doing what you love is worth more. By the way, if you're happy money will probably flow in anyway.

Here's a short clip of a Doubles badminton rally: