Make it Plain

"This supposed to be your moment ain't it? It supposed to be your moment. It supposed to be your moment. What good is it being the one, when you're the only one who knows it?"

- J. Cole, Friday Night Lights (Intro)

First off, to all of you who read my last blog entry and took time to take in my message - thank you.

Also, thank you to Maya Reid for the best gift I've received in a long time: http://afrodisiaccordingtome.blogspot.com/2011/02/addition-to-list-of-things-i-really.html

During this past summer, my mother told me that sometimes its best to articulate my goals in order to fulfill them. March is going to be a very important month for me. To recap, February was about moving on and starting fresh. I got back on my feet, made some mistakes, and really lived for the first time in years. Most importantly, I learned that I need to do things for myself for once. For so long, I've done everything for others out of love for friends or respect for an institution (see my year as Social Chair of Quad), but here's the complicated thing: Princeton is not the type of environment that awards selflessness and at times I can honestly say I was selfless. Last semester, I was frustrated by the absence of material and emotional reciprocity and this frustration became a distraction.

But now I need to remove all of the distractions or residue feelings and focus. I have two goals that I need to accomplish this month:

1. Complete my thesis and hand it in on time (April 1st)

2. Stay strong in my courses

Sean Covey has a saying, "begin with the end in mind." In order to make this happen, I need to see myself walking across the stage in late May or June receiving my Princeton degree. I need to see myself handing a completed copy of my thesis to the congregation of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church and that will be a glorious, beautiful moment.

"Make it plain" was the title of Malcolm X documentary, but it also means to be clear and simple. These are my two goals for March, plain and simple - no distractions, no dramas - just dedication and focus.