Ok, so imagine, one morning, after a kindly old wizard--who bears a striking resemblance to Albus Dumbledore--visits you in your dreams, you awaken with the power to give one person anything in the entire universe. What would it be and why?
Now, that question, while startling limited in word content, is not as simple or straighforward as it seems.
I am not actually asking you to go ask someone what wish they would like to have granted (which seems like the obvious assumption given that I started off talking about wizards and magic); Instead, I am asking you what YOU want to give someone if you had the power to give them anything, and I am asking you to explain that choice. Additionally, because there is always an "additionally," I would also like to know what advice you would give this person after you have bestowed this "gift" upon him or her.
After I read the blog for this week, I didn’t have to think twice about my response. If there was a big, blue, and flamboyant genie or a freakish, old man with a beard the size of me in my room tonight and I had the opportunity to grant someone a wish, I would undoubtedly grant someone confidence, preferably someone without confidence. I know people may be already thinking, what do I know about confidence? To tell you the truth I have no idea about confidence. I don’t have assurance. I don’t walk around with a big smile imprinted on my face, believing everything is okay, having a lot of self-esteem. If a magical wizard was to bestow confidence unto someone, let’s call it Earl, Earl would gain assurance. Earl could go up to anyone without fear or reluctance and start a conversation. Earl could go into a job interview with a positive attitude and assurance that he is in fact going to get a job, and finally get the job. Earl could take a test—having studied everything about Chapter X—feeling confident and positive, and murder the heck out of the test with a 100--maybe a 110 because there was extra credit and because Earl was confident; Earl went with his gut and guessed the correct answer.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, from my trivial analogy, if someone was to gain confidence, that someone would gain so much. That person would gain something that would get he or she somewhere unimaginable. Confidence would give someone a positive attitude, and boost someone’s self-esteem that would eventually place faith and hope onto someone, bringing that someone so many more opportunities than before.
I know I am basing my importance of confidence in a catholic view, but in reality, confidence plays the same game as giving being assurance and a better self-esteem. I know my answer makes it seem that I want confidence the most, which is true, but if confidence was to open relationships, doors, and guidance for someone who needs it ,so be it. Confidence could make a day a lot less stressful and maybe brighten up a day with so many negative obstacles. If confidence was used more than intended, then that would be called cockiness. In my opinion, supercilious people don’t have confidence; they have pride. People may argue that confidence and pride are similar, but people who exhibit pride instead of confidence are doing so pleasurably; people who show confidence are not satisfied or take deep pleasure with what they do. People who are confident show trust in their beliefs—they have no satisfaction.
The advice I would give to the person receiving confidence is quite simple. I would advise the person not to abuse their confidence. Whatever the circumstance, don’t use your confidence to show how it is similar to pride. I would also demand the person not to use shortcuts, just because confidence gives a boost of assurance, doesn’t mean that there are fewer obstacles to destiny. Another thing I would say to the receiver is to use her or his conscience with confidence. Since everyone’s is guided by their own conscience, use your confidence positively. The last thing I would say to the receiver is to not get overwhelmed with a positive change, enjoy the new opportunities and loose strings confidence will give you, don’t be misanthropic and let confidence slip through your hands.
Before you think that I copied your idea for this blog response, I swear I wrote it before I read your comment. I guess this is an example of great minds think alike. Overall, I pretty much agree with what you have to say. I really like your Earl analogy because it really emphasized the possibilities that come for a person that is confident in themselves. I, like you, probably don't have as much confidence as I should, but after writing my response ad reading yours, I now realize how important it is that I work on acquiring this great trait.
DeleteDavid, I thought you made a really interesting point in separating pride and confidence. I never thought of being confident as something that could benefit other people until you separated those characteristics. It’s really interesting to see how our confidence can so positively affect other people’s happiness and maybe even their confidence. I always thought you had to think about being confident but I guess it just becomes a part of you that is second nature because you have enough faith in yourself to not think about it. Thanks for showing me that and great post!
DeleteDavid, I love the fact that you want more people to have the chance of confidence. You would think that is a characteristic that everyone has but in reality very few actually use it to the full potential. I for one do not have high confidence in myself. I sadly don't trust myself too easily and honestly it isn't a great feeling. So coming from someone who doesn't have the best of confidence this would be a great gift for them.
DeleteThough I like the overall vibe of this choice and agree that a state of unrelenting confidence would be come in handy, I believe that the degree of confidence upon one is should be vary from person to person. This isn't true in all cases but there are definitely scenarios where people have high or low self-esteem for perfectly good reasons. Also, I believe that the nature of blog suggests that everyone is somehow in short supply of confidence when overconfidence is the root of many of our many hatreds. I admire your idea but I respectfully disagree with the implied notion that everyone even deserves to be confident.
DeleteDave, I think you did not read my entire response because I clearly stated that the gift should be given to someone who needs confidence the most. I also made it clear that super cocky people should never get confidence because they abuse confidence. I also agree that not everyone deserves to be confident.
DeleteFor this blog I have to go pretty deep because there is only a few things that I could think to give to a rather short list of people. Since the possibilities are endless, I am going with the complex and intangible. I thought about granting a simple gift like a smile, but since I don’t need a sudden bestowal of magic to do that, I think I’ll skip that option. So if I could give anyone anything, I would give my sister, Ashley, confidence.
ReplyDeleteMy sister is one of the most amazing individuals this world can say is blessed to have. She is a warrior that has faced cancer and pushed it beyond the horizon despite all the odds (I don’t need to say there were many). However, despite this heroic triumph, she doesn’t possess the Odysseus character that many heros and heroins exhibit. She’s quite. Really quite. My circle of friends might seem small but her’s was even more elite in high school. Now, it’s not that I want her to become outspoken or loud, but I want her to feel the confidence she has a right to feel on the inside. I want her to know in her heart that she is a strong person that can do anything. And when it comes time where she will have to act and speak in front of a crowd, I want all those people to hear what she has to say because what she has to say carries a lot more insight than any one of us could imagine.
Admittedly, I don’t exactly know what kind of form this confidence would come in, there’s a lot of possibilities so I guess I’ll strike the main ones. I want to give my sister the confidence to stand tall. It seems to me that she always shirks away from conflict and gives in to the other side with little compromise in her favor. She hates making decisions. Even when it’s as simple choosing where to go out to eat, she always differs the decision to someone else. With this confidence, I want her to not be afraid of asserting her opinion, when she wants to of course (it wouldn’t really be a nice gift if I made her become someone she doesn’t want to be). Another form this gift could take is simply taking away any faults she finds in herself by showing how they are really her assets. For example, she is really self conscious about her hair. She been off of treatment for over a year now so her hair has come back and is several inches long. Yet, she is still afraid of going out in public without her wig because she doesn’t like the way her natural hair looks. She thinks people will see her and thinks she’s ugly or messy. I want her to see that the tight, sandy-colored curls that have come in are beautiful and she should show them off. Or maybe, confidence will take the form of guaranteeing that all her hard work in college will pay off, so now she no longer has to think that she isn’t good enough for the real world or that she will never find a job because of the limp she has from surgery.
Whatever form my gift takes (I would naturally allow her to chose), I just wish for my sister to be able to be proud of who she is an realize the incredible life story that she has. Most of all, I want her to understand that there must be a reason out there for her to have survived every test thrown in her way and that confidence will propel her to meet that reason. I know this blog has been one of my shortest yet, but I don’t think there is any more to say than that.
I find it very odd that our response was very similar. I really don’t know anything about you, so I when I read that your sister had cancer, I could not believe it. I would have never imagine someone who had cancer graduate high school and go to college. If I had cancer as a high school student, I think I could barely make it to graduation. After I read your sister’s story, I really admire how strong she was to go after her dream and setting a good example for people who are diagnosed with cancer. I think that she would benefit so much if she was gifted confidence after the huge obstacles she had to face.
DeleteTommi, I thought you’re point was really interesting that confidence doesn’t mean you have to be loud or outgoing. I know those are two things I mixed up for years and thought that they had to complement each other. Also I think it’s really admirable how you see your sister for the person she is and don’t want to wish something on her that she wouldn’t want. Your support of her through the trials she has faced is something that whether she is confident or not will always be with her.
DeleteTommi, I really hope your sister can find her confidence. She is a strong girl for fighting and pushing passed cancer. Me being someone who doesn't have strong confidence would grant this wish to anyone because I find it a good thing to be able to stand up for what you believe in and to be able to be who ever you want to be. It's amazing to hear this story though for I never knew she went through this. It's inspiring for all she went through and never gave up. I hope she can tell herself that after all that it's ok to show confidence and let herself shine with her true beauty.
DeleteI wish your sister the best and i wish i could give you the gift of strength as well. It is tough but you are already a strong girl and continue to keep your head up.
DeleteTommi, prior to going on that Europe trip together, I remember meeting your sister and thinking how pretty I thought she was. I think it's such a shame that your sister doesn't see what everyone else sees in her. It was actually really beautiful to want to give your sister confidence as a gift. I can't imagine the amount of strength to overcome cancer and wish all the best for her.
DeleteWhat an amazing gift to give someone, especially someone as miraculous as your sister. Someone who has accomplished such an amazing thing as beating cancer should be rewarded with all of the confidence in the world! Her story is truly inspiring, and I hope that somehow she can find a way to see the abundant strength that is inside of her.
DeleteI used your post as a guiding clue for my own, so thank you! Firstly, your mention of Odysseus inspired me to use him as my inspiration (hope that makes sense) for my own post and your choice of confidence made me realize that the gift would have to be something intangible. Confidence is sort of implied in my gift of intuition and be confident was essentially my advice to my gift recipient, so we definitely agree on its value.
DeleteI have always enjoyed watching movies, not only because I find them entertaining, but because I like to discover the hidden meanings behind them. One of my absolute favorite movies is It’s a Wonderful Life. I am intrigued with the nobility of the main character, George Bailey. The trials he faces cause him to doubt himself at times; however he perseveres through them. That is, until the height of the climax when he becomes discouraged and questions his entire life. At this point in time, he is given a glimpse to see what the world would be like if he had never existed. He sees that things he deemed as trivial accomplishments and brief encounters he had severely affected everyone he had ever met. This led him to finally see the remarkable person he was and the truly wonderful life he had. That being said, if I were able to bestow any gift in the world to someone, it would be something similar to what he was given. Though it isn’t exactly the same, I would want people to be able to glimpse their lives from another person’s perspective. I would want them to see as an onlooker the person that they are. I have already expressed my opinion that I don’t believe people, especially teenagers, are confident individuals. We see ourselves as worthless failures and have an overall extremely pessimistic outlook of who we are. We tend to only hear and hold onto the derogatory remarks of others. Therefore, I would want people to have the opportunity to see how truly remarkable they are. To feel the effects of what their existence does in the lives of others. I would want them to see that their smile, their genuine kindness brought someone out of a darkened day. I would want them to understand that they are valued and have a purpose in this mixed up world. I would hope that just maybe, they’d be able to see themselves as something more than nothing. This way, I could give them so much more than just a compliment. I would want them to find through this experience love, contentment, confidence and happiness. Those are things that everyone needs and few find. To know that they have done right and touched the lives of so many people would be something that would follow them through every day of their lives. They would be changed for the better and would hopefully never see themselves as insignificant again. The piece of advice I would offer whoever the recipient of my gift was would be to always remember, even when all else fails, that they matter, they have purpose and that there is no such thing as hopeless. I’d tell them this because then there is nothing they can’t accomplish and no cruel words that can deter them from seeing how incredible they are.
ReplyDeleteI think that the gift that you would like to give someone is very interesting because it would make people admire the “trivial” things that make a big difference. I think that you made a great point when you mentioned that teenagers have a pessimistic attitude that gets them down and makes them seem less interested in the things that people don’t see. Based on your argument, I also think that if people had that gift, people would be way more positive and be more determined than before.
DeleteYou certainly brought an interesting idea to the table and I can see how this would be a good gift. I know I am guilty of seeing all the good qualities in other people and yet no good qualities in myself; this is why i always feel so terrible when I compare myself to others. I wish I could truly believe in the compliments other people give me, but I feel like I really would have to experience their perspective (literally) to ever believe them. Sometimes it's important to take strength from other people's compliments. It reminds you that you do have good qualities, even if you don't necessarily see them.
DeleteI was truly intrigued by your post, Franny! Never in a million years would I have thought of bestowing someone the chance to see their lives in the perspective of another person. I think this chance of "stepping out of your shoes" would benefit that person. Too often do we fail to realize that we live such a privileged life. Too often do we say, "wow my life sucks," when in reality, it's far from it. Like what Paige stated above, I'm very good when it comes to viewing the positive attributes of others but I fail to see any positive attributes in myself. I think being able to view myself in someone else's eyes would make me a more confident person, and someone who can love myself for who I truly am. Pessimism is very much evident everyone's lives and maybe this gift can help us reduce that.
DeleteFrancesca, I would have never thought of this type of gift it's very interesting and wish I could experience this because it seems to be a life changing gift that would alter the views of oneself forever.
DeleteWow, I completely forgot about "It's a Wonderful Life." It's been so long since I have seen it that I didn't even think about how it could be applied to this blog post. In fact this bolg topic has made me really see the meaning behind the movie and appreciate it that much more. I think your gift is a really clever and extremely useful one as well. People never get to see themselves from another perspective and I think we could learn a lot about ourselves through the eyes of others. You wrote a very insightful response.
DeleteI admire the unique perspective from which you approached this blog. Though I am not very sure that everyone who would have this experience would be pleased with their results, it is an interesting opportunity to find out what other people really think of you. Whether it is positive, negative or neutral, everyone is of some significance. The fact you were able to incorporate this is very profound.
DeleteI loved you're intro and how you led into "Its a Wonderful Life." Your idea is so original yet obvious. I mean who hasn't asked for that before? Jealous lol very well done,
DeleteI absolutely loved your response. I am also a huge fan of It's A Wonderful Life, and when I caught a glimpse of the title in your blog I knew I had to read it. What a great idea, I am always fascinated by the concept of showing someone what the world would be like without them when watching It's A Wonderful Life, and that truly seems like an amazing gift to give someone.
DeleteI really like the idea of this type of gift. People tend to focus on the things that they don't have so they often overlook the things that they have already been gifted with. This is all part of human nature but it's such a terrible way to view life. We all need to learn how to appreciate the positive things in life because that is what will essentially make us happier.
DeleteHonestly, I've never watched its a wonderful life so I don't have the best idea of the movie. However I know the general plot and that's an interesting idea. I've always wondered how I look to other people and how life would be without me here. I never thought about giving someone else the ability to do that though, it's a good idea and it would certainly be worthwhile to that person. If any one person could see how they positively influence people, their lives would increase dramatically. Interesting points. Good post blondie.
DeleteConfidence is definitely something that would be beneficial to a teenager, me especially. Sometimes I overthink things about people and it winds up with me ruining things because I use to much of my brain when trying to develop friendly human relationships. I would kill for some more self confidence around people, and I feel that everyone here would agree. Also, I concur that It's a Wonderful Life is a fantasic movie! Great post!
DeleteWhereas I could just say that if I had the power to bestow upon someone a gift of any sorts I would give them the ability to control time, I decided to dig deeper into the depths of my mind for another answer. So I asked myself, what does one want, but can’t have? After a bit of thinking and some mindless browsing on instagram, I came upon a picture that my cousin posted of my dad and his six brothers and sisters. The picture was taken on our last visit to the Philippines, approximately two summers ago, in which we were able to spend a month with our loved ones. Gazing at the picture, my eyes landed to my dad and I immediately saw the enormous smile that was plastered on his face. The first thing that came to my mind was, “that’s it!” Just by seeing that picture, I knew what I wanted to write about in this blog post.
ReplyDeleteYou see, almost eleven years ago, my mom and dad left the comfort of their homes and families to move to America in hopes of giving me and my three brothers and sisters a better lifestyle. Whereas my mom was close to her brother and sister, my dad and his brothers and sisters shared a bond stronger than any adhesive glue. Despite the twelve hour time difference, my dad and his siblings called each other every day and every night. No matter if it was six in the morning here or eleven at night there, they always found a way to talk to one another. If I were able to bestow a gift to anyone in the world, I’d bestow the gift of having my dad’s brothers and sisters live in America near our family. As stupid as this idea may seem, the immigration laws are very very strict here in America. My dad’s youngest brother and his wife have tried multiple times in getting a visa to travel to America and try and try again, they always end up being denied. None of our relatives from the Philippines are able to visit us here. Being able to bring one of my dad’s ultimate sources of happiness to him, would be not only a wish granted to him, but to me as well.
Nothing makes my dad happier than when he spends ten dollars for a two minute call just to talk to his siblings. Too often do we take the comfort of having our families in reach for granted. My dad always told me that the only downside to being in America is that he can’t just go to his brothers and sisters house whenever he wants. He tells me daily that if it weren’t for us, he would have gone back by now just because he misses his family so much. And although that might sound quite heartbreaking on my part, I understand him because I don’t know if I could ever go days without seeing my siblings, let alone years.
I no longer want an ocean to separate my dad and his siblings. Money, time, and responsibilities make it so hard for us to travel back to the Philippines and having them live a mere drive away would make everyone of our lives a hundred times easier. Families should never be split apart, because at the end of the day, our family is all we have to lean back on. If I were able to grant anyone a single wish, it would be to have dad’s brother’s and sisters live in America. No more one month vacations and painful goodbyes... Only “Hello”’s and “see you tomorrow,”’s.
I totally agree with your response because my parents haven’t been to Mexico ever since I could remember. Although Mexico is closer than the Philipines, it is impossible to travel to your grandmother’s house that you haven’t seen since you were in elementary school everyday because your parents work so much and don’t have time for anything. It is also disappointing how this problem is faced by millions of immigrants that call America home. Like you said, even as the cost of traveling back to your parent’s country is very expensive, so is calling your parent’s home everyday. My parents spend at least an hour on the phone talking to their relatives that they have at least every three days, which adds a good amount on the phone bill. I really like your idea because I see the exact problem with my parents everyday, and I would really like to see an increase of times that my parents can visit Mexico.
DeletePaula, your blog post made me upset and made me think because I know what it’s like to go years without seeing loved ones but I have no idea what it’s like to be in a completely different country then them. Your dedication to your family makes me smile because it gives me hope that love is a strong enough bond to maintain these relationships. I’m glad that your dad still is able to communicate with them despite of the cost and I hope that one day you will be able to achieve living closer to your family members. Great post!
DeletePaula, I can only imagine how hard it must be to be so far away from home and many family members. Saying good bye is one of the hardest things people go through because they aren't 100% sure of the next time they will meet again. I think this would be a great gift to give to your father, and I hope that one day your family in the Philippines can move to America and be with your family.
DeletePaula, I do not understand what it is like to be separated from family and hope I never do. This gift that you would bestow upon someone is a wonderful one because it is true that at the end of the day all we have left is our family and no one should be separated from their loved ones.
DeleteI have always wondered about the immigration laws of the country. You always hear about these horrors in other countries and it always leads me to wonder why people don't just leave. After reading your blog post I now understand that not only strict immigration laws stand in their way but the pain of leaving behind all that is familiar must be enormous. It makes me wonder about my German ancestors who came to America a few generations ago. Way back then, they couldn't call or even write to each other because it was so difficult and expensive. Mu dad was on fact the one that reconnected the German and American Schieders. Your post has really made me appreciate the struggles my own family went through to have a better life. Thank you.
DeleteFirst off i love you Cuerquis. Second, i have sympathy for you about this topic. I wish you weren't seperated from your family but i also think when you see them you cherish those moments so much more!
DeleteI never thought about the idea of bringing relatives closer to home. I also have relatives outside the country and my grandparents go visit them every year. As they get older though, the trips will get harder. So the idea of bringing the family over here is one i never thought of, but honestly should have. It's very sweet of you to want your family together, families should never be separated. I know it must be hard for your family to be so far apart and to only see each other knowing that you will soon leave. This was a really great idea for this blog
DeleteAfter traveling out of the country to Bermuda twice in one year I realized how thankful I really am to have the opportunity to do this. Sure going to bermuda is not my dream vacation, before the first time I went I never really gave that island much thought, but I would recommend traveling there to anyone now because of how peaceful and beautiful it is. With this being said if I could grant anyone one wish it would be to be able to take a week long break to their dream vacation place. For many people their vacation dreams are only a fairy tail swarmed together with doubt that they'll never happen. Many reasons would be because of money. It would require a lot of money saved in order to go on a big trip, which in that sense the dream trip is no longer negligible. Another reason people miss out on ever going would be based on time. People now a days are always so busy, they find there is no time to take a break and go relax or even take a vacation in that matter. Being tight on money or not having much time should not be reasons a person can't travel the world. My dream vacation, though often considered a common one, would be to travel to Italy and adventure though all the different places there. It's been my dream for a long time now and ever since I started to take Italian class in school my interest in it has grown. From all the pictures I've seen and the research I've done, Italy has so much to offer, from the historical background to the beautiful scenery. Traveling to Italy for sure would require a lot of saving for money and planning needs to be done correctly in order to make this trip happen. But being one of my top ten things to do, I would work really hard to make this trip happen. Of how happy and excited it makes me to even think about it, I would love to be able to give this wish to everyone, because ever desires this happy pleasure of going somewhere they only once dreamed about. The only advice I could think to give everyone once giving them the gift of a dream vacation would be to take a lot of pictures and make each moment special. Make the best of the entire trip, not just that but in life in general to find the happiness of everyday and not just while on your dream vacation. I hope everyone one day will be able to go on their dream vacation because everyone deserves to do what makes them happy.
ReplyDeleteAlthough based on completely different topics, our blog posts both share very similar characteristics. For example, we both talked about how money and time constraints inhibit us being able to travel to places we've never been and places we wish to go. My family goes on vacations quite often and the sole reason as to why we get to travel more frequently than others is because my parents work hard for their money. Time doesn't play as huge of a factor, but it is still a hurdle that stands in the way. It's upsetting to see that the farthest anyone has gone away from home is to a nearby state. The world has so much to offer and everyone deserves to be able to see all its beautiful attributes. Those who aren't as privileged as others never get to see their dream come true. I'm glad you chose to write about this because I think everyone deserves their dream vacation!
DeleteI liked this post because I too believe that Italy is a wonderful place to visit and is in my bucket list. I believe that this gift is a wonderful one because it is true that many people are restricted by time and money but it really is necessary for one to take a step back and relax for a week or so because if not then we will burn out and become full of stress.
DeleteI think it’s so sweet that you want you to give everyone their dream vacation. I think this topic is very unique which makes it really good! The whole time I was reading your post I kept imagining you as Walt Disney giving a bunch of little kids that don’t have enough money a free trip to Disney land or something. Anyway your post was very good and with your reference to your dream trip to Italy it made me realize that I want to travel to many places in the future as well. Your post gave me the drive to save up money so I can travel to these places.
DeleteI love how you would give everyone their dream vacation. I think that it is very thoughtful and everyone would gladly expect it because who doesn't need a really good vacation?!
DeleteMickey I never would have thought to give someone the gift of travel. But now that I think of it, it is such an amazing idea. I was a lot more fortunate when I was little than most other kids, because of the fact that my parents were so passionate about adventure and exposed me to a lot of foreign countries at a very young age. Traveling doesn't only provide new experiences, but it really does help us understand why things around us work the way the do by seeing things in a different light. It would be amazing if everyone could go on a dream vacation, because not only would it be...for lack of a better expression "dream come true", but also a chance for a new perspective.
DeleteI think that a vacation anywhere would be amazing, especially Italy! It would be a great way to relieve stress, which is what all of us needs I feel. People are age are under so much pressure that getting the chance to escape for a while would be much appreciated by all of us, and a dream vacation would just be the icing on the cake. Nice post!
DeletePerhaps the most important condition of this gift you would be bestowing is that you would be bestowing it upon only one single person. It is not something you would grant to everyone. It is not something for all to enjoy. In a way, this makes it a very selfish gift because you would without a doubt be giving it to someone close to you. You would want to see someone you love benefit from this. That's why I started considering a way to give a single gift that would benefit millions more than that single person. After all, if there is a possibility of making everyone happy with a single wish, wouldn't you seize it? But the only wish I could come up with was the gift one person with the burden of all the suffering in the world, in order for everyone else to be happy. In this case it would be nothing like a gift and more like a curse, but the concept is still the same. But the problem with such an act is that the one person would still suffer immensely, and therefore an even worse kind of guilt would be on your conscience. It seems to me the nature of this gift is that it could only benefit one person. Unless you were to wish for something like giving the person the gift of making everyone around them happy, but that would still only benefit a small number of people. So instead of trying to muddle out a way to bypass these rules and find something that would help everyone I turned my thoughts towards myself first. I thought, what would I want the most in the world? What would I benefit from?
ReplyDeleteThe most simple yet incredibly important trait sprung to mind. What I truly wanted in my life is total confidence. And if I could bestow it upon someone else, I certainly would. What I really desire is confidence in myself and my actions. Being plagued with constant anxiety and doubt is one of the worst factors in my life and if I could rid anyone of those things, I would. The ability to be confident in your appearance, your personality, your intelligent is an incredible gift. You would be able to wake up in the morning and love yourself, no matter what has happened or what may happen. You would be able to do exciting things and visit exciting places without being worried about trivial things like how everyone perceives you when you're out. With total confidence in themselves a person would be able to do so many countless things that they might not have been able to do otherwise. Of course, there may be some drawbacks to this- you could be so confident of your own prowess and get reckless. But there is never a gift without drawbacks. I suppose I am only granting a gift based on what I want but I can honestly think of nothing better to give. I would certainly love to know what it's like to have an ounce of confidence as I go through life.
Well, I am pleased to have read your blog. When it comes to confidence, im nowhere to be found. However, I think bestowing it on someone to me is really cool. like wrestling, I always panic and When I see others wrestle with less fear, it triggers me to know how it feels to be confident. Thank Paige. Nice work.
DeleteFirst of all, I think it's completely fine that you chose to give yourself a gift. You are not the only one affected by the loss of confidence. Millions of people around the world feel exactly as you do. I think confidence is a trait many people should have, but many people lack. As you said, to be confident is to be comfortable with who you are and what you do. Whether you disagree, I think one day you'll find your confidence. I know I didn't find it until last year. But even now I'm not always confident in myself. Being comfortable in your own skin is a process that takes time. If I can retrieve it, I'm almost 100% sure you can too. After reading a few blog posts about wanting to give or receive confidence, it's safe to say that confidence is a quality people need but don't have. I envy those who have the utmost confidence in everything they do, because while they're living life to their content, others are squirming at the idea of what others may think. Well written blog post!
DeleteThough I was sort of critical of our weight room buddy, I have to say that you embody the scenario of a truly gifted person without confidence. Because of this, I began to feel a bit inspired. I don't have the confidence that I seem to display but I still think I'm too hard on myself. You on the other hand have every right in the world to have confidence. Everyone sees your potential. Confidence is something you deserve.
DeleteIt’s definitely agreeable that it’s difficult to figure out a gift that benefits everyone. And this had leaded you to giving a gift to yourself. And there’s nothing wrong with that because there are many out in the world who also wish for confidence. You will find your confidence in yourself one day and so will many others. Some things just take time to appear in a person.
DeleteYou have confidence in their, Paige. You have confidence in your opinions and in yourself, mentally, however you don't express it very often, so maybe what you need is a little bit of courage. I admire your confidence though. Too many people are wishy washy and afraid of stepping on people's toes but you're not and that shows you have confidence in who you are and what you believe; something truly admirable :)
DeleteI really like your take on this question. When I was writing my blog, I made some restrictions for myself, so I didn't really think of any of the things you mentioned. I really liked your idea of giving someone the power to make everyone happy. It's such an amazing concept, and in this day and age, that one person could reach out to every single person in the world with the use of broadcasts over television, social networks, radios, etc. And if this person needs to see the people face to face to make them happy, he/she can travel the world and hold assemblies in arenas, auditoriums, parks, and whatever else you can think of. The possibilities are limitless and it is truly beautiful.
DeleteAlthough he isn’t perfect, my brother is probably the main influence in my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I was younger, he would dress me up in his hockey gear so he could train me to be his little hockey warrior. At one point, he actually had me as a mini bodyguard because I had long nails and people were afraid that I would scratch them. Eventually we both grew out of the “Follow me, Gabbie!” phase. We grew apart. He went into his computer phase, and then his partying phase. It was only until two years ago when we actually became friends again. We would talk in the car; he would give me advice on everything that he has gone through and then introduce me to countless books and indie bands. And I’ll never forget the day that he finally taught me how to ride a skateboard. That was just a few days before he left for college in Nevada, and I was so upset because I had finally felt like we became friends, and then he had to leave. But I guess that was for the better because he needed to leave. He needed to spread his wings a bit, but I feel like that didn’t really benefit him as much as I thought it would. He is still being kind of antisocial, and he isn’t focusing on school or doing well for that matter. He claims that it is because of his eczema, but that can’t possibly be the only reason.
ReplyDeleteFor the last two years, he wanted to drop out of college, but my parents won’t let him. I can understand perfectly why they don’t want him to drop out. He has so much potential and intelligence, but there is something wrong. I don’t think that he can focus kind of like me except worse. I don’t think that it is just from stress. Maybe he feels like his brain is scattered around his skull with no organization whatsoever. Whatever the issue is, I just want him to be happy and successful. I think it is great that he is very concerned about exercise, eating healthy, and his body, but I want him to be concerned about his future, too. I wish that I knew what exactly his problem was so that I could bestow upon him the most appropriate gift, but I don’t know and I don’t know that I will ever know. I suppose I should ask him, but I don’t want to badger him because my parents and my sister do enough of that.
The thought of him not wanting to talk to me anymore after asking him scares the living daylights out of me. But, I think his future is more important than my friendship with him. I friendship can be repaired, but the past can’t be. So wizard, oh wizard, I would like to bestow upon my brother, Edward, the power of motivation to keep trying in school and in life. And I wish for him to hold tightly onto it. I can only hope that he doesn’t discard it like he discards his banana peels because unlike his banana peels, there is actually use in my gift. It seems as though the tables have turned, and now, it is time for me to give him the advice. I would tell him that when it feels like you are trying your best but you aren’t seeing any results, then it is time to find a tutor. Get over your pride because it is not more important than your overall success. You need to put your future first right now. I understand that your training the cycling season is important, but if you don’t get your school work together first, there probably won’t be much of a future in cycling at all because you won’t have the money for it if you can’t find a good job. I know it sounds a bit drastic and exaggerated, but it could become a reality. I’m sorry for being so harsh, but sometimes you need to be in order to get the point across. I hope that I gave you the right gift, and if not, I would be happy to give you the receipt so you could get a new one that you find more fitting.
It's really touching how much you think of your brother... and it makes me really happy to see that you love your brother as much as you do (my own relationship with my brother is quite different, sadly). It's amazing that you can name an exact person you would want to give this gift too; that takes a lot of awareness. And motivation is certainly a brilliant gift to give anyone, no matter who that person may be. It is certainly a quality I am lacking and one that is envious when seen in others. I only wish you could give this gift to your brother for real- but maybe by talking to him you will anyway?
DeleteI think it’s wonderful that you care so much about your brother. Just like you I also care a lot about my brother and I want him to be successful in his future as well. Although my brother is 3 and not in school yet, he has taught me a lot about life just like your brother, just in a different way. So I think that this gift of motivation for your brother is really sweet and a great gift to give. Good job, I really enjoyed reading your post.
DeleteI was really touched by your story about your brother. I too wrote my response about giving a gift to a sibling. It's wonderful that you care so much about your brother, and your blog is truly a testament to how much you must love and and how much you want to see him succeed. Motivation is a great gift to give to anyone, so many of us are lacking it, which is such a shame because we all have the potential to be successful and do amazing things.
DeleteIf a kindly old wizard visited me and gave me the ability to bestow a gift upon one person of my choosing my initial reaction to the situation would be total shock, because for one wizards are believed to be fictional beings though they would be pretty amazing if they existed. Secondly I would be shocked because I would come to the realization that I just came into great power that could literally turn a person’s world upside down. I have given it some thought and I’ve tried to figure out a way that I could help everyone because there are so many people in the world who could use some help. There are those that need shelter, food, and water but then there are those that could use a non-corporeal gift something that could change how they act and in turn make them a better person. For example instead of giving a person who is well off a material item like a better house they could use the gift of honesty if they were a dishonest person. I have figured out a way that I could do something life changing for everyone, I would give the gift to myself. Now it sounds a bit selfish but it is not because the gift I would give myself is the ability to change a person’s life for the better. This gift would allow me to help other people in the way that they needed help the most whether it be a personality change like making a person honest or a physical gift like the essentials a person needs and maybe some extras for comfort. This would make the world a much better place because it would have a little more happiness in it. I believe being happy is essential in life; after all it is one my seven point creed. Think about it if life is only made up of unhappiness then what is the point, why is life worth living? That is one of the problems in our world people do not feel live is worth it so the give up and if I could change this I absolutely would, if I could give myself such a gift I would advise them to not forget their old life and to live their new life to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteNow if I had to give the gift to another person and one person only it would have to be my grandmother. I would do this because she is my role model. She is the woman who pulled her kids out of a burning home, always made sure everyone is taken care of to the best of her ability, and has been a second mother to me. She is in the memories as far back as I can remember, and has helped not only me but everyone else out on countless occasions. I would give her the gift of a stress free life, this means taking care of everything for her. I would clean up her debt take away her medical condition and all of the pain it causes her, would fix her husband because he is very rude to her and does nothing to help out with all of her stress but stays home all day and adds to her list of stress. If I gave this gift to her she could be a happier and healthier person, but the only advice I would give her would be to live life to the fullest and do not take a single day for granted because many people would love to be in that position.
I love how you referred back to your seven point creed! And happiness really is essential for life. Also your gift to yourself was well thought out, because that’s a terrific and original way to helping everyone in need.
DeleteWell, the idea of refering back to the seven Creed brought out an important point. I was fascinated When. you decided to talk about a gift to yourself, I think it allows an individual to use his/her qualities for good. Thanks. Good job.
DeleteI can't wait to be a mother when I grow up. Of course I want an education, and get a job that makes me happy, and establish myself as an independent person. But all that put aside, I really want a family of my own. I want to wake up every morning next to a husband of my own. I want to feel so exhausted from taking care of my own children, but feeling so loved at the same time. But the one thing I'm scared of about all of this is how I'm going to influence by kids concerning how they will turn out as people. The thing that bothers me most about others is that people tend to be so invested in other peoples' lives. They thrive on picking apart what makes a person a person. But what they don't know is that while they are quick to judge and comment, the opportunity for a new experience is rapidly running away from them.
ReplyDeleteWith this in mind, I think if I were able to bestow any type of gift to any person, it would be to give my future child the gift of an open mind.
I’m not saying that I want my child to take this quality to the next level by leaving their trust in just any person, or doing something that could put them in harm’s way. However, if I were to leave this Earth earlier than expected before I get to see my kids grow up, I would want them to be able to accept others and not worry about the little things.
The world is a scary place. I can only imagine what it will be like in the next twenty years. But the thing that shouldn't be feared is anything we don't understand. And with this fear of misunderstanding, the common habit is to grow to hate that mysterious thing. I want my child to be able to embrace differences, without being judgmental. With this open mind, I would give the advice to be open to learn new things. Appreciate others because they are different. And most importantly, it’s never harm to try something.
I never would have thought to mention an open mind! People are extremely judgmental especially when it comes to things like sexuality, race, tattoos, piercings, the way we dress, and the way we speak. Each and every single person on this earth is going through some kind of struggle at the moment and others need to be more understanding of this. The moment humans cease dissecting each other, then the world will know peace.
DeleteBestowing the gift of an open mind something I personally find great. I try to keep an open mind on all things myself. Not many are willing to have an open mind because they fear the judgment. That’s truly a wonderful gift to give.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI like the idea of you giving this gift not to someone that is alive right now, but that will be in the future. I feel the same way you do though, I’m also afraid of how my own kids are going to turn out. It’s a scary thought, will be they be hard working and nice people, or lazy and mean? I understand completely when you said all of the things you want your kids to be. You just have to trust that you will raise your kids right and they will turn out to be everything you want them to be. So I definitely agree with what you’re saying and after reading your post, I think you’ll be a great mom someday.
DeleteOpen mindedness is something valuable that not many people possess. It's what makes us feel more connected to our surroundings because an open mind helps us get a better understanding of others. We can't help that we all have different outlooks on the world so why don't we all learn to respect that. By keeping an open mind, we are able to not only connect with each other, but we are also able to connect with ourselves.
DeleteHaving an open mind is a great virtue for one to possess because I believe in this world we are all just a little too judgmental. We are always judging the actions of others but in all reality no one is perfect so no one has room to judge. Open mindedness would solve this problem because then people would learn to think before they judge.
DeleteGranting a wish is surely a great burden. It’s an especially great burden when you’re given the power to by the great wizard Albus Dumbledore. I wouldn't want to ever make the wrong choice, but it is whatever I want. So I’ll have a little fun with this particular blog. With my grand powers I’d give the ability of living forever. I really mean forever. With the ability they'd be invincible, but not like crazy “Twilight” vampires invincible. They'd simply be them, but nothing can happen to them. I’ve come to realize that our lives as humans aren’t very long and great minds end after their time is up. They leave a legacy that we learn a thing or two from, yet slowly it’s forgotten. Nothing, but documents are left that accumulate dust day after day after day. While others live on never receiving that chance to learn of that legacy and are completely wasted and they hardly get the chance to make a difference in this world. They have potential to be another great mind, but by the time that is realized it's too late. This is mostly due to the fact that some of us are just so consumed into our daily lives that are either terrible or amazing. So people don't really worry about what's going to happen in a hundred or so years from now. Unless of course in some way benefits them or affects them at this moment in time. People have the simple goals of living life to the fullest or not caring much at all. And no matter how hard we try to find a loop hole, we will never be able to slow or stop time in order to see more into ourselves. My gift does hold a hefty pressure of not being able to die, so choosing the person to be the receiver would be an arduous choice.
ReplyDeleteThat lucky person would be eternally free to live among societies and study the humans around them. At some point I'd hope they realize the greatness they can achieve in their large expanse of spare time. Hopefully they will build a vast knowledge so great to create wisdom unlike any kind to help the world and the people in it. They'd be able to discover answers to the mysteries a regular person could never have the time to study, understand or comprehend. Eventually they'd gain such a vast knowledge to answer anything they're asked. And with that knowledge they'd keep even after the Earth finds its end and travel through the Universe to share and spread what they know. And with this gift I would give a few words of advice to them. My words would simply be that having knowledge from something is significant, but sharing and spreading that knowledge is even more significant.
Soti, although the thought of being impervious is quite entertaining, I am afraid of living forever. Just think about all of the pain that we encounter in one lifetime. I couldn't possibly imagine having to deal with that for thousands and thousands of years. I also couldn't envision watching everything and everyone around me perish whilst I continue to live on. Of course immortality has its perks such as being able to see much more than the average human being, but I am okay with dying when my time has come.
DeleteI have always been intrigued by the notion of living forever. While it is quite appealing, it is also unnecessary. We all must die in order for life to move on, that's how evolution and natural selection work. Also, living forever would mean watching people you care and love die. You'd find new people and watch them die as well. After some time, you'd get sick of it. The human mind can only handle so much grief. While living forever is appealing, dieing also is. I liked this post, it brought up a good idea.
DeleteI will probably take heat for the ambiguity with which I write this blog. How can I, with any confidence give one specific thing to one specific person when I could single handedly rewrite human history? I could cure a disease or feed the hungry or grant someone immortality. Dictatorial regimes could be replaced with utopias and technology could advance into the next millennium. And with my decision, all of these things are possible but none are guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteIt has always been my desire to grant the power of omniscience to someone that I feel would have the initiative to simultaneously improve mankind and his or her own happiness. The concept of omniscience in itself is confusing and ambiguous in itself. In the standard issue eighth grade torture device, The Giver omniscience is viewed as a painful yet necessary component for a perfect world. It certainly is not my desire to inflict such pain onto this person. However, I can see how such information can be overwhelming. In Psychology class, we learned of the stressful minds of people who are unable to forget, and omniscience makes that unfortunate disorder seem trivial. Therefore, I would give this gift to an infant who will not necessarily have to lose their sense of humanity. And in order to not deprive this child of his or her happiness and life experiences, omniscience would be granted in gradually throughout his or her life.
If I must name someone, I would grant this ability to my infant cousin Colton because why wouldn’t I want to be related to a fountain of knowledge. As far as offering my advice to this recipient, this would basically be done through my interactions and relationships with him. Though my advice and opinions would be basically useless since Colton would know them before I basically would even think of them. But as omniscience is granted to him in increments, I would be given leverage to indoctrinate him a bit, so I do admit that this is self-serving. However, I am confident that whatever bias I impose is obliterated by sheer knowledge. And by basically having the best reference source of all time, I could achieve much academic success and learn many interesting things that I could never fathom.
By doing this, I give a great gift to one person no doubt. But it is ultimately a greater gift to humanity in that all information that is ever needed can be allotted. And with this knowledge, the human race will have that ability to make unprecedented leaps into the future. Admittedly, this wouldn’t exactly be kind to Colton. So why wouldn’t I bare that burden? It’s simply egotistic to imply that I could be or deserve being omniscient. And frankly, I’m afraid what it might mean in terms of agony and stress. However, my intention I believe justifies the needs. My gift to one would ultimately be a gift to all.
I know we already discussed this in exciting second period weight room while completely failing to work out, but I still think your idea for this blog is pretty darn cool. You certainly stepped outside the bounds and reached for something that could only ever be a wish. But if one single person had omniscience, that would raise so many questions. Like, if that person knew it all, would they even care for the world anymore? If you knew everything and anything that would happen, you would grow bored with the world. People would seem so useless and petty to you. I don't think anything human could successfully wield this gift- it would take a sort of strength human minds don't possess. Although, I suppose if by granting this wish you are bringing that person to a level about human it would work. None of this is really related to the blog (sorry) but I find it an interesting thought to ponder.
DeleteI totally used this post to get myself thinking about my own. I even mention you in it, as sort of my works cited, because seeing how you approached the question influenced my thinking quite a bit. There is no doubt that access to this infinite library of knowledge would be quite amazing and raise a bevy of these questions Paige is alluding to. I encourage you to read my post, as it tries to flesh them out a little. And having an omnipotent cousin would be pretty sweet. Young and impressionable too. Good choice.
DeleteParents. They are people we take for granted each and every single day of our lives. What if one day you woke up without a mother AND a father and had to be cared for by another family member (or whoever was willing to tolerate you for that period of time)? This is obviously going to be difficult for most of us to imagine, but I know two little boys that are living this kind of life. They are the sweetest and most thoughtful kids that you will ever encounter. My greatest gift to these children will be a loving mother.
ReplyDeleteI have known these children all of their short lives (the oldest one is the sixth grade and the youngest is in pre-school). The two boys share a mother, but have separate incarcerated fathers. That obviously would not be such a terrible thing if the mother even bothered to be in the lives of her children. The mother walked out of their lives shortly after the birth of the youngest one. Seeing as C (the youngest one) is too small to remember his mother, he hardly mentions her existence. On the other hand, K (the oldest son) is constantly remembering his mother. He is always worrying about her well-being, he always wants to call her, and he is always wanting for her to return home. Even though he is constantly thinking about her, I'm pretty sure that he scarcely crosses her mind.
I would like to bequeath these two angels with a loving mother because their mother did something that I will never forget. She called her sons right before their birthday (they are born in the same month) and promised that she would be in attendance at their party. The youngest one didn't really care because he hasn't spent that much time with her. Conversely, his older brother was absolutely thrilled about seeing his mother. That was the only thing that he was able to talk about! On the day of their party, I sat down with them, ate, and tried to get their minds off of things. K was extremely concerned about his mother; he kept asking about her. Hours flew by and she never showed up. She also failed to contact either of the boys for an entire year. This broke my heart.
These boys need a mother who is always going to be there for them. They need a mother that is going to wipe their noses when they get sick, give them blankets when they are cold, and hold them when they need to be held. They need a mother that is a constant, not a variable. I am sick and tired of seeing them utterly distraught over the whereabouts of a woman that is not even thinking about them. After this magical spell is cast upon their mother to make her love them, I would have to give her several words of advice.
"Your children did not ask to be here, regardless, you still need to treat them like human beings. You need to be the mother to them that your mother never was to you. You need to stop running around like some reckless teenager. Those years are over; you have two beautiful children now. Stop chasing after so many men and start worrying about your children". That's all I want her to hear. She has little or no idea as to how her behavior is affecting her sons.
I feel as though I care about her children more than she does. I pray for her kids. I have cried myself to sleep over her children. I have helped them with their homework and given them lectures on the future. I just want her sons to do well in life. Whilst she is out and about, everyone else is left to take care of her children. These two young boys need a mother, not necessarily THEIR OWN mother, but a mother of some sorts that will stay with them until her last breath.
This made me want to cry because I don't think I could imagine myself being okay if my mother abandoned me. I love my mom so much, and she does so much for me. She is the rock in my family. She holds our house together, and without her, I don't know what we would do. Everyone deserves a mom, and I really hope that one day these boys will have a mother that will love them just as much as they love her and maybe more.
DeleteIt's always sad to hear about young kids who are forced to grow up in a broken family. Especially since mothers play a huge role in keeping a household in one piece. I think that it's sweet of you to bestow this gift of motherly love. These boys definitely deserve a complete and loving family.
DeleteAs we all know I am a very giving person. After my competitive nature in sports and life I am more than willing to help people in need whether I know them or not. The usual answer to a question like this would be to the homeless person a home and a family. That is something I would love to do and wish I could do everyday but I have a broader topic and gift I would give. I have realized that a lot of people these days all have families. I have a family and all of you have families. Everyone in the entire world has families whether they are your kin or not but are they truly their family? We all have these so called “families” but we all don’t have true ones. Some are lucky and should be grateful to have those families who would do anything to make them happy and help them be successful. But most are stuck with either the parents that could careless about them or their futures. There are also those parents or guardians that try so hard but try too hard and end up hurting and pushing their children away by the way we talk to them. With that said I would give a child that has been abused or abandoned a family that will love and support him or her. This child will grow and never have wished for a better life and a better family. We all say there is no such thing as a perfect family but just this one there will be and it will make a difference in this child’s life.
ReplyDeleteWith a gift that may say simple is very complex and can be easily messed up. The advice I would give this child as they begin to experience this new life with the perfect family would be to most importantly to love them and respect them. This advice will only bring the child an even better life. I would also tell the child to never say they hate their parents and at the end of everyday go up to them and hug them and say “I love you”. It will make any problem they are going through or any problem they are going through as a family better even if it’s temporarily. Family is all about love and that is what I would hope for this child. I feel like I am not the only one who feels like this because I know for a fact I am not the only one without a “perfect family” and maybe I said this because I sometimes wish it on myself. Don’t we all?
This is so true, and very sweet. I am totally agreeing with this!
DeleteI think this is a great gift to give because every child deserves a good home because without it it's impossible to have a good childhood. Family is the basis for all our relationships and with a good family we all have a good foundation for the rest of our lives.
DeleteAlthough I complain about my mother constantly and probably say I hate her more then I should, deep down inside, in my heart I do love her. I mean although she pisses me off all day every day, I know she cares about me and does a lot for me. My mom may not show it all the time but I know she loves me, my sister, and my brother dearly. She constantly wants what’s best for us and she always strives to give us that. I know that she stresses herself out because we don't have a lot of money. It really sucks because I know she wants to give my siblings and I all of the things she didn't have growing up, but she can't. I know she gets disappointed when she thinks about paying for our weddings, college tuition, our first car, or even help with any financial issues we may have in the future. It makes me sad too because as much as I want to be successful in my future my mom wants me to be successful even more and she’s afraid that we don’t have the money to get me there. I feel like my mom is constantly unhappy and beating herself up over everything and I know money shouldn’t cause happiness but in this case it would. So if I were to give one person something, I would give my mom enough money to support her family. However much that may be, just enough to fill her heart with happiness and make her smile. It seems like forever since I’ve actually seen my mom smile and it would mean a lot to me to see her smile. This gift is not only the gift of money but something much deeper. It’s giving my mom the gift of happiness and the satisfaction of being a good mom. Right now I can tell that she doesn’t think she’s a very good mom, but if I could magically give her a million dollars I know she would finally feel like she’s a good mom. This gift would make not only my mom but my whole family happy. I constantly feel horrible about the cost of dance and just asking my mom for money at all. With this gift everyone in my family would be happy and I love making people happy. My mom and I don’t really have a strong relationship and I feel like I always fight with her. All the stuff I put her through is not fair to her so this gift from me would not only strengthen our relationship but it would make me feel better about the way I’ve treated my mom in the past. I know that this money wouldn’t make all of my mistakes disappear, but it would be a start and I will finally be able to feel like I’ve done something nice for my mother.
ReplyDeleteIn giving my mom this money I would give her the advice to not blow it all right away. I would tell her to save some of it and invest it, if that makes any sense at all. I’m not really good with financial advice but with this money, I would tell my mom to do whatever will make her happy, because that’s the whole point of the gift.
I feel that right now, without the money, you are able to make your mom feel like a good mother just by expressing it. Like doing simple things and telling her it's alright because she is just a human and she's doing the best she can. Hey maybe one day when you get a job you could give her that million bucks.
DeleteI agree with Danielle on this one. Trust me. I get not getting along with your parents. I have gone through screaming matches with my mom as well as the kind of moments you have with best friends with my mom. And as much as money would relieve a lot of stress in most situation, reminding her that you appreciate her even when you don't want to can work just as well.
DeleteIt's really nice of you to do that for your mom. It's a nice way to say that you love her and that you care about her, but in the meantime while we are searching for the wizard, you should try to show her that you appreciated what she does for you.
DeleteMoney isn't everything. I would chose seeing your family smile over money. Everything you said in this post is very true. Keep your head up, you are a special person with a very bright future :)
DeleteTo me the gift of understanding is quite a valuable and respectable gift. I don’t mean understanding as in understanding everything in the universe, but to understand other’s decisions and actions without wondering their motive. Sort of like empathy with logic behind it. For example, someone could have a bad connection with their father and have boy issues because of it. Say that person was your girlfriend. Instead of getting angry with her for her lack of trust or clinginess, you understood why and how she felt without drudging up deep history or having a rather awkward conversation since you lack empathy towards her. Let’s be honest, sympathy is just weird and awkward and doesn’t really help as much as empathy. Still, empathy, sadly, is a rare connection. I would love to give someone this gift; to be able to understand and treat every human how they deserve to be treated. I would warn them of selflessness though or wearing themselves thin. Sometimes you need to be a little selfish in order to keep a handle on life. You can’t fix the world, but you can at least understand it.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, I completely agree with you; people need to be more understanding. The lack of understanding is what eventually leads to hatred. I really liked the fact that you mentioned relationship problems because they happen all of the time. There are girls that have a poor connection with their father and rely heavily on their boyfriend to take care of them. Some boys will not understand that their girlfriend's poor relationship with her father is causing her to act like this, so he will just break up with her. However, there are some gentlemen out there who will sit down with their girlfriend and discuss the issue with her. Do to this understanding nature, the boy was able to salvage his relationship and maybe even save his girlfriend's life.
DeleteThis is awesome because you can't find too many people that are understanding. I agree with this, it's so true!!
DeleteDanielle I believe understanding is a great gift to give someone I believe it would clear up a lot of the great conflicts in this world if we all learned to understand each other. I also believe understanding would cause a lot of heartache because if people really understood each other I think they would know why certain relationships don't last.
DeleteDanielle that is so sweet. I am your blog posts has this positive message in all of them and I love it. This is something the world definitely need and I feel that people are so selfish they wouldn’t understand other. So this is a perfect gift that you bestow upon someone from an old kindly wizard. Great job Danielle.
DeleteI agree completely with this. Empathy is probably the most important conversational tool, but it seems sometimes that people are getting less and less of it. I wold love to be able to understand everyone's problems, but nobody ever really has the same experiences in life, and sadly there is a divide between people at times because of this. Giving people empathy would definitely be invaluable to everyone.
DeleteThe minute that I read this blog I knew exactly what I was going to write about without a single doubt in my mind. So I’ll skip the blabbery introduction that my responses usually consist of and dive right into it.
ReplyDeleteIf I could bestow one gift upon one person in the entire world, I would give my little sister the strength to let go.
I understand that this gift is quite vague, and if left unexplained it probably wouldn’t make much sense at all. I don’t talk about this very often simply because it pierces my heart so harshly, but in this case I feel that some explanation is necessary. My younger sister has experienced more tragedy and been through more awful situations that no eleven year old child should even be able to fathom. The particulars are not important so I won’t bother mentioning them, but in short my sister lost someone whom she loved with all of her heart. And in her tender mind she could not uncover any rhyme or reason as to why this dreadful thing had happened. My family felt paralyzed as we watched her spiraling out of control, unable to provide her with steady ground. We were completely powerless, and we realized quickly that my sister was in desperate need of professional intervention. The endless, grueling hours of therapy and meetings will be forever imprinted on my mind. But after more than I year, I feel as though I finally have my baby sister back.
Now, this gift is one that would most definitely still be applicable today, but if I could, I would rewind time and provide my sister with this gift when she was at her lowest point. I believe that the strength to let go and move on would have allowed her to free herself from her unbearable burden much sooner, and the entire process would have been far less horrific for my entire family. She is just a little girl, and no child that young should ever have to experience what she has gone through over the past year and a half. I cannot even begin to approximate all of the nights I stayed up praying that some way, somehow she would find the strength to let go, all of the hours I spent wishing that I could provide her with that relief. The ability to give her that strength is something that I have spent the better part of a year aching for, that is why it was so easy for me to answer this blog post.
But with this gift I would also give my sister the advice that letting go does not mean forgetting. Letting go is simply a way to allow yourself to begin living again, it is a release that can allow you to find happiness again. But we should never forget the bad things that happen to us, because they play a vital role in molding the people that we grow to be. I would advise her to never forget what happened to her, and to try and somehow find an appreciation for it, as hard as that may be for her.
Possessions can generally be placed into two different categories: the things we want and the things we need. Distinguishing our desires from our necessities is usually based on perspective. Of course, if we had the power to bestow a gift upon someone, we would want to give them something that they would treasure forever. The best kind of gift is the kind that could be considered both a desire and a necessity. A sense of hope is a present that everyone could cherish in one way or another. Hope is something that we could all use at some point in our lives because life is unfortunately filled with spontaneous ups and downs. Before you know it, your life could come crashing down right before your very eyes. There will come a day when you hit rock bottom. There will come a day when you feel as if there is no point pursuing your life long goals and dreams. In situations like this, a sense of hope really comes in handy. Those who have yet to experience a nadir in their life may not see the value in this gift. It may seem like something useless, just a simple desire. However, a sense of hope will always be there to catch you during those times when everything is going downhill. That’s when you will realize that this gift is a necessity to living happily. It would be selfish of me to give this gift to one person in particular. Everyone needs and deserves a sense of hope. In the short amount of time that I have existed, I have seen way too many people experiencing feelings of discouragement. It’s so painful to see so many people drowning in their miseries because they lack hope. When we are in this state of emotion, we often forget that life gets better. Eventually, we will all conquer the troubles that are weighing us down. A sense of hope will remind us all to think optimistically. It serves as a constant reminder that everything will be all alright, even when it feels like nothing can cure you from the hopelessness chained to your thoughts. Sometimes these feelings of despair can get the best of us. Unfortunately, hopelessness has already taken the lives of many. It’s upsetting to think that someone felt so useless to the point where they felt the need to take their own life just so that the suffering would end. No one deserves to feel this helpless. I want everyone to receive my gift of hope because I view it as a desirable necessity. I view it as something that everyone can find highly valuable because it is essentially a life saver. We always need hope. Hope is what gives us the motivation to work hard in order to achieve all of our goals. It is the thing that makes us feel happy and secure even in situations where we feel vulnerable to the dangers that the world presents us with. Hope is what inspires us to keep our heads up and our minds optimistic as we continue the journey of life.
ReplyDeleteEmily this is a great blog. A sense of hope is wonderful because you don’t know what the future hold and as a result you need something to support you and nothing is better than hope. I really enjoy this blog because it revive my hope since I been feeling sad and depressed for a while and this just help make me happy. So I have to thank you so much for writing this blog and great job.
DeleteSometimes when I walk in the hallways of Oakcrest, or anywhere in public, I think to myself “if everyone in the world was like me, this world would be a much better place.” Selfish..yeah, true.. probably not. I am the kind of person that holds the door for everyone, whether your a step, or a mile away. I say sorry to everyone whether it’s my fault or not, and when driving I am the person that lets people turn before me, or get into my lane when their blinker is flashing. I am far from perfect but I can say I am very polite. I was always taught growing up to hold the door open, or say please and thank you. I can’t take credit for doing this all on my own, I give my parents full credit because I am the spitting image of both of them.
ReplyDeleteIn this messed up world in which we take part in everyday, I would bestow the gift of my politeness and patience to the world. This seems a little bit cocky, but I don’t mean to brag. I get offended if I hold the door for someone and they can’t even say thank you. I get offended if someone doesn’t say “god bless you” when I sneeze. If everyone in the world could say a few simple words like “please” and “thank you” I would bestow my politeness so that the world would be a way better place. There would be no violence, and a lot less crime.
This is the type of world I imagine living in. Everyone is polite to one another and no one holds grudges. Everyone holds the door for each other and does kind and friendly gestures just because its the right thing to do.
After bestowing these gifts, I would tell the people who got this gift to use it wisely. Use it to be polite but not to get walked all over. Use it when you’re getting your morning coffee and someones trailing behind you walking into Wawa. However, do not use it when people try to walk all over you. Be polite, but only to a certain extent. The worst you can do is let people walk all over you like a sidewalk.
Being polite and patient is two of the best traits you can have, using them the right way is the best thing you can do.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs I read this blog, I thought what I would want to give one person in this world. Compassion? Confidence? A super power? I don't want to give a power that only helps the person who has it. That's like the rich having money just to have it. I want one person to be able to make others happy. I want to give a special someone a way to positively influence their life and anyone who they come in contact with. But what could I give a person that would benefit everyone they meet? What power makes people feel better about themselves? Acceptance. I could give them acceptance. The ability to accept others into their lives without hesitation, the ability to believe that all men are equal, the ability to make friends with the world. I have always been an advocate for acceptance in the world, whether it be religious, ethnic or social acceptance. If our world was a world where people could just accept the beliefs of others or the ethnic background of others without any trouble, we'd have peace. We could all co-exist happily on this earth. I honestly believe that everyone has good in them. Christians, atheists, muslims, blacks, whites, Asians, poor, rich etc. We're all humans, if we started helping one another instead of putting labels we would all benefit. We don't need to fight because we believe in different things, let's respect everyone's beliefs and live our lives. Let's accept everyone. The world changes one person at a time, so if I had to give just one a person a gift, I'd look for Mr. Anti-everything against his beliefs and let him become more accepting to others. It will help the people who get accepted and help the man make more friends and just live an overall better life. After I bestow the gift on this person, I would tell them to go out and live. Shake hands with a former enemy. Make amends with that guy you argued with about religion. Respect others and they will respect you. I believe that once people see what being accepting feels like, everyone would do it. Accepting leads to being accepted. If you live a life where you close people off, you're going to end up lonely. Nobody likes to be lonely.
ReplyDeleteI agrede with the sentiment that no One likes to be lonely. I am happy that you want to make a difference, it is really important that When you give out a wish it not only benefits One but many. And I find that to be interesting. Thanks for the thoughts.Good job.
DeleteDan this blog is awesome because of the way you view life. It is really hard to see the good in people but it harder to believe there is good in everybody. But the fact that you are able to believe in this is amazing it really show how good a person you are. Acceptance is a wonderful power to the world, better than my power, which is relaxation. I totally agree with you that nobody like to be alone. It is the worst feeling but even though it sucks to be not accepted it will be awesome when you do get accepted. Great job on the blog.
DeleteThere’s a million and one things I could think of that I could ask the great Albus Dumbledore that wouldn’t cause him to bat an eye but there is only one thing sticks out in my mind that is worthy of being a gift to another person. This is due to the fact that in Psychology we just got finished the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and out of the ones mentioned some of them being safety, self-actualization, and a few others but the one that stuck out to me in particular was the one that was in regards to a sense of belonging. With this fact I believe this is what everyone is searching for a home a place where they feel safest and this isn’t in just the literal sense but the figurative sense too. What I means that a home isn’t exclusive to a place of dwelling because I believe you can find a home in people too. I think everyone is searching for one or the other and that is why if I could grant someone one wish it would be a home. For someone who is needy this may be a house to shield them from the harsh cold of the winter, or a place where they feel safe from others. But for someone else a home may bear an entirely different meaning which could not be exclusive to a place but also to a person or people that shield us from harm, make us feel safe, or just plain old make us feel like we belong. A home means different things to different people and I believe we should all have one.
ReplyDeleteOnce that person has a home I would advise them not take it for granted which is what many of us so often do. We can always point out the flaws in our home whether it in regards to people or a place what I think so many of us don’t realize is not everyone has these things to make us feel safe or like we belong. In fact I find it hard to imagine not having a place where I feel totally comfortable in fact it would be extremely sad. So I believe instead of pointing out the flaws of in our respective homes we should appreciate our homes for what they do have and value the fact that we have them.
Gosh if a good Maslow Hierarchy or Dumbledore allusion doesn't get me titillated, I don't know what does. Your answer of a home is surprising, because I didn't seriously consider a tangible object as a legitimate answer to the prompt. But then, I have to consider that a home need not necessarily be tangible, but rather a concept, by the whole "house but not a home" concept. It's very altruistic of you, Tamirah.
DeleteI cannot fight off the desire to ascribe the task put before me as the duty of a Greco-Roman God, and so I will look to my limited knowledge of classical antiquity for inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThe most admired Greek hero is by far the “wanderer harried for years on end”, Odysseus Laertiades. Beyond the characteristics shared by his contemporary heroes, like Agamemnon and Aeneas, Odysseus was blessed specifically by the most interesting God, Pallas Athena, the revered god of wisdom and strength, and the namesake for possibly the most significant civilization in world history (Athens).
I look to Athena for an idea of gift because the perfect gift, because that gift must somehow be contained in her identity. The answer was most obvious: I would bestow the gift of intuition.
By intuition, I of course realize that we all possess this gift innately. What I wish to bestow is an intuition far more profound and encompassing than the evolutionary heuristics that we are naturally imbued with. In connection to Dave W’s gift, it is sort of like a form of omnipotence. This gift will allow its trustee with the power to derive knowledge and insight that may not be otherwise accessible with the confidence of instinctual guidance.
Yet this intuition would be less of a fountain of knowledge created by some strange superpower, and more like an innate sixth sense that would integrate seamlessly in the trustee’s repertoire. The reason for this over omnipotence is simple. Having access to all the world’s information, viewpoints, and observations is far too overwhelming and mindblowing to even consider in the light that it deserves. How one could access this enormous pool of knowledge and use it effectively without the aid of some innate biological acquisition mechanism is beyond me. But there is a second, more profound and yet more scientific reason for it. Theoretical physics tells us that wave functions collapse when under intelligent observation. So if there really was an entity like a human capable of observing everything at the minute level a human would be able to, all wave functions would collapse, and the universe would be dramatically different. It would literally warp reality.
I would probably bestow this valuable gift to President Obama, for the obvious reason: he is the leader of the free world. The world needs an effective leader to bring about the seismic changes that globalization and digitization are sure to bring about. A leader with an incredible sense of intuition would be able to accomplish just that.
Yet I would caution the President not to lose himself in his new ability. He must not sacrifice his humanity and become some sagacious robot. He risks turning into a tyrant in this case – a tyrant that would be insurmountable. In order to truly understand and appreciate his gift, he must be have the ability to trust his gut and know that he will know.
I'd like to edit that Athena line to *I look to Athena for an idea of gift because the perfect gift must somehow be contained in her identity. *
DeleteSomehow it got mangled when I copied and pasted into the blogger site to post. Sorry for the confusion, potential reader.
There are many things i would personally like to be bestowed on me, My family, Team, or friends. Many wishes come to mind , like how low My level of confidence is before a wrestling match, since you thinking of how hard he is going to pin you? Or the lack of confidence to approach the girl or boy you so admire, or have you considered the luces of the needy and how doleful it to see themthem starve each day? Or remember the super hero ( all hail avengers) which you wish had the powers that would make him astonishly super awesome?
ReplyDeleteTo these great deal of interest, I wish that the level of civilization in Africa would be increased. People might ask, why am wishing for that , When there are capacious things i could wish for like the dream college admission with full scholarship. The college admission is important but seriously looking at the life of most Africans in Africa, life is pretty tough.“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.”Libba Bray (born 1964);Author
In most countries in Africa, accessibility to a better education is hard because even the schools that are there are too expensive for the destitute. It is as a result of this that Africa has not become worldly recognized as civilized. I would wish that love for humanity would be the norm of the day for Africans. Corruption has pretty much taken a royal throne in the lides of the political leaders in Africa.
These Leaders spend a gigantic amount of money on themselves not considering the lides of their brothers and sisters. They spend a lot of money bringing their children to the States and finland for quality education, they really do not care about the people . I think it will go a Long way to increase to better the their lifes.
Furthermore, I wish that the level of confidence and Team work would increase in soccer and wrestling. Its being a Long time since Oakcrest soccer and wrestling Team won trophies. There might be individuals on the Team that have the confidence to win as a single player but winng as a Team means a lot . i would also wish that as júnior year is almost over, it would be nice to see that most of us even if not all get admission to our universities or get to fulfill our dreamsor make our families proud.
The gift I would like to give someone is the gift of relaxation. If an old kindly wizard were to appear in front of me then the first thing I would do is scream. Then I would ask him to give anyone the ability to relax without stress, anxiety, or worries for a short period of time throughout their life. By this I would mean like a week of break for every month, two weeks every five months, or a month for a year etc. The reason I would give somebody this ability is because life is very stressful and people deserve breaks. If a person is tired and depleted of energy then they won’t work as effectively as they should. On the other hand if a person is able to take a break for a short period of time on a schedule then they will be able to work 100% because their minds are focused and full of energy. I used to sleep for two hours a day because I was overwhelmed with homework’s and project and I didn’t get enough sleep. The consequence from that was my works was suffering and grade dropped, but I changed my routine so that everyday I would get one period that consist of an hour all to myself and I would just relax. As a result my grade improve and I just work better than when I was a 100% person dedicated to school. I learned that being dedicated 100% is not a bad thing but there are limits. In life, there are perfect harmonies for everything and in this case there has to be a balanced between school life and your personal life. If relationships between work life and personal life aren’t in perfect harmony then it will destroy us. The only advice I will give someone is to not disrupt the harmony because if our work life overwhelmed our personal life or vice versa then we wont be able to perform as effectively as we would like. So my gift to someone is the ability to relax in short period of interval.
ReplyDeleteWell, for the three people that don't already know, my house flooded on Sunday. Personally, while taking me out of my element and making this already stressful week even stressful-er, I havent been to negatively affected by it. I haven't been traumatized and I recognize that it could have been much worse. No one got hurt, and the damage was very minimal. The only thing that did get damaged was a given for the situation though and it was a very devastating blow to my mother. You se, all last week my mom took off from work in order to re floor our living room as well as her room, only for the floors to get damaged to the point of them needing to be replaced almost immediately. For her this has been an incredibly painful experience for her so far. All of this to say that the thing that I would love to give my mom is a break. She used her excess vacation days to help work on a project that in the end was completely redundant, and I',m guessing my mm feels screwed, and rightfully so. So really I'd just like to be able to give my mom a week to laze about and get her head together after this whole ordeal. And the advice I wold give her would have to be that ultimately I am on her side. Although sometimes I may wind up being the annoying rebellious teen, I genuinely care about her, and seeing her feel as bad as she has affected me more negatively than anything else I have experienced this week, I just want her to know that I a in her corner, and that she doesn't have to go through feeling this bad alone.
ReplyDelete