Let It Be

Sometimes, the inevitable comes knocking at our door when we least expect it. We are catapulted into the unknown before we have even a moment's notice to brace ourselves for the impending impact. Life happens, and there isn't always something that we can do about it.

Whether we choose to accept it or not, the path to happiness and success isn't always straight and narrow road. As people, we are guaranteed to experience failure, heartbreak, and uncertainty at some point in time. It's the way that we choose to deal with it that determines the strength of our true character.

As hard as we try to understand why some things happen or how they could possibly alter our lives for the better, we can't. We don't always have the answers and might not be able to find them, no matter how many years we spend studying for every possible class in our undergrad careers. Things might fall apart so that you can put yourself back together in the most important part of your life.

Life is a painful, mad, curious, beautiful thing to experience. Opportunities are everywhere -- it's just up to you to throw yourself out there, into the dark of the unknown and discover what lies ahead. 

Finding and Following Your Passion

Ever since I can remember, I have had a distinct attachment to writing and the arts. I have always been attracted to the aspect of being able to make creations from ideas that I have in my mind and being able to bring them to life.

Even though I always knew that I had a passion for art and writing, I was always very timid about sharing some of my work with other people. For a long time, I lived in a constant state of thinking that what I had was not good enough in comparison to what someone else might have to offer. 

In high school, I was especially wary about my own writing until my AP English teacher encouraged me to enter myself into a regional writing contest. I had written a personal narrative on the harms of fracking from my family's experience, and she loved it. Hesitantly, I took her advice and submitted my piece. Two months later, I found out that I was a winner.

More often than not, stepping out of your comfort zone is the key to finding success. As Hunter S. Thompson once said, "Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing."

If you love to do something and find yourself getting excited about it, follow it. Don't let it die out or give up on it by settling for something less. There are opportunities to pursue what you want to do all around, whether you think so or not. Start by looking for them, even in the unlikeliest of places.

Take risks, be adventurous, and don't hesitate. Give it your all, and nothing less. You might be surprised at how happy you are in the place that you end up.

Cherishing the Little Things

Tonight, I chatted with my sister for awhile on the phone. I had caught a case of the writer's block in the middle of our conversation and asked her what I should write about. As I expected, she didn't really help at all, but we were still able to laugh excessively and have a great talk as we normally do.

It really just hit me a few minutes ago that she gave me my story idea on accident. Remembering to cherish the little moments is one of the most important things in life, from simple phone conversations to receiving great news. The picture above really sums it up for me: "Enjoy the little things in life, for someday you will realize they were the big things." I can't emphasize this enough.

Getting a good grade on a test, having a fun time with friends, or even just enjoying the scenery around you are all moments that are worth remembering and pausing for a second to take it all in. It's times like these that will leave you with the biggest smiles at some times.

So, in this shorter-than-usual post, I dare you to stop. Look at your surroundings, and think about all of the great things that you did or that happened to you today. Who did you talk with that made you happy, or what conversations made you smile? What did you see that caught your eye? What happened that was worth remembering? I can guarantee that everyone smiled at least once today or thought about a memory that they wish that they could go back to. Whatever it was, I challenge you to find it again and pursue it.

Seize the day.

5 Things You Should Stop Worrying About Right Now

Life gets hectic. There's no way around responsibilities, no matter what that word might mean to you. Meetings, classes, deadlines, relationships, obligations, events, work - everything adds up. It's difficult to keep from constantly thinking about such matters, but here's a list of just a few things that aren't worth worrying about. Life is too short to be concerned with little issues.

1.) How you look for the day.
The truth of the matter is that nobody actually cares what you look like or what you're wearing. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in and what you think looks good. Wear as little or as much makeup as your heart desires. Don't feel like doing your hair? Awesome. Feel like making it look extra special? Sounds wonderful. Try out new patterns and prints to spice things up.


2.) Comparing yourself to others.
Everyone is different, and that's a fact of life. No two people are the same, which means that not everyone is going to look the same or have the same skill sets as each other. Find your passion and hold onto it. Grow through it, and show the world what you have to offer.

3.) Petty arguments.
You're not always going to get along with everybody, especially if you're particularly close with them. Instead of letting such disagreements stress you out, keep in mind that things will more than likely be cleared up soon. Chances are, you'll look back on this and laugh.

4.) Making a mistake.
Sometimes, we screw up without even realizing it. Making mistakes is human nature, and they are there to help us learn from them. Don't be so hard on yourself, because there are always plenty of opportunities to try again.

5.) Over thinking.
I am perhaps the biggest culprit when it comes to over thinking about things. I think of situations in my head and play out every possible scenario that could come from it. I manage to think of every thing I might have done wrong to explain why I haven't gotten a call from someone yet, what the future holds, etc. Lately, I've been finding that this is one of the biggest wastes of time. Life is meant to enjoy the little moments, and not to dwell on the non-existent ones. One step at a time is all we can take.

Sidenote to my rambling: If anybody knows where I could get the shirt in the picture included please let me know because why wouldn't I want it?!?

How to Stay Focused On Right Now

Nostalgia seems to be my best friend. My memories get triggered by the simplest of things, including songs, quotes and pictures. I had an incredibly blessed childhood and am thankful for everyone and everything that I have in my life. Honestly, it's both a blessing and a curse.

I think back on some of my best memories, but some bad ones creep in every once in awhile, too. I understand that I can't really do anything about things that have happened, but that doesn't mean that I don't dwell on them every now and then.

As a student and a girl inching toward her twenties, the future is definitely a place that I fast forward to. I think about every possible scenario that could happen and the outcomes, and it can get me pretty stressed out. 

When I was in high school, my English teacher introduced the C.S. Lewis book "The Screwtape Letters" to my class. While discussing the book, she mentioned how it can be easy to find ourselves trapped in our past and worried about the future.

She also made a very strong point in saying that staying focused on the present is the important thing to do. I remember thinking about how difficult it was to imagine myself staying only in the present and not in my past or future.

I've been thinking about this a lot for some reason lately, and have found that maybe  took that out of context a bit. I realize now that, while we're meant to learn from the past, we aren't supposed to live in it. The same goes for the future; we can aspire to achieve goals and work towards fulfilling our dreams, but fearing it won't do us any good.

I guess that what I'm trying to say is, be happy with right now. Look around you, and think about everything that you've accomplished to get where you are right now. You've made it this far, congratulations! Now, focus on setting your future up, but be happy with now. Don't settle, and do the best you can in everything you do. Everything can and will work out in the end.

Why Wishful Thinking is Important

My personality can be best described as a dreamer. I constantly think of what I want for the future, who I want to become, and what I want to do with my life. Today's world has a tendency to say that we need to be more realistic, but I disagree.

Wishful thinking allows us to open the door of creativity in our minds. Imagination is key to success, especially when we have big plans for the future. Whether you hope to land a dream job or live in a big house with a wonderful family, hard work tends to pay off in the end. There's something magical about holding on to hope.

Ultimately, we have dreams because we want to pursue them and make them a reality. With enough perseverance and determination, we can. Regardless of the "social norm" or "realistic expectations," aiming to break this barrier is one step closer to reaching our goals.

We hope. We dream. We have faith that, someday and somehow, our wildest dreams will come true - and there's nothing wrong with that in the slightest.