Steeven Espinoza
ART-263-1108
Professor. Cacoilo
November 27, 2023
Think fast! In three seconds name three people that you love. One, two, and three. And you didn’t name yourself. If your answers are, mom, dad, or even a friend, don’t worry youre not the only one, thus for many have chosen the same. Although this may appear as a dumb question to ask, many people have prioritized others as their first options in their list, rather than themselves. While you may also think my suggestion of implementing yourself as part of those three people might have been out of context, the reality is that we also count as a person, a human being that needs to be self-loved, prioritized, and well cared for. But let's not confuse self prioritizing with selfishness, when encountered with this type of question, although it is admirable to include other people ahead of you, let's not exclude ourselves either. The importance of this experiment is high, just as much as any person who may not consider themselves a worthwhile human being to be up in their own list or someone else's. These effects, as mentioned, may be one of the leading causes of depression and mental health issues.
Like any other things that needs to be done in your to do list, our self care should not be an exception. When we exclude some time for ourselves in our busy schedules the results can be fatal for our own mental health and can slowly lead to depression. I know how life can be a bit overwhelming, with duties and deadlines that must be met by the end of the day, however engaging ourselves into a “me time” can be as productive as any other objectives. You may be wondering how someone with a tight schedule can start with this type of self care, and for that I only have three words, “stepping off the curb” PG 16. Although the analogy for “stepping off the curb” may serve a different purpose, it can also be applied for self prioritizing. According to the book the whole meaning behind “stepping off the curb” refers to taking the first step from passive indifference into active engagement. Therefore, by implying to simply just take the first step can lead to more accomplishments, and productivity. These first few steps can be as simple as just dedicating 15 minutes a day to yourself, being kind to yourself, or simply just stop comparing yourself to others. There's a whole list of things someone can do to start, but what's most importantly is getting started, and taking their first step off the curb.
You might have heard that our brain is like a “muscle”, that requires the same attention and care as the rest of your body, therefore making the mind our most powerful source to which we see things in life. Self prioritizing is important, and within mental health comes along, hints why it is important to take care of. A negative mindset with pessimistic thoughts will always result in failure and lack of achievements. Likewise, a positive mindset will have better results, to which success may reflect upon it. Our mind can be very powerful, and can make us view things differently. The book Activist discusses much further about this topic, however within its discussion I have found a valuable quote that may help us have a better understanding, “Cognitive scientists have discovered that the ways in which the mind makes sense of information affect the actual structure of the brain”. PG. 180 Our mind is an overall sponge in which it's built upon memories, and things we have learned, therefore making it very sensitive if it's exposed to negative surroundings or habitats. The atmosphere that might surround us can have a major impact on our lives, since it is our brain that is constantly absorbing information, therefore being constantly exposed to either negative or positive examples can influence us to follow their steps. One of the many things in your to do list should be dedicating a few moments in taking care of your mental health, and emotions that may also come along.
For my project I wanted to experiment with people about their priorities and reactions towards the question, “Name three people that you love”. As a result of this experiment many of the participants replied with the most common answers, that typically involved a family member, friends or pets, but unfortunately not a single one mentioned themselves. This created an alarming immediate call to create a video in awareness of self prioritizing. This social experiment was well indeed inspired by one of the most incredible artists Marina Abramović and her performance “Rhythm O” 1974. Throughout her performance she dedicated herself to her project, much so that she risked her life by giving her audience the liberty to do what they pleased with her body. Her performance inspired me to sort of imitate her display in a different aspect, I have limited my participants by simply writing their answers into a white shirt. However, this has yet helped me relate with many of my participants in developing a much more closure towards our interaction, that for them may be memorable and help convey further more positive messages. Another inspiration that led to this experiment, was the example of Jesus of Nazareth as an activist performer. According to the book The Art Of Activism it states, “He physically threw out the money changers and kicked over their tables, using his body and his actions to convey his message.” PG. 89. The reading has well used Jesus as an example of how performance has come a long way, and how it can be effectively used in communicating a message and potentially be spread. Although Jesus' performance was a bit much more aggressive than mine, it stills translate how physical interaction may penetrate more into one’s mind. Many of these activism performances consist of displaying a presentation, and often interacting with the public. I believe I have successfully achieved that in my video, with hopes I can open the viewers mind and heart by simply just suggesting that with a little bit of effort anyone can be first in their own priority list.
Priority List
- Be present and patient to yourself
- Stop comparing yourself to others
- Surround yourself with people that make you smile
- Focus more on the things you love
- Be realistic
- Eat healthy and do more physical activities
- Sleep well
- Slow down
- Forget expectations
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