When I interviewed Norlan Gutierrez, a junior at MLEC, I asked him if there was anything that he’s passionate about. His answer was God. Norlan begins by saying that God, Yahweh, is merciful, shows him grace, and gives him hope. He then explains two things that he struggles with, pride and anger, and relates it back to his relationship with God.
“Pride and anger are two things I struggle with daily, I’m known for my pride and my anger. People usually have pride because they expect things for them, and I know that I shouldn’t be expecting anything from anyone. Nobody owes me. If someone were to come into my space and doesn’t say anything to me, the next time I won’t say anything to them. I don’t know, maybe it is just the way I was raised. And anger… When I react in anger, I do things that I regret, and by the time I realize it, it’s too late. If someone says to “shut up,” I know I can either ignore it or react, but I’m usually quick to defend myself. I’m not quick to understand that this person might be having a bad day. Sometimes I come off as aggressive, but I don’t mean anything by it. That’s just my personality. I wish I could say, “Everything I say, don’t take it personally, please don’t,” to everyone I meet. I try my hardest to work on them, but it is easier said than done. I know by not being prideful and angry, that makes me vulnerable to God, and that would help our relationship. And I want that because God, Yahweh, is my everything, my number one.”
– Norlan Gutierrez, Junior, Health/EMR
Inside an Optimist's Mind 