Bringing the Semester to a Close

Now that my first semester of college is coming a close, it is important to take a step back and reflect upon how I have managed myself and my schedule over the past few months. Overall, I felt very little stress, if at any, and was not worried about my performance in the courses I was enrolled in. Since the first week of the semester, I have put forth my best effort in every course, and by doing so, I felt confident in my academic knowledge, allowing me to feel levelheaded on exam days. I took the time to prioritize my schedule, and gave myself ample time to complete all assignments. I even encouraged myself to make a habit of going to the gym roughly three days a week. I feel that this balance that I established in my lifestyle was crucial to my success, and can accurately be portrayed by the following picture:

I had hoped to be able to maintain this balance in my life throughout the entire semester, however as the last week of class is approaching, I am beginning to fall off track. With the list of assignments I need to complete overflowing and the amount of final projects that I have to finish growing, I have lost track of my daily regimes. Throughout the entire semester, I have dedicated a portion of the day to working on assignments in a corner of the UNC Charlotte library on the seventh floor. This location has proved to be the most effective spot on campus for me to think, and is where all of my major written assignments were completed. With few interruptions and a satisfying overview of the entire campus, my thoughts are able to flow freely and I am able to perform my best when working there. With the overcoming stress of finals and the short amount of time I have to finish end-of-semester assignments, however, I have not had time to work efficiently in the library. I have completed the majority of my work within the past week in my dorm, and this has proven to be very ineffective. Although I am able to eventually complete all of the tasks I need to, I am more likely to procrastinate and waste my time in my dorm. I have had no time to stick to my plan of going to the gym weekly, either, and this sudden change in my lifestyle has put me off balance. Rather than resemble the above picture, I feel that my mindset at this point at the semester is now more accurately portrayed by this picture:

Although I am significantly more stressed out at this time in the semester than I have been at any other time, I know that if I take time to relax and focus on my courses, I will continue to be successful in my academic performance and in my final exams. 

Reflection on "The Sacrament of the Present Moment"

After taking the time to read the short commentary "The Sacrament of the Present Moment" by Richard Rohr, an American Franciscan friar who often provides daily meditations and advice on his social media and in his works, I feel more awakened about where I stand in my life currently. Rohr encourages people to stray from the typical dualistic method of thinking that we are so often predisposed to, claiming that "only unitive, non dual consciousness can open our hearts, minds, and bodies." He explains that the dualistic pattern causes people to see reality only as it is, dousing the mind's capability to step outside its comfort zone and admonishes one from fully experiencing God.

Although I agree with Rohr that it is important to allow the mind to be open to everything and all possibilities, I feel that it is equally fundamental to see reality simply as it is. I have taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test on multiple occasions within the past five years, and have always received the same personality type: INTJ. The "N" stands for intuition, and means that rather than always focusing on evidence and practicality, I prefer to envision ideas and the global concept before adhering to details. Likewise, I think being able to remain open-minded in life's experiences - being able to envision 'the big picture' - is an aspect that is beneficial to everyone, allowing one to understand perspectives different from their own and ultimately experience paradigm shifts.

Rohr states in his commentary, however, that "reality cannot be seen with any dualistic operation of the mind," and this is where my opinions differ from his. I agree that non dual consciousness is more mature, but I think that dualistic mindsets are useful as well. To me, the formal is more significant when it comes to ethical interpretations, but when it comes to more practical applications, I feel that the latter is more important. Ultimately, I feel that establishing an equal balance of being able to see reality as it is, while also being able to keeping their mind open to new experiences is crucial.