Beauty Tuesday: May My Teeth Be Merry and Bright

Happy Big Day to yours truly!

The time has arrived: I’m defending my dissertation this afternoon after my anticipated blessing from Bishop Mike.

While it’s still surreal until I actually achieve this vision, I’ve planned everything in advance down to the details of my appearance …

After all: fail to plan, plan to fail ~ to no avail!

• I prepared what to wear several months ago: dress, check√ * jewelry, more jewelry and accessories, check√ * shoes, check√ (something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue)
• I started practicing my presentation a couple of months ago … as well as my makeup and hair style (beauty rehearsal)
• I wrote my pre-defense prayer and post-defense acknowledgements over a month ago (vows)
• I got fresh spa treatment with nails done and brows shaped the weekend before (pampering)
• I started more extensive over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments the week prior (necessity)

That way, my smile will glow, and the coffee stains won’t show! =D

#DISPObustAFlow 

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!

Study Saturday: Learning from My Students

This RGV press release 📰 about my summer🌅 speech class in South Texas🌴 reminds me of the skills that my students practiced that still are required to succeed in my own PhD📜!

As another year approaches, I can’t just sit back, wait and wonder: will this be my year? First of all, I have faith🙏 that GOD☝️ determines the fate. I can do what is within my control, and like my students, I can strive to produce high-quality work! Struggle and sacrifice will be worth the price!

Almost exactly two years ago when I attended 🎆New Year’s🎇 Mass💒, our Deacon spoke🎤 of the difference between wishful💭 and resolved👊 thinking. While I can wish all I want to graduate🎓, I must move forward once I resolve to take whatever steps👣 necessary to make progress!