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De Parte del Maestro
By Josh Flores
What moves you?
There are unseen forces at work in each of our lives. The reason they are unseen is because they exist in our minds—they cause us to do things both positive and negative. Once we learn to master or control these forces, they transform and can become our greatest tool in aiding us in our push through the daily grind of life. The forces of which I am speaking are called motivation and inspiration and whether you are aware of it or not, they have an effect on nearly everything that you do. Feel like giving up?
It is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed and like you do not have a lot of direction in life as a teenager. I have been there as have many others before you. It is a difficult time when you are faced with decisions that will eventually affect the rest of your life. I know this can be a scary thought, but I am keeping it real with you. You can do things now that can either help or hurt your future, so be smart and let your knowledge of what is right and wrong guide you.
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Josh Flores
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I was a late bloomer myself to the idea that your actions now can have consequences that determine the path your life takes. Early on in high school, I thought it was game and I was playing it how I wanted with little regard for could have happened as a result of my actions. It took some close calls of almost getting caught up, and you take that how you want to, that really opened my eyes. Reality is life is not a game, and if you play like it is long enough, there is a good chance you are going end taking a loss.
It is out there, look for it: Negativity breeds negativity is a concept that I have discussed in the past. I know that many of you are in situations where it may be hard to find things to be positive about; let me assure you though the phrase ‘it’s all good’ is a lie. I am not one to sugarcoat things; on the contrary I would rather be up front and honest even if it is not something you want to hear. It is not all good out here in the hood, barrio, city, world, or pueblo. In fact there are a lot of things that can bring you down and it is no secret that the worse things get, the more negativity you may see.
To bring some light to the darkness, it should also be said that in the darkest of times is when the good things shine brightest. It is on you to avoid falling into the cycle of negativity by seeking and finding that you find as motivation and or inspiration. Where you find it is not for me to tell you, but rather for you to discover.
You are a witness to history: Two weeks ago, much of the world found a new source of inspiration. For the first time in the history of the United States, we the people elected a minority as our president—Barack Hussein Obama. Despite what candidate you and your family were supporting, it is hard to not see the importance of this occasion. I will admit that I have not been very proud of what this country’s government has done over the past eight years. Some will say that I am unpatriotic, but I am unfazed by such a claim. I know who I am and what I believe in; I am the proud son a Vietnam veteran and grandson of a World War II veteran; I am the proud big brother to an Army veteran, and a currently enlisted Navy sailor. The point is despite the fact that I think that this is the best country in the world, up until two weeks ago I wasn’t too supportive of some of the acts it has committed.
I feel that the most important thing about the recent Presidential election is the simple fact that a person, who is like you or I was able to reach the Presidency of this great Nation through hard work, sacrifice, and motivation. If you do not find inspiration in that then I think you need to check your pulse.
It can come in many forms: When I think back on my life I often ask myself ‘What was I thinking?’ I have done some dumb things to be honest and while the motive for those actions is something that is hard for me to identify, on the other hand I always know what my motivation was and is for the good things that I have done and continue to do. I graduated from high school and put myself through college because I wanted a better life for my future children and myself. My pops sacrificed so much just to be a good father and provider. All of my success is attributed to the motivation and inspiration I gained from those sacrifices he made.
Now that I am a father, I want my daughter to know that sky truly is the limit and her education is the rocket fuel. She is my motivation to continue my own education towards earning advanced degrees. So my challenge is to look around; look at the people both young and old, look at the world as a whole, look around your school, look at your neighborhood, just look and you will find something that motivates and inspires you to set and accomplish your goals. ¡Hasta la próxima vez!
I would love to hear from you about my column please send me feedback or let me know if there is something you would like me to write about. You can e-mail me at [email protected]. ¡Gracias por tu apoyo!
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