The Religion of Islam - Essay Example

Final Exam Essay Family and Religion: The religion of Islam has been a long running practice in our family, and it has been one of our cultural practices for a long time. I believe the introduction of religion early in life played a key role in molding the person I have grown up to be. Islamic teachings, on what is right or wrong, have enabled me to make decisions based on what I believe is right and it has enabled me to live comfortably with them. My parents and older brothers are strict Muslims devotees who made sure that I never missed my catechism classes. I attribute my strong belief in the family to what Islam teaches. My mind is always tuned to fulfilling Islamic teachings, and I have come to appreciate the power of the mind to control whole being even from the unconscious parts of our minds, due to my strong belief, in what the Quran teaches. Family makes an individual forge a sense of identity and belonging thus providing the stability required to develop mentally and physically. Lack of traumas, during early childhood period, which is sometimes caused by unstable family set ups, gave me a chance to have a healthy psychological nurturing. I attribute this to my easy going and sociable character. Religion constitutes a crucial part of society, and my ability to relate with it has made me be accepted and appreciated, in the society. Being a Man: The gender I was born into has significantly influenced the type of person I am today. From my early childhood experiences, being a man or of the male species, it meant that my role in society and even to some extent the type of person I was supposed to be when I grew up was already predetermined by my gender. It meant I had to strive to be dominant and adapt into already set roles. Environment: The environment I have lived in is a dynamic one giving me the opportunity to experience life in a different way as compared to a person living in a static environment. I have lived in a city for the whole of my life; I have interacted with almost all the races, in the world, thus making me able to view the world from different perspectives, which also enable me understand this world better thus making my life and others around me bearable and easier to live with. Motivation: What drives me in life is the belief that one can be or get anything they desire by just focusing on their goals and working hard to realize them. When I set this as my ideology in life and living by it, I find myself with minimal regrets because I believe everything that happens to me, good or bad, I know I must have influenced it into being through my actions or thoughts. The belief that there is good in every person has made me able to apply this belief in helping others. Turning Point: I was diagnosed with a life threatening condition which made me think of how precious life was and how it is taken for granted. This experience changed my perspective on life, and I term myself lucky because it happened to me early in life and I have been able to live my life more consciously, appreciating every passing moment. The experience I had with death made me review my opinion about life and acknowledge its sanctity. Essay #2 When working, in small discussion groups, to handle an assignment, in this course, I came to realize that everyone, in the group, is unique in terms of what they can do by means of contributing to achieve the group’s set goals. I learnt that people have their own exceptional abilities and different ways of understanding things. Some were good at analyzing images while others could easily understand and relate audio interfaces, and some were emotional and passionate. To succeed, in a small discussion groups, members should endeavor to understand the group’s dynamics to optimize on every person’s strong point (Pennington 95). In the small group that I was involved in, I played the part of the coordinator or the secretary of the group. It became apparent to everyone, during the first meeting that I was articulate, in my organization, and I was nominated for the post. My social skills came to my aid because I was able to create good rapport with every member of the group, thereby guaranteeing their full cooperation, in undertaking the assignments. Through this interaction, I was able to help identify the participant’s strong points bringing them to the group’s attention. As coordinator of the group’s activities, I was able to horn my organizational skills. In future group assignments, I would like to assume the position that I have afore mentioned because I believe that I can act as a unifying factor, in the group because I would have the opportunity to interact with everyone, at personal levels, thus creating a non-partisan link between opposing individuals. I would also like to assume this position because it would enable me the opportunity to interact with many people in the same field of interest; this will give me a chance to make contacts and network with individuals who could play a part in my career advancement after the completion of my studies. Essay #3 One fundamental lesson I have learnt from the self improvement project is that when someone wants change, it has to start with the individual. It does not matter whether it is a personal or group change that one wants to initiate; accepting the existence of a problem is the first step to dealing with and solving the problem. The second aspect, I learnt, was the benefits of commitment and honesty; pledging to actualize a set goal and being honest about the set benchmarks, is the key to achieving the set objective. Essay #4 Conformity can be described an adaption to circumstances or situations. According to the cartoon, it is good and comfortable to adopt to change while non-conformity is not. The cartoon is funny because it shows the truth in an easy to understand way offering comic relief. Essay #5 Relationships that prosper are based on honesty, respect, understanding, love and forgiveness. The relationship between parents influences the development of their children who mimic what they see in their parents. A parent should be a guide in the life of a child and not a companion who does not offer protection or proper direction in life. Being able to understand people and recognize their strong points is good at improving relationships. Essay #6 The best thing I value when working in a group is honesty and devotion. Most of the group members are introverts, preferring individual tasks, but they, at the same time, and appreciated being, in this group. When people work together, it improves their confidence and self esteem. Work Cited Pennington D. C. The Social Psychology of Behaviour in Small Groups. Illustrated Edition. Psychology Press, 2002. Print. Read More