The Justice of Educational Opportunity

On February 22, the sun shone, the earth spun, and students told amazing stories of educational opportunity as a part of National TRIO Day. As I sat in my chair and listened contently, all seemed right with the world. 

There are many reasons why I feel privileged to work with TRIO students at Community College of Denver. Moments such as TRIO Day or graduation or a student rescuing a failing grade allow me a part of their success, a feeling that how I choose to spend my days makes a difference in the lives of the individuals and communities surrounding me. 

Yet, as I sat there,  I sensed something more, something deeper, something beyond my role in things.  

Justice: what it is depends on who you ask. I have considered Plato; I have googled Rawls; I have read of it rolling down like waters in an ever-flowing stream; and it is the best word I can come up with to describe what was before me on TRIO Day, producing alpenglow on my soul. 

Justice, to me, is the freedom to become who we are. 

There is much in this world working against justice: poverty, exploitation, greed, conformity, anthropocentrism. These shackle the potential of the kid down the street who has no mentors, the teenager being bullied because of his sexual orientation, the forest on the mountain slope being strip mined. 

The arc of history is long, they say, yet it bends toward justice. As a society and as individuals, we progress - in fits and stops - toward ways of relating more in harmony with the rights of the other to become. The universe, it seems, evolves in creative and beautiful struggle.

There are the days, the moments, when justice takes shape before us, resolute. The day that the sun shines, the earth spins, and the student, regardless of the circumstances of her life, has equal opportunity to become who she is. 

As professionals at a community college, we are the vanguard forging the path of justice for individuals seeking educational opportunity. And as I  listened contently, I could do little but smile - to have such a privilege, to witness the ever-flowing stream.

A Healthy Brain Works Better

Dr. Adele Diamond, a cognitive neuroscientist, states, “We know that if you are physically healthy, you’re pre-frontal cortex and brain work better…leading a sedentary life is terrible for your brain health or your cognitive health.”

Your brain is a physical organ with functions such as concentration and memory, just as your heart is a physical organ with the function to pump blood through your body. While philosophy debates where the mind emerges from in the first place, at the operational level, the brain is a physical organ with function dependent upon its physical environment and inputs. 

We tend to overlook this fact. It is obvious that exercise and nutrition is extremely important for running a race. It should be equally obvious that good health is extremely important for taking a test. 

Incorporate healthy lifestyle choices into your daily living to support optimal functioning of your body's organs and systems. In time, healthy lifestyle choices will increase your mental functioning, build your energy, up your mood, decrease your sick days, enhance your mobility, and add years to your life. 

Nutrition

Half the food you eat should be fruits and vegetables. Also include whole grains, such as brown rice, wheat bread, oatmeal, granola, et cetera. For protein, focus on nuts, beans, fish,  lowfat dairy (yogurt, milk), eggs, and small portions of lean cuts of meat. Treat yourself only occasionally to fast food, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods. Drink water and herbal or green tea. Everything in moderation. 

Exercise

Be physically active at least 60 minutes a day, most days of the week. Physical activity includes walking, biking, lifting weights, dancing, playing sports and much more. You can complete all 60 minutes of activity at once, or break it up throughout the day. Walk to a farther away bus stop. Take the stairs. Stand up when you are studying. Play with your kids. Incorporate movement throughout the day. 

Sleep

Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day. Your brain is up to some very important things while you sleep. You might be able to get by for awhile with less sleep, using caffeine and other stimulants to power you through the day, but a sleep deficiency is an overall health deficiency, and it will catch up to you. Exercise and reduced stimulants will ensure a restful night of deep sleep. 

Mental Wellness

Stress and anxiety takes a toil on your physical health. Use time management to create balance. Create space for fun and laughter in your life. Stay connected with your loved ones. Practice emotional intelligence. Make time for meaningful spiritual experiences, such as participation in a faith community, meditation, prayer, spending time in nature, et cetera. 

Emotional Intelligence, Part I

Drs. Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves define emotional intelligence as the “ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.”

How does emotional intelligence relate to your academic success?

Imagine that you are studying for your final exam in math. You set up a meeting with your professor the day before the test in order to ask some final questions. At the last minute, however, your professor cancels the meeting via e-mail, as he has a sick child at home. You did not get the e-mail, so you wasted an hour stopping by his empty office. Now it is the night before the final and you still do not know how to solve a few of the problems.

How would you feel? How would you respond? 

One possible negative response would be to skip the exam the next day, since you are upset that your professor was not available to help. "If he will not help, I will not try!" This would be an obvious example of self-defeating behavior produced by poor handling of emotions. 

One possible positive response would be to call one of your best friends. Not only is she a math major that might be able to answer your questions, but you  realize that you are stressed and anxious, and you know that your friend can help you calm down. By recognizing your emotions and identifying a positive response, you are able to get some sleep that night and come into your final feeling pretty confident. 

Emotional intelligence, at the individual level, is all about self-awareness. By definition, emotions well-up inside of us without conscious thought. But by consciously taking a moment to pause and assess, you can manage your negative emotions and harness your positive emotions, directing your responses toward your goals and reducing reactive and self-defeating behavior. 

To build self-awareness of your own emotions, ask yourself: 

#1 - Are these emotions an appropriate response? Emotions, in their effect, are real, no matter their cause. It is important to honor these emotions and not just brush them aside. With that being said, it is fair to assess whether or not your emotional response seems appropriate to scale. Are you making a mountain out of a mole hill? Alternatively, are you brushing aside something very significant?  

#2 - How are your emotions affecting your actions? Stand back for a moment to assess the situation and identify your possible responses. There may be times when quick action based on an inspiring emotion is the best course of action. We may have a boost of courage - for example - to speak to someone we have admired from afar. As a general rule, however, brash action taken in response to an emotion should be tempered by self-awareness. Don't rush into something you'll regret tomorrow.

On the one hand, emotions can be very powerful and inspire you to take action. On the other hand, emotions tend to be short-sighted and fleeting. It is to your advantage to take a moment,  pause, and become self-aware before acting on your emotions. 

Emotional Intelligence, Part Two

In Part One, we examined self-awareness strategies to recognize and harness your individual emotional response. At a social level, building empathy for the emotions of others enables you to understand the point of view of another person and effectively collaborate, minimizing misinterpretations and useless conflict.

For example, imagine that you are working on a group project for your history class. You and another classmate are doing most of the work, while the third person is reluctant to participate, and the fourth person misses nearly every meeting.

What would you feel? How would you respond?

You may feel frustrated in your efforts to get the whole group involved and simply decide to do all the work for the non-participating students. While this may be, in the short term, an easier and more effective way to just get the project done, you're sense of self-righteousness may be leading to an emotional blindness on your part.

Alternatively, you may take a moment, pause, and assess the situation. As it turns out, the quiet student wants to participate, but is rather intimidated by your extroverted leadership style. The fourth student is frustrated because he has to work during the scheduled meetings, though he would wants to participate. By recognizing the emotions of others, you are able to respond more effectively.

To build empathy for the emotions of others, ask yourself:

#1 - What circumstances are shaping the emotional response of the other person? Your classmate may be short with you because they are a jerk, or because they are having a really bad day. Don't jump to conclusions based on how the world looks to you. Rather than snapping back, take a moment to pause and restart the conversation in a different vein. And even if the other person is being a jerk for no appropriate reason, simply returning the favor is not likely to help you reach your intended outcome. Sometimes you just need to be the bigger person.

#2 - How is your behavior impacting their emotions, and vice versa? Despite your good intentions, you may be doing things that frustrates, angers, or saddens the other person. Alternatively, your behavior may also be adding to the happiness, serenity, or excitement of the other person. Emotional intelligence requires that you take a moment, pause, and assess how you are affecting the other person, and vice versa. You may be able to make this assessment through observation, but dialogue is most effective.

For more on emotional intelligence, check out the interesting articles on TalentSmart.

Managing Stress on the High Seas

Imagine that you are the captain of a ship sailing through a stormy sea. Giant waves push your boat toward a rocky shore. Heavy rain makes it difficult to see. The GPS system is malfunctioning. Your second mate is out of commission due to sea sickness (probably should have picked a different line of work). Stressful, right?

Perhaps your travels through college feel the same way at times. Your courses are stormy, your study skills are malfunctioning, and you feel like you are getting pushed toward a financial wreck. You, too, might feel stressed out.

Much of the stress may come from the belief that things are beyond your control, the feeling that you are in a small dinghy getting tossed about by the whims of a powerful storm. But this is a false belief. Certainly, you cannot control all the storms of your life, but you can grab a hold of the steering wheel and pilot your ship as best you can. 

"I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul," asserts William Ernest Henley.

So, then, one technique of stress management is to recognize that you have the power to influence the outcomes of your life. Staring into the eye of the storm can be stressful and immobilizing. However, recognize that you can choose how you respond to the circumstances you face. Accept the power you have to act and keep your focus squarely on your goals.

The rain will be cold and the wind will be lashing at times - that is just life. However, you can reduce the stress of these situations by believing in your ability to safely pilot your way through any storm. It will take courage, resiliency, and support from those around you, but the storms are no match for the power you hold within yourself.