Magis Award

 

So I've just been awarded the Magis Award, which gives me license to spend the next two years of my life doing nearly whatever it is that I want to.  The question, then, is what will I do with the next two years of my life.  Of course, this seems like the perfect opportunity to pursue the passions that have ultimately seemed out of reach for me due to financial hindrance.  This is good because the award does not actually effect the path of my future much.  The award mainly adds some security to my endeavors.
For the first twelve months of my journey I would travel to Los Angeles and put absolutely all of my time and effort into acting and modeling.  This would consist mostly of acting, and making a name for myself on the screen.  I would audition, film, take classes, attend camps, and write plays and screen plays.  With the money that will be provided me, I will be able to focus on acting without having to worry about supporting myself.  This also means that I can choose the parts I want based on the effect they may have on the world and society, not to mention, my career.  Hopefully, by the end of this very intense year, I have created some sort of reputation for myself and have a budding career in the film industry.  This year may run over a few months into the second year.
The next twelve months I will get my tuition paid for med school and begin classes.  The movies I had made during the previous year should accrue enough money to pay for the next three years of med-school.  I will get med-school completed, and before I go into residency, but after I have been accepted I will get permission to defer for another year while I film another movie.  This will help me to achieve just a few of my many goals while also building the ground work to achieve many of my greater goals.

As an actor and a doctor, I will have set an example for people to break away from the American mentality that if you do not specialize, you won't be good at what you do.  That is wholly untrue, and actually I think that this mentality hinders people from reaching their full potentials.  Also film is a great way to reach and influence the public, as is medicine.  Through both of these mediums I will be able to influence humanity for the better.  Perhaps this is my opportunity to make real change in the world.

Not to mention, by this point the money that I will have will be self-sufficient.  Meaning that I will be a doctor and an actor and the original money from the Magis Award will have manifested itself in success and replication.  This money will help me to have the impact that I am looking for in the world.  I will be able to travel and talk with people of all ages and backgrounds and help them to change and realize their lives and purposes.  Some of this change may be simplification, but it will all ultimately be for the better.

All of this greatness will come from just two years of nearly unlimited funding from the Magis Award.  Wow! Wouldn't it be pretty to think so...

This is a difficult topic to write about for many reasons.  St. Ignatius gave direction to many in their lives with plenty of purpose and insightful wisdom.  He says that people should try to be indifferent to the material and aesthetic aspects of life.  We should not be worried about sickness or health, poverty or wealth, success or failure, or even a long or short life.  This is hard for me to understand because I want to be healthy, successful, and wealthy with a relatively long life.  These seem like normal desires, and I feel as though these desire are aimed in a good direction.  If these are one's desires wouldn't that lead them to a full life?  I think its important to take care of the body, mind, and soul.  Health is part of all of these.  Success is measured only by the individual attempting to achieve it.  What is wrong with wanting to set goals and reach them?  Wealth is understandably an entity that is not of the utmost importance, but regardless of what someone wants in terms of wealth, it is necessary.   A long life isn't necessarily that important, but in order to accomplish your goals, you may need time.  This all makes what St. Ignatius said difficult to understand.  I would have to say that in terms of his philosophy of indifference that I am failing.  Should I be concerned is the question, considering that one of the entities of the philosophy is a lack of concern for success.  As I write about my failing in this philosophy and how I am not understanding St. Ignatius's words, I can't help but feel as though I must be misinterpreting what he is saying.  Indifference in his terms seems to be a lack of attachment rather than a sort of apathy.  So rather than take the advice as guidance away from these things or goals people may have, I think that maybe St. Ignatius meant for us to pursue our goals, but not be consumed by them.  It is always important for us to really understand that there are things so much bigger than ourselves in this life.  So, yes try to stay healthy, but when I'm not I will not let it weigh upon my conscience.  I do however have a strong affinity for health, success, wealth, and longevity, which makes me feel as though I am not doing St. Ignatius justice.  I understand a need for balance in one's life, but I think the necessary balance should be between the things previously mentioned.  Health is obviously more appeasing than sickness, and I do not think that Ignatius was suggesting that we find a balance between sickness and health as much as he meant a balance between what we held as important in our lives.  To be healthy, successful, wealthy, and to live a long life are all great goals, but the key is to balance them in terms of importance.  This I think I do much better than the actual philosophy of indifference.  Perhaps I care too much about all of these things.  I am typically a perfectionist and that is a problem for me often.  This is where I think I can take the advice of St. Ignatius and it would not contradict any of my beliefs.  Giving too much worth to these goals can be enveloping and that is what I believe St. Ignatius was talking about when he said that we should be indifferent toward worldly things.

God's Gifts

God's gifts are many and range in form.  I agree with Ignatius when he says that God gifts us all, and it is up to each and every one of us to determine these gifts.  I think that one of my gifts given by God may be the gift of healing.  This gift manifests itself in a multitude of ways.  I tend to be approachable and willing to listen.  I am often asked by others --sometimes-complete strangers-- for advice.  I tend to be able to support others emotionally, mentally, and physically.  This means I take responsibility for others and often put them in priority over myself.  In a way this is a form of healing.  Being able to aid others when they themselves do not know how to aid themselves is a blessing and a curse that I am thankful for.  I think that Gifts given by my environment and upbringing aid in the use of the gifts given by God.  I am kind and willing to take on the responsibility of others emotions because of how I was raised.  My father always taught me that I was a leader by birth and that because of that I had to take the responsibility to help others who were less fortunate than me.

            Another way that I am gifted with the power of healing is that it is part of my culture.  I am Native American, and my elders have always told me that my father was to be the next traiteur, and that after he, I.  In the United Houma Nation the traiteurs are the medicine men of the tribe.  These people are said to have supernatural abilities and intuitions.  My father and I both get odd sensations when we know that someone will die.  We are never aware of whom, just that someone near to us has.  It’s an odd occurrence, but it seems to validate what we’ve heard all of our lives about being from the lineage of traiteurs.  The traiteurs are healers and I’ve had experiences in healing people with my hands or small minor pains.  This is part of my culture, but seems to be a God given gift.  The way I use all of these powers is learned from my family.  The caring, the insight, and the responsibility that I use in combination with my gifts are learned gifts from my family.  The gifts of God and the gifts of this world work in combination to help us reach our full potentials.