accomplish, accomplishment, achieve, achievement, affirmation, affirmations, Beauty Tuesday, Big Day, body, brain, Bridal, Bride, Career, defense, dissertation, dissertation defense, Doctor, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctoral Degree, Doctorate, goal, Graduate, Graduation, inspiration, inspire, mental, mental fitness, mental shape, mind, Mission, motivate, movitivation, paper, Ph.D., PhD, physical, physical fitness, physical shape, physique, presentation, public speaking, reality, reminder, reminders, research, speech, vision, Wedding Day
In ♥ & Soul, Beauty Tuesday, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Sports, Technology, Travel, Weekly Wonders, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 06/02/2015 at 15:00
Two months ago …
Tito Regie (visiting from the PI🌴): When’s the BiG day?
Yours truly: 🙏GOD-willing, December 2015!
Uncle Reg meant when I’d become Mrs. So & So, & I meant when I’d become Dr. Dispo! 💒💍🏤
#DISPObustAFlow #DISPOsAlwaysFly #NotLookingForAGuy #PhD #DrD #TeamDrD #DrDispo #TeamDrDispo
Just like many brides👰🏽 may 👣step👟 up their 🏈A-game🏀 to get wedding-ready, I as a 🎓Ph.D. candidate am doing everything in my power that backs up my dissertation, up until the day of my full defense:
- First of all, I’ve been wearing my class ring on my left hand since I received it after my candidacy (compare engagement/popping-the-question to comprehensive exams/answering-the-questions)
- Waking up every morning with it on my mind and tuning those thoughts into actions that support it (contacting folks [like in wedding planning], writing [like in marriage vows])
- Posting affirmations to remind me of my goal everyday, including this gorgeous reminder ~ inspired by TIU‘s K&K👙 in FFF📖 (this note is posted on my dashboard)

YES, I made it up: PhD for Pretty HOT Driver ~ what can I say? This. Is. LEGIT. #fuego
- Keeping my defense dress👗 hung up in plain view ~ so I can see it and envision myself presenting🎤 my paper📜 (I’ll also have a dress👔 rehearsal/run-through to practice while wearing it ahead of time)
- Exercising both my body and my brain for the physical and mental fitness to endure and persevere
- Hitting the sack one night closer from turning this 🌈dream💭 into a reality🏆
- Last, but certainly not least and actually the most important:
Always PRAY.
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In ♥ & Soul, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Study Saturday, Weekly Wonders, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 01/17/2015 at 08:00
Lately, I’ve been in conference calls with doctoral graduates for tips on getting on the grind and finishing our respective terminal degrees. Here are some of the paraphrased pieces of profound advice that they imparted to this candidate, yours truly, as I push through my dissertation:
Dr. Alex
- You’ll graduate in †GOD†‘s time.
- If †GOD† led you this far, He won’t leave you at this point.
Dr. Díaz*
- It takes ♥love♥ and commitment because it is a labor of ♥love♥.
- Treat your dissertation as your job by putting in your hours and ♥love♥ what you do.
*Also, my aforementioned colleague — with whom I used to teach in South Texas who always has been a brilliant mastermind and now has his book on the way (about the border, around the corner) — who is a fellow, active Catholic, who pointed out that we all have our †cross† to bear, established this group for St. Joseph the Worker …

… to whom he would pray everyday before writing his dissertation.

Dr. Toya
- Treat your dissertation as your final project: the last assignment that you need to graduate.

- Write an affirmation …

… and place it on your bathroom mirror…

… or refrigerator.

I also posted it on my desk!

I’m ♥lovin’♥ it!

Constant reminders may be just the key to my Ph.D. to become Dr. D (as I pop these choco Coffeebeats that may not be the best bet for my teeth)!