“You can’t make footprints in the sand of time by sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave butt prints in the sand of time?” what a great quote to sum-up and end this book. After finishing the book I have come to realize how much I needed to hear everything that Sean Covey had taught me throughout the book. To start of I never realized how small changes can really bring big results which is the kind of message that he has brought all along to make us teens understand that to be able to have a better life its all up to us, and it doesn’t happen from one day to another but with small changes.Communicating is something that I struggle, even my mom tells every once in a while how I need to start talking and express how I feel. Many times I struggle to be heard and it’s somewhat frustrating to deal with many issues in my life. I found it very interesting to see how Sean Covey deals with this issue and the strategy he proposes to improve communication. He talks about how teens should learn to first listen and understand others to then be understood. What happens with me is better explained in this quote, which he mentions, “Why is this habit the key to communication? It’s because the deepest need of the human heart is to be understood.” I don’t know if it has to do with the fact that I am silent but I find my self constantly listening to others and helping them when ever they need than helping my self first. Even my friends all the time comes to me to help them with their problems. But does someone ever listen to me? Not really and its not because no one wants to listen, but because I don’t express my feelings openly. The discussion in this chapter helped open my eyes, I was able to see in all the examples that the book gave me that listening is as important as being understood, you have to learn to listen to others because when you do that person really gets that out of them and makes them feel better doesn’t let them swallow their feelings which is what happens to me since I only listen and don’t speak everything stays inside and as the quote above states the deepest need of the human heart is to be understood.” Know the same way I listen to others I have to let them listen to me cause that’s the only way to feel calm with myself.Keeping a balanced life another of my biggest challenges and weaknesses. Part 4 of the book, did a great job at tackling this issue. As I flipped the page and read the first line of the chapter, I knew this chapter was going to be for me: “Do you ever feel imbalances, stressed-out, or empty inside? If so, habit 7 is going to be a huge help, because it’s been specially designed to deal with these problems.” I have always struggled in having a balance between exercising, good grades and social life. My body, before I used to be happy with this area but know I don’t feel am doing very well. A year ago I practiced swimming three times a week but since school has gotten more demanding, my physical activity has gone to zero, so much so that I have started to stop worrying about exercising. I also thought that I had a healthy diet and was fine with what I ate but after reading about how you are what you eat it totally turned my perspective, with this I have even turned to realize that depending what you eat it affects how you feel and your energy and well being -“Its all about how you feel, not how you look”. |