Oprah and Tyra are two black females with their own talk shows. It is no question that Oprah Winfrey is given most respect. I think it’s because she is the veteran of the two, with her show being on air for more than 20 years and she has an immense loyal fanbase. This says that you need history and experience in something to gain credibilty. This can aid my own credibility because now I know that it’s best to start early in something so you can gain recognization.

The single goal that I fear I may never accomplish is raising good, wholesome children. It’s not that I think my kids will be horrible, I just expect that they’re going to dissappoint. I don’t really think this due to any one thing specifically. There’s only so much you can do for your children, after a while you just have to pray that you have guided them correctly so they are smart enough to make wise decisions. There are countless things out in the world that influence children and I hope mine are headstrong enough to know and choose right from wrong.

adversity: a state of misfortune or affliction; a stroke of ill fortune; a calamitous event

To me this means that you should help others and tell them the right thing and if they decide to disobey orgo against it, then they will have to deal with the consequences. This quote can tie back to discipline and parenting, or just guidance in general. You can only do so much, the rest is up to the other person. In other words, this is like learning from your mistakes.

power: the possession of control or command over others; authority; ascendancy: power over men’s minds.

I think power is control and to have power is to have the upper hand. One of the most effective ways to obtain and maintain power is to instill fear (ex: religions, some leaders, even parents to a certain extent). A situation in which I felt empowered is when I got my driver’s liscense. It felt good to have authorized permission to drive a vehicle and I took advantage of it as mnuch as I could.

I think Black identity is becoming more inclusive; our next president is black! I feel that it is a positive development because barriers are being broken which makes it easier for other to uderstand us and identify with us. The more inclusive, or embracing we become, the less separation there will be. I think things can only get better from now.

Experimentation teaches us about ourselves because it lets us know our limitations. You have to experiment to know how far you can go and how far you will go. The risks are that if you are trying something new, you may not know how much you can handle at first. You may go too far and end up harming yourself in some way. Risk taking becomes freeing when you actually do something that you’ve been wanting to do, but were hesitant in doing at first. College is a perfect example! It’s a big risk to go far away from home, like many of us did coming to Spelman, but it’s also freeing because we’re on our own. And it’s not so bad after a while. This is also when experimentation becomes key and a lot of people learn what their limits are.

Discipline is defined as “training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement”, according to dictionary.com. I’d have to say that I agree with the gist of that. I think discipline plays a big role in what kind of person you are and how you live your life. Children have to be discpilined so they can know right from wrong and what’s appropriate and i think that goes the same for adults to. Everyone is disciplined in some way, shape, or form, whether it’s being done by someone else or themselves. Discipline is a prominent factor in my life now. Being away from, now my character is being put to the test. I have to set certain rules and boundaries for myself in order to succeed here and in life in general.

Reading, running, and listening to music are activites that I am passionate about. I am used to reading on a daily basis, but since arriving on campus, I haven’t had many chances to do so. I was on the track & field team in my highschool for five seasons. I decided against joining Spelman’s team because I wanted to focus on adjusting to college life first. Thankfully, I still listen to music as frequently as I did before I started school! Activities that I do out of obligation include studying, attending classes, and doing chores. Studying and going to class are things I have no choice but to do. Chores such as dishes though, I no longer have to take part in! This translates into my level of discipline because it lets you learn and know how to mix pleasure and obligation.

Language determines relationships by expressong your feelings. Yes, I think most everybody talks differently depending on their environment. People know that their business or professional demeanor is different than when they are around a comfortable and friendly group of familar people. You have to be able to distinguish betwen certain groups and determine what is appropriate for the ocassion. I think that this helps me because it raises my awareness and makes it easier to adapt to diffent types of groups and settings.