Assignment #3: Understanding Yourself

Pick a color:

I am Ivory. I am pure, selfless, caring, compassionate and versatile.


Private Eye-Game:

I have a very small room, so I am very limited in the amount of things I can have. As I look around my room I notice that I am organized. I have a small book case across my bed. My book case contains text books from previous school years. I also have photo albums. On top of my book case I have pictures of family and friends. My closet is very neat. I have a lot of blue jeans, dressy black slacks that I wear to work. The majority of the colors that I wear are dark blue, black and brown. I have a lot of purses some are big and others are small, they range in size and color. I have red, black, white, brown, orange and ivory color purses. I also have a great deal of shoes but I don't wear all of them on daily basis. Lately I've been wearing my brown warm boots. My room is plain not that I don't like decorating my room but my family and I rent an apartment. Therefore, I do not want to make holes in the walls or tape to many things on to the wall for fear of the paint coming off the walls. I only have two postcards that I taped to my wall above my book case. I received those post cards from friends that went to Paris and Rome. Above my desk I also have a painting my beloved Nicholas who is five years old painted for me it is a water color painting and is very abstract and colorful. I also have a flower calender above my desk.

Ideal family members

Frida Kahlo: Vanessa is a very outgoing creative individual. I sense that although she may not fully realize this she knows she has many gifts to share with the world. When she walks into a crowded room full of people she is all smiles. She is very polite and easy going and can make any situation fun and enjoyable for everyone. Vanessa is a great listener and is not judgmental. When she gives advice it doesn’t sound like she’s telling you what to do rather she is offering her honest opinion and suggesting what she thinks is the best solution.

Martin Luther King Jr: I see many leadership qualities in Vanessa at times she may seem uneasy and hesitant to take on this role. However, when she does take the initiative to get things done and organize people she shines like a bright star and is great at it. She is a good team player which in turn makes her a great leader. She is very respectful of everyone’s opinions and incorporates their ideas to the project. Vanessa is a selfless individual and does things that are in the best interest of the group. She puts others before herself. Vanessa is most happy when she knows that she had a significant impact on someone’s life or has helped others in a time of need.

Mother Teresa: I see the gift of caring and compassion in Vanessa. I see that she enjoys spending time with people and is always very friendly and warm toward others. When she is helpful and does things for other individuals she does not do it because she wants to be recognized or compensated for her good deeds. She does this because it brings genuine joy to her heart. Vanessa is always thinking of others she is very compassionate and is always trying to justify people’s behavior. Instead of judging people she tries to understand the reasons why they act the way they do. She always feels that maybe it is the lack of love, care, respect and compassion that person received which has made them insecure and feel worthless. Vanessa feels the need to make the people around her feel loved and cared for and she expresses this daily through her caring and compassionate gestures.


20 things I like to do...

1.Listening to music
2.Clubbing with friends and dancing
3.Watching movies at home with family and friends
4.Going to the movie theater with friends
5.Going for walks in the park with my mom and sister
6.Watching Broadway shows and plays
7.Going to the beach on hot summer days with friends and tanning
8.Traveling to Mexico and visiting family
9.Spending time with Kino
10.Spending time with family at home
11.Shopping with my sister down town at the Water Tower Place
12.Spending time with my beautiful babies Nick and Bella
13.Spending time with Lois and my God mother
14.Watching old black and white movies with my God mother
15.Talking on the phone with friends
16.Surfing the net
17. I love going to school and learning something new everyday
18.I like meeting and talking to new people
19.I love being out doors when the weather is nice
20.I like reading good fiction novels

My Ideal environment

My ideal environment would be compromised of individuals that value and respect me. In this environment people are not quick to judge rather they are open and willing to listen before coming to any type of conclusion. In this environment I would have a lot of freedom I would not feel compelled to act a certain way or do things to simply please others. My ideal environment and the people in it would recognize my gifts and abilities and value the things I do. This environment would solely focus on gifts rather then on my short comings.

My Ideal day

I wake up at 7am in the morning. I take a hot shower, before entering the kitchen and finding breakfast already made. My husband gets the children ready for school every morning and prepares breakfast for the entire family. We live in a very nice spacious Grey stone home in the Wicker Park area in Chicago. We live on the first floor and rent out the second and third floor. We have a huge backyard and a beautiful garden. I have two beautiful children a boy and girl. I take them to school every morning, after dropping them off I head to my school. I am a high school Spanish teacher and teach 9th , 11th and 12th graders. My husband is a civil engineer and works for a very well established company in Chicago. As soon as I get out of work I pick up my children and prepare dinner (sometimes we order out if I'm too tired to cook). When dad gets home we all gather around the family dining area and eat together. I especially enjoy this time of the day because we discuss how our days went. After dinner I help my children with their homework. After we have taken care of business if there is time left in the day my husband and I play outside with the kids. My husband loves playing basketball with our son in the backyard. After a long fun day with the family we all head back home and shower. I spend some time with my husband watching our favorite TV shows or movie.

Fantasy Analysis

1.What elements from your ideal day are absolutely indispensable to your happiness?

My family, this includes husband and children.
Owning a home with a spacious backyard.
Pursuing a career Spanish teacher ( both my husband and I)
Spending quality time with my family.



2.What elements are optional?
We don't necessarily have to live in a Grey Stone home in Wicker Park
My husband doesn't have to pursue a career in civil engineering or work for a prominent company.

3. Frills
Most of the things that I put down on my ideal day are very realistic. Except for the fact that the type of family I envision for myself is that like the Leave it to Beaver type. I know that my family will be far from that.

4. If I were to walk down my fantasy day with just the dispensable items how would I feel?

I would be very content and satisfied for the most part

5.What if any elements of that day do you already have?

I wouldn't necessarily say that I have any of those things right now but I am working toward achieving those goals. I am still in school and will graduate next year with a teaching of Spanish degree. I have a wonderful friend that I love dearly who I can see myself with for a very long time. He attends UIC and is majoring in Civil Engineering

6. What elements of the adjusted ideal day are presently absent in my life right now?
As mentioned above I do not have any of those elements presently but I'm working toward that goal.

7. What stands between you and having that ideal day tomorrow?
Time. I have to finish school first. Pursue a career in teaching. I have to find “Mr. Right” marry the guy have perfect genius children j/k. I have to be financially stable so that we can buy a house and live comfortably and offer our children the best education. In short I need more time so that this ideal day is achieved. But I am in no rush. I'm taking those baby steps now and that's what counts!