A Slice of Humble Pie

Yesterday as I was enjoying a slice of apple pie, I started to think about everything I have to be thankful for! If there were 100 people selected at random from around the world:

Only 5 would speak English.

33 would be Christian

21 would be overweight and 16 would be undernourished or starving

23 would have no place of shelter

22 would have access to a computer, 17 would be illiterate

7 would have a college degree.

 

Image Source: 

http://www.indexmundi.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/the-world-as-100-people.png

Only 7 would have a college degree. This one really sunk in. I will graduate college in a year and have every intention of attending graduate school the next fall.

Why is it that I have this sense of entitlement or expectation? There are people that probably wouldn't be able to comprehend the idea of this blog, let alone have clean water to drink! I firmly believe it is because of those who have fought to protect what we have. I also believe it is due to my parents that told me I could do anything I wanted (yes even as a child when I thought it would be cool to be a cheerleader)!

So as the summer months get hotter, and we dread the day to day grind, just remember all of those that are far less privileged!

Change

Today, I just have a few thoughts on change. Change can be a scary word but it is an inevitable part of life and learning. Like the quote below states, it is our response to change that determines our fate. We can choose to dig our heels in our current ways, or we can learn about the change and accept it after learning about it!

If we fail to change, we are only harming ourselves by means of our own ignorance. So do we run towards change full speed ahead, not necessarily. I have learned that it is best to be informed before proceeding with change. By approaching change with caution, you can make an informed decision!

Past, Present, Future

I firmly believe my past experiences influence my current decisions and therefore my future outcomes. For example, last summer I served as an Orientation Leader for my university! I LOVED IT!! When given the chance to come back,  however, I was hesitant. I knew that I would have a great experience and be able to positively impact the lives of incoming students. I also knew that there were several (4 to be exact) opportunities in dietetics and nutrition that I could also take.

 As an Orientation Leader, I was a bit hesitant the first few days, but quickly warmed up. My intention of returning was to give the experience 110% from the beginning. However, had I been an Orientation Leader, I would not have had the opportunity to learn about the EFNEP program, let alone create what I am hoping to be a lasting nutrition education tool for the educators across the state. In the end, I am glad I chose my present internship with EFNEP because it gave me the opportunity to help with orientation events on the weekends but experience community nutrition.
 
It is so easy to get caught up in the "might have been" situations in life that we (myself included) can overlook the present opportunities.

Servant's Attitude

The majority of my experiences thus far in dietetics have been in food service, wellness, and community settings. I have found the need for the right attitude especially in food service and community settings.

As a high school student, I worked at a local restaurant. I quickly learned to have a service attitude. I am at the service of the restaurant first, customer second, and myself third. Once I'd established this attitude, work became much more enjoyable as I was no longer thinking about my needs.

My community experiences in college have consisted of food bank education through cooking demonstrations and my summer EFNEP experience. In both of these settings, a servant's attitude is needed. I have a limited understanding of what the needs are of the clients are, aside from food assistance and education. My daily activities are not about what I want to do, but what I can do to help the educators better reach the clients.