Lindsey's Epics

(King Dasaratha and his four sons; Source:  Wikimedia ) In his old age, he have decided he want to retire and pass the torch onto one of his brilliant sons. The obvious and logical choice would be his favorite, Roy. Roy is the smartest, loyalist, and most fair one of all the king's boys. He fully trust that he will do the kingdom right by making the best decisions. King Dee, having come to this conclusion, went to tell on of his wives. In the main corridor sits one Dee's most respected wives, Kay. He owed Kay his life as she had saved him countless times. "My dearest Kay, I have come to the decision that I want to retire and leave my kingdom to my smart one, Roy. Do you approve of my choice in replacement? You opinion means so much to me!" proclaimed King Dee. "I am so happy you are going to retire, but I think your choice in replacement is wrong. You should have our  boy Bart take over the throne. He has worked so hard for you. I think you shall let Bar...

Rama's exile to the forest got all the people and animals in the kingdom very upset. They were mad at Kaikeyi and were willing to kill themselves in order to not be ruled by anyone else or go with Rama. Lakshmana was very angry about the exile. This shows the loyalty he has to Rama and creates a deeper level to his character. He swore to kill anyone who got in the way of Rama becoming king. Rama calms him, but blames himself for not thinking of the consequences of accepting the crown so eagerly. Rama eventually comes to the conclusion that his exile and Bharatha becoming king is the doing of a higher power and he can not disobey. The relationship between these 2 brothers shows a strong bond between not just bloodlines but also family ties. Lakshmana says he has "no meaning in my existence... unless I establish you on throne...". Quotes like this strength the readers' understanding of loyalty and brotherhood. Along with the higher power, Rama believe that Kaikeyi deser...

As the book begins, Kosala, an extensive country where few people have been, is described. The capital is Ayodhya and it is the "rich city". King Dasaratha resides here with his 3 wives but not children. Dasaratha's only want is to have children, but to do so he needs to defeat Ravana. Vishnu, a god, becomes the incarnate of Dasaratha's son, Rama. In order to have his sons, a sacrifice was performed by sage Rishyashringa. Through this sacrifice, each of Dasaratha's 3 wives becomes pregnant and he now has 4 sons. His sons, Rama, Bharatha, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna, all learned about yoga and philosophy. (Four Sons of Dasaratha; Source:  Wikimedia ) The next chapter of the book is about Rama's initiation and journey to becoming a saviour. Through this chapter, it is clear that Rama's life mission is destroying evil and demonry in the world. Sage Vishvamitra comes to Dasaratha's court for the purpose to take Rama with him on his yagna journey. The sa...

I personally love getting back constructive feedback on my work. I feel like it helps me better my education and my work while also pointing out that there are things that I can improve. That being said, I am also no stranger to rejection. Whether that rejection is for a job opportunity or for classwork, I think feedback is so important. In the  Why Rejection Hurts So Much  article, it explains that the greatest hurt that rejection causes is usually self-inflicted and hurts your own self-esteem. I think this article is a great read for people of all ages and in all fields of work. It is important to know realize, especially for myself, that rejection makes your stronger and helps you grow as a person. An example I can think of from back in high school was when I didn't get the top position on my dance team. Of course I was upset when it first happened and I took the rejection out on my self-esteem and my confidence. As time went on, I was able to find out the reasons I was rej...

Kamadeva, The God of Love This topic interests me because I have always been a sucker for a good love story so I assume the God of Love is responsible for many. Although Kamadeva is portrayed as the "cupid" god since he wields bow and arrows, I want to take a more modern route if I were to tell his stories. I do not have any previous knowledge about Kamadeva, however, if I were to chose this as my storybook topic, I want to learn all about him and the many stories he has been involved in.  (Kamadeva, God of Love; Source:  Wikipedia ) Here are the love stories and people I would like to retell their stories and explore more: Pradyumna, the reincarnate of Kamadeva:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pradyumna The love story of Rama and Sita:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sita#Marriage The love story of Nala and Damyanti:   http://ritsin.com/story-nala-damyanti-love-unknown-mahabharata-vana-parva.html/#comments The love story of Ruru and Pramadvara:...

Updated version of the story located at  College and Karma . (Talley Student Union; Source:  Wikimedia ) It was a quiet Saturday afternoon on the university's campus. Joe, a junior at the school, was taking a quick nap at the courtyard of the student union. Joe had a big exam coming up so he was studying all hours of the day and night and he was exhausted. John and Johnny, some guys who lived in the same dorm as Joe, saw Joe sleeping there and wanted to mess with him. While Joe slept, John and Johnny went to the store to get some supplies. Joe was having restless sleep as he was dreaming that the student union building was collapsing. This awful dream caused Joe to wake in a fright. Just in time as Joe woke, John and Johnny set off firecrackers hoping to frighten Joe. Not only did the loud noise scare Joe, he panicked and believed that his dream of the student union collapsing was real. He started running as fast as he could to the dorms to collect some of his thin...

The Cunning Crane and the Crab  is a story found in Buddhist Jataka's collection. As I read through Jakata's stories, this one in particular peaked my interest. As I was reading, it was obvious that the crane was playing the fish and eventually all the fish would be eaten by the crane. The character in the story that took me by surprise was the crab. He is not mentioned until the end where he comes into play. I wonder what the crab witnessed throughout the beginning of the story when the crane was taking advantage of fish. I imagine the crab was a bystander to all the action that was happening with the fish. The crab had to have an idea of what the crane was doing and planned for the eventual death of the crane. I think the understanding deception and having to often pay for your wrongs is the most important theme and lesson that this story conveys. Story Source: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse. (Jataka Tales; Source:  Jataka ) The Fool...

For my Ramayana reading, I have chosen to use option one, Narayan's Ramayana.  I chose this version of the story because of the reviews on the book. The book tells the story in a captivating way that draws the readers in. I do not like reading historical books, but rather I enjoy books and stories with a modern style that makes you root for characters and create different opinions in an interesting way. I think this version will also help me understand what is going on just based on the modern language. Browsing through the Bizzell Comic Books and the India Video Playlist, I have found some books and videos that seem interesting: Indra and Shachi  is a comic book about the Lord of Heaven and his wife. The reason I chose this comic book was for the action and crime in it. I enjoy crime tv show and reading about what happens in this book draws on my interest there. (Hindu Goddess Shachi; Source:  Shachi ) Ganesha  is comic book about the remover of all ...

Time management is very important for me to get my assignments done on time, or even early. I plan to work on assignments for this class at least 4 days a week. I want to work a solid 1-2 hours every one of those days to get my work done and also get ahead if possible. I have found what works for me is to create a schedule, whether the schedule changes weekly or daily. In Amanda Collins  Realistic Study Plans , I learned to set goals for what I want to achieve. Another aspect of Collin's work I liked was repetition. I find that I work best and focus more when I am going through my work as a routine. Another article I found interesting was Jory Mackay's  The Important Habit of Just Starting . I interpreted this article bringing in the idea of procrastination. The guilt from not starting an assignment is often worse than actually starting and working on said assignment. I found that I relate to this idea as I am so bad about procrastinating. After reading through these 2 article...

Using technology for classwork is very popular in today's time. The technology tools that were discussed in this assignment are very common and very helpful for students. I think what makes this class so new and interesting for me is the newness of the program we use. I have taken some online classes before, but I have never had all my assignments basically turned into a blog. I think the layout makes this class unique.  (Different styles of blogs; Soure: Design Blogs )

While I was reading through all the different assignments for this class, I am most looking forward to just building my blog and making it into a portfolio of sorts. I think the layout of this class is very interesting and not something I have ever done before. The layout can help me explore not only just the different stories and readings, but it can also help me discover things about my imagination and understanding. I think I will be challenged, but in a good way, to share my thoughts on things and interact with classmates. Reading through the extra credit options, I think exploring more on the idea of growth mindset is something I will be very intrigued by. Another extra credit opportunity I will be taking advantage of is the famous last words. I think reflecting on not only this class, but others, will help me with growth mindset. (Growth Mindset; source:  Brain Mindset )

Listening to Carol Dweck's TED talk really made me think about my own personal mindset. Being a student in today's society can be stressful as perfection is something that professors and parents basically expect from their students. I personally relate to this spectrum of growth mindset. Early in my college career, I was scared to put forth effort and get helped with classes I struggled with because I was embarrassed to be vulnerable and admit my struggles. Now as I start my second semester of my junior year, I have learned a tremendous amount about myself and how my mindset works. I have learned that asking for help does not show weakness, but it actually shows strength in being able to recognize my struggles and wanting to do something about them to better myself. Although I still do get anxious when I have to ask for help or guidance, I have to push through and tell myself that it will all be work it in the long-run of life. I think the more I learn about growth mindset, the...

Hi everyone, my name is Lindsey. I am a junior here at the University of Oklahoma. I am originally from the Dallas, TX area much like a big portion of the students here at OU. My major is Health and Exercise Science, pre-PA. I have always been interested in sports and sport related injuries so I plan to become a PA for an orthopedic surgeon. The coolest thing about being a Health and Exercise Science major, or any major that is on a medical track, is that you have to take anatomy here at the university. The really unique thing about OU's anatomy course is that it is with cadaver. While that may freak most people out, the opportunities OU students have with having a cadaver experience really help for later admission into medical and graduate programs. Out of all my classes I have taken so far, that class would have to be the most challenging but also the coolest experience. As I said earlier, I am a big sports girl and root for all the Dallas teams, the Dallas Stars and...

1.  The Brahmazing Race This storybook is about Brahma, who is the creator of the world. What makes this storybook so interesting is the layout in which the information is shared. The title of the work shares the idea that this storybook will be laid out much the the television program, The Amazing Race. The introduction does a nice job of explaining all the routes in India at which the players will take. It also introduces 4 "racers" and their background and importance within the world. The overall layout of the storybook is very engaging and brings a sense of adventure for the readers who are familiar with the television program the storybook is based on. 2.  Epic Festivals of India This storybook takes you on a tour throughout India and shares all the festivals that make India special. In the introduction, it is shared that there is almost a festival for every day of the year. Learning about some of the popular and special ones is what this storybook explains. I like ...

New York City - The first time I went to NYC was for me and my friend's thirteenth birthday. I have been back numerous times because of the memories I made when I was thirteen. My favorite time to go to NYC is during the holidays when all the decorations are out. (Image Information: Personal photo of Rockefeller Centre; photo from December 2018) Kangaroo Island - Kangaroo Island is the third largest island located in South Australia. When I went to visit, I stayed at the Southern Ocean Lodge Resort. It was a beautiful resort that was reclusive and very educational about different environments, communities, and animals. (View of Kangaroo Island from the Southern Ocean Lodge:  Southern Ocean Lodge )

Testing new blog. Testing new blog. Testing new blog.