From 72685228a7aacd6daa44da3833ac2eaeb80d1e39 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Collin Williams <96917990+bluedragon1221@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2024 20:03:03 -0500 Subject: move some stuff around --- md/19_Survival_Journal_Final_Paper.md | 94 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 94 insertions(+) create mode 100644 md/19_Survival_Journal_Final_Paper.md (limited to 'md/19_Survival_Journal_Final_Paper.md') diff --git a/md/19_Survival_Journal_Final_Paper.md b/md/19_Survival_Journal_Final_Paper.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bbdfa30 --- /dev/null +++ b/md/19_Survival_Journal_Final_Paper.md @@ -0,0 +1,94 @@ +--- +title: Survival Journal - Final Paper +--- + +_Since the experience of the past month has been a period of great +learning for me, this paper will be an attempt to express the lessons I +have learned from survival. Hopefully, it will be a summary of my +thoughts and realizations as I have come to understand them during solo._ + +From the hardships and tests of endurance I learned much about my +limitations. Strangely though, I learned more from observing others than +myself. The first realization came when we left the little pond at the +mouth of Horsethief during impact. I thought I had nearly reached my +limits as we hiked that day and was extremely reluctant to continue on. +Then as I was given the opportunity to help Melody and saw how tired she +was, but how determinately she continued on I knew that I had not even +come close to my limits of endurance. Throughout many of the tests of +survival I have felt that my trials have not been as severe as those of +others and each time I knew that if they had the courage to carry on +surely, I must also. + +One of the greatest lessons I have learned is the role that humility +must play in my life. During group ex. it was humbling to see how well +the girls groups performed together compared to the boys groups. An +essential part of cooperating as a group is having the humility to put +your trust in a leader and his decisions. We boys were too +individualistic and did not function well as a group until we were +humbled by becoming separated. Humility also is an essential element in +a person's relationship to the Lord. Only when a person has enough +humility to know that he must depend upon the Lord instead of his own +strength, can he earnestly strive to seek the help and guidance he +needs. This lesson was not fully realized by me until the end of +survival week when I felt sufficiently humble. I now have a better +understanding of how much I must depend upon the Lord not only during +times of hardship, but in all walks of life. + +Survival has also taught me a lesson of appreciation for the sacred +privilege of living in this beautiful creation. During solo I witnessed +many wonders, from the graceful motions of deer and great hawks to the +delicate scampering of field mice and insects. I often studied the +canyon walls and remembered back to the other beautiful landscapes I had +seen during the past month. I had time to appreciate their immensity and +perhaps more fully understand how all these things are filling the +"measure of their + +creation", as Sharon said. My eyes have beheld many of these marvels +before, but I was not a part of them and could not fully appreciate +them. It was as if I looked at them only through a picture frame until I +had this chance to experience some of the joys and pains of living so +intimately amongst them. For this added appreciation of the sacred +blessing of earthly existence I am most grateful. + +Some of the lessons I have learned are in relation to the goals I set, +at the beginning of the course. One of my goals was to learn to base +friendships upon the inner qualities of people rather than on outward +appearances or superficial, less eternal qualities. From this experience +of knowing hardships and suffering, of depending upon and living so +closely with people I did not previously know, I feel I have learned how +to more easily recognize the qualities upon which I want to base love +for others. I am continually amazed at how much I can find to love in +every single person I have met, during survival. I feel I have a greater +understanding of Christ's love for all his children and His commandment +that we are to love others as we do ourselves. Another of my goals was +to overcome my selfishness or to learn to love others to the point that +I cared more about them than I did myself. From the many opportunities I +had to serve others and give of myself I learned much about myself. I do +not feel that I gave as much as I could or that I have overcome all my +selfish desires, but I have learned much about where my faults lie and +what I must do to correct them. + +To summarize my feelings from survival, I have come to know a great +peace within myself. It is not a peace such that what I am is entirely +what want to be, but the lessons I have learned and the knowledge of +myself I have gained do not disturb me, but confirm my faith in myself. +I feel a sense of accomplishment at having endured hardships and having +born them without faltering. I feel, too, that the direction I am going +after survival will enable me to apply what I have learned toward +improving + +myself. I will be able to increase my faith in the Lord and learn to +more fully love and serve others during my mission to Brazil. I am +extremely grateful to have had this chance to learn so much that will +serve as preparation for mission my experience. + +As far as an instructor critique, I'm afraid I have little to say. +Throughout the entire month of survival I never at any time felt a +lacking on the part of the instructors. Their total dedication to their +responsibility always seemed more than sufficient to me. The two +instructors with which I had the most contact and whom I learned to love +and appreciate the most were Fred and Russ. I feel that they both gave +me much more than could give in return and that they both did an +excellent job of teaching what they were. I will be eternally grateful +to them and all the instructors for making survival the great experience +it was to me. -- cgit v1.3.1