HARLEM SHAKE VIDEO
Harlem Shake anyone? Well, on Tuesday, March 6, 2013 our FFP class decided to compose a Harlem Shake video. Initially I had thought that it would have been an awkward, and possibly scary situation; but to my surprise it was actually kinda fun. The class brought in props, various wigs, and Mrs.Wood even blew up a flew balloon hats! The theme of this video was youth in my eyes. I still view the Harlem shake as a fairly unimportant event, but with the same token I can now see how it brings people (Teens in particular) together. Throughout the period everyone was laughing and having a great time. It was then that I began to think of this video as something more. It wasn't just another Harlem Shake. It allowed us to let loose and literally "Shake" our way to an A. In the beginning I was going to bring in a father time costume, because I felt as if it represented GCI's age and history. All in all, the Harlem Shake video was a successful class project.
-Sam
-Sam
The Three A's of Awesome
A couple of weeks ago, we watched a Ted Talk about the three A's of awesome. The speaker and author of the Book of Awesome, Neil Pasricha provided an inspiring and innovative perspective on all of the awesome things in life. He spoke briefly of his parents, focusing on how much they had received when they had came to Canada for the first time, and later moved on to speak about his personal life (Divorce) and his connections with mental illnesses (Friend). In his eyes "You can Gloom and swirl and twirl, or you can grieve and move forward". I completely agree with this quote, because I can relate to those dark days. Pasricha continued to speak about the three A's of Awesome. Here they are:
Attitude: Attitude, what is it exactly? Well according to Neil, it is simply the act of overlooking and pushing through those "twists in your stomach holes in your heart" kind of days. Convincing yourself that everything will be fine, is something that you and you alone can ensure, by acquiring the right mind set. In my opinion, Pasricha wanted to showcase how important attitude could be in life. Knowing and accepting the fact that you will have rough days, as well as brilliant ones is a true testament to your attitude. Keep that in mind when someone cuts you off in the carpool lane, or you're late for work because your alarm clock dislikes you immensely. You always have two choices, to be upset and gloomy, or to be happy with all of the things that you have in your life.
Awareness: With an opening statement of "I love hanging out with three year old's" I knew that Awareness would be a very important A. The second A, involved viewing the world in a different way (i.e. Through a three year old's eyes) I was instantly interested when he said that he loved hanging out with three year old's, because I have a baby sitting job and I often work with children that age. Pasricha spoke about why he loved three year old's, affirming that it was solely because of the way that they saw the world. "Everything is new and exciting, because they are seeing the world for the first time" enunciated pasricha. I agree whole heartily with this statement, because I feel as if it true. At three, you start to experience everything for the first time and it can be a truly "awesome" experience (See what I did there?). "Having a sense of awareness is just about embracing your inner three year old".
Authenticity: The third and final A is Authenticity. Authenticity is "Being you, and being cool with that" said Pasricha. While talking about authenticity, he shared a small story, about a man by the name of Roosevelt Grier. A 300 lb linebacker, who loved needlepoint (articulated that it calmed him down and relaxed him). Rosey eventually wrote a book, called "Rosey Griers's Needlepoint for men". I admire Rosey, because he was able to be himself without holding back. "Following your heart and feeling fulfilled" was one of the great points that Pasricha talked about during the Authenticity story. In my opinion Rosey was the perfect example of someone who wasn't afraid to be himself, and I believe that we could learn a few things from Rosey Grier.
Neil Pasricha's closing thought was that we should live our lives for us and no one else. "In the next 100 years we're all going to be dead". This statement, resonated with me, because even though I am aware of how little my life matters in the grand scheme of things; I know that I will not live to see the world in 100 years. It is for that very reason that I try to live my life to the fullest (Yolo?). I think that this Ted Talk was mostly about living your life the way you want to live it. Trying to enjoy the $10 coffees, and actually stopping to smell the roses, because in the end it is essentially your life, and your regrets.
-Sam
Attitude: Attitude, what is it exactly? Well according to Neil, it is simply the act of overlooking and pushing through those "twists in your stomach holes in your heart" kind of days. Convincing yourself that everything will be fine, is something that you and you alone can ensure, by acquiring the right mind set. In my opinion, Pasricha wanted to showcase how important attitude could be in life. Knowing and accepting the fact that you will have rough days, as well as brilliant ones is a true testament to your attitude. Keep that in mind when someone cuts you off in the carpool lane, or you're late for work because your alarm clock dislikes you immensely. You always have two choices, to be upset and gloomy, or to be happy with all of the things that you have in your life.
Awareness: With an opening statement of "I love hanging out with three year old's" I knew that Awareness would be a very important A. The second A, involved viewing the world in a different way (i.e. Through a three year old's eyes) I was instantly interested when he said that he loved hanging out with three year old's, because I have a baby sitting job and I often work with children that age. Pasricha spoke about why he loved three year old's, affirming that it was solely because of the way that they saw the world. "Everything is new and exciting, because they are seeing the world for the first time" enunciated pasricha. I agree whole heartily with this statement, because I feel as if it true. At three, you start to experience everything for the first time and it can be a truly "awesome" experience (See what I did there?). "Having a sense of awareness is just about embracing your inner three year old".
Authenticity: The third and final A is Authenticity. Authenticity is "Being you, and being cool with that" said Pasricha. While talking about authenticity, he shared a small story, about a man by the name of Roosevelt Grier. A 300 lb linebacker, who loved needlepoint (articulated that it calmed him down and relaxed him). Rosey eventually wrote a book, called "Rosey Griers's Needlepoint for men". I admire Rosey, because he was able to be himself without holding back. "Following your heart and feeling fulfilled" was one of the great points that Pasricha talked about during the Authenticity story. In my opinion Rosey was the perfect example of someone who wasn't afraid to be himself, and I believe that we could learn a few things from Rosey Grier.
Neil Pasricha's closing thought was that we should live our lives for us and no one else. "In the next 100 years we're all going to be dead". This statement, resonated with me, because even though I am aware of how little my life matters in the grand scheme of things; I know that I will not live to see the world in 100 years. It is for that very reason that I try to live my life to the fullest (Yolo?). I think that this Ted Talk was mostly about living your life the way you want to live it. Trying to enjoy the $10 coffees, and actually stopping to smell the roses, because in the end it is essentially your life, and your regrets.
-Sam