Nervous

1. Let someone hack your computer or smart phone. It's interesting to see what they do.
2. Don't let anyone who you don't trust hack your computer or phone.
3. It really is quiet on campus with all the choir kids gone.
4. Don't let nerves get the best of you.

Last night, I had a meeting at my church for a trip I am taking next summer. When I got back to my dorm, I found I had a new text message from Megan: "hey, wanna help me with my speech?" Unlike me, Megan has terrible stage-fright and today, she had an eight-minute speech to present to her oral communications class. We ended up spending about two hours practicing, critiquing, and fixing her speech.

When I ran into Megan this morning at breakfast, she was riddled fear and nerves. Her leg was twitching, her fingers were tapping on the table, and her eyes were darting every-which way. "Megan, what's wrong?" She then looked up at me and said something along the lines that she just wanted it to be over. I found this whole situation to be a bit funny - all that she was doing was giving a speech to her friends on a topic she was passionate about. What was there to be nervous about?

I guess I am coming from the perspective of a person who has spent the last seven years performing on stage and competing. But I wasn't always this way...I used to be scared of even talking with people. I was afraid I was going to stumble over words, then people wouldn't understand me and then I wouldn't be able to get anywhere. I now know this is completely untrue - I was going to stumble, but all I needed to do was start again and not worry too much about my mess up.

Whenever I help someone with a speech or performance (or even when I practice things), they react to their mess-up by either making a funny noise, cussing, or letting their shoulders slump. This does not help with the nerves...it only perpetuates it.

Nerves aren't just present in speeches...they're present in life. Right now, I am heading into finals week. I only have one final, but that's Spanish and I'm not ready at all. I also have a ton of projects to do (a scale-model of a set, a lighting design, a final paper, a revision of a paper, another final paper, and a Spanish oral exam). There is a lot for me to be nervous about. If I don't use my time wisely, I am afraid I won't do well in the class.

But letting myself be nervous about it all won't help. Like Megan has said before on a this post, you have plunge yourself into your work. Nerves get you no where - all it does is take up your time and create a mess of problems you don't need.

Don't let nerves get the best of you.

Peace!

-Nicole

I Lost My Phone

1. Breakfast is delicious, especially when you haven't had a good one in a few days.
2. Getting done with classes at 9:40am is awesome.
3. Gloves are useful when dying hair.
4. Maybe losing your phone isn't such a bad thing.

I lost my cell phone today. I had a class from 8:00am until 9:40am and then I had the rest of the day free to do homework and such. Right after class, I checked my mailbox and headed straight for my dorm room. I threw my stuff on the floor, grabbed my laundry, and headed downstairs to clean my clothes. On the way down, I noticed I didn't have my phone. "I'll just grab it later. It has to be somewhere," I said to myself.

So, after an hour and half, I went back upstairs to put my clean clothes away and then head to lunch. I put all of my stuff away, including the stuff I thrown on the ground earlier. Just as I was about to leave, I still had no phone. My room was completely clean and I could not find my phone. "I must have left it in the classroom." So, I went to go check for it. Still, nothing. I asked the information desk if someone had returned it, and they didn't have it. I decided I needed food before I continued on my adventure to find my phone.

I grabbed some food and sat down. It was then I realized that I have an iPhone and on that iPhone I have the "Find My iPhone" app, which allows me to go online and locate it. I logged on and located it. It was still on campus, so I zoomed in to see exactly where it is.

Turns out it was still in my dorm room. A few minutes later, I remembered I had put it up on my loft bed for safe-keeping. It was safe alright, but it just liked to hide from me.

I go through these phases where I forget and lose everything. I've already lost my hat, a favorite ring, and a pair of earrings (which I just found). I also forget about homework and stuff on my calendar. It's not that I'm disorganized; I'm probably the most organized person ever. It's just I get so wrapped up in life and I forget everything else.

And maybe that's not such a bad thing. I become so much engulfed in the present that I forget about everything else. I've always been told to just focus on the present and it seems without trying, I am. And it feels pretty good because the present is all we have.

But I do miss my red hat... maybe I should look at my schedule a bit more often. Find a balance and the present will be amazing, all the while having the future within reach.

Peace!

-Nicole