After enjoying a “spring break” with anything but spring weather where I’m from, I logged into my Mass Media class to see what the latest challenge would be for this blog. What will my subject be? What will I need to add this time—a link, a photo, more feeling in my writing? I opened the assignment and saw the word… “Reflection.”

I was asked to reflect on my blog: what is working for me, what is challenging, and whether my knowledge of blogging and mass media has changed. So I began to reflect on my blog and what I have accomplished so far. As I look back through my posts, I can hear my own voice in my writing. I’ve learned that I truly enjoy being creative. I like finding the words that express my thoughts and feelings, and I enjoy looking back at my life and reflecting on what I’ve learned along the way.

Reflection is such a powerful word. It can hold so many emotions and thoughts. Are we lingering on positive memories, or are we dwelling on the sad or hurtful ways we learned certain lessons? I used to be more of a “glass half empty” kind of girl, but I’ve learned that dwelling is never a good practice. It’s much more important to reflect on the positive. Reflection is a lot like looking in a mirror—we don’t want to see something negative staring back at us or have toothpaste splatters obstructing our view. Instead, we want to appreciate what we see, enhance it, and make it better.

One thing that is working well for me in this class is being able to take assignments and be creative with how I present them on my blog. Even something as simple as adding a photo can help tell a visual story while my words bring in my voice. I enjoy trying to add personality, depth, and perspective to each post. I also like including links because it allows me to do research on the topic I’m presenting. It helps bring in facts and supporting information that validate my thoughts and ideas.

No matter the project or assignment, there will always be challenges. But challenges and struggles are often the things that teach us the most. They shape our character and help cultivate the skills we need to grow and succeed. If we approach those challenges with a “glass half full” mindset, we can learn from them and eventually flourish.

Studying mass media and understanding how the world presents information—and how we interpret it—has changed my thinking in many ways. The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is the importance of doing my research and asking important questions when I’m presented with large amounts of information. Questions like: Who is writing this? What are they trying to get me to believe? Do I actually believe what they are saying? Am I allowing the information I receive to influence my thoughts and think for me, or am I thinking for myself?

Once again, it comes back to that word: reflection. Reflecting on what I see and hear, and deciding what I am truly learning from it. I came across a quote today that said…

I hope that as I continue through life—and even after I finish this class—I remember this assignment. I hope I continue to reflect on what I learn so I can keep growing and cultivating my character.