Artist Instrument Final

   Considering I am a senior, I am so glad that I took this class. I think this is exactly what I needed before I went off on my own into the real world. I am going to go over my spiritual, food, and fitness goals that I wanted to accomplish and if I succeeded with them. I am also going to go over what worked for me in this class, and what I am going to carry on with me.

   For my food goals, I wanted to accomplish eating better, no red meat, less carbs, more organic, and eat breakfast. As the semester first started, it was a struggle for me. I wasn’t eating terribly but I also wasn’t eating enough also. I got so adapted to this lifestyle that I wasn’t even hungry unless it was on my schedule. So, transitioning into eating breakfast and consuming less carbs was hard, considering everything that is easy to grab are mostly carbs. Soon, I developed a new system and I got to like it. I transitioned into eating mostly the same food such as oatmeal, fruit, chicken, and fish. I accomplished eating better and less carbs, as well as eating more organically. I still eat red meat though, because I learned that red meat isn’t bad for you. I have always been told that red meat isn’t good for you, so I initially put that as one of my goals, but I learned it does have benefits. I don’t eat a lot of it, but I haven’t completely cut it out either. Overall, I eat a lot cleaner, and I really think about what I put in my mouth. I have learned to love my body and treat it a lot better than I have in the past.

   Next, my spiritual goals were to be truer to myself, share my feeling more, embrace my weaknesses, be happier, and become closer to God. This is where the Artist Workbook comes in. I think the Artist Book and my artist dates really made me reflect on myself, and also the lectures we had in class. I think to be able to succeed in this class, you have to make yourself vulnerable. I had to take down my shield and make myself raw to all my flaws. I think I accomplished all my spiritual goals. I learned that I am very selfish sometimes. I only think of myself in a lot of situations and I have learned to catch myself in the act and change it. I also am not scared to tell people how I feel. I always felt like people didn’t really care about how I felt, and this also was correlated to not standing up for myself. I have definitely changed this about myself as well as embracing my weaknesses. I can be difficult to handle sometimes. I am very OCD and I need verbal confirmation. I am still trying to improve myself on this, but I have got a lot better about it. I have become overall happier and I don’t let things I can’t control bother me. This was a huge problem for me. I used to stress over things that I had no control over. I think a lot of people can relate to this. I just have to let things go sometimes, and if it doesn’t work out, then it wasn’t meant to be. I have also become a lot closer to God. I talk to Him a lot more, and I try to always reflect my actions to what He would do.

    Lastly, my fitness goals were to have a schedule, enjoy fitness, love my body, get stronger, and lose fat. So, I have lost 5 pounds while in this class, and although this isn’t a lot, it’s something! Working out was the hardest task for me because I very much dislike working out. I felt like I was having to force myself to work-out, but I realized it was my atmosphere. I didn’t like the gym at school. I felt like it was so depressing, and everyone was watching me. When you let me work out at home, that was when everything changed for me. I found some good places at my home to work out at, and I also gave a mini-gym. Since, I was more comfortable, I began to enjoy it. I developed a schedule that worked for me also. I like to work out near the end of the day, because it is the best feeling to help me wind down for bed. Plus, getting out of the shower after a good work out is the best! I don’t know if I have got stronger, but I am able to work out longer compared to the beginning of the semester. I don’t necessarily get excited to work out, but I do tolerate it more than I used to, which I think is important. I learned that working out should be a priority and I need to incorporate it into my schedule.

    What worked for me the best in this class was the lectures, artist dates, and yoga. I think the lectures over our mental and physical health really gave me encouragement. I feel you put things into perspective that helped me understand just how important certain aspects of my health were. I also think the artist dates were so wonderful! I already enjoyed having time for myself, but to make it a priority was music to my ears. My artist dates kept my sanity. I was able to just forget everything that was bothering me, and just focus on the moment. I reflected on my life, myself, and just anything! Sometimes, I wouldn’t even think at all! It was just the greatest thing ever, and I am going to still carry this with me after this class. Lastly, yoga was so spiritual for me. When I can afford it, I am going to do yoga classes here in Seguin. I can’t pin point specifically what is so great about yoga other than it is so relaxing. After I do yoga, I just feel like I can conquer anything. I am also in such a relaxed mind-set. I will sometimes go into class really stressed-out such as our last class session. In our last class, I got a phone call that I lost one of my childhood friends that morning due to a car crash. When we did yoga, it helped me calm down. It didn’t make the situation better, but it helped me cope with it better than I was.

    In conclusion, I am so glad I took this class. I got this class recommended by a friend just to get some extra hours, and I am so glad it was the class it was! I think I developed some great coping mechanisms, and I learned some wonderful things about myself. I think this class should be taught to a lot more students. I really appreciate the experience, and I think this class came into my life for a reason.