My name is Raph Koudounaris. The reason my last name is an alphabet is due to my ancestors being Greek. That being said, I am a born and raised Zimbabwean, and a proud one at that. If I am being entirely honest, I have no idea where I am going. With that being said, my direction is certainly forward. In order to continue moving forward, we need to face reality at all times. With this, as well as having an abundant mentality and willingness to learn, forward is perhaps the only direction we can go.
I have my mothers eyes and my fathers hair, unfortunately. I have my fathers morals and my mothers energy. I don't have my mothers patience and I don't have my fathers ability to raise a family.
When I was younger, I did almost everything to please my parents. As time has gone on, whilst this is a wonderful thing to do, I have come to the realisation that self-worth can only be achieved through paving your own path and by doing things that truly bring happiness and fulfilment to your life. This was difficult at first, but I have come to grips with the beauty of finding happiness within oneself.
Without a single doubt in mind - my father. However for the purpose of this exercise, two role models who are not relatives of mine would be Nelson Mandela and Chris Martin. Their wisdom combined with their compassion and humility is something that fascinates me between these two.
I feel connected to birds, in particular Eagles. Growing up, I always saw eagles in Zimbabwe, and would watch them in awe, especially when they would fly.
A rather unique, painful encounter I had with a tree was when I ran into one in fifth grade. Please, do not ask why.
Sun sign: 03 Degrees Sagittarius.
Moon sign: 07 Degrees Leo.
Rising sun: 05 Degrees Taurus
Hi Raph, i absolutely love Greece, do you ever go to visit? I look forward to traveling and studying abroad in South Africa. Would love to pick your brain about the cultural differences, and city life there.
ReplyDeletePretty cool you decided to come all the way from Zimbabwe to attend USC. I too don't really know what I want to do yet, but once thing I do know is that forward is the only place we can go. Success will come eventually, and that is why it's important to never get to caught up on the future, when we can only live in the present.
ReplyDeleteRaph, you might just me one of the most international people I've ever met. The mix of cultures in your upbringing has crafted a very interesting and intriguing person. I too have my fathers hair, unfortunately, but we'll make it through these tough times. Both role models are great people who lead by example, and the fact that you've grown up surrounded by eagles is mesmerizing, they're wonderful creatures.
ReplyDeleteWhile Zimbabwe is quite far, I do have you beat on that front as I'm from Oman hehe. But I've been dying to go to Greece! Have you ever been? I'm glad you realized that you need to pave your own path in life. It can be hard when what you want to do strays from your parents expectations. However, I've realized that at the end of the day, parents usually just want their kids to be happy so hopefully your parents find happiness in paving your way.
ReplyDeleteRaph, the need to please one's parents is a need that I know well. It's something that I highlighted in my blog as well. Like you, I am trying to be my own person and break free from those expectations. Loved to see someone else share this perspective!
ReplyDelete