Quote of the Week - Dalai Lama

Kindness is a virtue people seem to lack nowadays. Everyday you see in the news that someone has killed/hit/robbed/taken/hurt someone for an absurd reason. The act of evil I saw today in the news was about a man beheading his girlfriends disabled son whilst she was out. He seems to feel no remorse for his actions and no doubt will get a sentence to small for the crime he committed. Why is it that nowadays people seem to be less kind? I know a lot of it is to do with the media and how they thrive on bad stories even though there are plenty of heart felt good deeds out there. But I do feel it is getting worse, unkindness that is.

I have always been brought up to be kind and respectful to everyone and even if I hadn't, I think I still would have developed the caring nature I have today. Being nasty just feels... well... wrong! What would I gain from being nasty? I mean, I know I probably have hurt people in the past, and I'm sure on some occasions I probably knew what I was doing but on the whole I'd like to think I am a kind person.

This quote, along with most other Dalai Lama quotes, sums up my thinking entirely. The Dalai Lama seems to be a very happy, kind man. If being kind has anything to do with this holistic happiness then surely it is hard to argue against.

But is it really that easy to be kind? There are times where maybe being kind is the unkind thing to do. For example, if a friend is really upset about a breakup but it has been going on for far to long and is starting to have a permanant negative impact on her life then surely a stern (and to her 'unkind') word is whats needed for her to get back on track and start living her life again. But it is possible to just be kind. Which would you choose?

I think for me 'being kind whenever possible' is a definite. 'Always being kind' is something I will continue to strive for and fall from. But I am OK with that.

Pippa

Choosing a career

At college a lot of my close friends knew exactly what they wanted to do and what needed to be done to get there. Some had their career path set out by their parents, some had experience in their chosen field either through summer jobs or volunteering and for others their personalities just ...fit... a certain profession. Then there is me. Up until I was 15 I had always had my heart set on joining the police force. Whether it was tv shows such as The Bill and Brit Cops or films such as Police Academy or just the sheer fact I know I wouldn't enjoy a desk job something swayed my mind towards this career path.

After some careful thinking and a lot of pushing from staff at the private college I attended I decided a degree was something I needed. I 'latched' out of the ocean of unappealing subjects somethings that I was moderately interested in and wasn't failing. Psychology. It seemed to be the subject I was most interested in and had a lot of career paths. I applied for the course I am currently studying which included education, counselling and psychology as its three major topics. A lot of choice means more chance of finding a career path I want right? Wrong. I found myself surrounded by course mates who were in the same position. They thought they wanted to do a certain job, but even one lecture easily swayed them in another direction. I found myself swaying back and forth with them for 2 years. Counsellor, teacher, psychologist, psychotherapist, counsellor, teacher, psychologist, psychotherapist. Until one day I decided to stop. I sat down with a careers advisor and whittled out what I couldn't be and what seemed to fit my personality least. I then went home with more questions than answers and spent a good few days researching and taking tests and googling and reading blogs until I stumbled across a rather big and obvious choice for a career. Something that both incorporated my now growing fondness of psychology and my passion for the criminal justice system. Forensic Psychology.

I have now applied for both a masters degree in Forensic Psychology at a learning university in the field and also a psychological studies conversion course to gain accredited status as a psychologist.

After reflecting upon my course, now that it is coming to a close, I have learnt that although coming to university without having a concrete career plan can be a detrimental mistake, it can also open up opportunities and career paths you never even thought about. Not only does it help make you a more independent person socially, it also gives you the independence and courage to say no. "NO. that is not the career I want to follow" "NO. I don't want to live a life with a career I am unhappy in" and "No, I know I can get the job I have worked so hard for".

If you're contemplating going to university or are unsure what career path to follow in general I hope this helps a little by showing that the vast majority of people are in the same position as you. Although choosing whether to go to university or not is a big deal, it isn't the end of the world if you feel your choice has turned out the be the wrong one. University will always be there for those who chose not to apply and it also teaches a lot of other skills to those who do go.

Pippa



I would really appreciate your feedback of this blog. I know I am not a very good writer both for academic work and as a blogger but its something I have promised myself I will try and improve on. So any tips or critiques are really appreciated!

And thanks for reading =)