Born on July 30th, 1863, Henry Ford would grow up to conceptualize and create a personal fortune in the automotive industry (Henry Ford).  Raised in Dearborn, Michigan, Henry was thirteen when his father gave him his first pocket watch that he would regularly disassemble and reassemble correctly.  His neighbors and friends caught wind of this and had him fix their own machinery.  This was the start of his long and illustrious career in the world of engineering.  This quote of his: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, either way, you’re right” was used by him and many other successful entrepreneurs every day ultimately leading to their respective successes.   

One of the best examples to use during his lifetime to express what this quote means is in 1919 when he used the power of his own word to trick his stockholders into selling their bonds: “Henry Ford declares that he is starting a rival automobile company which will produce a stripped-down version of the Model T to be sold for $250-$300. The announcement excites the public but alarms the seven remaining Ford Motor Company stockholders. In a panic over the thought of losing sales to Ford's new company, they sell their stocks.  By July, Ford's announcement is revealed to be a trick: his agents had purchased all of the stocks and there would be no rival automobile company. For the first time, the Ford family controls every last share in the Ford Motor Company. And while Edsel may be president in name, Henry still retains power (American Experience).  The reason his quote can be used to explain his actions are the reasons behind his actions.  Ford created his own luck here, and although he might’ve tricked his shareholders, the end-game was clear to him.  He did what he needed to do make sure he got the conclusion he was looking for.  

On January 5th, 1914 (Henry Ford) Henry Ford made the announcement that he would begin paying his workers at his original facility, the Highland Park factory a wage of $5 per day instead

of the predating wage of $2.34 per day.  This would be the highest paid factory job of its time.  Earning his employees’ confidence would help further his goal of domination in the automotive spectrum.  

Personally, this quote, since I heard it a week ago, has been the foremost piece of advice I’ve ever heard.  When you tell yourself, like Thomas the Train, “I think I can, I think I can…” think eventually turns into do and before you know it, you’ve reached your goal and instead of being complacent having reached that goal, you will strive for new heights and even loftier goals.

When I was in high-school, I played the drums for my band.  At one point, our leading guitarist who wrote the bulk of the music left the band.  Instead of looking for a new guitarist, I told myself and my other band mates that I would and could write the music for us.  It took some practice and time, but eventually I was the one writing the bulk of our music on guitar and drums and far be it from me to say this, I was damn good.  When you tell yourself you can or you can’t; either way, you’re right.  If I had given up and asked “How will we ever be able to create again” instead of taking it into my own hands, the band might have broken up.  

On the other hand, while I was in college for jazz percussion, I flunked out and quit because I thought I couldn’t.  I thought the classes I was taking were too hard and too grueling so I never gave it my full attention or devotion.  I learned and performed at the very least level of participation and thus I gave up.  The tide can turn either way, and it’s up to you to decide your own fate.  

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Henry Ford Biography." Bio.com. Ed. Biography .Com Editors. A&E Networks Television,

n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

"American Experience-Henry Ford | PBS." American Experience. PBS.com,

n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

"Henry Ford Changes the World, 1908." Henry Ford Changes the World, 1908. EyewitnesstoHistory.com,

2005. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

Journal #2: Martin Luther King

In 1947, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, wrote a paper on the purpose of education.  In this publication, Dr. King said “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.  Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education”(King “Purpose”).   King was born on January 15th, 1929 to Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr and his wife in Atlanta, Georgia.  At this time, black americans were viewed as second class citizens and the great depression made matters no better (Black Americans).  King would later use his Christian background alongside teachings from Mahatma Gandhi to change an entire country’s mind about the injustice happening at the time.  MLK would eventually hold the title of the most influential leader of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.  

This particular quote is relatively concise as Dr. King used it as his thesis in the paper “The Purpose of Education”.  To give just one function of education is almost futile because education is a broad subject to cover.  To teach students to think intensively, and critically, however, should be a prioritized goal.  Encumbered are adults who lack the skills to question the ideas they don’t agree with and to research answers to questions they don’t know.  They are condemned to live a life without much meaning and purpose aside from the purpose and meaning they see in front of them.  Character is not merely taught by teachers, but, through lessons on critical thinking and fundamental structure, students can develop a new respect for themselves and the world around them.  

Dr. King’s entire platform for change seemed to be based around this idea of character.  He thought that through lessons and knowledge of black America’s past, the net population would be able to recognize the potential of another race once discounted by the masses.  In his most famous I Have a Dream speech he is quoted as saying “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”(dream).  

In my life, I have been able to use this quote inside and outside of the classroom.  If I can’t figure out the answer to a question I have, I am able to use context clues and do research to figure out the best possible answer.  There are times where I have a personally important question for the teacher.  If I think the question is better left unasked, or if I feel that the question does not aptly suit the lesson being taught, I take my own time outside of class to research and find the answer to that question.  Once I find a suitable answer, I will take that and double check the accuracy with the teacher I have at a later date.  In my experience, I have found that I relate more with the second part of this quote “intelligence plus character is the true goal of education.”  It is easy for us to find answers and solutions to problems.  The true question lies in the manner in which we execute these solutions.

Works Cited

"About Dr. King." Thekingcenter.org. Ed. Unknown. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2016. <http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king>.

"Black Americans 1921-1941." Encyclopedia.com. Ed. The Gale Group. HighBeam Research, 2002. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

<http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3424800015/black-americans-1929-1941.

html>.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. "The Purpose of Education." DrMartinLutherKingJr.com. The Maroon Tiger, n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2016. <http://www.drmartinlutherkingjr.com/thepurposeofeducation.htm>

King, Martin Luther. "Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Speech - American Rhetoric." Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Speech. American Rhetoric, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016. <http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm>

JOURNAL #3: Paulo Coelho

Born in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Paulo Coelho, the author of The Alchemist, is a truly profound man.  Before he could graduate even high school, his parents committed a young Coelho into an asylum three times (Editors).  After finally graduating high school, the free spirited youth embarked on a journey to law school, and ultimately left to pursue his ethereal desires.  For many years during the 1970s, he was a fully committed “hippie” going as far as to be jailed three separate times for political activism.  In 1986, during a long trip to Spain, Coelho realized himself and wrote his second novel The Pilgrimage (Coelho).  This work, however, was not received well by the public at large.  It was not until his groundbreaking work, The Alchemist, that Coelho would make his mark on modern humanity.

“The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.”  This quote can be used many times over in a day to explain anything whether it’s being explained to a toddler, or to a grown man.  When we have an opinion, we may choose to share that opinion with the general public.  When we do that, it’s taken for what it is: an opinion.  It’s not until we act upon those opinions that our actions can be taken seriously.  If we were only ever able to say what we felt, the world would be a much different place.  We would still be ruled by monarchies, living in the dark ages.  Since the rise of individualism, we, humans have been able to express ourselves in a way not thought possible until then.  Until someone acted on their opinion.  This can have a positive or negative effect, though. And that effect is only relative.  Relative to the person witnessing, as that person may have an opinion that differs from the norm.   

Every single person on our green Earth can give at least one example of a time they’ve used this quote as truth in their own life.  The easiest to explain, for the case of Paulo Coelho, is in the writing of his critically acclaimed novel, The Alchemist.  It was in 1993 that he wrote this epic depicting the journey of Santiago, a shepherd boy who travels to Egypt in search of a treasure only heard of in his dreams (Cliff).  In this book, the author invokes a deep connection with his readers and uses that to instill some very prophetic wisdom.  This wisdom is the opinion, and the action we think of when pulling this quote to mind.  Instead of telling his friends and others his philosophy on life, he writes in a book; immortalizing it for the rest of time.  

When I think of myself, the only occasion I can think of which truly utilized this wisdom, “the world is changed by your example, not by your opinion” is when I think of the way I was able to change an entire class’ mind about a single person.  For some reason, a person in my class was ostracized for things beyond her control.  She could confide in me, though.  At a very young age, I was able to realize the affect one person’s words could have on another.  Knowing this, it was very hard for me to watch this one person, who, for all we knew, could be nothing but kind, be demonized and made fun of on a daily basis.  My heart ached for her, and so I took it upon myself to be someone she could rely on to be a friend.  After many months of this, it seemed as though the rest of the class had finally lost interest in degrading this child’s sense of self-worth and integrity.  It is important for us to know that our opinions are just words.  Our opinions can be as right as rain, but until we enact them into real-world actions, we cannot expect things to change. It takes just one, just once to show the rest of the world, how things could really be, and how we could all live harmoniously.  

Works Cited

(Editors) - "Paulo Coelho." Biography.com. Ed. Biography.com Editors. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

<http://www.biography.com/people/paulo-coelho-5524>

(Coelho) - Coelho, Paulo. "Paulo Coelho." Goodreads. Goodreads Editors, N.p., 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

<http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/566.Paulo_Coelho>

(Cliff) - "The Alchemist." Book Summary. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

<http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/the-alchemist/book-summary>

Journal #4: Heraclitus of Ephesus

Heraclitus of Ephesus lived around the years 540-480 B.C.E. and was one of the great philosophers of the ancient world (Middlebury).  In an article on Soulspelunker.com, it is said that he was taught by Xenophanes, one of the most revered thinkers of his time (Zeteticus).  He offered many controversial ideas, one being the idea of universal flux, the idea that everything is always changing and nothing in existence is fixed into place.  One of Heraclitus' widely used pieces of philosophy that remains relevant and true to this day says: “Opposition brings concord:  Out of discord comes the fairest harmony.”  We will take this small fragment and examine how it could be applied to his time and to ours as well.  

This quote when applied in modern times must be broken down into it’s two parts which, although relatively similar, can have two different interpretations.  “Opposition brings concord.”  This goes to say, to me that in order to reach a decision fair to all, all entries must be heard and every relevant opinion accounted for and backed up by evidence.  One cannot base a decision which will go to influence many lives by basing the decision solely on their life and opinion.  The second part, “Out of discord comes the fairest harmony” can describe the same thing, in our modern times, in provincial times, and beyond.  This brings to mind a certain natural event.  After a ripping storm has blown through any patch of land, the aftermath always seems calmer than before.  The once rustling leaves and snapping branches give way to calm and steady breezes with little or no movement coming from the branches that once before were swaying in the wind.  Indeed Heraclitus wrote this regarding his own life and time, and in order to give it relevance to our era, we must first understand how it could have been applied to his life.  

Heraclitus lived under Persian rule during his lifetime in what is now Turkey in the middle-east.  In his many political statements and from opinion handed down through the ages, he was believed to have favored aristocratic rule versus democratic (Plato).  In aristocratic government, a council of at least 10 men would usually make laws and pass judgements on those accused of crimes.  He was actually appointed the king of the Ionians at one point in his life, but eventually gave the throne to his brother(Soulspelunker).   Under aristocratic rule, the idea of opposition bringing concord is easily understood.  With the ten men, all opinions would be heard, and it would be up to the men themselves to figure out a resolve to their problems.  Now that we can have an understanding of the way this quote can be applied to his times, we can take a look at how opposition bringing concord can be used in our lifetimes.  

“Opposition brings concord: Out of discord the fairest harmony.”  It seems necessary to try to translate this into layman’s terms so that it can be understood in our time.  Through opposition, argument, or disagreement, the problem is fully conveyed, and all parties can work towards a way to solve that problem without writing off one party’s ideas or opinions.  When all truths are laid on the table for all to see, we can then attempt at finding a truth suitable for all.  A way that I, personally, can relate to Heraclitus’ quote about opposition is remembering a time, or times that my band would argue.  This seems trivial, but the fact is that this great philosophers message spilled over to our time, and although we had no idea of the quote, or Heraclitus’ existence, we were able to apply it to our lives and come to agreements after hearing all troubles and tribulations.  

Bibliography

Graham, Daniel W. "Heraclitus." Stanford University. Stanford University, 08 Feb. 2007. Web.      28 Mar. 2016. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclitus/>

Harris, Dr. William. "HERACLITUS." Greek Philosophy and Heraclitus. N.p., n.d. Web. 28  Mar. 2016. <http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/Philosophy/Heraclitus.html>

(Zeteticus) - Zeteticus. "The Doctors of the Soul: Heraclitus." Soul Spelunker. N.p., 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. <http://soulspelunker.com/2013/10/the-doctors-of-soul-heraclitus.html>