Sophomoritis? Didn't think there was such a thing...

Where the heck did my motivation go? That seems to be the question of the semester. It is hard to believe that I am only a sophomore and I am already having intense feelings of senioritis...I guess we will call it sophomoritis in my case. At this rate, it is going to be a long couple of years until graduation. However, I do have a lot of things to be looking forward to that will make the time fly by fast. Work week in Colorado, Puerto Rico with my dad and sister, my sister's wedding, summer staff in Minnesota, YL camp....this summer is going to be crazy busy but I will love every second of it. This time of year always seems bittersweet for some reason. Despite the fact that I want to be done with school SO badly, I'm not quite ready to accept the fact that I     am signing up for classes for my junior year of college and      the fact that I will be away from the amazing people in Manhattan that I love. While I dread my classes every single day, I need to continue to embrace these last few weeks I have before my life will really start to pick up! I would be lying if I said I hate being constantly on the go....in reality, I thrive on the fast-paced life that I live. I just need to continue to set short term goals for myself so that I stay on track and stay motivated because I don't want to regret a single moment of these next few weeks. Life advice: live in the moment and find your motivation! Don't allow yourself to get lazy...finish that homework, hit the gym, hang out with your friends....and finish unpacking your spring break stuff finally (this is advice that I definitely need to follow!). God doesn't want us to just constantly be looking to the next thing, but instead He wants us to live each day as if it is just as exciting as the next! 

                                                         SPRING BREAK 2011 in Gulf Shores :) 

Surround yourself with positivity

One of the most valuable things I have learned so far in my life is to surround myself with positivity. Whether it is the activities you are involved in, or the people in your life, it is absolutely vital that you seek out those activities or people that build you up. A laugh and a smile are not only contagious, but they are the perfect medicine for any Negative Nancy. I have been involved in some organizations before that just looked good on paper; they did not bring me joy or fulfillment whatsoever. What is the point of being involved in activities that you don't love? There is no point in the long-run. Young Life is an organization that I currently volunteer for and no words can even describe the amount of fulfillment I get from the things that I have the opportunity to do. In addition, I haven't always been friends with people that were the most positive influence. While it is completely fine to be friends with most people and to love everyone, check and make sure that the people you spend a majority of your time with have a positive affect on not only your actions, but your mood and well-being as well. A lot of people tell me that I am an incredibly positive person, which I believe to be one of the best compliments possible. However, I have my times when I have a negative attitude and look at the glass half empty. It is times like these when the positive environment you surround yourself with comes in handy. And while we are on the topic of positivity, quit being so negative! You are blessed with so many things in your life and it is important to acknowledge these things. You are allowed your bad days and bad moods, but try to look for the ray of light shining through each day. Life advice: Surround yourself with positivity and the feeling will be contagious. Don't let little things bring you down; people will notice your incredible attitude and the positivity will catch on like wildfire. 

We all have a story

I can say, without a doubt, that one of my favorite things to do is talk. I love communicating with people and more than anything, I love sharing stories. I truly believe that every experience we have is perfect criteria for a story that can be passed on and shared with others for years to come. A few nights ago, I spent about 2 hours sitting in the dining room of my sorority with a group of girls, telling and listening to stories. My face hurt from smiling and my stomach hurt from laughing by the end.  I am incredibly thankful for the memories that I have; I have enough stories to last a life time. Think back on the experiences you have had; remember the embarrassing ones, the happy ones, the sad ones, the scary ones...every single one of those memories you have is an incredible teaching and learning tool for you to utilize. Every single human being has a different set of stories. How cool is that? We all come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences; not a single person is the exact same. We are shaped by our experiences...that is why we are all unique from one another. Each one of us is writing our own book made up of chapters; some of them are short, some of them are long, but nonetheless, we are all creating our own best-sellers. Life advice: Don't keep these stories and experiences to yourself. Share your stories. Be open about your life. Re-live those memories. God gives us the opportunity to live our lives and create the stories that are ultimately inspired by Him; so get out there and keep the words flowing on the pages of life. 

Beauty sleep is good for the body and soul

Do you ever have those days where you just feel like you are constantly on the go? When you feel like the first time you get to sit down is when you lay down to go to sleep at around midnight, only to have to get up in about 5 hours...well, welcome to my life. It may sound absolutely awful, but this is a lifestyle that I have grown to be quite familiar with and to the surprise of many, I enjoy it. Each day when I curl up in my warm bed I feel like I have accomplished something. I learned in psychology a few weeks ago that we spend 1/3 of our life sleeping.....33% of our life is spent ASLEEP! How crazy is that?! Now, I am not saying that I am just going to cut that number down or anything, but I am going to make sure that I embrace the time I am awake. However, our bodies need sleep. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." God realized the importance of rest not only for our bodies, but our minds as well. It is perfectly fine to be on the go all day long if you allow yourself the chance to sleep and rejuvenate. In turn, you will be in a better mood and will be more willing and able to take on the tasks of the next day. Life advice: Stop depriving yourself of sleep! Take a nap, put the homework aside for a little while, relax---the people around you, your body and your soul will thank you for it! 

Carpe Diem

Carpe diem. This phrase is thrown around so often that we sometimes forget what it truly stands for. This is a Latin phrase that means to seize the day. Seize the day. What exactly does that mean? Today was an absolutely beautiful day. It was over 70 degrees outside...not your typical February day. However, I decided that it was absolutely necessary to enjoy every second of this wonderful day that God granted us with. Work was a blast and my only class of the day got cancelled; everything was falling into place for a perfect day. I was productive and took each and every opportunity to enjoy myself and have fun. However, something that I started to think about was why I didn't start each day with this attitude. Sure, the nice weather was definitely a mood booster, but I should be looking at EVERY day in the same positive light that I viewed today with. Every single day is a gift from God. Every second of every day counts, so why waste them?  Life advice: Carpe diem. Not just when the weather is nice or on days that you don't have to work, but every single day. Embrace each day for what it is and always be looking out for opportunities to seize the day. 

Perfection is not something to strive for

No, I am not quoting Miley Cyrus when I say that everyone makes mistakes; it is a fact of life. However, to someone like me who strives to be perfect in everything that I do, making mistakes is completely out of the question. I don't like disappointing or hurting people. I hate not doing as well as I think I should have on tests or projects. I hate not achieving goals that I set. Perfectionist does not even begin to describe me. Who decides what is perfect though? Yes, 100% on a test is technically a perfect score, but in other aspects of my life, who says what perfect is? Perfect is a high standard that I set for myself. Me. I do it. I set ridiculously high standards for myself and when I can't accomplish them, then I get frustrated and down. That isn't how it should be. The only person who could even fit the word perfect was Jesus. He walked among humans and was God's perfect son. No one else in the entire world is, was or will ever be perfect like He was. That being said, I need to re-evaluate what it is I am striving for. I want to be a good daughter, a good best friend, a good sister, a good student, a good member of my sorority, a good Young Life leader, a good citizen, a good worker....all of these things I can do, but there is no way of being perfect at any of them. Trying to do everything possible to make people happy can take a toll on yourself; you will find yourself being spread too thin and thinking of things as more of a chore than something you enjoy doing. I need to take a step back and stop striving for perfection but rather try hard to be the best I can be. My personal best needs to be good enough for me. Life advice: Stop trying to strive for perfection. Perfection is not a word that is attainable by any human on earth. Don't be mad at yourself if you make a mistake or let someone down...it happens to everyone. Be the best you that you can be and let that be enough. 

When you least expect it...

Has something ever happened to you...something that was so great and it seemed to come out of nowhere? Well I know the feeling. The past two days have been absolutely wonderful. Not only did we have two snow days in a row, but some things really started looking up in my life. I have been getting frustrated and fed up lately, but I feel like a weight has finally been lifted off my shoulders. I had an absolutely amazing time with the girls in my sorority these past few days. I feel refreshed, happy and content. There are times when things seem like they couldn't be worse, but before you know it, things will all of a sudden change; your luck will change for the better. I wish that this would happen at the snap of your fingers, but unfortunately it is not that easy. It is so true that it takes some bad things for you to appreciate when times are truly good. So here is my advice for the day: trust. Trust in God's timing and trust in the fact that great things will come along when you least expect it. Get through those tough times and stay optimistic...cuz things are bound to look up :)