Sports Spirit Sunday: Score Goal, New Roles, More Soul

Two-Day Game Warning: Almost the End of Regulation!

As I approach my Big Day (Public Dissertation Defense) to complete my Doctor of Philosophy, my journey toward this ultimate goal may be drawing to a close while my next one toward my career advancement will begin.

However, my Ph.D. pursuit has helped me grow, not just professionally, but also personally, and most of all: spiritually. Furthermore, this undertaking couldn’t have been accomplished single-handedly: GOD’s grace provided, JESUS’ example was all-sided, and the HOLY SPIRIT’s light guided, in addition to Team Dr. D, who had my back. I forever will be grateful to the †Heavenly HOLY TRINITY† and my positive supporters here on Earth, who’ve rooted me on all the way, leading up to this Tuesday, December 8 ~ save-the-date!

My next anticipated title this Advent: Tita Elaine.

We expect my future niece or nephew to arrive around CHRISTmas time ~ the very 1st grandchild of my parents, who recently celebrated their ♥wedding♥ anniversary.  Yes, my family is very blessed. Regardless of these joyous times, I pray that we’ll always turn to the LORD, as we lead our lives here while preparing our eternal home in Heaven.

Sending peace and goodwill to San Bernadino, CA, in the wake of this terrorist tragedy. ✌

Sports Spirit Sunday: DC is for …

Dallas Cowboys * Dissertation Completion –> Championship!

Those are my goals for today:

• hopeful ‘BOYS victory with Tony Romo back as quarterback ~ countdown to end of regulation (game on)
• imperative submission of my final draft for review ~ countdown to my dissertation defense (16 more days!)

Grad Cat / Asia Felina Catalina & Stats Cat / Sweet Annie have been by my side all the way …

Mini Milestones: Feline Friday & Study Saturday

• Thursday marked exactly one month until my well-anticipated graduation with my Doctor of Philosophy!
• The other day, I had my cat in my left hand, and my mouse in my right hand as I worked on my dissertation!
• Yesterday marked my ½way point between starting my faculty defense and my public final reveal (12/8)!

Happy ♥ANNIE-versary♥ to her & yours truly 1 week ago!

Study Saturday: Conscientiousness

During this week’s conference call with my dissertation chair, she called me

conscientious.

I not only accepted this ~ to ♥heart♥ and absolutely at face value ~ as the best compliment from her (when we were discussing the running and re-running of my statistics for my research results) but also am ensuring that I live up to this standard.

St. Joseph the Worker †prayer† that contains the word conscientiously from my Doctor of Philosophy friend who I idolize

When my cohort members and I were admitted into our doctoral program, conscientiousness* happened to be one of the personality traits for which we tested and that we studied in our leadership theories literature. It comes from the (1b) Big Five psychometric assessment that uses the “OCEAN” acronym:

• Openness (or Originality)
• *Conscientiousness (or Consolidation)
• Extroverion ~ I’ve also consistently tested high for this in the (2) Myers-Briggs (as an ENFJ for Extraversion • Intuition • Feeling • Judging) both when I took it as a psych minor for my undergrad and again in doc school
• Agreeableness (or Accommodation)
• Neuroticism (or Emotional Instability) ~ the reverse of this attribute as leaders and doc students is ideal to deal

According to the (1a) instrument provided by my doctoral degree program, someone who is conscientious is “achievement”-oriented and “self-disciplined” ~ so this implies that conscientiousness involves intentions (definitely something for which I strive).

Currently, my conscientiousness has stuck with me through school ~ as both a scholar and an educator!

Throwback: Some timing that Grey’s Anatomy premiered its 12th season this week ~ I actually reported on it during my 1st year of doc coursework (my Grad Cat is the #PhotoBomb #BombDotCom shortly before baby sis Stat Cat‘s birth Annie-versary) ~ this is an example of a presentation aid that I just covered with my speech students

This past week, I taught my students about literary terms, so I tied them into ♪music♫ and pop culture:

Asyndeton in ♫George Strait‘s ♪The Chair♪

Irony in ♫Alanis Morissette‘s ♪Ironic♪

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Jeremy Lin‘s How to Fit in the NBA

Personification plus Alliteration and Assonance in Funny Face that featured Audrey Hepburn!

If it (Quality magazine) won’t speak to me, it won’t speak to them.

~ Ms. Prescott, Editor-in-Chief

D for

• Down * Dreary * Dull * Depressing * Dismal and * Deadly

Banish the Black * Burn the Blue * Bury the Beige

• Think pink * Red is dead * Blue is through * Green‘s obscene * Brown’s too boo

Now I know that my advisor wasn’t trying to flatter me, but her acknowledgment meant encouragement … of the ♥heart.

I challenge you fellow servants and leaders to consider which personality traits that you have in order to enhance your strengths and improve from your weaknesses!

Site Sources

1. Big Five/OCEAN: http://ipip.ori.org/ and http://oaks.nvg.org/big-five.html
2. Myers-Briggs: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/

Another Reference (when I minored in psychology)

Oldham, J. M., & Morris, L. B. (1995). The new personality self-portrait: Why you think, work, love, and act the way you do. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Addendum

After I helped lead my †Church† in prayer at Vigil Mass, Fr. Bob, our Pastor, greeted me as “Soon-to-be Dr. Dispo” ~ to which I replied, “GOD-willing,” and “to glorify GOD.”

Happy Belated Birthday to our Fr. Kumar, our Parochial Vicar!

Thirsty Thursday: Spiritual DNA & Bootcamp

Our Holy Father has spread joy & hope all around the world leading up to his World Meeting of Families | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special

¡Biénvenidos, Padre!

“Don’t walk alone, always be encouraged. Walk with courage. Courage gives you joy, and joy gives you hope. Always move with courage, and always move with hope. Ask GOD for these.” ~ Pope Francis tells young girl in Spanish (this translated message transcends to all of us) … Similarly, Bishop Mike advised me to always look at the †cross† to refresh my soul with new hope, ♥love♥ and trust. | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special

As Pope Francis journeys on his well-anticipated trip to America (Philly to D.C. to NYC)

Pope Francis has addressed the *U.S. Congress* | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special

our awareness has been raised on how we take care of our environment … and each other.

Pope Francis has connected with my previous home: el Valle | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special

We also must consider how we take care of ourselves, in terms of our own †spiritual† health.

Pope Francis lifted up this young man’s spirits for taking care of his family | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special

Lately, I’ve reflected on my self-centered tendencies and been praying to be relieved of them in order to put my life in GOD’s hands. This hasn’t been easy. Fortunately, more messages have reminded me to get more †spiritually-fit.

Has this already been part of our genetic disposition* or is this something that we can learn**?

Courtesy United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

*Spiri†ual DNA

M is for …

Maryknoll‘s Father Finch uses a molecule metaphor about our spirituality already being part of our †souls, from the Holy Spirit to uncover GOD’s mysteries. By following these “spiritual† genetic instructions,” we serve and lead faithfully.

en español | Courtesy United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

**Spiri†ual Bootcamp

First, we must make sure that we maintain our religious practices for the mind:

• Go to Confession every month
• Pray the Rosary everyday ~ offering our daily duty to be closer to the Holy Spirit
• Scapular ~ “form me and shape me, Mother, in the form of Your Divine Son” (Marian way of life)

Furthermore, we must stay in good physical shape, so we have capable bodies:

• Calisthenics are effective to take care of our temples ~ this activity is more ideal for our spirit than pop culture (e.g., watching TV, going online)

Courtesy The Lake

Bearing in mind and ♥heart♥ all of the above advice plus last week’s scripture, I realize now more than ever that I’m no better than anyone else in the way that I treat others and ought to be treated; after all, as said every Ash Wednesday:

For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. ~ Genesis 3:19

 That being said, let’s follow the Pontiff‘s solid guidance to seek from GOD: courage –> joy –> hope ~ as I’ve studied this leadership practice for several years:

Encourage the ♥Heart♥

Courtesy Maryknoll

Spiritual Sources

• ABC. (2015, Sept. 4). “Pope Francis and the People.” [TV special].
• EWTN. (2014). Women of Grace “Marian Devotion: For Such a Time As This.”*
• Finch, Fr. Raymond J. (2015, Sept. 20). Reflections from Maryknoll.** [Email].

Inspired by Pope Francis | Courtesy Maryknoll

Motivational Movie Monday: Vic Vids

For a 💡dose🍊 of motivation:

My 👓Must-See👀 💿DVDs📀

  

Get Coached is a collection💾 of 🎬segments🎥 from 🌠winning🏆 🏉football🏈 📣coaches📢

• 4 NFL head coaches, including 2 Mikes ~ one (Singletary) who played for another Mike (Ditka) & the father (Buddy Ryan) of another featured coach (Rex Ryan), + another one (Sean Payton) who I actually reported on for one of my last doctoral classes
• The Florida State Seminoles former coach (Bobby Bowden)

 

I also am including how their speeches🎤 ~ which are relevant not just in terms of athletic leadership, but 👔corporate💼 🏣business, as well ~ tie in with the 🌈exemplary💭 leadership theory that I’m exploring in my doctoral🎓 📜dissertation.

📢Cheers👏🏽 to 🏉NFL🏈 Preseason I 🎊2015🎉 👟kickoff!

Study Saturday: Stress & Spirit

When I wined and dined the other night, I was filled with a wealth of insight!

My pilot friend, a fellow Catholic, categorized a couple of things that are strongly involved in our daily lives:

Stress and Spirit

He broke down stress into two types:

• Constructive stress ~ in which you’re engaging in activity that produces rewarding results (i.e., exercise)
• Deconstructive stress ~ in which you’re waiting and worrying rather than doing (i.e., stressing at computer)

He split spirit into these two:

• Encouraging spirit ~ in which someone motivates you to do your best (i.e., mentor)
• Discouraging spirit ~ in which someone downplays your activities or goals

Also, Captain Kirk pointed out to me (the obvious ~ yet I was oblivious until now) that my initials stand for education:

ED = Elaine Dispo