An Elective on Perspective
by UMES Junior Brittany Johnson 
The Chick in the Bathroom Pic
Hey, guys! I’ve missed you. Hopefully the time we’ve spent
apart has been as beneficial for you as it has been for me. I have been able to
lay a good amount of my demons to rest. I’ve finally stood face to face with
the person who’s wronged me for so long . . . the person who has held me back,
put me into compromising positions, made me think less of myself, and at the
end of the day, has kept me from reaching my ultimate potential. Alas, I’ve stood
face to face with ME. Yea, that’s right! I’m the sick son-of-a-gun that’s been
holding me back. In my professional development class
last semester, a guest speaker said something that stuck with me: “Wherever you
go, there you are.” Oh, the irony of it all. It’s that awkward moment when
you’re looking for someone to blame, and you’re the only one standing there.
When you realize that your legs, and how far you extend
yourself, solely determines how far you go, you are at that point where you are
simultaneously boundless and liable. I have a great opportunity ahead of me.
One that far outweighs anything I’ve ever had the chance of doing. My
excitement, however, has been spiked with the mocker, self doubt. And oh, what
a mocker it is. It’s that small voice in the back of your head telling you that
although you have the tools, you are not capable enough to use them. Do you
know what I said to that little voice . . . that voice that is incessant about
making you throw in the towel before you’ve even started the race? That voice
is a little nag that has to point out the fact that your cup, although half
full, is half empty. Do you want to know what I said? “Shut the full cup!”
Because, you see, my cup is indeed full. In fact, it is
pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The test is hard? You decide
how long you study. The job is too early? You decide what time you wake up.
Your woman is no good? You decide how long you deal with her. Someone has lied
to you? You decided to believe them. No matter how far out of line someone else
can get, it only affects your equilibrium when you allow it to knock you of
balance. It’s inevitable that you will be negatively affected by other people.
But it’s up to you, just as everything else is in your life, how you react. And
yes, how you react determines the outcome; and many outcomes determine your
future. Michael Jackson focused on the man in the mirror. I’ll start work on
the chick in the bathroom pic. *Insert duck face* I am facing me, the good, the
bad, and the hideous. I decide my future and I’ve chosen success.
How far can you take yourself?
Have you met
you?
You’ve just taken, An
Elective on Perspective.
UMES Family!
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