Being that CSUF’s schedule and the Anaheim Union School’s District don’t match, I still have three weeks at the YMCA left before my summer job starts. And yet, there’s two events I am most definitely looking forward to. First, DANCE COMPETITION.

I will get to revisit Loara students while watching a dance competition between five different high schools. I am positive it will be a somewhat enlightening yet exciting experience. The very next day is the Anaheim Achieves showcase, where every school in the program will essentially have a booth hallmarking all they have accomplished this year.

As exciting as these two things are, my job at the YMCA ends June 11th, providing way for my job at Fairmont Private Schools to start June 14th. And let’s just say, it’s going to be…… magical.

I will be a camp counselor this summer working full-time mentoring students and engaging in a variety of activities with them. Here’s the front cover to the company brochure:

It is a summer program revolved around the theme “Once Upon a Time”. It will be exciting working with elementary and junior high school students again after working in a high school all year. It’s also at a private school so I’m sure there will be less behavioral issues. The best part will be the field trips I get to go on, which I will attempt to document here every week. They include Royal Court Ball at Anaheim Hills, Long Beach Aquarium, Medieval Times, Raging Waters, Castle Park, Corona Del Mar Beach, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Clock Strikes Midnight (an on-campus party). My lack of a childhood will be much fulfilled this summer, while I will simultaneously break kids out of their shell while getting paid to do so.

It is after all, a job I believe in. I can proudly say that for a majority of the places I’ve been employed at (minus Popeyes), I believe in the general cause and feel special while I’m there. After all, who doesn’t love fairytales and fun?

Flashback to my first day on campus, where I knew virtually nobody. Being one of the few “Post-Bacs” on campus made me feel slightly awkward talking to strangers in my classes and the surrounding environment. I remember walking down Titan walk talking to random tables (which included many religious groups such as Intervarsity and the Jewish club). I remember going into the ASI office asking how I could get more involved on campus. They inevitably placed me on some committee whose meetings I never actually attended (yet I still receive the emails). Needless to say, I was looking for a niche on campus. Notice that I used the word “niche” and not “clique”. They are not interchangeable terms.

I met some relatively nice people in Intervarsity. The only problem with the organization to me was I never quite found myself as devout as the people around me. Using my experiences in the past to never be “fake” so to speak, I ended up leaving the club and exploring other options. I went to meeting after meeting, from the Student California’s Teacher Association to Young Americans for Liberty, from Reddit Club to finally Circle K International. I felt an entirely comfortable environment in the Circle K organization, even constructing a “clique” in an effort to ease myself into the club. As much as people see much as extroverted, I largely prefer to interact in smaller groups to get to know people on a deeper, more personal level. Cliques, when exclusive, are a bad thing, but I found the “Quack Pack” to be a necessity for me to start to get to know people much more easily. Though the clique is “dead”, it was the seed that eventually led me to having more personal friendships inside the Circle K organization as a whole. Once I got comfortable around my fellow “clique” members, I got more comfortable around the club. Now, though I’m slightly against the notion of exclusive cliques, I can’t necessarily say it hasn’t helped me get to the point where I am now.

Flash forward to the present and I’m very close to many of the people within the club. Regardless of the six classes I took this year at CSUF, the bonds I made in my classes aren’t nearly as strong as the bonds I made doing community service every single weekend. The classes I took were easy, and only reaffirmed my confidence in my abilities to become a great educator in the future. (I got straight A’s).

Cal State Fullerton was the center of my experience this year. More specifically, Circle K was the center of everything I did. Even though I hung out with other people, even though I spent 20 hours every week at the YMCA (Loara and Katella high school respectively), Circle K events, hangouts, and socials were the things I looked forward to every single day. Needless to say, Circle K was the center of my life this year. Next year, that will change as I move forward into the teaching credential program. I am fairly certain my second year at Cal State Fullerton will be much different from my first year. But as I look into the future, I will never forget my experiences in my first year of this school, more specifically my experiences in Circle K. <24.

We need the past. It is a reminder of who we will be in the future. Thank you Pyles & Stanford Elementary, Alamitos Intermediate, Rancho Alamitos High, UCSD, & CSUF.

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

It’s slightly difficult in this day and age to try to be focused on just one thing at a time, considering how much mass media we are exposed to on a daily basis. This only makes the need to separate ourselves from the events of the real world all the more necessary.

Meditation: I pursued a variety of different meditation practices, both through the help of Youtube videos, and various reference websites. What I found particularly useful was mindfulness meditation where you focus on your eyes on certain objects and just think about them, letting your mind drift seamlessly from a mirage of different images presented within your head. Embedded below is something I find rather useful to use in said meditation practices:

Thinking: Having the right mindset of being focused on the present is important. This doesn’t mean pursuing a “yolo” attitude, although my adventures at SunGod this weekend would largely be seen as such, but being able to divide time in a way where you focus on your attention on one particular thing at a time.

I did so through various activities which included

1) Reading, inevitably finishing the first book of the Game of Thrones book (I read many chapters every day)

2) Working. I have to run detention a few days a week at Katella High School, and in ensuring the room maintains proper silence, I have some time to self-reflect upon the events of my day, and the events of my life.

3) Talking to others. Sometimes the best solutions in life comes at 6:30AM when you’re seeking answers to questions you really shouldn’t be asking. Even though sometimes you ponder and daydream about things that can never happen, you have to remind yourself the good things you have in life, and try to create an optimistic environment and outlook based upon it.

Being mindful of the world in which we live is largely not just thinking about ourselves, but largely about the people around us, how our actions can affect the lives of anyone around us. In my everlasting struggle to change the world, I hope to maintain the right state of mind to do so. Being in a state of depression would NOT help me achieve these goals. I give myself a B for the week.

Next week: Right Concentration (LAST STEP!)

Even if I attempt to duplicate their efforts, I know the chances are rather slim for me to change the world in the same significant manner.

I can only hope to carry out a livelihood where I can have the most impact on the most amount of people as possible (with my limited abilities of course). This will be done through my profession (teaching), politics, and perhaps simply by being myself.

After all, a great monk once said:

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world

I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family.

My family and I could have made an impact on our town.

Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.

Change starts one step at at time.

1. Student Population

CSUF has 32,328 undergraduates and 5,349 postgraduates.
UCSD has 22,676 undergraduates and 6,376 postgraduates.

It’s hard to definitively say whether having a bigger or smaller campus population is better or not. On the bright side, there is less competition for classes.  At the same time having a bigger population allows for a greater potential to meet lifelong friends or even “the one”. Therefore, I give each school a point in this arena.

CSUF: +1

UCSD: +1

2. Parking

Let’s be honest. Parking is terrible on both campuses, and not to mention massively overpriced. To compensate both schools provide “free” bus service to students, which is in fact mostly subsidized by student fees. -1 to both schools

CSUF: 0

UCSD: 0

3. Social Life

I’ve had a reasonable amount of time to assess the social interactions between students and one another. I have come to the conclusion that CSUF is largely a commuter school, with more students going to class and going home, not participating in various organizations and activities available to them. At the same time, UCSD often gets the misconceived notion that it is “socially dead”, when in reality, social interactions are largely derived from how hard you actually try to have them. UCSD has more money flowing inside of it, dispersed by the Associated Students back to the organizations, and more students participating in various clubs. The list of active clubs at UCSD trumps the list at CSUF, and subsequently UCSD wins its first category.

UCSD: +1

CSUF: 0

4. Walking

One of the benefits of CSUF is that is is a pretty centralized school in term of its compactness. You can get from class to class in virtually 2 minutes. UCSD was built on a hill, and its courses span 6 different campuses, and subsequently makes getting from Point A to Point B particularly difficult. Examine the picture below, where getting from Warren Lecture Hall to York Hall within 10 minutes is practically impossible (and not to mention up a hill).

Less walking makes me happy. GO Titans.

UCSD: 1

CSUF: +1

5. The Library

Being a grade-chaser at both schools allowed me to spend ample time in both libraries. CSUF’s Pollak library is nice, has plenty of computers, as well as study rooms to keep me occupied. At the same time, UCSD’s Geisel has all of these things, while at the exact same time looks like a spaceship. Geisel’s design ultimately wins with its 8 floors, and its imitation in the movie Inception. Go Tritons.

UCSD: +2

CSUF: 1

6. The Food

Both schools have their fair share of fast food rich in trans fat for the average commuter student. At the same time, despite having 6 dining halls, UCSD’s food does not measure up to CSUF’s gastronome. Maybe it’s the fact that I lived in Warren college, but I have to admit that their food was unappetizing and avoidable in my 3 years living on campus.

UCSD: 2

CSUF: +2

7. The Six-College System

The Six-College system (Harry Potter style) of dividing UCSD into various campuses happened in response to the student protests of the 1960s’. In the time the school was built administrators did not want a central area for students to meet, protest, and disseminate ideas (they somehow still did, with the burning man in front of York Hall, but that’s besides the point). The problem with this system is that is largely separates students, making them more proud of their distinctive college (Warren, Muir, ERC, Revelle,  Marshall, Sixth) than their actual school. At least CSUF is loosely prideful and self-aware.

UCSD: 2

CSUF: +3

8. Quarter System vs. Semester System

This question has been tackled before in a previous blog article, but the flexibility of the semester system largely outweighs the pace of the quarter system, making CSUF a much “easier” school so to speak.

UCSD: 2

CSUF: +4

9. The Gym

RIMAC at UCSD is a world-renowned gym that is also used for conventions, concerts, trade shows, and other purposes (Even Bill Clinton and Conan O’Brian came here and filled the prospective 5,000 person stadium easily). Lebron James also has his summer camp here every year. The CSUF Student Recreational Center largely remains that, a “student center”, one that requires students to inconveniently re-register for gym admission every semester.

UCSD: +3

CSUF: 4

10. SunGod Festival

The major thing that brings UCSD together is its annual sungod festival. Even though arguably the lineup has been getting worse every year, the amount of attendees and major campus pride it brings largely outweighs that of CSUF’s Annual Spring Concert.

UCSD: +4

CSUF: 4

11. Professors/Students

I’m going to be honest. I’ve had my share of bad professors at both institutions (either because they’re lazy, terrible, or focused primarily on doing research). At the same time I’ve encountered dumb people at both institutions. To largely say students are smarter at UCSD because it’s a UC is not acceptable because students might be compelled to go to CSUF for either a specific program or because of financial constraints. I will say the workload at CSUF was much easier for me, perhaps more because of the semester system than anything else. Neither side wins.

UCSD: 4

CSUF: 4

12. School Mascots

UCSD’s mascot is King Triton, the king of the sea. CSUF’s mascot is Tuffy the Titan, an elephant, and arguably a symbol of the Republican party. Though Tuffy is indeed cute, I’m pretty sure King Triton can destroy it in a second. Easy point.

UCSD: +5

CSUF: 4

13. D1

CSUF has D1 sports. Neither school has a football team. Though I’d make the argument that sports are essentially useless, they do bring a source of revenue and pride to the school. CSUF wins.

UCSD: 5

CSUF: +5

14. Surrounding Neighborhoods

CSUF is in the heart of Fullerton, a very college-friendly environment. UCSD is in La Jolla, which essentially is full of mostly rich people. Needless to say, it doesn’t give a “college-town” environment.

UCSD: 5

CSUF: +6

15. Outside Food

Both schools have great food places outside of it, CSUF noticeable for the Habit and Pieology and UCSD for its massive amount of restaurants and local eateries. Heck, it fed me for 4 years. At the same time, UCSD has one thing CSUF doesn’t: Phil’s BBQ. That in, the end, makes it a huge winner.

UCSD: +6

CSUF: 6

16. Friends

Ask me a year ago and I would have most definitely UCSD. However, given the amount of relationships I’ve accumulated this year at CSUF, I can largely say these friendships can grow into something more post-college if I attempt my best at nurturing them. Because I value every single person I’ve met both this year at CSUF and at UCSD, there’s no way I can reasonably say one set of friends is better than other. I will say I do miss interacting with UCSD friends, especially the ones I’ve lost contact with over the course of the year. 4 points for each.

UCSD: +10

CSUF: +10

17. Majors

Though I felt my Communications degree at UCSD amounted to not really being used, I did feel plenty of happiness having a double major at UCSD. At the same time, being accepted into the Credential Program at CSUF brings me one step closer to my “life-goal” of being a teacher. Self-actualization, here I come.

UCSD: 10

CSUF: +11

18. Art

The Stewart Art collection at UCSD is one of the greatest collections I have seen. I’ve seen some art at CSUF, but it’s mostly lacking in my personal opinion (especially the statue that’s broken hehe).

UCSD: +11

CSUF: 11

19. Dorming vs. Commuting

The dorming experience is amazing, and largely overshadows all the commuting I’ve done this year. More info here.

UCSD: +12

CSUF: 11

20. Quality of Dorms

At the same time, having been in both dorms, I’ll be honest to say some of the apartments at UCSD were run-down (mostly due to age). The elevators were also slow, and the design not that aesthetically pleasing. Having newer dorms gives CSUF a major advantage.

UCSD: 12

CSUF: +12

21. Cliques

Ain’t nobody messing with my clique. clique. clique. I’ve had my share of cliques at both institutions. It took me a while to finally come to the realization that it’s best to refrain from them, and instead focus on making as many high-quality friends as possible.

UCSD: 12

CSUF: 12

22. Downtown Environment

PACIFIC BEACH. San Diego downtown. All the bars. Downtown San Diego > Downtown Fullerton mostly because of size, amount of bars, and experience.

UCSD: +13

CSUF: 12

23. Weather

San Diego weather largely remains 10 degrees less “hot” than CSUF weather. Because I remain largely NOT a fan of the sun, I don’t mind going for that.

UCSD: +14

CSUF: 12

24. The Beach

UCSD is located very closely to a beach (though arguably not as close as UCSB). Though many people would see this as a positive, I see it as a negative, mostly due to my negative experiences in said environment (getting lost, breaking ipod, etc.). CSUF thus wins by being “farther away” from a beach.

UCSD: 14

CSUF: +13

25. The Memories

And yet, at the same time, if I had to make a decision, I’d choose UCSD. As my alma matter, it’ll ALWAYS have a special place in my book. Though CSUF is largely shaping up to be exceeding my expectations, this is largely due to the friends I’ve met in Circle K more-so than any of the factors listed above.

In the end I <24 my alma matter, I <24 san diego, and I will always remember UCSD.

Your turn to vote!

If I could I’d try to learn from my mistakes, but sadly history has a way of repeating itself for me.

Part of having the right effort means refraining from the evil acts of: 1) Greed 2) Anger and 3) Ignorance, instead expressing 1) Generosity 2) Kindness, and 3) Wisdom.

I was mildly successful. If you look at the chart I tried do something generous, something kind, and something that would promote more intelligence within me every day of the week. [minus Saturday where my mood overshadowed everything else]. At the same time I’d say I was somewhat of a failure this week in terms of the actions I took. Anger took a hold of me at key points week, leading to a reiteration of uncontrollable selfishness and ignorance. Intertwining those two elements, I have no choice but to give myself a failing grade of a D for the week. I will rebound next week.

Next Week: Right Mindfulness

The blog posts I updated this week (Community Service Adventures & Stories from the workplace), are essentially summaries of how I got to the point I am now. Maintaining the life I have now meshed with the life I want in the future, I’d prefer to teach during the weekdays, do some sort of community service or civic participation on the weekend, essentially using my livelihood to make the world a slightly less dreary place.

At the same time I want to make sure I have the right spiritual background keeping my primary morals in check while having enlightening late night conversations with as many people as possible. It’s the conversations that keep you up that ultimately make you think about the place you have in the world.

I obtained my summer job as a camp counselor for Fairmont Private schools. Not only will I be spending the summer educating and mentoring youth, I will be one step closer to getting the 10,000 hours necessary to master my future profession of teaching. Though I have some bad days at the YMCA (especially when I’m working detention), I know all the positive and NEGATIVE experiences I have anywhere are not setbacks, but rather points of reference for how to deal with future experiences.

Perhaps the hallmark of the week was my decision to quit Candy Crush, and focus on activities that might actually help me head closer towards my future, and the “correct livelihood”. In conjunction with this post, I have also attached below an essay that reveals my intentions towards wanting to be in a classroom environment in the future.

            Happiness. That is the end of the road, the ultimate destination all people aspire for as they fight to make their dreams a reality. And though this pursuit of happiness results in alternative journeys contingent on the person at large, the American dream is one not only found in novels and fiction, but rather in the real world if we look closely enough. Though my parents came to the United States with six children and no source of income, through their hard work and diligence they have provided me the opportunity to create a better tomorrow for myself. That tomorrow is accomplished primarily through the learning I have done in both in the K-12 educational school system and in my experiences in the real world. Those experiences, and those life lessons attained motivate me to become an educator, to shape the lives of all my future students to become truly who they wish to be in this world.

From the day I first stepped foot into the classroom, immersed as a developing English language learner, I had my struggles assimilating. As I grew more familiar with the phonics and language of English my confidence went up to the point where it is now, my success translating into a comfortability in the classroom not shared by all. I hope to translate this comfortability by creating a safe, nurturing, and caring environment for the students I plan to teach in the future. Education was not always the path I chose for my future. I knew though that I had always wanted to have a career that was enriching to the point where I felt I could make a difference in the world, where I had some sort of impact in the floating dust of life surrounding me. I thought this future would be first in Marketing, as I majored in Communications in my undergraduate years. I remained largely unimpressed by the profit-driven motives of the business and marketing worlds that I felt I could have an impact elsewhere, contributing my time and money to another segment of the world that needed me. Luckily, I had also majored in History in my years at the University of California, San Diego.

History is a fluctuating process. Though most people see history as memorization of dates and historical facts and figures, I see it as a collection of stories, a collection of life journeys, and a collection of life lessons everyone could use for practical purposes. Aside from the analytical and cognitive benefits from learning history, primarily in increasing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, I love that history is applicable to the world in which we live. Each and every one of us has our own life story to tell, our own history of our lives we wish to share with others. And though some people choose to share their histories in autobiographies, most of our life stories are told every day when we engage in the active process of communicating with our peers. I hope to teach major historical figures that had an impact on the world in which we live, and I hope to provide reasons and rationale for why we learn them. By telling these stories, I can motivate my students to reach for their highest potential, to see how their futures can shape the world in which they live – how their histories are the defining cultural shifts of the next generation. I want to inspire my students to change the world, and inspire my students to cognitively think of how they can have a more direct impact in the world, whether it be through political action, community service, or choosing a profession that could most benefit their own lives, or the lives around them. History has always been a fascinating subject for me because of these reasons, and thus my strength will remain in teaching the subject dearest to my heart.

My parents originally wanted me to study Pharmacy in college to try to make the most money possible. And though I recognize the benefits of doing so, pharmacy also being a profession in which people are assisted every day, I recognize my strengths in motivating people around me to live a better life. Many of my peers see how I do in school and see me as a role model, someone they can look up to and ultimately model their lives after. Currently employed at the Anaheim Family YMCA, I try to encourage high school students to reach for their highest potential, and to aspire for the ultimate goal of happiness, not only obtained through short-term goals, but long-term goals they set for themselves in the future. And though I initially was profit driven to major in Communications, I have largely decided not to use those marketing skills for purposes of making money, but rather to help non-profits such as the YMCA achieve its goals of fostering a safe and nurturing environment for all kids regardless of income. Combining my love of history with my goal of having as much of an impact on the world as possible, I knew teaching would provide me with the most fulfillment possible, not just financially, but in terms of creating a life of purpose, and obtaining that happiness I have aspired for all my life.

Our Founding Fathers envisioned and helped to lay the groundwork for a future where all citizens had a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Though my life has been turbulent in terms of the worldly pursuits I have sought after to achieve this said happiness, I have come to the realization that obtaining a teaching career is the key to that bliss. In my days of tutoring and helping to teach others, my satisfaction does not come out of my colleagues and students necessarily getting a better grade on a test, but rather seeing that look of curiosity and eagerness on their face that shows me that they are ready to learn. Being a lover of historical events that have shaped the world in which we live, I cannot wait to communicate this fondness through enthusiasm and storytelling in the classroom. There are always going to be the students that do not enjoy the subject in which I am teaching as much as I do. If I could edge them one step closer to doing so by creating interactive and personalized lesson plans applicable to their own lives, I will be fulfilling my duties as an educator. If I could make that personalized connection between the lives of those they read in their textbooks to their own lives, I will have achieved my goals of self-actualization. I will have achieved success in the classroom with my students. I will have achieved happiness.

It’s hard to grade myself for the week, because I have not yet obtained the career I want yet. Looking at the signs I have now (being in the credential program, working for the YMCA though), I will give myself an A for effort.

Next week: Right Effort

I think whichever religion I choose will ultimately be contingent on a variety of factors, most importantly tolerance. I want to choose a religion that doesn’t judge others based on their lifestyle choices, and doesn’t see people outside the religion as “immoral” or “unjust”. I have in fact plenty of atheist friends who themselves are not bad people, and yet they’re stigmatized by their religious peers.

At the same time I want to choose a religion with rigid moral values. Every religion in and of itself aims for some sort of spiritual enlightenment that can be subsequently attempted by achieving of a set of moral codes. Hinduism pushes for practicing parts of the dharma, Christianity and Judaism has the 10 commandments, and Buddhism has the Eightfold Path (just to name a few). As long as these standards mesh well with my personality, I’m more likely to be supportive of the religion. After spending 3 years “practicing” Buddhism and 2 years going to church on/off again, I still am left in a fixed state of bewilderment.

The belief in God supercedes most faith systems in the United States. I’m not against the idea personally in believing some sort of higher power, although my belief in God doesn’t necessary parallel Western religious philosophies. In fact I’m more likely to subscribe to Newton’s clockwork theory, where God created us and left us to our devices.  Although, it’d be pretty cool if we were in a “Sims” like universe where God was controlling our every move.

I also want to see religion in a different manner than most people. While people classify religions based on tax codes and the amount of “followers of faith” it has, I can see any rigid institution or “group” as a religion. You could argue the K-12 educational school system is a religion, or the push for University degrees a religion. In a sense they are all subscribing to the notion that higher education is important, and that can be achieved in an institutionalized setting as rigid as the University. I’d make the argue that the Ron Paul Revolution is a religion, but that might get some people more agitated towards me than anything else.

In the end, we should all choose what we believe in. As long as we aim for our standards of morality without imposing it on others, I think the world will be a much better place.

My own personal religion would thus intertwine the following elements. :

1) Tolerance: of others, their lifestyles, their choices, their religions.
2) The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
3) The Right Livelihood: Living a life of purpose, more about what you do as a profession* (more info Sunday)

Thanks for reading. I was a bit skeptical to write a blog post about religion but I think in this day and age, tolerance can overcome the massive differences in various opinions and faith.

And thus brings up the problem of the educational system in the U.S. Instead of practically preparing students for the future, it is more about regurgitation and recitation rather than discovery and independent critical thinking. Even in college the skills you learn when studying a “major” isn’t necessarily 100% applicable to your future career.

In layman’s terms ten thousand hours is equivalent to 5 years of working full time in any profession. It will not be till I’m done with my fifth year of teaching that I will become a master of what I intend to do. I hope in the future everybody can become a master of their profession free from the rigid necessity of a college degree. There’s literally thousands of plumbers, computer scientists, and philosophers that became master of their terrain by simply practicing (Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg included). In the end, I leave the words of Macklemore to inspire all of us to become the best of what we want to be, rather than what is prescribed to us by society.

There are five major components of “Right Action”, provided below:

No killing: This means protecting life across the board. I’m a relatively strict opponent of abortion, yet at the same time I consume animal products. I think when it comes to judging what the morality of life entails, you have to choose your own standards. I don’t necessarily see animal consumption as being good or evil, but I tried to limit my consumption of it this week (especially whenever I ate at home). Obviously it was easy to avoid killing my fellow peers and other humans (or even having thoughts to do so).

No stealing: At the same time I attempted to promote the well-being of everyone this past week, in my time doing community service on the weekend, as well as helping various persons with their essays. Though it is technically a part of my job, I spend virtually every day at the YMCA attempting my best to tutor and mentor kids in a positive direction. At the March of Dimes today I even encountered a former student at Loara who told me “to come back to the school”, and that the new employees “sucked” so to speak. While this boosted my ego a bit, I realize that it means I’m essentially doing my job right, especially if one of my students is doing community service on the weekend. I’m very much against the idea of exploiting others for profit, whether it be through pyramid schemes or advertising. Though I majored in communications at UCSD, I still hope to inevitably use my degree to help a non-profit such at the YMCA prosper in the future (after I teach for a few years first).

No misuing sex: Paralleling the moral trait of “chastity” a few weeks prior, I refrained from any sexual relations this week. In all fairness I’m not one to have one night stands anyway, so it’s highly unlikely I would ever regress to that character trait. Instead I’d hope to get to know someone pretty well first before engaging in said activities.

No lying: I obviously try my best to avoid lying to people. I try to be as straightforward as possible, although I tend to twist things in an effort to not come off as an pompous person. At the same time I try my best to listen to people when they come to me with their problems. As much as it might reinforce and bring back past memories of my past experiences with certain elements of life, I do think that if we all take the time to listen to one another, we can tear down the barriers that separate us, and create a better world (In all fairness, this is why I’m against the current foreign policy we have now, which focuses more on bombing/killing by drone strikes rather than understanding and open communications).

No abusing intoxicants: No alcohol consumption this week. I also have never/will never do drugs classified as illegal under the Controlled Substances Act (although as a libertarian I can’t in my right mind judge anyone that chooses to do so). This doesn’t necessarily JUST pertain to what things we consume in our body, but also things we consume mentally. Though I think the educational system we have in the United States is largely inefficient, I tried my best to do some “active learning” this week, while simultaneously abusing my brain with television shows like Glee and Game of Thrones. I could also argue that Candy Crush is a terrible intoxicant because it consumed much of my time this week.

The End Result: I am trying to become one step closer to achieving not necessarily moral perfection, but an understanding of what it will take to ultimately become a better person. With the wisdom I have acquired over the past 3 weeks, I hope to develop the intimacy and empathy necessary to already understand the people around me and their struggles. Listening leads to understanding. Understanding leads to empathy. Empathy leads to morality. I give myself a B for the week overall.

Next Week: Right Livelihood.