Algebra

There is no scarier word for me when it come to my college courses than Algebra.  I took it in Junior High and  HS as well as summer school and it did not go so well.  Mainly because I was a slacker and found it way more important to go to the restroom and smoke, or doodle about who I thought was cute.  It was easier for me to switch to business courses.

I took it again when I went to a local community college.  I passed Algebra 1, the guy liked me and decided to grade me on what I did and not what I didn't do, the Algebra 2, the lady was not so nice and I ended up dropping out of school, not solely for that reason but it played into it on some level.  

I went back to online school and last year I had a horrible time with the course.  I think some of it was the online graphing I could not do correctly AND my FEAR. I ended up with a C or C -, I was pleasantly surprised because I expected a D, but what it did to my nerves and my relationships over that time, was not really pretty for a good 9 weeks around here.

Fear drives us to do and say crazy things, it is one emotion that can paralyze us.  If I stared listing how fear has effected me I would be writing a book, not a quick blog, so I will stick to my short and sweet approach and say, that since trying to face my fears and put them aside I feel like a new person.

Often when we clear out the old fears things that would have once scared us tend to pop up. It is up to us to choose that we are willing and able to face the fear and move forward, close up and stay stuck, or even worse in my book handle it the same way as we did in the past. 

To me Algebra is one of those things that keep popping up. I decided this time to express my fears and a wonderful friend of mine recommended a book for me to look into.  I cannot thank him enough as the book is all about changing your mindset and thoughts about Algebra as it breaks it down into simpler steps.  I never would have thought of that, which surprised me since I apply it to so many other areas of my life. 

I have made the decision to work on this mindset and use the tools that I can find and get over this this Algebra fear. 1 class 5 weeks, piece of cake right? or should I say pie?  hahahaha that made me laugh. 

It's funny but I think when I can can do it, there will be little of the fears left in me to hold me back. So I thought I would just share that my intent is to work hard, do my work, learn the processes, and pass this class. I intend to ask for help when I need it, and to remain calm, cool, and collected over the next 5 weeks. I am also going to remember something I heard tonight on a call "you cannot laugh and worry at the same time". 

I know there are bigger issues in the world and I know that this may seem silly to some, but it is something I need to do for me.  It is actually refreshing to focus on such a seemingly small issue.

I will not bore you with the week by week details, but I may throw a sentence or 2 in my other weekly posts.

I also would like to challenge you to step out of the zone of comfort and see if you are able to change your mindset on something over the next 5 weeks.

Take care