My Academic Rocks

In my previous post, I talked about how we all tend to let “rocks” weigh us down and I gave an example of how we can get rid of these rocks.  In addition to rocks that anyone can have, people with disabilities have their own set of rocks. These rocks can be brought on by our disabilities (not being able to do certain things others can), thrown at us by others (being ridiculed because of our short comings), or they can even be self -imposed (having a defeatist attitude). We can let them weigh us down, or we can acknowledge them and then find ways to put them down and live our lives. In this post I am going to talk about The academic rock I have been carrying around and how Im dealing with it.

Soon after I decided to go back to college, I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in a while. I told her that I was planning on going back to college after a very long break. Let’s just say she less than supportive. This temporarily got to me. Was she right? Was I going to fail or at least give up again?  NO! I decided right then and there that I was going to prove her wrong.  She will probably have forgotten what she said by then, but I plan on sending her a graduation announcement to let her know I did it!

Not long after this conversation I met with the Disabilities Coordinator at the college and told him about my past at the college. He was surprised that I have been attending the college off and on since the late 1980s.  I jokingly said, yeah, my family might have to accept my degree posthumously, but I would get it!

During our meeting, I told him about how I have had major difficulties throughout my life where academics are concerned and how they are rocks or better yet, my boulders! I said I have always had problems with reading comprehension, organizational skills, and especially math and that because of these issues, I have developed a defeatist attitude, and yes, I have also become just plain lazy at times.

After I told him about my issues, we worked on strategies to try to develop more effective study skills including:  limiting the amount of classes so I can concentrate better, learning how to take better notes, and not procrastinate as much as I have in the past, AND ways to avoid distractions such as Facebook! Lol.

Although I am on academic probation again due to my nemesis, MATH, I am working on ways to become more successful the next time I attempt a math class. In the meantime, I am taking classes that I know I will be more successful in. By doing this, I am hoping to boost my GPA as well as my self-confidence. This is my way of gradually, yet steadily getting rid of my academic rock.

Different aspects of our disabilities can weigh us down, even alter our lives. We all need to look for ways to lighten our loads and not let other people and things pile on the “rocks”.  If you would like to, please feel free to share your stories of how you dealt with your own set of academic rocks. Thanks!

           

 

 

Put Down Your Rock!

I first posted this to my blog back on December 1, 2015. I had SO many people tell me how much it helped them I was overwhelmed. I would like to share it again for those who may need some encouragement. I hope you all enjoy it and possibly find peace in something you may be struggling with.

Thank you.

As we go through life, regardless of whether we are disabled or not, sometimes things happen that bother us. It could be something someone said to us, the way someone acted toward us, or maybe it was the way someone made us feel.  These things can have a negative effect on us which can be physical, mental or emotional.

 I am pretty good about letting things go and moving on. However, there have been a few things that have bothered me and I just couldn’t let them go no matter how hard I tried. Every time I saw a certain person, or if I am in a similar situation where the incident occurred, it brought back memories of a not so nice time or event in my life.

 A few years ago, I took a very interesting class. One day our teacher asked us to bring in a rock with us to our next class, but wouldn’t tell us why.

The next day, although I was somewhat confused and yet intrigued as to why we needed these rocks for class, I went out in my yard in search of a rock. I found one. It had light, medium and dark gray lines through it. It was somewhat pyramid in shape. It fit in my fisted hand. I liked it.

At the beginning of class the next day, our teacher told us about an experience she had when she attended a Native American ceremony.  The leader of the ceremony asked everyone in attendance to find a rock just as she had asked us to do. Once they had their rocks, they were asked to think of something, someone or an experience they had a hard time dealing with. At the end of the ceremony, the participants were asked to place their rocks in a pile as a symbolic way of leaving their issue behind.  Our teacher wanted us to do the same thing.

 Although I didn’t want to confront this issue, I thought this was a really cool idea and I really got into it. I slept with my rock right next to my pillow so I would see it as soon as I woke up and kept it in my pants pocket during the day so I would feel it pressing against my leg to serve as a constant reminder of the issue I was letting bothering me so badly.

 During the week, I thought a lot about the issue and I tried to analyze why I was letting it bother me so much, how it was effecting my life, and what I could do to handle it better. Being reminded of the issue by the rock constantly pressing against my leg, I was able to realize that the issue really wasn’t that big of a deal. I needed to put down the “rock” and move on. It wasn’t worth it. Once I came to this realization, a huge weight was lifted off of me.

Sometimes the “rocks” that we carry with us feel more like boulders and letting go isn’t as simple as just putting them down. Sometimes the rocks get thrown back on us and we end up having to pick them up again. It sucks when this happens, but we need to make sure that we don’t let these rocks weigh us down to the point where we feel trapped and cannot get out from under them. If this does happen, we need to realize that it is time speak to someone whether it is a trusted friend, a family member, clergy, or counselor. It is okay to do this. It is okay to admit we need help. Asking for help allows us to see our issues from a different perspective and assists us in putting down our rocks.  I would love to hear from people about how they handled a difficult situation and how they were able to finally put their “rocks” down.


Thanks.

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