Introduction
In this project, I reflected on my thoughts and priorities. Afterwards, I brainstormed in order to figure out how I should go about changing some attributes about myself. I then went on to explain the importance of obtaining certain habits.
Thinking In Writing
After looking over my thoughts through out the day I was able to point out some of the thoughts that are always floating around me even when I fail to acknowledge them. On my day of my recorded thoughts I attended a auto show in Philadelphia. My first finding was that this was not at all my typical day of thoughts with a exception of a few topics. Something I fail to acknowledge a lot of the time is the fact that I am very concerned for what my future holds. It’s pretty difficult these days to survive and the thought of the possibility of not amounting to anything is very frightening. There are a handful of college graduates in America with degree’s but cannot find a job within there major and some are forced to work at very low paying jobs because of this. I am very concerned about this because it can very easily become a reality even for me and it would absolutely have no reflection on me, it’s just a reflection of the times we are currently living in. Another thought I found myself being consumed by is the thought of not believing that I could be successful in college. By successful I mean meeting my own expectations. It’s very effortless to lose focus on what is your overall goal in life. I tend to briefly forget what steps I am currently taking to complete that goal and by not completing these steps I could forfeit my goal. I also found myself thinking about irrelevant topics to my life. I would even say that this thought sometimes discourages me from doing what I need to do daily.
I would like to start thinking about steps I could take every day to become more self disciplined. My priorities have to be straightened out and I need to be able to acknowledge what is and is not important to consume my concerns with. I will also like to start making it a habit for me to do all things school related first before doing the things I want to do for the day. Lastly, I would like to find a way to look at everything in a more positive way and be able to change my perception of situations because every situation is what we make of it.
Thinking Visually
1: Officer Ramos was a member of the church I have attended since I was born. I think a lot about his tragic death because it hit close to home considering I knew his family and that I want to also become a Police Officer. These ribbons are all over my neighborhood to show support to the NYPD.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130746921@N06/16408719527/
2: I think a lot about the financial stability I want to have when I get older and have a family of my own. I understand that the people of America’s biggest problem is not knowing how to manage money efficiently.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130746921@N06/16614872521/in/photostream/
3: My passion for motorcycles is out of this world. I consume a lot of my time thinking and working to get a motorcycle in the near future.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130746921@N06/16616012875/in/photostream/
What I want to focus on
4: For some reason I am not able to put in the amount of time I want to in studying for the police officer exam. Between school and working, by the time I come home I’m drained. But I find myself thinking a lot about becoming a police officer and I do realize I need to make the time to study for this exam.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130746921@N06/16428839598/in/photostream/
5: My dog represents my family. My family is my rock and my support. Between everyone’s busy lives its hard for us to spend time together.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130746921@N06/16616038875/in/photostream/
6: I should be focusing on working as much as possible but that can only happen if I manage my time well by completing assignments whenever I can so that I could work the 10-12 hours a day doing plumbing with my step father on my off days from school.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130746921@N06/15993881804/in/photostream/
Thinking Reflectively
It’s year 2020, and I am about to turn 26 years old. I am a Police Officer here in NYC. I moved out of my mother’s house about two years ago and so much has changed. My first two years on the job was a challenge. Being a rookie and walking the beat is not the best part of the job, in fact its far from it. Everyone has eyes on you, and in a way you are looked down upon as people do look for you to make the mistakes most rookies make. In this letter I am going to be pointing out to myself from 5 years ago what I should change about myself or work towards in order to achieve all the plans I had more efficiently. There are going to be ways to prepare yourself for the future by prioritizing college, family, exercising more intensely and managing your time. Focus less on the person you are now and allow the plans for your future become the center of your attention. You may think you prioritize these topics enough already, but I challenge you to be more critical with yourself to prepare for what the future holds for you. It is only going to get more difficult before it gets any better for you, I encourage you not to let any detoured paths you take disappoint you.
Before discussing what needs to be done in order to achieve your goals efficiently, you should take the time to understand all the aspects of being a Police Officer. I do not regret this job but there are a features of this job that should be realized, the pros and the cons. What I would recommend you to do is to acquire a relationship with a retired or current Police Officer from Christ Tabernacle. You are surrounded by very good men at church and you should take the time to meet them and allow them to be a mentor for you as you are becoming a young man quickly. Look back at picture number one, the death of Police Officer Ramos in December of 2014. If you can remember it was very difficult on his family and members of the church. By having a mentor, it will allow you to ask all the question you may have. For example how do Police Officers separate some of their personal issues from their job? How do they deal with the death of a fellow Police Officer? You should even find out how to manage yourself when others are not cooperating with your requests. Being a Police Officer is a difficult job, there is a lot that is unseen and unnoticed. Understanding as much as you can now will allow you to do your job well later on.
Now, my other suggestion to you is to learn how to manage your money so that you may live comfortably when you get older. It may not seem as urgent as I say it is but it’s important to build habits that will benefit you in the future. Picture number two is a representation of how important is to manage your money now. Once you have a car, motorcycle and place to live it will be difficult to save money. You are now able to understand the worth of a dollar and how strenuous it can be to earn money. As you may also know, NYC is not becoming any more easier city to reside in. In fact, they say for someone to live comfortably in NYC their yearly income must be about $175,000. Between the salary of a Police Officer and $175,000 there is a huge gap so I suggest you take this seriously. You have been told persistently to take the time to watch some of Dave Ramsey’s video’s on youtube by your mother and uncle. He encourages people to get out of debt and living within their means. Living by this is the reason for his own financial success. A good start for you will be understanding the difference between what you need and what you want. By doing this, you will be doing right by your future family.
Time management could be arguably be the most ideal skill for anyone to learn. While in college you had a wake call in your second semester. Trying to balance responsibilities at home, school work, working and down time it got pretty challenging. Within a month of starting your second semester you found yourself not prioritizing and slacking off your academics because at times college was discouraging. The load of work you were receive was nothing compared to high school. For that you have the NYC public schools to blame but you can not allow it to define who you are. If you are capable of managing your time, more responsibilities will be fulfilled in a reasonable amount of time. The only one able to invest in you is yourself, the public school system fell short but you have to find ways to fill that void. As silly as it may seem to have each hour of your day on a schedule, it is the only way to move forward at a decent pace. Also, consider technology will continue to advance and you will find yourself being consumed by it without realizing it.
Lastly, and most importantly build a unbreakable relationship with your family. The fifth picture which is picture of Ares is representation of your family. It is very effortless to take them for granted. Undeniably they are the only people that will always been in your corner cheering you on. Not only will your immediate family strengthen you but so will your extended family. As time goes on, it seems as if the cost of living in NYC gets the best of everyone. The thought of the amount of support you will receive will make everything you have ever dealt with worth it. Many New Yorkers are prideful for no good reason. The environment of NYC makes people feel as if they have to do everything on their own. As young as you are, you have already developed that pride and it could sabotage you in the end.
Take these few tips I leave you with and take it to the heart. Strive for what is yours, you and you only determine your future. At times you may want to settle for less because the school work could be difficult. I may sound cliche for saying this because I know everyone is telling you this, but all this hard work will pay off in the end. Keep the thought of your future family near because it will help clear your mind when you have thoughts of giving up. Instead of dwelling on the strenuous obstacles, grow and learn from them. Those very same obstacles are the exact occasions that will shape and mold you as a man. For what it’s worth, have more confidence in yourself because you are capable of more than you know. Part of the reason you do not have faith in yourself is because you tend to look at past experiences and look upon yourself negatively. As long as you are doing that, you will not grow as you would if you looked for the positive in each disappointment you face. Seek advice from those who are qualified to mentor you. Specifically those who are accomplished or content with their own current success and their knowledge will point you to your own favorable outcome.
Reading this letter made me realize how serious these topics are to me. Even now, these are attributes that I think I should grasp because I am somewhat aware of what I need to work on. By doing so I have be my worst critic. I intend to buckle down and work towards these topics so that I may have good habits for my future family. Every experience I face will be looked at differently, in hopes that I become a positive person.
