Ballou High School ​Visual Arts Department
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New Year's Eve...

12/31/2014

 
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Tonight is the night when many people make New Year’s resolutions. I will not be making any resolutions this year instead I will contemplate on what I am going to “invest” in this year. Yesterday I had dinner with a group of people who talked about their investments.  They were speaking about financial investments and the money that they earned and lost this year.

On my way home from dinner I started thinking about the word, “investment”. If you look up the meaning of “investment” you will find that Webster's Dictionary refers to the meaning in an economic or financial sense defining it as investing money or capital made in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.   

I started to think about what it is that I invest in every day? As a single teacher I don’t have a lot of monetary assets to invest but I do have many other precious assets that would make lucrative investments. For example last year I invested in getting another degree. The Master’s program that I am currently enrolled in was given to me as a full scholarship so I am not making a financial investment in my education but I am investing my time (20-30 hours a week) studying. The return on this investment is so great that it cannot be measured and it can never be lost or taken away from me. It’s a solid sure investment.

I am also investing in my health by keeping to my exercise and healthy eating routine.  The return on this investment is also immeasurable and will offer me a healthier and longer life. Another investment that I am making is my spiritual life. I am investing time each day to read, pray and mediate. The profitable returns on a sound spiritual life is also endless and cannot be lost or taken away from me.

I am investing in my teaching career by creating more challenging lessons, video taping my lessons, working on our class website, this blog, YouTube and painting murals. The return on all of these investments is also timeless and immeasurable. My investments will touch lives long after I am gone.

None of my investments involve money and yet I will profit intrinsically more from my investments than any millionaire who invests money in the money market. Also, my investments are a sure thing. I am not gambling!  There will be a profitable return on every one of my investments!

Thinking back on the dinner conversation last night, I realize that I might not have an economic or financial degree or a ton of money to invest, but in my opinion I made the smartest investments compared to the others! They invested with hopes of a good return. I invested knowing that I will have a good return. So therefore who is the wisest investor?

There is a famous quote by Robin Sharma that says, “Investing in yourself is the best investment that you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you”.

So this New Year’s Eve when you are thinking about all those resolutions that you will promise to keep, remember that with every resolution you make you must also make an investment of time, passion and discipline in order to see it come to pass. Things in life do not happen by lying around and just waiting. Get yourself up, make goals, set a time-line and invest the time to see it through! Then watch and see the wonderful return on your investment.  I love you guys. Happy New Year! Ms. B.




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    Donna Bonavia

    I am an art educator and  a professional artist. I write this blog to guide my students in  (SEL) social, emotional, and academic development. S.E.L. is the District of Columbia Public School's priority because we believe that we must educate the whole child.


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