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A
Beautiful
Chance
Doesn’t
Equal
Fate
Guess
Happiness
Is
Juxtaposing
Kindness &
Laughter
Making
No
One
Person
Quiet
Realize
Searching
To
Understand
X-Rays
Your
Zen.
For life is the lens you make it.
Define it as you will.
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![]() Sometimes we just get the urge to write. This moment in which the words we read or discuss can be that lightbulb to process. Yesterday, I challenged myself to look back at the simplicity of words and create a simple writing piece that creates meaning through simplicity. The challenge- create a written piece, one word per line, that lines up with each letter. Here it is- Enjoy! A Beautiful Chance Doesn’t Equal Fate Guess Happiness Is Juxtaposing Kindness & Laughter Making No One Person Quiet Realize Searching To Understand X-Rays Your Zen. For life is the lens you make it. Define it as you will.
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![]() Live. Learn. Act “Originality implies being BOLD enough to go beyond accepted norms.”- Anthony Storr When you think about what it means to truly live this life, the one that you have been handed, it is rooted in your beliefs. A belief in ways in which this life should be lead, how it should be lead, and more importantly who you want to live it with. When I started thinking a lot about what I want 2016 to accomplish for myself- I looked a lot at how I currently approach the day-to-day situations we live through. I lack being present. I fail to live in the moment more times than I care to admit and it is because I am so focused on what could be that I lack any ability to enjoy what is. I don’t think I am alone in this approach to life as it can be said a futuristic individual has drive, passion, excitement for what is to come, or even motivation to see things through but I would argue that you could reach those goals/ideas by other approaches. It provides you a moment in which you can live in the moment all while still appreciating the moments to come. My 2016 resolution is: Live. Learn. Act. For me, this is what it means. Live- We should live our lives the way that we believe they should be lead. I think this one is most important because we are often consumed by how we should live based on the ideas of our family, friends, and community that we often lose sight of what it is we want. Today is your day- it is time you live it for you. Dust off that bucket list, revise it, and take control of what it is you can do for yourself to create further meaning to the life you love. Learn- As we choose to live a more intentional year focused around what it is that makes us fulfilled- it is inevitable that we will learn much about ourselves. The key is we must let it be a learning process. Each moment in this life offers up an opportunity to learn something new and it is important that we take on that knowledge to continue forward with the ideas and values we hold individually. I am not saying… grab a pamphlet and learn about the sites (unless you find that enjoyable than by all means DO IT!) but instead reflect on your experiences as they come. If you are challenged by something- don’t let it be a moment to put a barrier up … instead choose to learn from this moment and see how what you take away can be incorporated into the daily life you live. Which leads me to Act. I believe that living and learning can be seen through action. This is our moment to show what it is we have taken away from these moments of opportunity and allow them to be a central source to the new lens we create for ourselves. I think the action is what links back to my favorite quote- it is what creates for ourselves this originality and it helps us understand even more who it is and the difference we want to make in the life that we live. So let this be a new year of new opportunity. Live it the way you want. Learn from the new opportunities. Act accordingly. Let the New Year Begin ![]() I often times struggle with this idea that as our life changes, as these chapters open and close before us, our perception of life also tends to change simply by the knowledge we have gained. Often times, my hope, is that the knowledge gained helps you for the better but we walk away forgetting some of the values that these past chapters have taught us and that because of those lessons learned- we are better. We have more knowledge, more ideas, and hopefully return that knowledge gained into an opportunity to teach. I think that is why I am so passionate about education because we are revisiting topics that students often already know but yet the simple lens we place on these basic topics becomes a whole new lesson to be learned. The problem with the lessons that we learn is we tend to forget them if we never use them. Repetition is important and the way we utilize the information gained is truly a chance to learn more about yourself. In some recent conversations I have had with some close friends, I am reminded of the growth I have taken on in my own life. We tend to not look back and acknowledge growth as much as we should but it is the foundation to the future we seek. If we don't like what we are seeing- change it. As these new chapters begin, we take on different roles- son to father, daughter to wife, uncle, aunt, grandpa or grandma, husband, wife, or partner. All equally important and every identity, or role we hold, is a part of us. Each role that we hold becomes preparation for the next chapter in life- as we move from son to father or from wife to grandma- we use our ideas and our knowledge as a way to tackle on this new chapter. My hope with this blog is that we begin to revisit these ideas of what our life is comprised of- the important conversations we lose sight of because of the busy schedules each of us hold. Its an opportunity to reflect, on an individual note, what it is that is important to us. As someone that is so future focused, I lose sight of the moment in front of me. I forget about the gift it is to simply enjoy the people I am with and the importance it holds on the development of who we are. As I begin to focus my priorities going forward- I hope you begin to do the same. Listen to the ideas you hold about what this life means for you... make it your own and share it with those that you love. Life is meant to be focused on being busy with what makes you happy and less on being busy with what is convenient. Nothing was ever gained if it wasn't sought out to begin with. Happy Sunday. Reflect. Believe. Have Faith... for a new chapter in life is waiting. ![]() Last year, I was given the opportunity to teach a course on student success and help educate students on the various resources that can assist them in being successful in college. However, I wanted to get them to look at more then just campus resources. I wanted them to look at themselves and begin to think about who they are and how they differ from their peers in an essay I entitled Who I Am. Who I Am, as stated in other posts, is a powerful statement because its an opportunity for us to self examine what it is that makes us unique, different, exciting in comparison to those around us. It is far less powerful if we create a question of Who Am I? I don’t believe any one can answer that question besides ourselves… but what is funny is that various situations in life, various challenges, pose this doubt or lack of confidence and we find ourselves unable to support the statement of Who I Am but more commonly ask the question of Who Am I? As this new school year begins, I think it is an important time for us to revisit the idea of what makes us different, unique, awkward, etc. It becomes a source of confidence when we feel alone or unsure of how to fit in. It is a reminder that you deserve to be right where you are or believe that you have a chance to make yourself into whoever you want to be- the time is now. I am Dylan West. In one week, I will be turning the bright age of 24 and I hold a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration. I am a proud identical twin and I have been given 2 best friends in this world- my identical half and our younger brother. They are not just siblings but they are my best friends. I come from a strong family, motivated through positive words and a strong faith in a greater power, I am known for being both highly self-aware and optimistic. I live to laugh. I live to make people laugh. I am passionate about being the one that shows you the gifts you have in this life. I don’t believe in being regular because everyone has something to offer. My favorite word is Adventure as it encompasses exactly how we should live. “Should life be our greatest adventure?”- Unknown. My favorite place in the world is Montana. It holds some of the greatest memories, a place that I rely on to continually remind myself of who I am. I believe in loving thy neighbor above all else- everyone in this world deserves to be loved and we should discover love by simply being ourselves. Take a chance, live in the moment, be yourself, and life will happen. I love this life I have been given- I am surrounded by incredibly gifted people and I have incredibly talented friends and family. They are my source of inspiration and my motivation to my own journey. That’s Me… Who are You? ![]() I live for those ah ha! moments … the ones that give clarity to the life you have been given and the lens that you hold onto as you encounter each and every day. We experience them only once in a while and I think that is why I hold them with such high regard. It typically comes from thinking a lot about the challenges I have faced, the voice that I hold, or the resistance I meet with the day-to-day experiences I encounter. While I recognize those challenges are very minimal in comparison to what many others face, it is the challenge that I have been given. My latest ah ha! moment came from church. Now I am not here to preach on the truth of life and the passion of Christ… I don’t believe that is my purpose. What Father had to say though is something I believe every individual can connect with. First he went off by saying we take in the gifts of God through the ocean or the mountains. You are either an ocean person… compelled by the waves, the sound, and the endless view of the waves rolling in OR you are a mountain person. You take in the beauty of the mountain, the size, the view you get from every angle and in return it creates a moment of reflection. So which are you- ocean or mountain? He then went on to talk about this knowledge is good for us to reflect on. It is about giving us time away from the work that we hold each and every day so that you may be reminded of why you do what you do. After all, none of us are given the same gifts in this life and it is important to highlight those gifts in the work that you do. If we become burnt out or no longer find passion it is because we have lost the connection between how our strengths impact the work that we do and the lives that we touch. For those of you with a religious lens, it is how we have lost our connection between God and how he has created us and the purpose of our work. This post is a reminder to take breaks. Life should not be defined by our work… it should provide happiness and fulfillment but it should not be our only source. If we rely on it too heavily it no longer holds its same value. Take time to appreciate what life is offering you in the moment, take time to see the world for what it is, take time to love those around you, and remember they are gifts too. Cherish life… and all that it provides. ![]() Let’s think about what life is. We all take things for granted and we all have been given a different lens in this life so that we can, together, make this world a better place. Sometimes, we forget that purpose. We are run down… lost… or caught up in the thoughts of doubt that will never escape. When I present to prospective students in my day-to-day work, I ask students that on the way home talk with their parents about what it is they wanted to do when they were 17. How has it changed? What made that change? Think about it. I stumbled upon this ad that Coca-Cola did about eliminating labels and letting people tell their story. The point being is that in 7 seconds we can project a label onto someone based on the way that they look and yet we may never know who they are or the impact they could make. We are all guilty of it- but we can use that knowledge base as a point of moving forward. How is that we want to change the world today? I think the answer is simple. Let’s hear their story. Instead of finding ourselves in a place in which we think we know everything about that one person we instead have the opportunity to find out. I am not saying go up to a stranger and ask them at the bus stop to tell you their life story… that would be weird. BUT- when we find ourselves creating a stereotype based on what we see… ask yourself what are people thinking about you right now? Change your mindset to better reflect a positive idea of the people around you. Let their image be a reminder of the hidden stories we may never know. I stopped writing for a while on this blog because every time I kept writing I didn’t know where I wanted the post to go. The words were there but the message was empty. I decided it was better to find an idea to leave my readers thinking… opposed to just saying stuff for a purpose of consistency. Our society has been faced with a lot of monumental and challenging situations these past few months. As I work with the future students entering college, I can’t help but think what their purpose will be and I love the work that I do because I get a moment to hear their story, their passion, and their experiences that have led them to this point. I love it when a student shares with me who they are.- LGBT, First-Generation, Challenged by Academics, Student of Color, Immigrant, - their story is a point of pride. It is a moment for me to sit back, listen, and learn something. It is also a reminder that our stories will always be changing and the lens on how we want to change the world will continue to change. Don’t believe me? Ask an adult. Let’s face it… Even at 23 I am not going to identify as an adult- too much fun in this life to be had yet. This post is about reminding ourselves that it’s easy to get lost in the thoughts we hold, it is easy to pass judgement onto others so let’s refocus our efforts. Let’s make this world an inclusive place and an opportunity to learn. After all, the least we can do is love thy neighbor. ![]() Throughout our lives we are sent this contradiction of how to live our life . As young students, in various levels of education, we are told to plan for our future and begin to understand the value that comes with a higher education. Arguably, most people pursue a higher degree not for the choice but more so because it is what you are supposed to do. Early on, we write essays that prompt examining what is it that you want to do with your life. How are you going to get there? The value of having a plan is important, some would even say crucial, to the success you have in life. While we can plan for the future and we can dream about what it is we would like to think will come of those plans- the future is unpredictable. Planning provides us with motivation, it gives us an idea to the various possibilities that comes with what life has to offer, but it is also a lot of pressure to give our life an answer or a meaning when we may not be confident in the answer we have. On the other hand, the unpredictability of life is where the motivation to live stems from. More times then we would like to admit, we hear the stories of those who have encountered situations of sorrow or challenging obstacles in which, unfortunately, only some overcome. For those who lose the battle, their legacy and the life they chose to lead becomes an example that this life is a gift. It is a reminder that we only have one life to live and it gives value to each day we are given to live. We read these inspiring quotes, valuable insights that are given to us by those who have faced these challenges personally, and you begin to have this insight to just LIVE YOUR LIFE. Instead of waiting to plan your future we are faced with a moment of truth that we define the life we want to live and the beauty of all of that is... life is simply about living. I would argue that the term living varies among each individual that you ask. I associate living with those simple moments in life. The ones in which you are so caught up in the moment that it provides you a moment of reflection and realization that this memory, this experience is perfect. A split second moment, unpredictable, but it makes you realize these are the moments we live for. So while the early years of our education may tell us to plan for what the future may unfold for us, it should not be the life we abide by. Yes, it is nice to have dreams and it is nice to plan for a life that we want but I would argue that we should allow for expectations we hold to be a guideline and not a book of rules. Life is about living. It is about uncovering the unknown, seeking answers to the bigger questions you have asked yourself, and inspiring others not with your words but with action. We have one life to live and if we spend it planning for what we would like to see, we will miss the opportunities we never accounted for. Life is about redefining the term living from a planned and well thought out definition to an action. Its about experiencing the definition opposed to just reading it on a piece of paper. After all, we don't live for others- we live for ourselves. ![]() This last month (ok… going on two) I have dedicated more time to the completion of my Master’s Degree and less time strategizing on what to discuss on this blog page. In my own personal life, I just recently defended my Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration and without a doubt have completed one of the most exciting moments in my life up to date. In that thesis I stress the importance of integrating the academic and social identities that college students go through into our practice as Higher Education Administrators. I examined leadership practice through the ideas of those whose passion and trust, in the ideas to better this world, inspired a movement. And in the final days of compiling my thesis portfolio, I was reminded by a wise mother of mine to be mindful of what that process means. This two-year journey, this defense, was about defending MY passion. The work that I have researched and written about over the last two years have been examining certain populations of students, in the college realm, that, in my opinion, are often over looked or not discussed enough in terms of college and their development as students. As I prepare to close this chapter of my life, as a graduate student, I can’t help but think about what this experience has done for me as a graduate candidate in pursuit of a higher degree. What these discussions have meant, the words on the pages I have read, and ultimately the opinions I have formulated based on the text that was provided. It helps me question the various ideas I have for Higher Education, how I view student success, but even more importantly what is it that I am going to do to redefine what it means to be a young professional, in today’s society, with the ideas and degrees behind my name. I would argue that we fail to have faith in what it is we are good at or excited about and we leave it up to society to determine what our success is… what our passion should be. While we may be good at something we may not always find fulfillment and that is ok. Life is about strategizing the strengths we can perform with an environment that supports our ideas on innovation. Our life is about developing a voice and instilling the passion we have onto others, arguably not through conversation, but through action as a direct demonstration to the various ways we can impact those around us. Life is too short to spend time arguing who is right or who is wrong but it should be utilized as a way to show others- passion, for the work that you do, is how we find success. As an Administrator, within Higher Education, this is the success I want to see in my students. I don’t want students to believe that grades are everything and I don’t want students to believe that being overly involved is the only thing that is important in gaining success in college. What I want my students to believe, in leaving college, is to have a greater understanding of who they are in these various settings, a greater understanding of who they are in the classroom (i.e. how they learn, how they teach, how their ideas differ from their neighbor) intersected with who they are outside of the classroom is what defines them. The beauty of that definition is it is up to you to determine what that means. I don’t know where life will take me or what my career path will look like, but that passion I hold and the lens of education I have, will be integrated into my day-to-day practice. It is the passion that defines me. ![]() I am a futuristic individual. The future is what I plan for and I find that I do so much planning I fail to enjoy the moment in front of me. Yesterday, as I sat in the library I observed an elderly man at the table next to me pull out a pamphlet of paper and proceed to draw one of the coolest pieces I have seen. It was so authentic to him- rigid, graceful, but most importantly unique. He didn't use the center of the paper and every drawing around him was of something different- no pattern, no routine, simply him telling his story through the art on his table. As he finished, and I continued to work, I saw him pack his things into a plastic bag and proceed on his way. A simple man with an incredible talent. In my day to day work, I meet with prospective students and I ask them to tell me: What makes your story unique? What have you done in your life that demonstrates who you are not as a student but as a person? I think when we ask this question at different stages of our life, for me its being in my early 20's, we fail to recognize how much we have truly done and how important that story is. I don't pose this question to these 17 year old students expecting an answer but I want to show them what they will learn about when they are in college. It is not always just the four walls of a classroom that provide learning but its the experience we gain as well that help us tell our story. Life has this incredible way of challenging you as you become independent but I have loved every minute of that journey. I have been doing a lot of that reflection myself as I work on completing my thesis and examine what type of Higher Education professional I want to be in this world and more so what impact I hope to make with the future student body I work with. I started my journey with this idea, in terms of my career destination, as a representation of the student voice as a Dean of Students but I feel that my story has become more then that. While I may be the voice for the students in my future work, I want the students to be excited about what their story says about them. As educators, at any level of education, we want our students to succeed and one of the hardest things to see in Higher Education is a student facing academic dismissal or the inability to afford the Higher Education they desire. Is it a roadblock-yes but, we have an opportunity to assist where we can and provide the resources necessary to help them. The future becomes the motivator in this situation. I think I look to the future because the future life events excite me more so then the textbook in front of me discussing the strategies of Organization Development in the workplace but I fear I am growing up too quickly. What is it that I want out of this life and more importantly how do I get there? It is a question I think we should all be challenged with at every point in our life and I never want to get to a point where I have found the answer. After all, it is the adventure that keeps life exciting. But I think it is good to remind ourselves that we are here now because of the decisions we have made. If we don't like where we are at, start developing that plan to change it and if we do life were we are at, get excited for what is to come. Take the positive from the situation and use it, after all the future can be motivating. ![]() I am taking this blog in a different direction than the ones before. This week I worked along side a friend and future collaborator in Higher Education as we discuss the importance of reflecting on life and using the support of our community to ease into the transitions we face throughout life. Brooke and I both studied Psychology in our undergraduate careers and both find ourselves pursuing Master's Degrees in Higher Education. I find myself constantly working and collaborating with her while we attend different schools and work towards our next chapter in life. Our process of thinking often goes hand in hand and while Brooke found herself articulating on her actual experiences that have led her to where we are today- I chose to look at why we reflect back on life and the importance of using those details in moving forward. As always, we make a great team. Enjoy! Dylan: I think our generation is often times consumed by this idea of what it means to be successful. As we enter the young professional chapter of our life, we tend to get consumed with this idea of what others around us are doing and how that compares with our experience instead of enjoying the task placed in front of us. As that chapter is written, it becomes important to reflect and utilize what experiences we have encountered to guide us into those next steps we face. I am an advocate of creating your own path opposed to following the one we have watched others walk before us. While this is important to be guided by those around us that we trust, it is us that understands what makes life fulfilling for us and no one should make us think differently. After all, life is all about being innovative and taking risks. I like to look back and reflect on life's journey as a way to help me understand what a gift this life has been for me thus far. The people, the experiences, the traveling, and the education have all been components to where I stand right now. I was talking with Brooke about what it means to have that community especially as we are faced with difficult experiences and how this becomes a chance to influence our life in a positive way. So often we can judge a situation without giving it a full opportunity to learn and grasp what is this experience, in front of us, trying to teach us. I believe that everything happens for a reason and that you are never presented with something in life that you are not capable of handling. Its about taking the moment in, reflecting on it, and utilizing it to making you a stronger person. That knowledge then becomes a guiding tool to the other individuals in your life who may face a similar situation later on in life. Brooke: The last day of classes of my undergraduate career left me empowered but also in shock. October I became engaged to the man I thought I was going to marry, but when things started piling up and red flags started raising I made the difficult choice to end my engagement. In light of the decision, however, I was left with a plan to attend graduate school in Brookings, SD, and no place to live. Thankfully, the summer before graduate school, a friend of mine from Augustana, and a Brookings native, connected me with a landlord who was looking for someone to rent out their basement complex for the year. Having no where else to go, I jump at the chance to rent the space and made the big move (on my own) to a town where I knew 1 person. To say the transition was difficult would be a gross understatement. I spent most of the first few weeks organizing my life into the tiny 1 bedroom basement apartment, as well as reading and calling whoever I could think of in Sioux Falls to go hang out. I hated not knowing anyone, and having no idea where to go to meet new people wasn't easy either. It's sort of funny though. As soon as I started working, and attending class, I began to invest myself in the people I met. Grabbing coffee, talking about our field of work, finding new places to study, it all just seemed to fall into place here, and I fully credit that to living in a town where people are supportive and want to see you do well. As I've told Dylan many times, and will tell him many more, I have fallen in love with this little town. People go out of their way to say hello, or to ask you about yourself. If you're a new face, people in town recognize that and give off the sense that they want to help you get acquainted with Brookings. In higher education, we sometimes become so wrapped up in the academic side of things. What are you doing to better your grades? Are you studying? But sometimes we need to understand how our environment is affecting us as well. Asking things like: where do you go for fun? Where are you studying, and do you like it there? What clubs are you a part of? These are all equally important to a students life as the way in which they are studying or what their grades are. Finding an environment where you feel supported, loved, and cared for can make all the difference in your educational, career-focused, or personal life. Challenge yourself to look at the things that make you love a town, and if you hate it? challenge yourself to find new things that you haven't tried in the town. Dylan: The challenge becomes the opportunity to create meaning but finding the environment to be fully challenged in life is where the difficulty is. As my family always says, Life is an Adventure. Let's make the most of it. |
Dare to believe.AuthorI am an identical twin with a mind of my own. I believe this life is about discovering your strengths and believing in something greater. Life, simply put, is an ADVENTURE and i PREPARE to LIVE IT. Archives
January 2016
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