A500 2.3 RB Telling my Story Posted August 19, 2006:
I
have tried to become a well-rounded self-actualized human being. I faced many struggles to get to that goal,
but several concepts that are important to me have helped me reach that
point. They are:
- Faith & Spiritual Development (Catholic Religion)
- Perseverance (The ability to survive and thrive beyond catastrophic circumstances)
- Mental Development (Being well-read, comprehension, and analytical skills)
- Physical Fitness (Wrestling, martial arts, military physical fitness)
Faith
& Spiritual Development. When I
think of my faith, I have cognitive dissonance because I have not always lived
up to that faith. Cognitive Dissonance
is psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held
simultaneously. Some may call me a
hypocrite, but cognitive dissonance is a better term for some of the following
examples: Catholics don’t believe in
divorce. I am divorced. Catholics don’t believe in birth control. I had a vasectomy. As I have grown older and wiser, I regret
having those conflicting things in my life regarding spirituality and
faith. I have grown in both of those
aspects and now view the indiscretions of my youth with shame and regret. Critically thinking about what has transpired,
will tell me that one can’t change the past, but can only strive to do better
in the future. This means to learn from
mistakes by not repeating them. Why is
any of that important? It is important
only if you examine what comprises us as human beings. We have mental capabilities, physical
capabilities, and spiritual capabilities.
I believe that all human beings have souls and that those souls will be
held accountable for what they did or did not do during their time here on
Earth.
Perseverance. Many things in my life have been difficult to
overcome and to succeed in spite of, but having the will to do so has finally
pushed me through those difficulties. I
have always tried to set the example for my children that if you continue to
work through difficult circumstances with faith and with willpower, then you
will overcome many obstacles and disasters in life that seem insurmountable. For example, I did not manage money well in
my youth and my aforementioned divorce financially destroyed what little I had
managed to accumulate. Despite many
setbacks and seemingly impossible odds, I have now achieved financial
independence and success. It amazes me
because I view things differently now. I
question why people on lower end of the economic ladder spend money the way
that they do. For instance, one does not
have money to pay for an energy bill, or a phone bill, but will spend money to
get her hair done or a manicure. Someone
else may not have the ability to pay their rent or mortgage payment, but they
will travel on vacation somewhere. I
find it amazing that their priorities do not appear be logically aligned.
Mental
Development. I have always placed a high
value on learning and then thinking about what I have learned. I love to read. U.S. History, military history, and world
history are my favorite topics. I love
to play chess and work to improve my chess IQ via study and playing
consistently tougher competition versus a computer program. I challenged myself by becoming a military
pilot. I always wanted to fly when I was
young, but felt that there were too many barriers to achieve that goal. When the opportunity presented itself as an
amazing chance encounter, I took it and fulfilled my dream. The mental aspect of flying turned out to be
80% or better of being a practicing military pilot. Manipulating the flight controls is not hard
once it has been practiced. What is hard
is all of the mental tasks that one must perform on the simplest of flights.
Physical
Fitness. I have always been a physical
person. I was a wrestler in high school,
a martial artist in the style of Sho Bu Do Jujitsu, and have managed to achieve
the maximum score on the Army’s Physical Fitness Test. Even after having a hip and knee replaced, I
have continued to work out and stay in shape.
Heart disease runs in my family, so I have dedicated myself to being a
non-smoker and to continue focusing on cardio exercise throughout my week.
I
utilized and learned things from these aspects of life together in my quest to
become a self-actualized human being.
Learning how to better organize my critical thinking in my graduate
program will enhance my ability to learn and critically analyze information in
my life. The benefits should be tangible
on a personal as well as a professional level.
John
D. Hescott
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