1. Sweatshirts are perfect for chilly weather.
2. Milk is necessary.
3. It's a sad day when one runs out of Tang.
4. Don't forget rain boots.
For the past few weeks, I have been volunteering at a local elementary school in their Spanish immersion program. I was placed in a classroom of 2nd and 3rd graders and boy, has it been interesting. I think I have learned Spanish more than I have taught it.
When I got to the school this morning at 8:00am, it was just starting to storm. The teacher was trying to teach the kids some new vocabulary words, but every single one of them was distracted by the approaching storm. Then suddenly, there was a thunder clap and quite a few of the kids jumped and started jabbering on about the storm. Naturally, the teacher became frustrated and told me to help her close the blinds on the windows. Her theory was, "If they can't see it, they won't think of it." The storm raged on outside and the class day continued. I left at 10:00am, which meant I had to walk to my car in the rain. I was only wearing flats for shoes and let's just say my feet became quite wet. I made it back to my dorm, but not without being drenched with water.
Some of the people around me are going through some rough times. They are not only battling their internal demons, but there seems to be a storm raging outside of them. For me, when I'm going through situations like this, I feel nearly helpless. My mind plays a mantra of "I just can't do this" - I can't handle my own demons and deal with the storm around me at the same time. Sometimes all I need is for someone to shut the blinds to the storm, calm me down, and make me focus on the task at hand: myself.
But shutting the blinds doesn't make the storm disappear - it only masks it for a while so you can figure things out in yourself before running out into the storm. And if you were to ignore the outside forever, how would you know if the storm has passed and it's sunny again? How will you know if the storm did any damage and needs repair? While closing the blinds to the storm may help for a while, it is only temporary.
And when you do run out into the storm, which I highly recommend, wear rain boots. Sure, we can wait until the storm passes, but why wait when you can move forward, experience new things, learn from the rain, and have the dirt be washed off by it (ever notice how when you go through tough times, the little petty things don't seem to matter after a period of time?).
Sometimes the rain does come, but there's always a rainbow, something to be learned.
Peace!
-Nicole
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
I Just Assumed...
1. 11:47 is not 11:11. You're just tired and can't see straight.
2. Forget about the ghost until after you register for rooms.
3. Not all celebrity look-a-likes are favorable.
4. Make justified assumptions.
Hey, It's Megan. 'Appy Wednesday!
People make assumptions. It's completely normal, and it can be an effective shortcut for the mind to process information. In some ways, it's downright rational. It was rational for me to assume I'd have a quiz in Sociology this morning--which we did--based on how my professor runs the class etc.
A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend via text message and some weird little thing came up about how I hadn't told my parents something, and my friend's reply was "I know, I just assumed you had." I was immediately struck by the scope and gravity of that assumption which wasn't really justified by any previous information. In this case it had no negative consequences whatsoever, but assumptions sometimes do lead to ramifications. I cannot tell you how many times I have acted on assumptions that later proved false and suffered the consequences. I regret quite a few of them actually.
Like I said, we assume things all the time. We assume it's going to be a bad day, that the test will be difficult, that someone will be offended if I ask this, that so-and-so will react in a certain way, or that one particular event is the reason so-and-so is upset. We assume everyone in the same room subscribes to the same ideology or has the same values, or even desires the same outcomes in the future. Sometimes it's downright painful and frustrating to be at the end of one of those false assumptions.
So I want to know when we got to the point where we assume everything and then change our thoughts and behavior based on acquired data that proves those assumptions false? Why can't we go back to a system where we act on only what we know and where we feel comfortable enough to just ask about what we don't. What's with all this walking on eggshells?
So my point is this, assumptions are not necessarily good or bad, but try to keep your assumptions informed, rational, and justified. Be aware that your assumptions about other people's opinions or lifestyle may be false and capable of having negative affects. Furthermore, own up to those assumptions. Just be aware of yourself and how you affect other people. I say that time and time again, but it's true and necessary. :P On the other hand, resolve not to take everything as a personal attack. Realize that it is perfectly okay to shrug it off, laugh it off, and understand that people very rarely have ill intentions.
Hope everyone has a great week, I should have my wonderful laptop back in my possession by then!
-Megan
2. Forget about the ghost until after you register for rooms.
3. Not all celebrity look-a-likes are favorable.
4. Make justified assumptions.
Hey, It's Megan. 'Appy Wednesday!
People make assumptions. It's completely normal, and it can be an effective shortcut for the mind to process information. In some ways, it's downright rational. It was rational for me to assume I'd have a quiz in Sociology this morning--which we did--based on how my professor runs the class etc.
A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend via text message and some weird little thing came up about how I hadn't told my parents something, and my friend's reply was "I know, I just assumed you had." I was immediately struck by the scope and gravity of that assumption which wasn't really justified by any previous information. In this case it had no negative consequences whatsoever, but assumptions sometimes do lead to ramifications. I cannot tell you how many times I have acted on assumptions that later proved false and suffered the consequences. I regret quite a few of them actually.
Like I said, we assume things all the time. We assume it's going to be a bad day, that the test will be difficult, that someone will be offended if I ask this, that so-and-so will react in a certain way, or that one particular event is the reason so-and-so is upset. We assume everyone in the same room subscribes to the same ideology or has the same values, or even desires the same outcomes in the future. Sometimes it's downright painful and frustrating to be at the end of one of those false assumptions.
So I want to know when we got to the point where we assume everything and then change our thoughts and behavior based on acquired data that proves those assumptions false? Why can't we go back to a system where we act on only what we know and where we feel comfortable enough to just ask about what we don't. What's with all this walking on eggshells?
So my point is this, assumptions are not necessarily good or bad, but try to keep your assumptions informed, rational, and justified. Be aware that your assumptions about other people's opinions or lifestyle may be false and capable of having negative affects. Furthermore, own up to those assumptions. Just be aware of yourself and how you affect other people. I say that time and time again, but it's true and necessary. :P On the other hand, resolve not to take everything as a personal attack. Realize that it is perfectly okay to shrug it off, laugh it off, and understand that people very rarely have ill intentions.
Hope everyone has a great week, I should have my wonderful laptop back in my possession by then!
-Megan
Monday, March 26, 2012
Parental Units
1. Allergies are terrible.
2. Sometimes being pulled out of scenes in a play is a good thing.
3. Easy Mac isn't all too bad.
4. It's ok to still depend on your parents.
Do you know what's weird? Having your hometown only 15 minutes away from college. I go home nearly every Sunday and drop by every once in a while. Like today, I spent a good part of my afternoon chilling at home, watching a bit of TV and doing my homework. It was good to spend a few relaxing hours at home, but it certainly was weird to pack up my backpack with my things and leave. It gave me the realization (again) that this wasn't really my home anymore...well, it is, but not really.
I spent about an hour talking with my mom at her work today. I had to stop by to get some money for my medication I had to pick up and I ended up talking to her for over an hour. We were just catching up and she asked me about my new job (I now work in the costume studio in the theatre). I said it was great, but frustrating because of my contract. I had just signed my contract a few hours before and I didn't know if I would be paid for what I had worked prior to signing the contract. I didn't expect my mom to do anything about it - I thought I've gotten to a point in my mind and in my mom's that I could and needed to figure it all out on my own. I would have gotten around to it eventually, but my mom decided that it was enough. She ended up calling for me to the human resources office and figuring things out.
Now it's not that I don't want the help of my mother - in fact, I love that she figured things out for me. I would have floundered around for a while and something things would have gone unanswered. What was surprising to me was the immediate release of stress when she said she would help. And it's not a bad thing.
In my psychology class, we are studying developmental psychology (which is the class I will be taking next semester). One of the stages we go through is adolescence, which starts with sexual maturity and ends with independent adult status. My professor said that period in life is becoming a longer period of time, or more of, the line between adolescence and young adulthood is becoming quite blurred. Although it gets to be confusing to define what stage someone is in, it's not such a bad thing. Depending on your parents just a bit, even while in college, and not just for finances, is good and healthy.
Parents have always been there, or at least mine has. I know my mother misses me and if I'm honest, I have missed her a bit. I know she has been waiting for an opportunity to help me, so why not take the opportunity to take that help? It's ok - you're not giving up your independence. In fact, I think it shows how independent you are when you ask for help.
Show some love to your parents.
Peace!
-Nicole
2. Sometimes being pulled out of scenes in a play is a good thing.
3. Easy Mac isn't all too bad.
4. It's ok to still depend on your parents.
Do you know what's weird? Having your hometown only 15 minutes away from college. I go home nearly every Sunday and drop by every once in a while. Like today, I spent a good part of my afternoon chilling at home, watching a bit of TV and doing my homework. It was good to spend a few relaxing hours at home, but it certainly was weird to pack up my backpack with my things and leave. It gave me the realization (again) that this wasn't really my home anymore...well, it is, but not really.
I spent about an hour talking with my mom at her work today. I had to stop by to get some money for my medication I had to pick up and I ended up talking to her for over an hour. We were just catching up and she asked me about my new job (I now work in the costume studio in the theatre). I said it was great, but frustrating because of my contract. I had just signed my contract a few hours before and I didn't know if I would be paid for what I had worked prior to signing the contract. I didn't expect my mom to do anything about it - I thought I've gotten to a point in my mind and in my mom's that I could and needed to figure it all out on my own. I would have gotten around to it eventually, but my mom decided that it was enough. She ended up calling for me to the human resources office and figuring things out.
Now it's not that I don't want the help of my mother - in fact, I love that she figured things out for me. I would have floundered around for a while and something things would have gone unanswered. What was surprising to me was the immediate release of stress when she said she would help. And it's not a bad thing.
In my psychology class, we are studying developmental psychology (which is the class I will be taking next semester). One of the stages we go through is adolescence, which starts with sexual maturity and ends with independent adult status. My professor said that period in life is becoming a longer period of time, or more of, the line between adolescence and young adulthood is becoming quite blurred. Although it gets to be confusing to define what stage someone is in, it's not such a bad thing. Depending on your parents just a bit, even while in college, and not just for finances, is good and healthy.
Parents have always been there, or at least mine has. I know my mother misses me and if I'm honest, I have missed her a bit. I know she has been waiting for an opportunity to help me, so why not take the opportunity to take that help? It's ok - you're not giving up your independence. In fact, I think it shows how independent you are when you ask for help.
Show some love to your parents.
 |
| My mom and I on moving day. |
-Nicole
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Disconnections
1. Bubble wrap is a great stress reliever, plus it's cheap entertainment!
2. Swing dancing is pretty epic.
3. Relax, it's not going to be that bad.
4. Sometimes it's okay to disconnect.
Megan here, and woah, you guys get two posts in two days, AND they're connected. Lucky! I hope you're having a good week and enjoying the weather because I am.
So Nicole's last post talks about fostering new connections with people. I'm taking the opposite approach and talking about my new found state of technological disconnection. Here's the deal... I broke my laptop on Friday. Yes, I broke Dorky. On Monday night, I wrapped him up all nice and tight in bubble wrap (I bought extra for the heck of it) and shipped him off to Texas for repairs. All in all, I'll spend about 15-20 days without him. It's been one expensive lesson, but also one heck of an adventure spent navigating online tech support. :P
Since I still have about two papers due a week, I've been spending a lot of time in labs and whatnot. Believe me, it's time management on a whole new level. Before, I knew I could start a paper around 11pm because theoretically, I could work on it until 3 am or later if I needed to--I rarely chose that option, but I knew it was there. Now I'm constrained to facility hours, limited space, and general inconvenience. I'm starting to feel a little disconnected--little access to Facebook or other social networks, limited email access, and I just feel bad that I have friends who want to or need to talk to me and I'm not there since I know how awful that feeling is.
About a week ago, one of my Facebook friends made an event that asked people to take a day off of Facebook--slight irony there, but people supported the idea. I guess I'm participating in a way, even though I didn't intend to. You know, it's funny how even though I'm experiencing a little bit of technological disconnect, I'm enjoying certain aspects of it. Yesterday I plugged my phone into a computer to charge and instead the computer completely drained the battery. I ended up leaving the phone to charge in my room and headed off to class. I spent 4 hours being completely anonymous and unreachable. It was liberating in a way and I'm considering doing it more often.
Even though I miss my laptop, it's okay to be disconnected and take time to yourself once in a while--not only from technology, but also from other things, even people. I think we wrap ourselves up in notions of how much we want to avoid certain situations that the dread almost becomes worse than the situation itself, but once you're forced to go through it--you just do it and make it work, and in the end you might actually end up enjoying a different pattern or pace of life. Maybe I'm even feeling a little too connected lately, stretched a little too thin, and so I'm actually just looking forward to doing homework tonight, drinking some tea, reading some poetry, and falling asleep at a reasonable time.
So I hope you have a good week and can take a few moments to yourself. It's okay to disconnect and find some solitude, whether that involves taking a break from technology or even friends, just as long as you connect back up and even foster new connections--just like Nicole said.
-Megan
2. Swing dancing is pretty epic.
3. Relax, it's not going to be that bad.
4. Sometimes it's okay to disconnect.
Megan here, and woah, you guys get two posts in two days, AND they're connected. Lucky! I hope you're having a good week and enjoying the weather because I am.
So Nicole's last post talks about fostering new connections with people. I'm taking the opposite approach and talking about my new found state of technological disconnection. Here's the deal... I broke my laptop on Friday. Yes, I broke Dorky. On Monday night, I wrapped him up all nice and tight in bubble wrap (I bought extra for the heck of it) and shipped him off to Texas for repairs. All in all, I'll spend about 15-20 days without him. It's been one expensive lesson, but also one heck of an adventure spent navigating online tech support. :P
Since I still have about two papers due a week, I've been spending a lot of time in labs and whatnot. Believe me, it's time management on a whole new level. Before, I knew I could start a paper around 11pm because theoretically, I could work on it until 3 am or later if I needed to--I rarely chose that option, but I knew it was there. Now I'm constrained to facility hours, limited space, and general inconvenience. I'm starting to feel a little disconnected--little access to Facebook or other social networks, limited email access, and I just feel bad that I have friends who want to or need to talk to me and I'm not there since I know how awful that feeling is.
About a week ago, one of my Facebook friends made an event that asked people to take a day off of Facebook--slight irony there, but people supported the idea. I guess I'm participating in a way, even though I didn't intend to. You know, it's funny how even though I'm experiencing a little bit of technological disconnect, I'm enjoying certain aspects of it. Yesterday I plugged my phone into a computer to charge and instead the computer completely drained the battery. I ended up leaving the phone to charge in my room and headed off to class. I spent 4 hours being completely anonymous and unreachable. It was liberating in a way and I'm considering doing it more often.
Even though I miss my laptop, it's okay to be disconnected and take time to yourself once in a while--not only from technology, but also from other things, even people. I think we wrap ourselves up in notions of how much we want to avoid certain situations that the dread almost becomes worse than the situation itself, but once you're forced to go through it--you just do it and make it work, and in the end you might actually end up enjoying a different pattern or pace of life. Maybe I'm even feeling a little too connected lately, stretched a little too thin, and so I'm actually just looking forward to doing homework tonight, drinking some tea, reading some poetry, and falling asleep at a reasonable time.
So I hope you have a good week and can take a few moments to yourself. It's okay to disconnect and find some solitude, whether that involves taking a break from technology or even friends, just as long as you connect back up and even foster new connections--just like Nicole said.
-Megan
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Connections
1. Don't put your summer clothes away...you just might need them in March.
2. Pralines are delicious.
3. Wear green, especially on St. Patrick's Day.
4. Make some new connections.
My life is theatre 24/7...or at least, it feels that way. I have had practice every day for about 3 hours each since last Tuesday. My day consists of going to class, having a small break, eating, class again, work, dinner, then rehearsal, then homework starting at 10. I'm behind in a few classes and my sleep is a bit minimal, but overall, I can't particularly complain about my life.
But before my life became crazy, I was dreading it, which does happen nearly every time, but this time it wasn't about me being able to get everything done, but the fact I would be with a group of people who I would have to make all new connections with. It was an exciting thought to know I would have a ton more people in my circle of friends, but the effort behind it and the being away from what was comfortable was of a concern to me. It felt like I was too far into my year to make the effort to make new friends.
As my life gets busier and I interact with more people, I am re-discovering my love for making connections with others. Sure, during rehearsal I talk with people but it's very limited and spoken in whispers. But it's the time we spend before and after rehearsals, during breaks, and passing each other is what is so thrilling. Like today. I really should have gone straight back to my dorm after rehearsal to catch up on homework, but instead I spent a good chunk of time talking with a few of my cast mates. Not only did I get some wonderful hugs, but I finally felt I had arrived - it won't be awkward anymore to walk up to one of them and start a conversation (that maybe has some meaning). It's easy again.
When I started school back in September, I tried to make as many connections as I could. It was exhausting, but I'm glad I did. I can now walk around campus and say hi to a ton of people I pass. I created a pretty close-knit group of people that I depend on and hang out with a lot. But I pretty much stopped there. I have made a few connections, but haven't put a lot of effort in maintaining them or making them grow.
So here's my lesson: grow in relationship, whether that be with someone old or with someone completely new - but you need to make them grow deeper, wider, more complex, more loving, more trusting. They need to be more, because you just might become more yourself.
Peace!
-Nicole
2. Pralines are delicious.
3. Wear green, especially on St. Patrick's Day.
4. Make some new connections.
My life is theatre 24/7...or at least, it feels that way. I have had practice every day for about 3 hours each since last Tuesday. My day consists of going to class, having a small break, eating, class again, work, dinner, then rehearsal, then homework starting at 10. I'm behind in a few classes and my sleep is a bit minimal, but overall, I can't particularly complain about my life.
But before my life became crazy, I was dreading it, which does happen nearly every time, but this time it wasn't about me being able to get everything done, but the fact I would be with a group of people who I would have to make all new connections with. It was an exciting thought to know I would have a ton more people in my circle of friends, but the effort behind it and the being away from what was comfortable was of a concern to me. It felt like I was too far into my year to make the effort to make new friends.
As my life gets busier and I interact with more people, I am re-discovering my love for making connections with others. Sure, during rehearsal I talk with people but it's very limited and spoken in whispers. But it's the time we spend before and after rehearsals, during breaks, and passing each other is what is so thrilling. Like today. I really should have gone straight back to my dorm after rehearsal to catch up on homework, but instead I spent a good chunk of time talking with a few of my cast mates. Not only did I get some wonderful hugs, but I finally felt I had arrived - it won't be awkward anymore to walk up to one of them and start a conversation (that maybe has some meaning). It's easy again.
When I started school back in September, I tried to make as many connections as I could. It was exhausting, but I'm glad I did. I can now walk around campus and say hi to a ton of people I pass. I created a pretty close-knit group of people that I depend on and hang out with a lot. But I pretty much stopped there. I have made a few connections, but haven't put a lot of effort in maintaining them or making them grow.
So here's my lesson: grow in relationship, whether that be with someone old or with someone completely new - but you need to make them grow deeper, wider, more complex, more loving, more trusting. They need to be more, because you just might become more yourself.
Peace!
-Nicole
Friday, March 16, 2012
The Curse
1. Lunches eating in the sun are great mood boosters.
2. Letter writing is harder than one would think.
3. Naps are necessary.
4. Curses can be broken.
I have had a curse for most of my life. It has haunted me and has frustrated me for years. Although not a lot of things make me angry, this curse surely did. I felt it's wrath multiple times a year and without fail, it always won. Only on my high school graduation day did I finally win. What is it?
The newspaper. I have been in the newspaper about 20 to 25 times in my life, but something is always missing. Here are just a few instances.
It was a terrible curse. When I was younger, it was pretty funny. But as I grew older, it just became disheartening. I got to the point that whenever something would come out, I would refuse to even look at for fear of not seeing myself or being mis-named or something along those lines. It felt like the world was out to get me. I never got too disheartened by things nor did I feel like anyone or anything was out to get me, but this surely felt like the one thing that was getting to me.
It wasn't until my graduation did it finally break. Graduation day, the newspaper was there to take a few shots for the front page of the local section. I was bound and determined to make sure my face would be fully there in the photo and my name was fully listed. And sure enough, front page of the local section was my face, dead center of the photo, with my name correctly spelled and listed. I was so ecstatic. That photo now takes up 2 pages of my scrapbook.
Fast-forward to a few week ago. I get a text from Megan asking if I would ever want to do an interview for her friend for the college's newspaper. I pretty much squealed with excitement. It was like the final piece of the curse would finally die. And sure enough, it finally died.
Here's the link to "Blogging on the rise", an article on how the popularity of blogging as increased, written by Meg Pittelko.
So what am I getting at? Yes, this whole post was just to rant and brag about the article, but also to tell you something: sometimes life has bizarre quirks that can irritate you to no end, but, like my friend Bekka just told me the other day, "You have to compromise with life. It's not out get you; you just have to compromise."
Enjoy the little rant, the article, and your life....it's all pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.
Peace!
-Nicole
2. Letter writing is harder than one would think.
3. Naps are necessary.
4. Curses can be broken.
I have had a curse for most of my life. It has haunted me and has frustrated me for years. Although not a lot of things make me angry, this curse surely did. I felt it's wrath multiple times a year and without fail, it always won. Only on my high school graduation day did I finally win. What is it?
The newspaper. I have been in the newspaper about 20 to 25 times in my life, but something is always missing. Here are just a few instances.
- My 9th birthday party was supposed to be at my house, but a fire broke out and of course, it got press. The newspaper interviewed the wrong girl (we were living with another family at the time).
- My 3rd grade class took a trip to a museum and it was photographed for a local paper. I was one person away from getting into the photo.
- My friend Libby, Bekka, and I were in a emergency response class and the paper came to take photos of our graduation from the program. The photo took up a fourth of the front page and it was just us in the picture. The caption? "Libby, Bekka, and other Oak Grove student..." Other Oak Grove student? Really? I was right there!
It was a terrible curse. When I was younger, it was pretty funny. But as I grew older, it just became disheartening. I got to the point that whenever something would come out, I would refuse to even look at for fear of not seeing myself or being mis-named or something along those lines. It felt like the world was out to get me. I never got too disheartened by things nor did I feel like anyone or anything was out to get me, but this surely felt like the one thing that was getting to me.
It wasn't until my graduation did it finally break. Graduation day, the newspaper was there to take a few shots for the front page of the local section. I was bound and determined to make sure my face would be fully there in the photo and my name was fully listed. And sure enough, front page of the local section was my face, dead center of the photo, with my name correctly spelled and listed. I was so ecstatic. That photo now takes up 2 pages of my scrapbook.
Fast-forward to a few week ago. I get a text from Megan asking if I would ever want to do an interview for her friend for the college's newspaper. I pretty much squealed with excitement. It was like the final piece of the curse would finally die. And sure enough, it finally died.
Here's the link to "Blogging on the rise", an article on how the popularity of blogging as increased, written by Meg Pittelko.
So what am I getting at? Yes, this whole post was just to rant and brag about the article, but also to tell you something: sometimes life has bizarre quirks that can irritate you to no end, but, like my friend Bekka just told me the other day, "You have to compromise with life. It's not out get you; you just have to compromise."
Enjoy the little rant, the article, and your life....it's all pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.
Peace!
-Nicole
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Life Is Like a Box of... Pi?
1. One can have too much Spanish in one day.
2. Sometimes skipping a class is necessary.
3. Registering for classes at 6:30am is torture, but sometimes it does go well.
4. Life is like a box of...pi?
I think it is strange how life can be intensely sad and absolutely wonderful at the same time. Like right now. I have my friend Bekka staying with me from Missouri (which is pretty cool) but the reason she is here isn't so awesome - Bekka's grandma died on Monday. Although I love having her here, I almost wish she wasn't because it would mean her grandma would still be alive. It's a sort of a...bittersweet situation.
My life seems to be complied of such instances: I'm in a play right now, but it removes me from my friends and sleep. I registered for classes this morning successfully, but I had to get up at 6 in order to do so and sleep is scarce right now. I am connecting more with a friend, but she might be transferring out. My life is awesome and there is so much to be grateful for, but there's also a lot of things to hate.
But this is what I have figured out: one must find their quality of life by looking at the good side of things. Sure, there is a lot to want to get rid of, but it's like if you have a ton of coins in your hand - sometimes you see the shiny side of the coin and sometimes you see the dull side...all you have to do is flip the coin to see the shine. The dull side is still there - it's just shown from the other side.
And here is another thing: life is never ending. (In honor of Pi Day...) Like pi, life is never ending. Sometimes things repeat, but ofttimes it comes in different form and orders and it simply never ends. You can try to find the end of things, but it is practically impossible. And it's always changing; things pass and new things come your way. Terrible things don't last for long.
So on this ridiculously warm day (it's supposed to be 61), find joy in things you would never think to find joy in.
Peace!
-Nicole
2. Sometimes skipping a class is necessary.
3. Registering for classes at 6:30am is torture, but sometimes it does go well.
4. Life is like a box of...pi?
I think it is strange how life can be intensely sad and absolutely wonderful at the same time. Like right now. I have my friend Bekka staying with me from Missouri (which is pretty cool) but the reason she is here isn't so awesome - Bekka's grandma died on Monday. Although I love having her here, I almost wish she wasn't because it would mean her grandma would still be alive. It's a sort of a...bittersweet situation.
My life seems to be complied of such instances: I'm in a play right now, but it removes me from my friends and sleep. I registered for classes this morning successfully, but I had to get up at 6 in order to do so and sleep is scarce right now. I am connecting more with a friend, but she might be transferring out. My life is awesome and there is so much to be grateful for, but there's also a lot of things to hate.
But this is what I have figured out: one must find their quality of life by looking at the good side of things. Sure, there is a lot to want to get rid of, but it's like if you have a ton of coins in your hand - sometimes you see the shiny side of the coin and sometimes you see the dull side...all you have to do is flip the coin to see the shine. The dull side is still there - it's just shown from the other side.
And here is another thing: life is never ending. (In honor of Pi Day...) Like pi, life is never ending. Sometimes things repeat, but ofttimes it comes in different form and orders and it simply never ends. You can try to find the end of things, but it is practically impossible. And it's always changing; things pass and new things come your way. Terrible things don't last for long.
So on this ridiculously warm day (it's supposed to be 61), find joy in things you would never think to find joy in.
Peace!
-Nicole
Monday, March 12, 2012
Look Mom! No Pants!
1. Lazy Sunday afternoons are glorious.
2. Don't park in muddy parking spots.
3. Don't start homework at 10:30.
4. Be sunlight.
Yesterday was like living in a wonderland. I was surrounded by a few bouquets of flowers, the breeze was coming in through my window, I had a cup of cinnamon tea, my homework for today was done, and I spent the afternoon laying around and talking....not to mention the sun was shinning all day. And the best part? I didn't wear pants. No worries, I did wear a dress, but for the first time in many months, I haven't had the need to wear tights underneath them. It's a good day when I don't need to wear pants.
I couldn't feel sad yesterday - it was too much of a perfect day for me to be sad. It's not that a ton of fantastic things happened (it was a typical Sunday for me); what it was, I believe, is the sunlight and warmth. Sunlight instantly improves my mood, no matter what and especially because we hadn't had a warm/sunny day like that in a few months, it was a wonderful thing.
I have a friend from high school who nicknamed me "Nicole Rae of Sunshine." (My middle name is Rae.) When I asked her why she nicknamed me this, she said, "Because it's true." Now, I don't know if I totally agree with her, but since then, I have strived to live up to that nickname. Sunlight sheds light on nearly everything. Even if there is a shadow, a few hours later the sun is facing the other direction and suddenly you can see. If you open a door to a dark room, the room is flooded in warm light. As cheesy as it sounds, I want to be that. I want "light up a room" and improve the mood.
But sometimes light can be annoying and can burn. Have you met people who are a bit too full of sunlight? To the point of annoyance? To the point of burn out? There is a thin line we can cross between being happy and being too happy.
So today, although it may be raining, be the sunlight in the world. Find the good things in your life. I just got back from my psychology class, where we are studying happiness. There was a study done where participants were asked to write down 5 things they were grateful for each week. After 10 weeks of doing so, researchers saw an increase of happiness and life satisfaction. See, happy people naturally do happy things: they do acts of kindness, strive towards their goals, and they nurture relationships. Happiness builds and everyone around you can feel the effects of it. And the happier your friends are, the happier you are... it's a wonderful cycle.
Enjoy the sunlight - literal and figurative. Heck, be that light if you really want to. Let people sit in your light and be warmed (and maybe pants won't be necessary*).
Peace!
-Nicole
*Do not take this sexually. Refer to the first paragraph.
2. Don't park in muddy parking spots.
3. Don't start homework at 10:30.
4. Be sunlight.
Yesterday was like living in a wonderland. I was surrounded by a few bouquets of flowers, the breeze was coming in through my window, I had a cup of cinnamon tea, my homework for today was done, and I spent the afternoon laying around and talking....not to mention the sun was shinning all day. And the best part? I didn't wear pants. No worries, I did wear a dress, but for the first time in many months, I haven't had the need to wear tights underneath them. It's a good day when I don't need to wear pants.
I couldn't feel sad yesterday - it was too much of a perfect day for me to be sad. It's not that a ton of fantastic things happened (it was a typical Sunday for me); what it was, I believe, is the sunlight and warmth. Sunlight instantly improves my mood, no matter what and especially because we hadn't had a warm/sunny day like that in a few months, it was a wonderful thing.
I have a friend from high school who nicknamed me "Nicole Rae of Sunshine." (My middle name is Rae.) When I asked her why she nicknamed me this, she said, "Because it's true." Now, I don't know if I totally agree with her, but since then, I have strived to live up to that nickname. Sunlight sheds light on nearly everything. Even if there is a shadow, a few hours later the sun is facing the other direction and suddenly you can see. If you open a door to a dark room, the room is flooded in warm light. As cheesy as it sounds, I want to be that. I want "light up a room" and improve the mood.
But sometimes light can be annoying and can burn. Have you met people who are a bit too full of sunlight? To the point of annoyance? To the point of burn out? There is a thin line we can cross between being happy and being too happy.
So today, although it may be raining, be the sunlight in the world. Find the good things in your life. I just got back from my psychology class, where we are studying happiness. There was a study done where participants were asked to write down 5 things they were grateful for each week. After 10 weeks of doing so, researchers saw an increase of happiness and life satisfaction. See, happy people naturally do happy things: they do acts of kindness, strive towards their goals, and they nurture relationships. Happiness builds and everyone around you can feel the effects of it. And the happier your friends are, the happier you are... it's a wonderful cycle.
Enjoy the sunlight - literal and figurative. Heck, be that light if you really want to. Let people sit in your light and be warmed (and maybe pants won't be necessary*).
Peace!
-Nicole
*Do not take this sexually. Refer to the first paragraph.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Being Human #2
1. Anxiety doesn't need a reason.
2. Make yourself uncomfortable.
3. Never forget the value of hot cocoa.
4. You are loved.
Megan here, haaaappy Wednesday. Ohmygoodness, Three things:
1. My writing prof has been sick for the last two days(poor guy), pushing back our schedule a day so I don't have to stress over writing an essay tonight.
2. My Philosophy prof likes to talk a lot and we're now behind, so he's pushing our lecture back a day so I don't have to stress over reading new Philosophy material tonight.
3. My Psychology prof has decided to nix a chapter from our exam on Friday so that's one less chapter for me to stress over while studying tonight.
I cannot believe my good fortune during the last two days! Sorry, I had to share.
It's a long, wonderful, eventful day and I am both excited and nervous to go to the Vagina Monologues tonight, 1. Because I am extremely skittish and sensitive, and 2. Because I know two of the performers. *cough* Nicole and Riah. I am just plain ol' excited to see them perform. Now, upon thinking about how incredibly uncomfortable I'll be, I started to think about my stage fright which is ridiculously awful--it's been mentioned a few times in other posts.
I can't control my public speaking anxiety and it's actually gotten worse as I've gotten older despite my learning and application of various relaxation techniques. I'm starting to experience little bouts of anxiety randomly, even without public speaking, but I'm dealing with it. The thing is I've always wanted to feel comfortable performing and I usually can if I have adequate preparation and passion for what I'm doing. Nothing would make me happier than to perform my poetry for an audience, and I want to be able to do that...but I always let my anxiety hold me back. In short, I stay in my comfort zone instead of enduring the vulnerability and discomfort I experience when I'm placed in front of an audience. My comfort zone will never increase if I keep this up, so I'm going to work on challenging myself and hopefully you'll hear something about me performing in some capacity in the future--assuming the blog continues to run.
We have all of these things that we can't necessarily control about ourselves, anxiety, medical conditions, undesirable personality traits, experiences etc.--they're a part of being human. Sometimes we just cannot change our circumstances. It's not like I can up and decide to shed my humanity for a day or two. Being a human being just comes with certain conditions, and one of those conditions is that you will have flaws, BUT the brilliant thing is that, as humans, we have the ability to work on ourselves and control how we respond to those flaws. Not only that, but we can control how we respond to other people's flaws, whether that involves providing them guidance, positive regard, forgiveness, or simply just telling them they're loved. I think we forget that last one sometimes--the fact that we are loved despite our flaws. If I can't beat my public speaking anxiety, I can certainly work on coping with it and making it a non-issue. It's a cool plus side to that whole "being human" thing.
So accept and acknowledge your beautifully flawed self. Heck they're not even always a bad thing! Strength exists not in their absence, but in moving forward and developing as a human being despite their presence. You are loved and you are human. Remember that.
P.S. If you're ever having a tough day, listen to this song. It tends to cheer me right up.
As always, peace, love, and hugs.
-Megan
2. Make yourself uncomfortable.
3. Never forget the value of hot cocoa.
4. You are loved.
Megan here, haaaappy Wednesday. Ohmygoodness, Three things:
1. My writing prof has been sick for the last two days(poor guy), pushing back our schedule a day so I don't have to stress over writing an essay tonight.
2. My Philosophy prof likes to talk a lot and we're now behind, so he's pushing our lecture back a day so I don't have to stress over reading new Philosophy material tonight.
3. My Psychology prof has decided to nix a chapter from our exam on Friday so that's one less chapter for me to stress over while studying tonight.
I cannot believe my good fortune during the last two days! Sorry, I had to share.
It's a long, wonderful, eventful day and I am both excited and nervous to go to the Vagina Monologues tonight, 1. Because I am extremely skittish and sensitive, and 2. Because I know two of the performers. *cough* Nicole and Riah. I am just plain ol' excited to see them perform. Now, upon thinking about how incredibly uncomfortable I'll be, I started to think about my stage fright which is ridiculously awful--it's been mentioned a few times in other posts.
I can't control my public speaking anxiety and it's actually gotten worse as I've gotten older despite my learning and application of various relaxation techniques. I'm starting to experience little bouts of anxiety randomly, even without public speaking, but I'm dealing with it. The thing is I've always wanted to feel comfortable performing and I usually can if I have adequate preparation and passion for what I'm doing. Nothing would make me happier than to perform my poetry for an audience, and I want to be able to do that...but I always let my anxiety hold me back. In short, I stay in my comfort zone instead of enduring the vulnerability and discomfort I experience when I'm placed in front of an audience. My comfort zone will never increase if I keep this up, so I'm going to work on challenging myself and hopefully you'll hear something about me performing in some capacity in the future--assuming the blog continues to run.
We have all of these things that we can't necessarily control about ourselves, anxiety, medical conditions, undesirable personality traits, experiences etc.--they're a part of being human. Sometimes we just cannot change our circumstances. It's not like I can up and decide to shed my humanity for a day or two. Being a human being just comes with certain conditions, and one of those conditions is that you will have flaws, BUT the brilliant thing is that, as humans, we have the ability to work on ourselves and control how we respond to those flaws. Not only that, but we can control how we respond to other people's flaws, whether that involves providing them guidance, positive regard, forgiveness, or simply just telling them they're loved. I think we forget that last one sometimes--the fact that we are loved despite our flaws. If I can't beat my public speaking anxiety, I can certainly work on coping with it and making it a non-issue. It's a cool plus side to that whole "being human" thing.
So accept and acknowledge your beautifully flawed self. Heck they're not even always a bad thing! Strength exists not in their absence, but in moving forward and developing as a human being despite their presence. You are loved and you are human. Remember that.
P.S. If you're ever having a tough day, listen to this song. It tends to cheer me right up.
You Are Loved by Josh Groban
As always, peace, love, and hugs.
-Megan
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Energy
1. Chocolate cupcakes are a great pick-me-up.
2. Smash is a great TV show, although it does have some faults.
3. Doing simple math in Spanish is quite hard.
4. Renew your energy.
Well hello there! Sorry for the long hiatus - it was spring break for us last week and this week is "hell week" for the Vagina Monologues (we open tomorrow!), so things have been busy. Life is pretty much back to normal, which is always good.
But to be frank, the weeks leading up to spring break weren't the greatest; it felt like everyone was falling apart and there was nothing I or anyone could do. Energy levels were really low and what was there was very negative. I hated to say it, but I just wanted to get away from everyone. I didn't want to leave campus because I loved the people and the culture of it all, but I couldn't stand the negative energy.
Then spring break came. I ended up spending a few days with my sister and brand-new niece (who, by the way, is my goddaughter). I was hesitant to go because I was so exhausted physically and emotionally. But it was what I needed. What I wanted was to spend a whole week alone in my house, watching movies and doing nothing. But I needed was to be somewhere with someone who loved me, but didn't care about what was going on. I needed to be swept up into a different energy. Being around a 1 week old baby and a 2 year old - one can't particularly think about themselves. It was what I needed and I am so glad I went. (I did end up spending some time alone and some time with friends from high school.)
Each of us influences the energy around us. The more positive people, there are more positive thoughts and ideas - positivity breeds positivity and negativity breeds negativity. Typically, when I felt like I was in a negative situation, I would leave. But because I am so connected with my friends here on campus, I couldn't do that - it would hurt more than help. I needed to 'reset' my energy, bring it back to a neutral level, one that was stable and easy.
Sometimes, we need to get away, we need to be swept up into a different energy. Sometimes we need to stop focusing on ourselves. Sometimes we need to stop trying to fix ourselves because at some point, it loses its effectiveness. And when you do come back to your world, come with an open mind and heart. Connect with friends in different ways and on deeper levels.
Sometimes, we just need to fix the fuse and flip the switch.
Peace!
-Nicole
2. Smash is a great TV show, although it does have some faults.
3. Doing simple math in Spanish is quite hard.
4. Renew your energy.
Well hello there! Sorry for the long hiatus - it was spring break for us last week and this week is "hell week" for the Vagina Monologues (we open tomorrow!), so things have been busy. Life is pretty much back to normal, which is always good.
But to be frank, the weeks leading up to spring break weren't the greatest; it felt like everyone was falling apart and there was nothing I or anyone could do. Energy levels were really low and what was there was very negative. I hated to say it, but I just wanted to get away from everyone. I didn't want to leave campus because I loved the people and the culture of it all, but I couldn't stand the negative energy.
Then spring break came. I ended up spending a few days with my sister and brand-new niece (who, by the way, is my goddaughter). I was hesitant to go because I was so exhausted physically and emotionally. But it was what I needed. What I wanted was to spend a whole week alone in my house, watching movies and doing nothing. But I needed was to be somewhere with someone who loved me, but didn't care about what was going on. I needed to be swept up into a different energy. Being around a 1 week old baby and a 2 year old - one can't particularly think about themselves. It was what I needed and I am so glad I went. (I did end up spending some time alone and some time with friends from high school.)
 |
| Presley and I |
Sometimes, we need to get away, we need to be swept up into a different energy. Sometimes we need to stop focusing on ourselves. Sometimes we need to stop trying to fix ourselves because at some point, it loses its effectiveness. And when you do come back to your world, come with an open mind and heart. Connect with friends in different ways and on deeper levels.
Sometimes, we just need to fix the fuse and flip the switch.
Peace!
-Nicole
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