My Leancanvas PDF

 

How I Went Through School

In my first year of University, I was taking 15-17 credit hours as a music student. By the second half of that year, I realized that I still had too much time on my hands. So I decided to take elective classes in Dance (3 credit hours), French (5), and Gymnastics (5), boosting my total hours to 27.

When I tried registering by phone, the computer told me that 21 credit hours is the maximum allowed and advised me to visit my guidance counselor, which I did. The lady informed me that only honour students were allowed to take more than 21 hours and since I was not one, I had no chance. She referred me to the Dean of Students, who also told me the same thing. I reasoned with him that they should at least give me a chance to prove myself.

He finally said, “If you fail, we are held responsible.” I replied, “If I fail, I am responsible. I am the one who will answer my father.”

He breathed out a heavy sigh and said, “Come, come.” I came behind his desk to his computer and gave him my i.d. number, which he punched into the system. My student records popped up on the screen and he changed the “21” of my Maximum. Credit Hours to “27”.

I smiled, thanked him and told him that if my GPA was above 3.0 (out of 4.0), I would take more than 21 hours until I graduate. He agreed and that term, my GPA was over 3.0.

Just a note about that elective dance class- when I was six, my mom told me that my dance lessons had come to an abrupt end because the novice instructor claimed that I had “two left feet”. “Two left feet”… It sounded like an incurable disease to my six-year-old mind and that stigma stayed with me throughout most of my childhood: I couldn’t dance because I believed I couldn’t dance. Hence, it took courage for me to take that elective dance class 13 years later.

Part of our assignment in that class was to attend the final year Dance Majors’ concert. The best out of all the 400-level dances that night was choreographed by a student named Stephen and after the programme, I approached him to informally interview him concerning his dance history.

I was shocked when he confessed that he got into dance when he was 19- only 4 years earlier! Only 4 years of experience and his choreography was a cut above others who had been dancing since childhood! He said his secret to success was his mental focus: he determined in his heart that he could excel, despite his age and level of experience, and his mental drive, coupled with hard work, caused him to rise as one of the top graduates in the Dance Department that year.

This testimony was life-transforming for me. “I can do anything well I set my mind to do” became one of my major personal proverbs from then on. I knew that I could excel in anything I had the interest to focus my mind upon. It was all I needed to break the mental yoke of “two-left-feet-itis” and venture deeper into dance and other areas of interest.

In my second year of College, I miraculously joined the Dance Department as a non-major taking major classes- without even going through the normal audition process! After some weeks, my dynamic dance advisor and mentor encouraged me to look into creating a combined major programme to be approved by the Board of the College.

I underwent an intensive research into the course requirements for different degrees in Music, Dance, Photography, Video, Multimedia Art and Art Aesthetics and came up with a unique custom programme titled Collaborative Arts with an Emphasis on Music Composition and Dance Choreography ,and Arts Administration.

After reviewing the proposal, my dance advisor/mentor informed me that the total credit hours of the proposed degree programme were enough for an Undergraduate (4 years) and a Masters Degree (2 years) and suggested I reduce them.

It had never occurred to me that the overall credit hours were more than enough. It really was not a concern to me; I was more interested in my calculations on how I could complete my self-created degree in four years by taking 27-31 hours per term. I submitted the proposal as it was and it was approved by the College of Fine Arts during my second year of University.

Another motto that motivated me was “There is always an open door for a great idea.” As part of my programme, I was to have access to the electronic sound studio, but Professors had access to the state of the art computer and sound equipment over Graduates, who had access over Undergraduates. So, by the end of each day, there was little time for me to get on the electronic equipment. I was so hungry to experiment and upgrade my skills, that I finally started coming to the studio between 11 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.- when Professors and Grad students sleep.

My consistent commitment to keeping this overnight schedule earned me my own set of keys to the building and sound lab- a privilege only given to Staff and Graduate Assistants.

For two years, I also held the Administrative position of Fine Arts Chair of Student Events Committee (SEC), a volunteer, student-run, University organization made up of 10 Chairs in various fields to provide local and international programmes on Campus. I had an annual budget of $7,000 to work with to create Arts-related programmes, arrange art exhibits, performances, and the like, for a Student Body of over 60,000 at my university. Weekly Board Meetings were held to present proposals and budgets, brainstorm new ideas, give updates, approve programmes etc. We had our own office with a secretary, in-house graphics designer, long distance access, access to University equipment, etc. This is where I gained core foundational skills in corporate management and adminstration.

As the University’s Recording Studio Manager, also for two years, I had administrative responsibilities and managed staff, in addition to the assignment of recording student and orchestral concerts, and duplicating tapes. While tapes were being dubbed in real-time, I would read the manuals of and learn how to operate and experiment on the mixers, effects machines, and other sound equipment in the studio.

My mottos, “I can do anything well that I set my mind to do” and “There is always an open door for a great idea”, coupled with my craving for self-motivated research and personal development provoked me to excel in a multitude of areas and enjoy a rich University experience. I was learning in realtime, which gave birth to my motto of “learning by force”.

I was rated among the Graduate Students because of the positions I held and the proofs I produced. I also acquired more than 15 University keys, giving me limitless access to various buildings, offices and studios on Campus, an unheard of privilege for an undergraduate student.

After four years of University adventures, I graduated with Bachelor’s of Fine Arts (BFA) with Honours in my self-created degree programme- with an excess of 90 credit hours earned above what was required to graduate.

9 Crucial Keys to a Regenerative Lifestlye

What is a Regenerative Lifestyle?

A Life of Regeneration =

• 1. Practice prevention, not cure: Don't put things in your body that are toxic. They are more than likely to accumulate in your body and wreck havoc- from constipation to regenerative diseases.

• 2. Eat more foods that naturally cleanse and rebuild the body: I am speaking of whole, RAW, organic fruits and vegetables. They should make up a higher percentage of your food intake.

• 3. Drink plenty of clean water throughout the day (some say at least 8- 8 oz glasses per day). (Remember to drink water a minimum of 30 minutes BEFORE you eat and at least two hours after consuming a meal for better digestion).

• 4. Cook your own meals rather than eating out. Avoid fried, microwaved and smoked foods, though.
  

• 5. Eat organic foods. Eat cleaner food for a cleaner body.
  

• 6. Eliminate eating factory food or drink, i.e., anything called food or drink that is processed, refined, made in a processing plant or factory, adulterated, and/or packaged. This includes fast food. See this quote- "If man made it, don't eat it."

• 7. Stay clear of industrial white sugar, iodated white salt, MSG and other chemical additives, preservatives, flavourings and colourings.

• 8. Stay clear of artificial sugars, such as Splenda, Aspertame, Nutrasweet, Candrell, etc. These have dangerous effects, particularyly on your brain and reproductve systems.

• 9. Avoid animal and animal product intake - i.e., animal muscle, animal skin, dairy, eggs, etc.

Brain booster #1: FRUITS

Brain booster #1: FRUITS

The Ultimate Brain Fuel

Raw, organic fruits are the original and highest quality super-food known to man. They have the highest levels of micronutrient, vitamin, and mineral availability of all foods. Fruits are oxygen-rich, water-dense and fibre-rich. Additionally, they are the best source of natural sugars for brain and body use.

Fruits are considered to be the “ultimate brain fuel” because their natural, balanced sugar content enhances memory recall and stimulates the brain to think faster. Because they contain their own enzymes for assimilation, raw and ripe fruits digest quickly and supply energy at their own expense. This process provides readily available energy to the brain.

The Fruit Advantage

Fruits act as time-release capsules that rapidly, yet steadily, discharge their energy to the brain. These “brain exciters” provide increased oxygen availability, giving you a steady high to quicken your brain to higher levels of productivity, mental alacrity and focus. That translates into maximum energy input for utmost energy output.

Fruits are renowned for their renewing and cleansing effects on brain and body cells: they supply raw materials for regeneration; dissolve toxins; detoxify the brain and body; encourage internal purification; increase circulation and drastically reduce constipation.

Fruits on the Job

Fruits are an ideal choice for a quick brain boost before business meetings or any other crucial event, or even when you are preparing for your professional exams. Let fruits also be your preferred snack during those unavoidable late-night work sessions. They provide a lasting “pick-me-up” that won’t weigh you down or make you sleepy.

Enhance your job performance by changing your eating habits before any important meeting, business engagement or job interview that requires concentrated, intense thinking: eat only fruits from the time you wake up through the actual event to position your mind for clearer, faster thinking.

Why Raw?

Eating fruits raw is the best way to enjoy them and maximise their energy potential. Raw fruits are an essential for high-fliers, who need to keep their brain consistently alert. So, when you are going to work, carry a big container of cut-up pieces of raw fruits to snack on throughout the day. They will deliver to you a balanced high, with plenty of energy to spare- mentally and physically.

Raw fruits are a great replacement for refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, flour-based snacks, and sweetened beverages and drinks, which give you an injection of energy, followed by a plummeting drop from the high. This rollercoaster effect saps your energy, destabilizes your immune system and can leave you feeling drowsy and distracted throughout the day.

Juicing

Drinking fresh-juiced fruits supplies you with steady energy for mental exploits and is an expedient way to boost brain power, without interrupting your busy schedule.

Note that commercially available juices are not the same as fresh-juiced juices because they are heated to kill bacteria and lengthen their shelf life. This processing destroys the nutrients of the fruits and makes the juice acidic. Also, many fruit juices on the market have a low fruit juice content (always read the labels!) and contain other ingredients like concentrated sugars and flavourings that have negative effects on your brain.

Common Fruits for Juicing

• Watermelon – Cut off the rind, remove the seeds and blend, undiluted.

• Oranges, Grapefruits, Tangerines and Tangelos – should be ripe. Squeeze by hand or juice with a citrus juicer.

• Pineapple –Juice in a juicer, blend in a blender or squeeze by hand.

• Apples –Juice in a juicer.

Juicing Etiquette-

• Citrus fruits may only be mixed with each other.

• Watermelon should be taken alone because of its quick digestion time.

Fruit Tips:

• Eat your fruits raw. Cooking destroy nutrients.

• Eat ripe fruits. Unripe fruits create an uncomfortable, acidic environment in your body.

• Eat a variety of fruits to get a variety of nutrients and benefits.

• Look for organic fruits, grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers that have not been irradiated. These toxins and toxic process lower the nutritional value of the fruit and also contribute to added health risks.

• Eat local fruits and avoid imported ones, which also most likely contain chemical pesticides, fertilizers, irradiation, preservatives and the like.

• Always eat fruits at least 45 minutes before a cooked meal to ensure proper digestion. Fruits eaten after a cooked meal ferment in the stomach because cooked food takes longer to digest than fruits.

More Fruit = Better Health

Fruit is not just brain food. The more raw fruit you add to your diet, the more you improve in your overall health. In America, many studies have proven that low fruit and vegetable intake is considered a major risk factor in the promotion of diseases like heart disease, strokes, lung, gastric and colorectacal cancer; birth defects, premature aging, Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension, obesity, and poor vision. That means that the lower your fruit and vegetable intake, the higher your likelihood of acquiring one of the diseases listed above.

Two studies conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health noted that for every extra serving of fruit and vegetables per day that participants added to their diet, their risk of developing heart disease dropped by 4%. Another 26-year study provides evidence that fruit intake is positively linked with longevity.

So, it is VERY important for you to give fruits, and even vegetables, a more prominent place in your diet. I strongly urge you to steadily increasing your raw, fruit intake from henceforth.

Don’t forget to eat a variety of fruits, because no single fruit has all nutritional benefits. Remember- the more you eat, the better the results for your brain, your body and your overall whole health.

 

Angeli Olorunsogo is a God-inspired researcher, who has a deep passion for the spiritual, mental and physical growth of Africans worldwide. She has been researching on the subject of longevity for more than 39 years, with practical proofs to match, making her a living testimony of the reality of lifespan extension. Please contact her at gzussjoy@yahoo.com.

Welcome

Longevity is probably the most important factor in the success equation. Everyone wants to live longer and stronger. Yet, so many people die early or live with chronic illnesses that inconvenience and incapacitate them. Without good health, success takes a back seat to sickness, disease, expensive medical bills and wasted time recuperating from illnesses. It’s time for Africans to stop short-changing their destiny.

This column will expose you to longevity strategies that will catapult you into a level of health and long life that you may have never imagined before. But you must practice the principles to see positive results.

The first topic of investigation is Brain Longevity. Your brain is the most complex, well-ordered arrangement of matter (natural or artificial) known in the universe. It is also the most important part of your body and your business life. Without its proper functioning, both of them become useless.

Therefore, your brain’s optimum upkeep is crucial, if you want to make the most of life. Let’s enter into this Brain Longevity series by exploring a major Brain Booster that gives you a noticeable mental and physical edge in life, when it becomes a significant part of your diet: FRUIT.