The painting 'The School of Athens' portrays the new ideas and concepts that were developing in the Renaissance era. It was also the time when ancient ideas from Rome and Greece were rediscovered and "replaced" those of the Medieval times. Many ideas were based on these Roman/Greek concepts. Raphael has expressed this in the architecture in the fore/background and in the clothing that the people are wearing. The Renaissance was also a time when people were highly interested in expanding their thoughts and acquiring new knowledge on subjects such as architecture, art, literature, science, philosophy, astronomy, anatomy etc. This painting has captured that "wave of enquiry" and visualized it in the peoples' actions. Overall, Raphael's 'The School Of Athens' could be a good painting that depicts the life and beliefs of the Renaissance era.

If I were to be in the painting 'The School Of Athens', I would choose to be the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who is seen in the center of the painting discussing something with Plato. Aristotle was Plato's student and taught Alexander the Great later on in his life. He is known as a philosopher, but he studied countless other subjects like physics, music, biology, logic, poetry, politics and many more. Aristotle believed that knowledge and understanding could only be gained through direct observation and experience. However, his mentor, Plato, believed in his idea that all abstract and non-material forms are the highest kind of reality. I believe the way I think is similar to the way Aristotle thinks. I feel that I have gained more knowledge, understanding and experience after I experiment with things myself rather than just assuming that things are just the way they are. I disagree with Plato's idea of the forms. Also, Aristotle, along with Plato and some other philosophers like socrates, was a great thinker and possessed a "wide view" on the world. I think I am also a person who would think deeply on certain concepts or ideas until I get the answer that I want.

Representing The Renaissance: Leonardo Da Vinci

The Renaissance: The period of ‘rebirth’ throughout Europe. It was the time when everything from the past was adjusted and new things were invented every day. And Leonardo Da Vinci, who hugely impacted the Renaissance in aspects of art, architecture, human anatomy, civil engineering, and military weapons etc, could truly be described as a ‘Renaissance man’. For example, many of his sketches of the inside of a human body broke the “belief” made by the church. Things looked completely different from what the church had told them. From this, people were able to understand how the human body functioned more easily, which resulted in better medical science and the huge development of medicines. Also many of Da Vinci’s sketches handling new and lethal weapons for warfare between city states was one of his inventions that still amaze many of us today. Amongst all, his design of the turtle-like tank vehicle is probably the most effective. Some say that it is Leonardo’s design that led to the modern-day tanks that we have now. The Renaissance without Da Vinci wouldn’t be as significant as it is now and this is why Leonardo Da Vinci is truly a ‘Renaissance Man’

Breaking The Barrier of Racism

I have a dream

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

From 'I Have A Dream' by Martin Luther King Jr.

Racism had been, and still is, one of the major problems the world is facing. There have had been numerous attempts by individuals or big and small societies to stop this. One of the most famous attempts was made in August 1963 where the man of renown, Martin Luther King Jr. presented to the people his famous speech; ‘I have a dream.’ Before this speech was made, black people weren’t given the freedom to live as they willed and had to go through poverty, slavery, and cruelty from the white people. They weren’t allowed to sit with white people on a bus, they weren’t able to drink from the same water fountains as white people, nor were they allowed to use the same bathroom as them. But after King’s big step towards the ‘anti-racial discriminating’ world, many individuals were taught that racism, and the limited freedom given to the black people, was indeed, one of the things that kept us from peace. And 4 years after he was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King was assassinated at the motel he was staying in. The man who made the anti-racial declaration was now gone forever, but his speeches and his effort to make this world a better place for everyone, has been passed down for decades and will last for eternity.

Destiny; It's not that hard to fulfill

Destiny

Destiny awaits you at your doorstep

Concealed in diverse omens

Waiting to catch your attention whenever your heart is ready

Image by: Hein Van Den Heuvel

Paulo Coelho describes destiny as something that is unlike fate, where it comes to you no matter what, but something that you actually have to put some effort in, in order to achieve it. He states in his novel, The Alchemist, that in order to fulfill your destiny and to win your ‘treasure’, you must listen to your heart and follow it despite the fact that it can lead you into difficult and fearful situations. However, if you doubt that you will find your destiny and ignore what your heart is communicating to you, it will become silent because it is afraid of being disappointed just as it is mentioned in the novel; ‘fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself’. All in all, listening to your heart and following it is the most essential thing to do in order to acquire your ‘treasure’ and to find the true meaning of one’s life.

Am I actually participating in my destiny?

Everything Is One Thing Only

“I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure,” (Coelho 40) In The Alchemist, Santiago, a young, but ambitious Andalusian shepherd boy, sets off on a journey to Egypt in search of the buried treasure from his recurring dreams. Persuaded by the king of Salem, he leaves behind his life as a shepherd to seek his destiny. Santiago encounters many significant figures that assist him with each step he takes towards his goal. But there is more than just a chest of gold awaiting him at the end of the journey. With a combination of the three vital traits of determination, inquisitiveness and bravery that Santiago possesses allow, a mere shepherd boy to fulfill his true destiny.

Santiago’s determination was one of his strengths that support him in achieving his destiny in various ways. Right before Santiago becomes a shepherd, he studies at a seminary to become a priest like his parents want him to be. He had been preparing until he was 16, when he finally makes up his mind to give up on becoming a priest and to travel around the world. Since then, his strong desire to become a shepherd overpowers his parents’ wishes and in the end, Santiago was roaming around the rural lands of Andalusia with his sheep. Then, Santiago sets off on a journey to Egypt to find the treasure from his dreams. Shortly after arriving in the ‘alien’ land of Africa, Santiago is robbed and loses all of his money that could be used to return and start everything over again in case he gives up. While Santiago thinks about what had happened to him, he finally makes up his mind. ‘…As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. “I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure,” he said to himself” (Coelho 40). Santiago doesn’t give up and stays determined because he knows that the buried treasure is still out there and that he can find it. As Santiago continues on with his journey, he runs into the desert warriors and is taken to their military camp along with the alchemist, the alchemist explains to the chief of the camp that Santiago is an alchemist and is able to turn himself into the wind and destroy the camp whenever he wills to. Santiago is almost sure that he is not able to turn himself into the wind but his determination to achieve his true destiny has enabled him to communicate with the desert, wind and the sun and eventually, Santiago is successful in turning himself into the wind.

But Santiago wouldn’t have had such determination if it wasn’t for his inquisitiveness. His curiosity towards the ‘unknown’ is stated in several places throughout the novel. First of all, it is Santiago’s inquisitiveness towards the world “outside” that makes him choose to become a shepherd. If he wasn’t interested at all about what awaited him beyond his “safe-zone”, he would just have become a priest like his parents wished. However, it is Santiago’s irresistible inquisitiveness and determination that leads him into becoming a shepherd. After having his recurring dreams interpreted by both the gypsy and Melchizedek, the King of Salem, Santiago realizes that there is another whole new world out there that he has never even heard of. Once again, this brings out Santiago’s inquisitiveness for the world beyond Andalusia and the treasure that lies beneath the pyramids. As Santiago boards the ship heading to Africa and starts his quest for his true destiny, King Melchizedek watches him from the highest point in Tarifa. ‘Melchizedek watched a small ship that was plowing its way out of the port. He would never again see the boy, just as he had never seen Abraham again after having charged him his one-tenth fee. That was his work. The gods should not have desires, because they don’t have destinies. But the king of Salem hoped desperately the boy would be successful’ (Coelho 31). After Santiago encounters the alchemist on his journey, the two soon travel together towards the pyramids where Santiago’s treasure is buried. During the journey with the alchemist, Santiago is unable to keep his questions to himself and asks the alchemist about alchemy and the Emerald Tablet. The alchemist explains why most of the people fail to become an alchemist like him and tells Santiago that the only way to learn is through action. From this conversation, Santiago learns that one cannot be successful in learning alchemy if they are only searching for the method to make gold and becoming immortal.

Santiago’s determination and inquisitiveness leads him into quite a few obstacles on his way which almost cost his life. But this is where his bravery comes in. Santiago shows bravery when he first encounters the alchemist. The alchemist tests Santiago’s bravery with his sword by pretending to be a soldier from an enemy tribe. But Santiago remains brave and gets his conjecture across to the alchemist clearly, which highly impresses the alchemist and makes him take Santiago as his apprentice. When the alchemist lowers his sword, he converses with Santiago for a short moment. ‘”I had to test your courage,” the stranger said. “Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World”’ (Coelho 106). When Santiago was taken to the military camp with the alchemist, not only does he show his determination, but also displays a strong example of bravery. When Santiago is demanded by the chief of the camp to become the wind, he sees that there is no way out and he would have to suffer the consequences if he fails to become the wind. But he doesn’t back away from this challenge, showing bravery that many do not possess. In the end, Santiago manages to transform into the wind. Lastly, when the refugees of the tribal wars beat up Santiago, he manages to summon up his courage and strength to tell them that he is looking for a treasure buried in the very spot where he was sitting. This wouldn’t have been easy to do when one is getting beat up by several men and is forced to hand over all of their money. But by not running away and telling them this, leads Santiago back to Spain, where his treasure is actually buried.

When, Santiago reaches the Pyramid from his dreams in Egypt, He spots a scarab scuttling in the sand, and takes it as a good omen. After hours of digging in the sand, Santiago finally realizes that his treasure is not buried in Egypt and soon finds out that it is located where he had always been living in, his home in Andalusia. Now he has learned that in order to find the treasure from his dreams, he had to set off on his journey and that the journey played the most important role in helping Santiago to fulfill his destiny. And in the end, Santiago gained a combination of knowledge, wisdom and won his true love, Fatima. All in all, Santiago’s strong characteristics of never giving up his goals, wanting to find out more about things that he doesn’t know of and displaying courage in all that he does, have assisted him to transform into the young desert man he became at the end of his journey. Additionally, this novel provides the reader with a general meaning of life that all that is different, is not different at all: that everything is one thing only.

The trait that I think I could possibly possess which would help me in participating in my destiny is my determination. When people are face-to-face with a challenging task or an obstacle, they tend to give up easily. But I think I'm not the type of person who would lose faith in themselves when they are confronted with a problem that they think they cannot find a solution to. I occasionally notice myself working for hours on difficult tasks or assignments and finally finding a satisfying resolution to it. And even when I run into the toughest obstacles sometime in the future, I will still have faith in my own self and will not give up on my goal no matter what happens just like Santiago, the protagonist of The Alchemist. In general, I think determination is a very helpful trait that one could possess in order to be able to participate in their destiny and I should continue on in demonstrating this trait in all that I do. And who knows? I might find myself very close to fulfilling my true destiny.