Sharpen the Saw
This chapter goes over 4 aspects of yourself you need to make time for, so you don't burn out. These include body, brain, heart, and soul. Things you can do for your body are exercise, eat healthy, and sleep well. It also goes over how you should avoid comparing your body with the standards set online, because they are incredibly unrealistic. Another thing the author says to avoid addictive drugs, because they cause physical issues. To care for your brain, keep yourself mentally stimulated by reading and writing, and learning new skills. On the first page, there is an annecdote about Socrates, which I don't see how it relates to the topic. It goes on to talk about post secondary education options, and how to chose them. It also covers mental barriers, such as pressure or "The Nerd Syndrome". This means teenagers feeling like being smart is bad, because it makes you seem like a "nerd". I find it difficult to relate to this issue, because it's not very relevant in this day and age. Finally, it says that you need to truly want to learn to succeed at it. The section about "Caring for Your Heart" includes keeping your PBA, and RBA high. Then it transitions to sex and relationships. It lists many situations where people wouldn't be ready to have sex. Then, it goes on to say you should never give up to depression, and to laugh at things because it will make you more positive. The final section "Caring for Your Sould" goes over how to improve your inner self. Some ways it lists are meditating, thinking deeply, listening to music, and practicing a religion. It also says to keep a journal, so you can let out your thoughts. It talks about how modern media, and addiction harm your spirit. Keep Hope Alive The author states that he wrote the book to give people hope, and show people that there is a way of taking control of their lives. It says even if many changes are needed, to not get discouraged and just make baby steps. Final Conclusion: In conclusion, this book does contain some good advice, however some parts I find more harmful than helpful. Particularly in part 2, where it says to be proactive. While this is quite important, the examples the book provide take the advice in a harmful direction. For an example, the part about not blaming your problems on others. While this in general is good advice, the book goes on to say not to blame others for your problems, then provides an example of people blaming systematic racism for their problems. Systematic racism causes problems, and puts many people at a disadvantage, so to blame them for the circumstances that aren't their fault, is harmful. Many of the annecdotes in the book don't seem like they happened in real life. They are difficult to relate to because they're based off stereotypical teens, not people in the real world. Additionally, much of the good advice the book provides, feels like common knowlege. If people didn't know, it could be taught quickly and easily, without the time investment of a 250 page book. For the reasons stated above, I don't find this book useful, and quite difficult to reccomend.
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The Relationship Bank Account
This chapter goes over the "Relationship Bank Account"(RBA). It's like the PBA, but instead of measuring self esteem, it gauges how well your relationships are doing. The book says you have an RBA with everyone you meet, and similar things are supposed to add to it. These things include keeping promises, and doing small acts of kindness. Some other things you can do are listening, and being loyal. In general, I have the same problems with the RBA as the PBA. It feels too "dumbed down" because it's supposed to be read by teens. Habit 4: Think Win-Win This chapter talks about finding solutions where everyone wins, hence the name win-win. It also says to avoid competing and comparing with others, because it leads to trying to make the other person lose, rather than making you and them win. While thinking win-win would work in an ideal world, most people are dead set on them winning and you losing, meaning you can do nothing but compete to keep yourself afloat. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood This chapter works on communication skills, particularly listening to others before trying to solve their problems. It helps others feel understood, and they will like you better. It lists some listening styles to avoid such as spacing out, pretend listening, selective listening, word listening, and self centered listening. All of these aren't really listening closely, making you seem like you're ignoring the other person. It talks about taking time to understand other people's perspectives, as well as mirroring. Mirroring is repeating back what they tell you, in your own words. These both can greatly help communication with others, which improves your relationships. Habit 6: Synergize This chapter talks about the importance of teamwork, celebrating differences, and open mindedness. Celebrating differences helps people play into their strengths and weakneses. Everyone is different, and thinks differently, making celebrating differences important. The author says some things that can hold celebrating differences back are ignorance, cliques, and prejudice. Cliques hurt differences, because you're trying to group up with people who are all the same, making an echo chamber of people who think the same. This hurts diversity and teamwork. Ignorance and prejudice also hurt diversity, for obvious reasons. Another important part of synergy is sharing and listening to everyone's ideas, then finding the best solution. Conclusion This section has good advice, however like the majority of the book I feel that most of it is common knowlege. Another consistency with the rest of the book is that many of the annecdotes don't seem like they happened in real life. Overall, this section is more or less helpful, however it could be shorter. Personal Bank Account
This chapter talks about the "Personal Bank Account", which represents your self esteem. It talks about ways to "make deposits" such as keeping promises with yourself, being honest, and helping others. It uses these, as well as a few other methods on how to feel better about yourself. While this is important, I feel that it's a bit "dumbed down" because it's meant for teens. Habit 1: Be Proactive The first habit in this book is to be proactive, meaning taking reponsibility for your issues, and working to improve your situation, rather than reacting to it. It talks about not feeling that you're the victim (52) and then shares an annecdote about a black woman being annoyed at her family for blaming the system for their issues. I find this part problematic, because it's saying to take personal resposibility for problems caused by a discriminatory system. It doesn't make sense to criticise individuals for their situations. While I agree that it's important to take personal responsibility and not to blame all your problems on others, this chapter seems to blame individuals on their situations, even when they're caused by factors out of their control. This is a dangerous way of thinking, especially in the case of minorities such as first nations people, because it's blaming them for their oppression, and ignoring the fact that we benefit from it. The chapter goes on to say that you should try and ignore things out of your control, and keep trying hard despite your problems. Having a can-do attitude and being proactive is incredibly important, however it says you should ignore problems and barriers, which is ignoring reality. Many people have barriers set by society, and getting around them is much more dificult than ignoring them, and "pulling themselves up by their bootstraps". Later, the book says when you're overwhelmed, to take a break and use your "human tools". These tools include self awareness (thinking about your actions), consience (distinguishing right from wrong), imagination (imagining possibilities), and willpower (power to chose). To back this up, there is a particularly troubling annecdote(68, 69). It talks about the story of Dermell Reed, a boy from East Oakland. His brother was shot by a drug dealer, and he was in a position to take revenge. Instead of killing his brother's murderer, he is proactive, by imagining his future, and using his willpower to walk away. He proceeds to become a succesful college football player. This annecdote is completely unrealistic, and seems to be based off stereotypes. Even if the annecdote really did happen, it's difficult to see why the author picked it to be an example of proactivity, because of how few people have been in a similar situation. Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind This chapter talks about planning out what you want the ends to be then coming up with the means to get there, not the other way around. To help with this, it says you should write a mission statement. An example it provides includes religion, and while it is important in many people's lives, I feel that it shouldn't be used as an example for everyone because everyone holds different beliefs. The chapter then goes on to say you should focus on your talents, and use them to your advantage. Like most of the advice this book gives, it is helpful, however I feel that everyone's heard it before. Later in the chapter, it gives some advice on what to do after you have your mission statement. It says to write out smaller goals, that follow the mission statement. Then it says to follow through with your goals, and uses Hernan Cortés as an example(96). I believe that he shouldn't be used as a role model or example, because he commited genocide in central america, and was instrumental in european colonialism and its legacies. The chapter says to "just do it" to achieve your goals, however for many it is much less simple, due to the systematic discrimination they face. Habit 3: Put First Things First This chapter goes over time management, and different ways you can mismanage your time, by prioritizing things that are important, and urgent. If you manage your time poorly by focusing on things that are either unimportant, or not urgent, you end up scrambling to finish things by their deadlines. It then goes on to say how you should go out of your comfort zone to accomplish your goals. This may be doing something you're nervous about, or standing up to peer pressure. It also says to persist through faliures, using your willpower. Overall this chapter has good advice about time management, and the importance of willpower. Conclusion This section of the book gives some good advice, however tends to take it in a direction that is problematic. It uses bad examples of people who used these habits to succeed, either stereotypical and fake, or people who did horrible things in history. I mostly agree with the final chapter, Habit 3. Although some of the annecdotes are unrealistic like most chapter. It provides the reader with good advice that many people could use. Even though parts of this section can be helpful, others promote a dangerous way of thinking, blaming individuals on their circumstances that they have no control over. It fails to acknowledge that the system society has in place is flawed, and discriminatory. It seems like the author blames the victims rather than the cause of their problems. Get in the Habit
The first chapter breifly goes over the 7 habits, and their benefits. The habits are: 1. Be Proactive 2. Begin With the End in Mind 3. Put First Things First 4. Think Win-Win 5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood 6. Synergize 7. Sharpen the Saw It states that these habits can help you take control of your life, improve relationships with friends and family, and make smarter decisions. When it's talking about habits to avoid, the author writes in a condesending tone which is unhelpful. It doesn't provide anything of value to the reader, makes it feel like you're being criticized based off the authors perception of modern teens. Additionally, the book tries to take on a humorous tone in the first chapter in efforts to relate to the reader, however it fails to do so. Paradigms and Principles The second chapter talks about paradigms and principles. A paradigm is an incorrect perception about something or someone. This chapter goes over how you shouldn't hold on to your paradigms about yourself nor others, because your decision making will be based off incorrect perceptions. While this is good advice, it doesnt feel like the author practices what he preaches in this chapter. Throughout the book, the annecdotes are not realistic to modern life, and fail to relate to the reader. The chapter goes on to how you should centre your life around principles, not paradigms. This is good advice, however it's easier said than done. I feel as though the baby steps provided aren't enough to fully practice this habit. Conclusion In conclusion, this section of the book gives good advice, I feel that it is common knowlege, such as don't assume things about others; or to base your life off of principals that always stay true, rather than false paradigms. To back this advice up and relate to the reader, the book uses anecdotes that seem fake, and that I have trouble relating to because they're based off the author's own paradigms of modern teens. Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconcilliation. Today is to reflect on the horrible treatment of the first nations peoples of Canada, and the legacy it carries today. It's also to reflect on how we can reconcile with the first nations.
Reconciliation can't take place without action, bringing us to the question: "What is reconcilli-action?" For me, reconcilli-action is transformative action from the Canadian government to repare the relationship between Canada and the first nations peoples. This feat seems nearly impossible, considering all the things we have done, such as the resedential school system or the sixties scoop. Luckily, we have the steps we can take laid out by the Truth and Reconcilliation Commision (TRC). The TRC made an investigation into the mistreatment of first nations peoples in Canada, and has came up with 94 calls to action that would help to reconcile, and make up for what Canada has done over the years. The 94 calls to action have been published since 2015, but the Canadian government has only completed 13 over the last 6 years. Additionally, 29 more are in progress. The government has taken plenty of performative action, such as the prime minister taking a knee in light of the 215 children being found in the Kamloops resedential school; but when it comes to actions that will make changes, Canada can do much better. We know what steps it will take, and while many steps can be complicated, more should have been done. We benefit greatly from the legacies of Canada's treatment of the first nations peoples to this day. If reconciliation is a true priority for us, we need to go for transformative over performative actions. We can do better, and we need to do better so we can make up for what Canada has done, and truly reconcile. Positives-High Gr. 8 turnout -We were well coordinated -Good music Things to do differently-Not enough size M and too many XL/XXL -Some 8s didn't know their homeroom General-There was a large surge of gr. 8s rather than a steady stream
-There weren't any pens/pencils, but we had some in our bags. |
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