Growing up in a single parent family after the age of 13, I was not one to understand the meaning of the word discipline. It might as well have been a dirty word to me. I really did not think of it as being something you chose because you wanted to, but rather it was imposed and forced upon you out of fear, or obligation, because you had to.

I was an out of control teenager that was not about to do what I was told, nor was I interested in doing any thing that did not resemble fun. Pretty typical you might say, but I was very troubled emotionally and looking to escape reality which was any thing but fun.

Fortunately I had the opportunity to be exposed to the discipline of learning to play the piano and the accordion, practiced yoga and weight training which I certainly am grateful for today, as it gave me a good foundation of social skills and a glimpse into the satisfaction that comes from working toward a completed accomplishment of some kind, and to find out what it was I really wanted to learn and do.

Yesterday I finished up my last remaining University project and handed it in. This also marked the completion of my third year, as a mature Fine Art student. It was hard work psychologically, more than any thing I'd say. I had to have a determined attitude in order to complete this project and my third year because I had a number of potentially serious obstacles to over come and deal with. It wasn't really any thing to overcome when I think about the kind of struggles and hurdles so many others have to deal with on a daily basis, regardless it was my own personal struggle and I learned another worthwhile lesson about discipline and the rewarding freedom and satisfaction that accompanies it.

I am very grateful to my wonderful Professors, my peers, fellow students and cubby buddies. I want to say a big thank you to you all! They have supported, encouraged, challenged and guided me, made me laugh when I felt like crying, and gave me a hand up.

I am so looking forward to my final and fourth year!

Discipline is Freedom

"The undisciplined man doesn't wrong himself alone
he sets fire to the whole world."

Rumi