As every A-Z Blogger will tell you, "Q" is a very hard post to come up with. There just aren't very many q words that spark up the ole creativity side of the brain. And I did quiet last year, so there goes one of my go to words.
So, I decided I'd simply answer some questions tonight. For the record, I think it's good to ask people questions. It's important to learn about each other. And it's important to answer them honestly.
1. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Never trying. At least when you fail, you can say you tried, you can learn from the experience. If you never try you will always have that nagging "what if".
2. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? That's tough. Is it possible to do a little of both? Because I believe in touching lives and I believe I am able to do that with my current job. However, I'm not going to lie and say this is my calling, or this is where I will be the rest of my life.
3. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? Easy. Nashville, TN. In a heartbeat. That place is magical. Okay, maybe not magical, but it's pretty awesome. I love the atmosphere, I love the people, I love the weather. I am really, really hoping to end up there someday, somehow.
4. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Ironically, this just happened to me on Sunday. I took a new volunteer to visit a patient. I left the room to let them speak. I was in the hallway of the nursing home and this little old lady came out of her room down the hall, using her walker. I could tell it was going to be a struggle for her to walk by herself. I could also tell she couldn't see very well. So I got up, walked over to her and then walked beside her. We made it down the hallway, and she plopped down on the very couch I had been sitting before. I thought we were going to have this outstanding conversation that I'd be able to use in upcoming volunteer trainings. Instead, she smiled at me, mouthed "hi", and then closed her eyes. She reached her hand out and patted mine, and then she fell asleep. I knew that was her way of saying "thank you". When I was leaving, I patted her hand and whispered that it was nice to meet her.
5. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Yes. That's probably not a good feeling, right? Isn't every day supposed to feel brand new?
6. What is your favorite vacation memory? I have so many. I guess just simply Fort Walton in it's entirety. Running on the beach, walking down to where my uncle was fishing, going to the water park, church on Easter Sunday with all my cousins.
7. What is your earliest memory? Hmm. Sometimes I'm not sure if my memories are actually memories or just a result of watching home videos and seeing pictures. I don't know how far back we're "supposed" to remember, but my earliest memories that I can really recall are preschool age-kindergarten. I very clearly remember going to school, then going to lunch and running errands with my mom. My favorite days were the days when we went to the Troy Library. I probably can come up with some earlier ones, but when I think of childhood that is one of the first things I remember.
8. If you could meet anyone in the world, who would you choose and why? Now this is a tough one. I've already typed and deleted my answer five times. I should probably say Obama, but I'm not going to be that predictable. If I were to be choosing someone dead, I would say Catherine Mccauley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. That woman was braver, stronger, more compassionate than anyone I've ever heard of. But someone living, at this very moment today? I'm going to have to very seriously answer that with Adele. I know that sounds bizarre to some people- I could meet ANYONE in the world and I'm choosing a singer. But here's the thing. Adele writes music that I feel. I would just like to be able to talk to her and pick her brain.
9. What song best defines and describes your life? Oh there are several songs that I lovingly dub as "my song". But the songs that I feel describes me is "Let The Rain" by Sara Barielles. I immediately connected with the words of the song my first time hearing it, and wrote in my review of the album that I felt the song described anxiety to a T, better than any song I've ever heard in my life. Then I read an interview where Sara said "This song is all about facing your fear and digging deep and finding your own inner courage and deciding that whatever happens, you're gonna be ok." Yes sir!
10. What do you do on Sundays? Oh, nothing. No really, nothing. A few weeks ago I decided that Sunday was going to be MY DAY to just sit and do what I wanted. I sleep in. I read. I write a little. I walk. I go to Church, I go to youth group. I do all things that I want to do. I don't make any plans. I just do me.
Back to the topic at hand: questions. Ask them. When you need help, ask for it. When you're curious, ask about it. When you need a 2nd opinion, get it. When you're unsure, be sure. You don't have to fight those battles alone, go through the back and forth, ups and downs...you don't have to stay up all night worrying and wondering. you can simply ask.
Oh, here's a fun question to ponder. Have you ever asked a simple question that then changed something drastically? I think that happens more than we realize. I will tell you the best question you can ask someone, and you can do it daily.
"How are you?".
Ask it, and mean it.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
pride
Pride- "A satisfied sense of attachment toward one's own or another's choices or actions".
I was recently told by a friend of mine that I'm too hard on myself. I never realized it until she said it, but, she is 100 % right. I have an easy time recognizing others for their good tributes, a harder time recognizing my own. So tonight, I'm going to answer two simple questions.
1. When have you been most proud of someone else?
My immediate answer is "Yesterday". Yesterday, I found out that Cristo Rey reached a 100% graduation rate. This is huge on so many levels. First of all, this is DCR's very first every graduating class, and the fact that every last one of them have been accepted to college is incredible. It just goes to show you what hard work can do. Those kids earned every last one of those acceptance letters. And the staff/faculty deserve the pride that comes with it. We all knew this journey was not going to be easy, but look how far they have come. It makes me cry just thinking about it. See when I had those kids they were sophomores in high school- still babies. Now, in just a few weeks, they will be graduating high school. Taking steps toward their future. They will each be finding their own place in the world and that just gives me the goosebumps. They just proved themselves to every single person who's ever told them "you won't make it". So, I'm proud of the kids, the teachers/staff, the families. I'm proud to be considered a part of the Cristo Rey family, because it's an amazing institution, giving kids in Detroit a promising future and excellent education.
2. What is your personal proudest moment?
Well, one of the things that I'm excited to say about myself is that I still have a lot of living left to do. I still have a lot to accomplish, a lot that I want to accomplish. But, so far, in my 24 years of living, I think my proudest moment was completing a 1/2 marathon. That or completing a year of volunteer service. Both took an immense amount of focus and dedication. My year of service was something way out of my comfort zone, even though I was still living in my home state, it was something I never thought I could do- live with complete strangers and work at a high school. But I did it, and I loved it- more than I can ever express. My 1/2 marathon, though, was something I literally did not think I could ever do. How can a bigger, out of shape girl walk 13 miles? Training, motivation, and hard work, that's how. Because I did it. Sometimes I FORGET I did it, because I still can't believe I did it. I still remember the feeling I got as I reached the top of the hill on that last 3 miles (the hill itself was about 2)- I had to wipe away tears as I took water from a little girl wearing a Taylor Swift t shirt, we locked eyes, and she said "you're almost there, my friend". She was right. I was almost there. What that little girl didn't know was how big that moment was for me. So yeah, I'm pretty proud about that moment. :)
So, anyone who reads this, those two questions coming back at ya! Answer in the comments. And okay, I know about a zillion of my itunes collection mention pride/self confidence, but this is the only one that keeps popping in my head. So here you go. A little Drake for this Wednesday night! (Note: Obscene language)
I was recently told by a friend of mine that I'm too hard on myself. I never realized it until she said it, but, she is 100 % right. I have an easy time recognizing others for their good tributes, a harder time recognizing my own. So tonight, I'm going to answer two simple questions.
1. When have you been most proud of someone else?
My immediate answer is "Yesterday". Yesterday, I found out that Cristo Rey reached a 100% graduation rate. This is huge on so many levels. First of all, this is DCR's very first every graduating class, and the fact that every last one of them have been accepted to college is incredible. It just goes to show you what hard work can do. Those kids earned every last one of those acceptance letters. And the staff/faculty deserve the pride that comes with it. We all knew this journey was not going to be easy, but look how far they have come. It makes me cry just thinking about it. See when I had those kids they were sophomores in high school- still babies. Now, in just a few weeks, they will be graduating high school. Taking steps toward their future. They will each be finding their own place in the world and that just gives me the goosebumps. They just proved themselves to every single person who's ever told them "you won't make it". So, I'm proud of the kids, the teachers/staff, the families. I'm proud to be considered a part of the Cristo Rey family, because it's an amazing institution, giving kids in Detroit a promising future and excellent education.
2. What is your personal proudest moment?
Well, one of the things that I'm excited to say about myself is that I still have a lot of living left to do. I still have a lot to accomplish, a lot that I want to accomplish. But, so far, in my 24 years of living, I think my proudest moment was completing a 1/2 marathon. That or completing a year of volunteer service. Both took an immense amount of focus and dedication. My year of service was something way out of my comfort zone, even though I was still living in my home state, it was something I never thought I could do- live with complete strangers and work at a high school. But I did it, and I loved it- more than I can ever express. My 1/2 marathon, though, was something I literally did not think I could ever do. How can a bigger, out of shape girl walk 13 miles? Training, motivation, and hard work, that's how. Because I did it. Sometimes I FORGET I did it, because I still can't believe I did it. I still remember the feeling I got as I reached the top of the hill on that last 3 miles (the hill itself was about 2)- I had to wipe away tears as I took water from a little girl wearing a Taylor Swift t shirt, we locked eyes, and she said "you're almost there, my friend". She was right. I was almost there. What that little girl didn't know was how big that moment was for me. So yeah, I'm pretty proud about that moment. :)
So, anyone who reads this, those two questions coming back at ya! Answer in the comments. And okay, I know about a zillion of my itunes collection mention pride/self confidence, but this is the only one that keeps popping in my head. So here you go. A little Drake for this Wednesday night! (Note: Obscene language)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
One Step At A Time
The phrase "one step at a time" has been my mantra for as long as I can remember. It's just one of those things that keeps coming back to play into my life. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, it's a common phrase that gives a sense of calming, patience, and peace.
The first time I really remember using it is in high school, when I struggled with math...specificially, algebra. I just couldn't get it. So I would spend my "off hours" in extra tutoring with my teacher, learning the rules of math. I remember her telling me constantly to just slow down, that I was working too fast to try and get the answer, that I needed to do it one step a time.
The phrase really hit home in college. I constantly felt like I had too many things going on, was overwhelmed by the stress of sorority life, friendships, classes, being homesick, and several other contributing factors. I was in way over my head, that's for sure. I couldn't stay true to all my promises or committments, I let friendships fall and stepped away from faith for a little bit. It wasn't until my junior year when I learned to pace myself better and take things one step at a time.
My year with Mercy Volunteer Corps was a constant whirlwhind, and I put pressure on myself to feel like I had to solve every problem. I was constantly, constantly telling myself to take things one step a time, and, it was something I could pass on to my students. When they were upset, overwhelemed, and unable to get a grip, I would tell them "Relax. Just take it one step a time. That's all you can do".
Remember that one time I did a 1/2 marathon? You know what I was thinking the entire 13.1 miles? One step at a time. There was one point on the course when I really was not sure I would be able to finish. I was exhausted, I had blood blisters, my head was throbbing, and I was hot. The ONLY thing that got me through was saying, out loud, one. step. at. a. time.
Those six months when I did not have a job and I was scared to death that I was never going to find a job and be forced to live in my childhood home? One step at a time. That's what got me through. Apply to this job, do the interview, stay calm.
And now that I have a 9-5 job, I can't tell you how many times a day that phrase saves me. When a huge audit falls in my lap or when all my volunteers quit at once or a slew of new volunteers all come at once and I'm expected to do my job plus be the IT person, I tell myself "Smile. One step at a time. Breathe. Don't hurt anybody".
So yes, "One Step At A Time" has saved me, more than once. It gives me permission to slow down. It forces me to focus. It works in all situations.
Do you have a mantra? What is it?
And don't act like you had no idea THIS was coming:
The first time I really remember using it is in high school, when I struggled with math...specificially, algebra. I just couldn't get it. So I would spend my "off hours" in extra tutoring with my teacher, learning the rules of math. I remember her telling me constantly to just slow down, that I was working too fast to try and get the answer, that I needed to do it one step a time.
The phrase really hit home in college. I constantly felt like I had too many things going on, was overwhelmed by the stress of sorority life, friendships, classes, being homesick, and several other contributing factors. I was in way over my head, that's for sure. I couldn't stay true to all my promises or committments, I let friendships fall and stepped away from faith for a little bit. It wasn't until my junior year when I learned to pace myself better and take things one step at a time.
My year with Mercy Volunteer Corps was a constant whirlwhind, and I put pressure on myself to feel like I had to solve every problem. I was constantly, constantly telling myself to take things one step a time, and, it was something I could pass on to my students. When they were upset, overwhelemed, and unable to get a grip, I would tell them "Relax. Just take it one step a time. That's all you can do".
Remember that one time I did a 1/2 marathon? You know what I was thinking the entire 13.1 miles? One step at a time. There was one point on the course when I really was not sure I would be able to finish. I was exhausted, I had blood blisters, my head was throbbing, and I was hot. The ONLY thing that got me through was saying, out loud, one. step. at. a. time.
Those six months when I did not have a job and I was scared to death that I was never going to find a job and be forced to live in my childhood home? One step at a time. That's what got me through. Apply to this job, do the interview, stay calm.
And now that I have a 9-5 job, I can't tell you how many times a day that phrase saves me. When a huge audit falls in my lap or when all my volunteers quit at once or a slew of new volunteers all come at once and I'm expected to do my job plus be the IT person, I tell myself "Smile. One step at a time. Breathe. Don't hurt anybody".
So yes, "One Step At A Time" has saved me, more than once. It gives me permission to slow down. It forces me to focus. It works in all situations.
Do you have a mantra? What is it?
And don't act like you had no idea THIS was coming:
Monday, April 16, 2012
Neverland
Peter Pan is my favorite children's story. I'm fascinated by it. Still, at 24 years old, I dream of never never land.
So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!
What if a place like that actually existed? I'll tell you what, if it did, I'd be in a parachute headed for that 2nd star to the right, straight on until morning. I imagine Neverland is such a lovely place. Except, you know, for pirates. They're kind of scary.
My Neverland would be full of laughter and fun, a place where no one got hurt and everyone got along. It would be a place where everyone could escape too when life got too tough, too painful. Neverland would be full of beautiful, rich colors, sweet sounds and smells. There would be endless amounts of iced coffee and books. Music would play throughout all of Neverland, not any certain kind of music, but all music. Neverland would be dedicated to love and laughter. We wouldn't grow up in Neverland...and yes, their would be fairies and pixie dust. Right, Tink?
Sadly, this place does not exist anywhere but in my own mind. Trust me, I've tried to google map it. But we can still dream. We can each create our own personal "neverlands" in our head, and use that as an escape. Because you're never too old to dream.
What's your personal neverland like?
I'll end with a song as I try to do..
Have a good week everyone. Watch for posts o-s this week!
So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!
What if a place like that actually existed? I'll tell you what, if it did, I'd be in a parachute headed for that 2nd star to the right, straight on until morning. I imagine Neverland is such a lovely place. Except, you know, for pirates. They're kind of scary.
My Neverland would be full of laughter and fun, a place where no one got hurt and everyone got along. It would be a place where everyone could escape too when life got too tough, too painful. Neverland would be full of beautiful, rich colors, sweet sounds and smells. There would be endless amounts of iced coffee and books. Music would play throughout all of Neverland, not any certain kind of music, but all music. Neverland would be dedicated to love and laughter. We wouldn't grow up in Neverland...and yes, their would be fairies and pixie dust. Right, Tink?
Sadly, this place does not exist anywhere but in my own mind. Trust me, I've tried to google map it. But we can still dream. We can each create our own personal "neverlands" in our head, and use that as an escape. Because you're never too old to dream.
What's your personal neverland like?
I'll end with a song as I try to do..
Have a good week everyone. Watch for posts o-s this week!
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