As high tech as the world of personal communication is, it still relies on the written word to transfer thoughts and ideas. Writing a sentence solidifies a thought as well as records it so to be available for review in the future. Significant Sentences provides exercises facilitating the combination of "your personal spirit, quiet reflection and your past experiences to come together and produce sentence that is recorded or 'saved' Using paper and pencil, keystroke and screen or even your smart phone, use Significant Sentences as a personal journal or a way to reach out using social media tools like Facebook. "Blog" or "tweet" your moments of discovery. How we write and transmit ideas is vastly changing but it still comes down to words conveying thoughts and emotions. These exercises can serve as a connection between teacher and student, speaker and audience, cyber audience or soul to soul. By sharing stories and ideas about your interpersonal life electronically or on paper, the individual may discover hidden writing talents, a gift for poetry, blogging or tweeting. Your reflections may become a poem, song or school essay. The variety and quantity of questions in each exercise are designed to spur the writer on by providing some starting point and giving some direction. Significant Sentences can be the catalyst for internal retrospection. Writing can reveal the negative as well as the positive. That is the cathartic joy and challenge. Facing those negatives or seeing them more clearly can be exactly what you need to conquer them. Trust yourself that good can be derived from recording your thoughts and reflections, and the connection with the self is the key to personal enlightenment. May you find hidden treasures and truth within?

A Journal of Personal Exploration, Reflection and Discovery

By Eric Moon

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Eric Moon M.A.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-9607-6

Contents

Dedication..........................................................vThe Mission and Vision of Significant Sentences.....................viiWhat is a Significant Sentence?.....................................1The Golden Rule.....................................................2The Rolling Stones..................................................4Fill in the Blank...................................................6Simile..............................................................7Metaphor............................................................8Irony...............................................................9Your Name...........................................................11Your Style..........................................................13Your Learning Style.................................................15You.................................................................18Your Personality....................................................20Strengths And Weaknesses............................................22Guidance............................................................24Friendship..........................................................26Joy And Sorrow......................................................28Service.............................................................30Career..............................................................32Mission.............................................................34Time Management.....................................................36Courage.............................................................38Laughter............................................................40Curiosity...........................................................41Action..............................................................42Challenges..........................................................44Influence Of The Media..............................................46A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.................................48Past, Present, Future...............................................49Character...........................................................50Change..............................................................52Choices.............................................................53Society.............................................................54Priorities..........................................................56Truth...............................................................57Rules...............................................................58Perseverance And Determination......................................59Judging Others......................................................60Listening...........................................................62Recreation..........................................................64Excuses.............................................................66The Process Of Thinking.............................................67Risk................................................................68Commitment..........................................................69Rumors Or Gossip....................................................71Daily Life..........................................................72Fullfillment........................................................73Conservation Of The Planet..........................................74Education...........................................................76Today...............................................................78BALANCE.............................................................79Love And Hate.......................................................80Success And Failure.................................................81Money And Possessions...............................................82Criticism...........................................................83Uniqueness Individuality............................................84Normalcy............................................................86Faith...............................................................88Learning And Experience.............................................89The Value Of Existence..............................................90Virtue - A quality that is good or admirable........................91Silence.............................................................92Humility............................................................93Prudence............................................................94Wisdom..............................................................95Patience............................................................96Reserve Or Restraint................................................97Gentleness..........................................................98Zeal................................................................99Vigilance Or Watchfullness..........................................100Piety...............................................................101Generosity..........................................................102History.............................................................104Final Reflection....................................................106My Final Reflection.................................................108

Chapter One

What is a Significant Sentence?

What is a Significant Sentence? It is a sentence that is meaningful or has impact on the reader. For example, sentence: "I love you!" Something as historically powerful as: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" (John F. Kennedy) Something as common as: "Never judge a book by its cover" or something as moving as: "I have a dream ..." spoken by Martin Luther King Jr., or song lyrics, poems, bumper stickers, they are all significant if you remember them, listen to them; act on them.

Write the first significant sentence that comes into your head. That's it! We are on our way.

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Reflection

I will be open and free in my thinking and responses as I take this journey of self exploration reflection and discovery.

The Golden Rule

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This is also known as the ethic of reciprocity, or in more common terms " treat others as you wish to be treated." This theme is found in different forms in the major religions of the world: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Christianity

But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.... But love your enemies, do [what is] good, and lend, expecting nothing in return

Islam

None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.

Hinduism

Love the one who is incapable of ill will and returns love for hatred.

Buddhism

Put oneself in the place of another.

Confucianism

Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.

Which of these significant sentences appeals to you? Why?

What do you see in the writing style of each? Does each Significant Sentence have something in common? Write your thoughts or answers to these questions.

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Reflection

Let all people of all faiths follow the message, and the world will be better.

Let the religions of the world bring peace and harmony as intended. Let the word of God not be corrupted by man to make war. Let us pray for our enemies as brothers, and all will be better.

The Rolling Stones

You can't always get what you want, but, if you try, sometimes you just might find, you get what you need.

What are the key words in this sentence? Circle them. What word is repeated 6 times? Write that word and then the verb that follows it.

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These are simple words most 1st graders know but when used in this way they become some of the most repeated song lyrics in history. Why do you think this sentence is so effective? Consider the use of the word "you." Write a sentence describing another song's use of the word "you." Is this why songs speak to us, because they are speaking to us?

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Reflection

Think about the songs that speak to you.... follow the beat of your own drummer.

Fill in the Blank

Those who turn back only know the ordeal. Those who persevere remember the adventure.

Circle the subject, the simple verb and the simple predicate of each.

What are these sentences referring to? Is it a journey, a struggle, life, persistence, success?

Fill in the spaces (any number of words) to create your own set of Significant Sentences.

Those who _______________ only know _______________.

Those who _______________ remember ________________.

Reflection

I know I have sometimes turned back. It is scary to lose sight of the shore. A ship in the harbor is safe but that is not what ships are for. I must to guide my ship by the light of the stars and not by the lights of other ships.

Simile

A simile is when you comparing two seemingly unrelated things usually using like or as

Blind as a bat Busy as a bee ... Quick as a wink ... Cold as ice ... Sharp as a tack ... Like two peas in a pod ... Naked as a jay bird ...

The film Forrest Gump made this one quite popular.... Can you guess?

Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get.

Can you think of a popular or common simile? Can you make one up?

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Learning how to interpret the true meaning versus the meaning of the words alone is a step closer to understanding and writing Significant Sentences.

Reflection

Listen to the language spoken around you. Is it crass or eloquent, crude or clean, intellectual or elementary? How do you sound to others?

Metaphor

A metaphor compares something directly to another usually more forceful or suggestive.

A heart of stone ... The light of my life.... Cotton candy clouds.... Bouncing of the walls ... Chill out ...

Think of a popular or your favorite metaphor. Now make one up.

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You're getting it! You can use regular daily things or ideas to create greater meaning.

Learning how to interpret the true meaning verses the meaning of the words alone is a step closer to understanding and writing Significant Sentences.

Reflection

Let my freedom of expression shine today, in my work and in my interactions with friends and family.

Irony

Irony is the use of words to create the exact opposite of what might be expected. This isn't the perfect use of irony but it is a popular use of the concept.

Ironic -Alanis Morrisette

An old man turned ninety-eight He won the lottery and died the next day It's a black fly in your chardonnay It's a death row pardon two minutes too late Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought, it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye He waited his whole damn life to take that flight And as the plane crashed down he thought "Well, isn't this nice" And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought, it figures

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you When you think everything's okay and everything's going right And life has a funny way of helping you out when You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up In your face

A traffic jam when you're already late A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break It's like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife It's meeting the man of my dreams And then meeting his beautiful wife And isn't it ironic, don't you think ? A little too ironic, and yeah I really do think

It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought, it figures

Well life has a funny way of sneaking upon you And life has a funny way of helping you out Helping you out

Highlight or underline the lines of the song you consider significant.

Now add a verse to the song using irony.

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Reflection

Life has a funny and sometimes ironic way of working out.

Let me embrace the strange twists and turns of the journey of life,

One thing may lead to another. Things may not make any sense at all.

Trust and believe that in the end, the puzzle comes together perfectly.

Your Name

"What's in a name? Shakespeare

"... there is much in a name." J. Locke

"Nicknames stick to people and the most ridiculous are the most adhesive." T. Halliburton

What is your name?

Does it have family or a historical meaning?

Have you ever thought to find out what your name means or where it comes from?

Are you named after a family member, or maybe a Saint?

Do you have a nickname? What do your friends call you? What were you called as a young child?

Write a significant sentence telling the story of your name. You may need to ask family members or do a bit of research, but for now, write what you know about your name. Or answer any of these questions.

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Reflection

Let me speak the names of others with respect and dignity,as well as my own.

Your Style

"You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes ... where they're going, where they've been. I've worn lots of shoes" Forrest Gump

What does your room look like? Your clothes? Your shoes? Your hair?

What can you tell about yourself by looking at these things? Is that being judgmental or is your outside appearance a reflection of your inside? Some people are neat, tidy and well-organized. Some are wild, crazy and on the edge or out of control. Why is your image and style so important? Has your style changed? Look at an old photo or think back to a time when you said, "... I can't believe I looked like that?" Is the person you see in the mirror the same person you feel like on the inside?

Write a significant sentence that describes you. What do you show the world by how you present yourself? Write to this question or any of the reflection questions above.

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Reflection

Today I must try to understand and appreciate others for the way they are and the way they want to express themselves. Keep me from judgmental opinions and gossip. Give me insight into those who are different from me. I will not be forever as I am today; therefore, I must accept the change in others as I wish to be accepted as I change tomorrow.

(Continues...)

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