Melissa Costa Journal Entry #1 Section #4 From Class: In everyday life, we are bombarded with information, and unless

we have an immaculate photographic memory, we simply can t remember everything. One incredibly important point that Professor Jordan focused on is that people tend to remember stories because they carry meaning for people to relate to. For example, I took psychology last semester, and if I read over and memorized the stories and examples that coupled each theory, it was much easier for me to remember the theory. I actually learned in psych 101 that humans can encode information better when the information is attached to meaning, called semantic encoding. Semantic encoding helps solidify memories and makes them easier to retrieve. I already incorporate this idea into my study habits, like I did with psychology last semester. I will continue to use this to my advantage throughout my life and tell stories to people when I really want them to remember what I say. Everyone knows that as humans get older, their responsibilities increase. The less obvious flip side is that as you get older, your opportunities decrease. The combination of these two ideas means that at a certain point in your life, you become stuck, because the responsibilities outweigh the opportunities. Most importantly, in order to be the most successful you must keep as many options open for yourself for as long as possible. For example, a 45-year-old single mother of two middle school aged children is most likely stuck at her current job (and thus where she lives) until she puts her kids through college, unless she has mobility and can find a equivalent or better job. I will apply this to my life by keeping as many options

Melissa Costa Journal Entry #1 Section #4 open as I can for as long as I can, so if I realize that I m going to get stuck in the near future, I can utilize one of my options and prevent that.

From Reading: Most people simply cannot do the same exact type of work for 40 consecutive years. Everyone knows about the inevitable midlife crisis, but Peter Drucker states that a midlife crisis is merely boredom. Drucker continues on to state what one can do with the second half of their life in order to be successful and contribute to society. He proposed three options and the option that I chose was to become a social entrepreneur. The most typical of these cases are when someone is successful in their first profession and they love their work, but it doesn't challenge them anymore. In this situation they start something new, like creating a non-profit organization. Most people that follow this route began to work in their entrepreneurship venture long before reaching their peak in original business. For example, after Bill Gates started to make money, he founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 1994. This nonprofit focuses on the passions and interests of Bill and Melinda; more comprehensive and accessible healthcare, reducing extreme poverty, and expanding educational opportunities. So much good has been brought to the world by this social venture and I hope to start something like this to occupy the time of my later years if I have the passion and means to. One thing I will be sure to keep in mind is that Drucker believes that those who don t volunteer before they are 40 wont volunteer after they are 60, so I will have to get started with my entrepreneurial venture around the age of 35.

Melissa Costa Journal Entry #1 Section #4 In chapter 22, Drucker says that the educated person in knowledge society must possess the ability to understand various knowledges. One must understand what each is about, what each is trying to do, the central concerns and theories of each, any major new insights of each, and finally important problems and challenges. Without this deeper knowledge, knowledges themselves will become useless and unproductive. For example, when humans forget the overall meaning and connection of the discipline they are studying to the overarching good and advancement of society, the discipline becomes almost irrelevant and useless. I will apply this to my life by always making sure that I step back and see the bigger picture, and connect whatever I m learning back to the bigger picture in order to apply it in a practical and constructive manner.

Melissa Costa Journal Entry #1 Section #4

A summary of the main point (2-3 sentences) An example (preferably from own life) and/or opinion How you will apply/have applied that principle to my own life