I finished up finals for the semester a couple of days ago, and have successfully completed three years of college! I can’t believe I only have one year left! These past three years have really flown by… but I guess time flies if you’re having fun.
Today, I went to UC Berkeley’s general commencement and saw the graduating class of 2010 cross from students into alumni. I couldn’t help but think about how I’ll be in the same position just a year from now.
The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Tiffany Shlain, filmmaker and founder of the Webby Awards. A Cal alumna, she focused on the connectedness of everything, using many analogies from her innovative work in film and the Internet. Her main takeaway was that the current economic state makes it a perfect time for graduates to have moxie and to be bold. Without lucrative job offers out there, students have the opportunity to dig deep and find out what they truly have a passion for.
It was a lengthy commencement, but it was great to share in the joy and accomplishments of so many deserving fellow bears. Next year, I’ll be there once again. It’s crazy to think that, soon I’ll be out of college and in the real world. After being in school all my life, the real world does scare me a bit. But hey, that’s in a year. For now, I’ll just focus on enjoying the summer and my final year of college :)
In the midst of studying for finals, I thought I’d bring back a story that I wrote about a few months ago in a post entitled An Unlikely Conversation. In it, I introduced an interesting homeless man who I struck up a conversation with on my way back home from a day of classes.
Music has been and continues to be a huge part of my life. I’m glad that it’s also an important part of other people’s lives as well. As proved by DJ Dead, music needs no home.
Anyways, whether you’re hard at work, studying for tests, or enjoying a day in the sun, groove to this:
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Official Song- Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) by Shakira, featuring Freshlyground
I was at the Oakland A’s game last night, and though the game wasn’t very exciting and the home team didn’t win, the postgame fireworks show was worth the price of admission.
After the game, we all piled onto the field and sprawled out on the outfield grass. To the tune of music in the background, the fireworks were shot off one after another. It was a dazzling display and capped off a fun evening with friends.
It always amazes me to see fireworks. There’s just something so awe-inspiring about them. The beautiful colors, the moving effects, the loud booms… They have the power to instantly change a barren, star-less night sky into a large, bright splash of color. Simply majestic.
(Photos by Vu Bui)
If you fall, you can always find a way to get back up.
Nick Vujicic was born in Melbourne, Australia with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder: limbless, missing both arms at shoulder level, and legless but with two small feet, one of which has two toes.
At age eight, Nick felt hopeless, broken, and alone. A key turning point in his life was when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a severe disability. This showed Nick that he wasn’t the only one dealing with a huge obstacle in life. He decided to make the most out of what he had.
Today, Nick is 26 years old and is a preacher, a motivational speaker, and Director of the non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs . He’s traveled to over 19 countries all across the world to give speeches about disability and hope.
“I’m down here. Face down. And I have no arms, no legs. It should be impossible for me to get back up. But it’s not. You see, I’ll try 100 times to get up. And if I fail 100 times… if I fail and I give up, do you think I’m ever going to get up? No. But if I fail, I try again, and again, and again.”
“It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.”
Despite the lack of limbs, Nick surfs and swims, and plays golf and soccer. He leads a life above limitations.
“I love living life. I am happy.”
You know the common interview question: “What’s your biggest weakness?”
It’s a standard question that gets asked a lot. If you’re honest in giving your answer, I think it’s a good gauge of your learning.
I went through a series of interviews this past month, and I gave an answer that I feel describes me well at the moment. Right now, I think my biggest weakness is my difficulty or hesitance in delegating tasks. Don’t take this as a shot against anyone else though. It’s just that I have a strong belief and confidence in my own abilities. I also like to hold on to a lot of responsibility and be able to make a difference in the outcome. Though it’s a weakness, it’s an area I’ve been recently working on improving.
Around this time last year, when I was going through a round of interviews, my response to this weakness question was different. My answer revolved around my fear of public speaking. I had a really tough time speaking in front of groups and avoided it whenever possible. But after saying this weakness out loud over and over again in interviews, it kind of nudged me to want to make a change.
So, I did. I took a leadership communication course for a semester, and tried to volunteer for opportunities to speak to crowds. I also filled in as emcee at a large fundraising event for the first time. Over time and with experience through trial and error, my fear has subsided. I now feel comfortable speaking in front of groups, no matter the size, and no matter if I have a prepared speech or not. This time around, it felt really great to not have the same “biggest weakness.”
Looking back, it reminded me of how much I learned over the past year, though in just one skill. Of course, I have plenty of other flaws in parts of my life, and those will be new things I’m looking forward to learning.
If you go through interviews in different parts of life, try to remember how you answered certain questions the last time around. They might show you the leap you’ve made. Or perhaps if you’re not satisfied, then there’s still time. Make a change moving forward.