Abinta Kabir
Freshmen Seminar
September 30, 2014

Reflection 1

Due to my mother, my incredible role model, I value trust, determination, gratitude, respect,
and open mindedness; therefore my purpose in life is to become successful,
hardworking, and accepting, but at the same time care for those around me and appreciate
the fortunate life I live. This is the case for me because growing up I always looked up to my
mother and the many things she went through and accomplished while raising me. Even
though while growing up I didn’t realize that her strict rules and lectures were going to help
me, I later on understood the importance of each life lesson she taught me. One of the
lessons she taught me was to always be grateful for what you have and to try your best to
help those who are less fortunate. This lesson was impressionable because growing up in
Bangladesh, which is a third world nation, meant that I would have to give back to my
community. At the same time, I admired my mother for being independent, hardworking
and always aiming high, which she hoped I would accomplish. These positive attributes
she possessed pushed me to become a better and more sincere person.
During one of the class activities regarding the time we spend on daily activities and the
goals we have relate to the values that I possess, which have been passed down by my
mother. To me gratitude is the most important value because it is important to appreciate
what you have in life. This value informs my purpose because I aim to help those around me
and give back to the people of my country who are suffering from poverty and hunger. Thus,
at the same time this coincides with the goals and time I spend on daily activities, which I
listed in class. For example, I spend a lot of my time over the summer participating in
service projects and try to do my part to help those around me. This relates to PCE/B,
when Manolo from the Book of Life fights for those he cares about and tries his best to
help his community. Determination is something one should always possess because it is
always important to aim high. This informs my purpose because I aspire to be a
successful businesswoman, which I hope to achieve because of the time, and effort I put
into my homework and my studies. Trust and respect are also important values to possess
because it is crucial to treat others correctly and to also be surrounded by those you trust
will be a good influence on you. Thus, these two values also inform my purpose because I
care for those around me, and do whatever it takes to help those in need. Lastly, open
mindedness informs my purpose because I try my best to accept those around me and
become more aware of the various cultures and traditions that is present in Oxford. That’s
why by being in a small multicultural community it is important to embrace those around
you and become knowledgeable about other cultures.
In the future these values may evolve when I will have a family of my own. My values may
become completely different and will revolve around my family and their well-being. For
example, instead of determination for achieving a goal for myself it would be determination
to do whatever is possible for my family. However, my values will not come into conflict
with my purpose because all of them will guide me towards the right direction and help me
achieve my goals and purpose in life. Therefore, I will hopefully be able to become who I
aspire to be and make a mark in certain people’s lives like how Seney left a mark on me.