Life Lessons From FINA A718, Final Exam Week Reflections

This morning, I woke up, drank my coffee, ready to take my final exam II of FINA A718. Though I do not have my final grade posted just yet, it looks like my final grade is an A+ which highly satisfies me. While that was indeed wonderful to reflect upon, an unexpected, lovely surprise greeted me next. Upon logging into my student email account, I discovered that the Kimberly Kanagy Scholarship For Business Award I had been honored by, a week ago, had been increased to four times the original amount. I feel an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. As a result, the best manner via which I know how to show gratitude is by giving something back in return. Thus, I want to share with you three of my most important reflections, coming out of FINA A718 with so much bubbling zest and joy inside of me.

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1. Always aim for 100% even if you end up slightly short of that. It's incredibly satisfying to know you gave your all and came very close to a perfect score. I speak from experience, for I am one of those people who is very hard on herself. With a 98% overall grade in the class, I will still fuss about the 2% I missed. After few minutes, however, I let it go, while telling myself that's good enough for a girl my age.
   

2. Keep your standards high along the way. This way, you won't slack off in the last minute but instead keep the momentum going. I speak from knowledge, having tested this attitude time and time again. For example, I always aim for 100% even in the last minute, that way I know I will get as close to it as possible and I will never truly be mad at myself because, well, I truly did my best.

   3. Treat yourself for your hard work. A sense of accomplishment should come along with a little bit of celebration, no matter how small. I, for one, may have an ice cream or treat myself to some sushi and that is usually before tearing a pair of socks on my "dancing" living room floor. I speak from wisdom, it is very ok to give yourself the permission to treat yourself to something you know you've earned via hard work.

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I truly believe in the notion that when you get a little you should also give a little. Therefore, in addition to this article I wrote, I wish to honor Ms. Kimberly Kanagy for her generosity in quadrupling my scholarship award, by donating to St. Jude. To, Kimberly Kanagy, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness. Your generosity has ignited my inner fire to continue with my mission and ambition. We make the world a better place, one kindness at a time, together. This is the way it should be, always, no exceptions, no excuses, none.

Lastly, I want to share a small reflection from my vintage diary which I have penned today, meanwhile considering the words of one of the world's greatest authors, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, whose works nearly 200 years after his passing still inspire people like me. Von Goethe once said,"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." I believe this to be very true. As a multi-talented person, it's so easy to get lost in so many possibilities for the future. The more talented you are, the harder it gets as a result. Life, at times, seems to be quite cruel, to expect of you to have to choose between one thing or another, one person or another, etc., and while you might want to do it all you must realize that you can only do so much at once. It feels limiting, constraining, and it isn't always easy to navigate through it all. When I get there, I will have a book ready to be published for you. Until then, I hope to continue to inspire you in my free time which, right now, it's quite a luxury. I thank you for reading, if you did, and hope my words are an inspiration to you.

Yours truly,

Carmen A. Cisnadean (aka Kraela)

Author. Artist. Poetess.

MBA student. Ethical values ambassador. Culinary enthusiast.

Daughter. Sister. Friend.