Excerpt from Turning on the Lights: Part II.2 Commitment: Creator vs. Self-saboteur
Figure 6. Creators vs. Self-saboteurs
Who are you? See Figure 6 as a mirror. Who do you see when you look into this mirror? Do you see a Creator, a Self-saboteur or someone in the middle – sometimes a Creator, but sometimes a Self-saboteur? Your answer matters, and it matters in our San Diego City College MESA Program. In the MESA Program there is no “middle,” and I do not accept Self-saboteurs because you cannot help a Self-saboteur. Even when they are given everything they need to succeed, Self-saboteurs will continue choosing to blame others, complain and make excuses. Either students are truly serious about succeeding or they are just wasting time.
When students are not familiar with the learning culture, it is very easy for them to be unaware of the importance in choosing between being a Creator or a Self-saboteur. But now that you’re reading Turning on the Lights, you cannot say that you don’t know which choice to make. You also need to know that it isn’t enough so say that you’re a Creator. Talk alone is cheap. It means nothing. Talk must be backed up by actions because your actions matter and will show who you really are. It’s a matter of attitude.
After joining our MESA Program, a new Latina student immediately recognized a difference in the attitude of MESA Creators, and she really liked the way it made her feel. She shared with me, “I really like being in the MESA Program. No one here is complaining or making excuses. It inspires me to be a Creator and take more control of my learning. But I also realize that my home is a self-saboteur environment.” Being trained in the learning culture, she was now more conscious of her actions, the people around her, and her environment. This was the beginning of her transformation as a Creator, and it gave her more control and ability to make the choices necessary to create her own success.