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May 31 Six Word MemoirsDuring the last few weeks of college this semester, one of my good friends brought over a book that sparked my interest and proved to entertain us for several hours. The title of the book was: "Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Famous Writers and Obscure" by Larry Smith. Now though the title is hard to merge through, essentially this book was collection of memoirs of hundreds of individuals, each of which were only 6 words.
Some of the memoirs were very "interesting", others, comical, and then some were more sentimental.
A few examples:
"Born in the desert, still thirsty." -Georgene Nunn
"The psychic said I'd be richer." -Elizabeth Bernstein
"One long train ride to darkness." -Wayne Colodny
"Brought it to a boil, often." -Mario Batali
"Liars, hysterectomy didn't improve sex life!" -Joan Rivers
As it states on the back of this book: Everyone has a six-word story to tell.
The intriguing part of this particular book was that once one is reading it, you can't help but wonder: "What is my six-word memoir?".... For myself, it is hard to quantify my life in such a small amount of words. Perhaps, when more years have passed in my life, I will be better able to solidify a six word statement that describes my life. For now, my friends and I have begun doing six-word daily memoirs. (Or memoirs that we can change around until we find one that fits...)
My memoir for today: "Despite everything, life still goes on."
August 12 Carpe OpportunityIt is hard to know where to begin.
Over a month has passed since I have been able to properly update this space. And I can honestly say that within that time frame my life has started a few new chapters as well as ended some. It could easily be said that my life of recent could be compared to the lyrics: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end".
Strange as it may seem, I have found that when we know what we want to do with our lives or at least have a plan of what we are doing; that is when things occur that were not in our plan--sometimes drastic/major things. Types of change, that even though we resist and sometimes downright hate them, they are for our best interest in the end.
Within another month I will once again be a full-time student, holding down 2 jobs and as far as I can tell, enjoying every minute of this life! Just because an individual is busy as ever, doesn't mean that they shouldn't enjoy it! Life is tough, that is certain; but we aren't stuck dealing with this tough life alone. Friends. Family. Acquintances. Others help us out, even if we don't full realize it. Why? Because we are creatures of need. We always need something. Whether it be support, love or someone to help us move into our new dorm room (wink, wink).
I hope the upcoming months provide myself and also yourself with many wonderful opportunities. Afterall, wasn't it Louis Armstrong who sang: "I see skies of blue. And clouds of white. The bright blessed day. The dark sacred night. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..." Perhaps one could say that this is a wonderful world full of opportunity. We just need to be ready for when it starts knocking on our door.
**As a side note, attached is a photo of my new room. More are too come. Once of course it is cleaner... :o) June 16 Paperclips to the RescueThere is a sign in my advisor's office that proudly proclaims: "No Whining". I often wonder if she tacked that sign up on the wall just to make us work harder; though I know in my mind why she did. As I am thoroughly convinced that we are a society of whiners. Whether you learn it as a child or as an adult, we all know the art of whining.
Now of course not all whining is 'bad'. If one was to whine, plea and even "fight" (if you will) to save the world; I surely see no fault in that. As it can be seen in history that well-behaved people rarely get things accomplished. I think what boggles my brain the most is the fact that there are some people in this world that complain about things in which they THEMSELVES can fix. I suppose that it is the engineer side in my mind that asks "Why" too much in situations like this. Though perhaps by asking such questions, I am merely hoping that the world we live in isn't migrating towards a "quick-fix" and "instant happiness" way of life.
A few days ago a glorious rain storm hit Utah. And of course, the weatherman stated that at most, to expect "small sprinkles". What happened? Well I am sure you can guess. I am on my way to work. No jacket. No umbrella. And it starts to down pour. By the time I make it to the building I look as if I have just gotten out of the shower. (I kid you not!).
A few hours pass and I am finally at the 'dry' phase in this chemical reaction. Though to my dismay my hair has decided to have a mind of its own. I think to myself... What is something, in a lab, that could hold my hair back? Or even just pin it back?? Now when I got to this point in the situation I had two options. Get Mad. or.... Get Creative (i.e. Find a solution). As situation after situation will present itself, and only we have the decision as to what we will do.
My choice this go around? .............I went and found myself a paper clip. May 04 From Ice to InternetDo you remember when cellular phones were luxuries that were only in 'fancy' cars? Do you remember when the internet first came about? How about the first computer? What about the day you could trade your glasses in for contacts? And perhaps some of you remember when color television came out, followed later by DVDs and CDs.
It is fairly obvious that technology keeps getting stronger. We are now living in a world where most all carry a cell phone (freaking out when we forget it of course) and trust on our email more than regular mail system. Heck, I even remember days when collect calls were advertised to the extent that cell phone plans are today. (Please tell me you remember those cooky commercials!)
Technology has made our lives more fast pace in a sense that we are able to achieve more things with the time we are given. Whether it be for the good or bad. (As surely there is signs of both being apparent and such discussion for another post). But looking at the technological boom of recent, one can't help but wonder what "is next"? Surely Bell wasn't thinking of cellular and international communications when he invented the telephone.
So I suppose my question for you is....
What do you think the future of technology holds? And how do you think it will effect the way we live our daily life?
Also, as a sidenote of this topic, here is a quote from the classic, Back to the Future,
"Wait a minute, Doc, are you trying to tell me that my mother has got the hots for me?" "Precisely." "Woah, this is heavy." "There's that word again; "heavy". Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the earth's gravitational pull?" March 29 "Robin, a nemesis is on the rise"I never realized this, but I tend to look at the clock a lot during the day. I once heard (and don't quote me on this) that the average person looks at the clock more than 70 times a day. Personally, I know I double that statistic easily. Though I wonder, why is this?
During a dull lecture, it could easily be said that I look at the clock over 50 times. And if the class itself is 50 minutes long, that is, at least once a minute (if not more). Certainly time isn't going to go any faster with my constant watching it... Of course, it could easily be explained that "Time flies when you are having fun.", which even I cannot deny. But even more so, the clock could be said to control the very lifes that we lead.
Time. It controls the length we are able to enjoy the good moments and the how long we must endure the bad. Not only this, but our whole day is oriented about what time of day it is. Sleeping patterns, eating schedules and even our "free time" is determined by just that, TIME! It is one of the only things in this life that never stops. And just like the wind, we cannot see it, but certainly can feel it.
I suppose I look at the clock so much, not only to wish time would move faster and to keep me "align" in my plans, but perhaps, just perhaps it is because I marvel at the fact that it is passing so fast. And there is nothing I can do to stop it.
Nothing... March 26 Lucky to be UnluckyBillards. Ever since my first taste of physics, the game will never be the same for me. While most people will hit the most "probable" target, I tend to take a different approach. Not only am I thinking how hard to hit the cue, but at what angle I must hit the target at to allow the ball to go into the pocket. Though even with this thinking, I still need a miracle to be a "pool shark" of any sort.
I think what first caught my eye about this game is the strategy involved if you are looking to win. Not only do you have to analyze the easiest shot, but also the shot after the ball will move to that different location. And because of this, the best players are the ones who not only can see the shot to hit, but the ones that will precede it. One might say that they are "planning ahead" to try to avoid bad luck. But isn't such a thing considered an oxymoron? Can one really plan on avoiding bad luck?
We cllimb many ladders of success in our life; whether it is on the job, academic or happiness front. But is there honestly any way to avoid mishaps and badluck along the way? I tend to think not actually. We plan and hope that the best works out, but to make things simple: Life just isn't that fair. Though if I could say one thing, it would be that I am HAPPY that life is UNFAIR!
Because of my lack of "bad luck", I was not always the most popular girl in school nor do I always pass all of my uni exams, but I became a better individual along the way. And what can I say other than that I am lucky to be so unlucky! And now I have two questions: "Do you feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?" March 19 Would you like Fries with that?"Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grand parents had a different word for burger flipping--they called it opportunity."
When it comes to jobs, one could certainly say I started at the bottom of the food chain. My first job was indeed "burger flipping" at its finest. But much like the opening statement suggests, it was a wonderful opportunity for me. Not only did I learn how to say some fun words in spanish (pepinillos (pickles) is still my favorite) but I learned some very interesting things along the way.
1. A smile goes a long way. Even in a drive-thru. People can hear the smile in your voice.
2. Quality is always better than quantity. And when this rule is reversed, so is an individuals mood.
3. 15 hour shifts not only exist, but can be lived through.
4. There will always be someone who is looking for fries at 2 in the morning.
5. Honesty is not only the best policy, but it has wonderful perks.
6. Money that is hard earned is well deserved
7. To this day, I still know how to properly "order" exactly what I want
My favorite first job memory? Well, in order to wash all the dishes, there is a huge (about the size and look of a bathtub) dishwasher. One night (or perhaps it was morning?) we dared a fellow coworker to hop in the washer for a spill. Afterwards, once he was dripping wet, we sent him to the walk-in freezer and had him sit in there. Then, using the headsets, we calculated how long it was until an icicle appeared somewhere on him. Science at work? Or perhaps I just had the pleasure of working with gullible people? Whatever it was, it made work livable.
Now feel free to share your favorite first job story. I know you all have one (and I am looking forward to hearing them!)... March 04 I swear to tell the truth...If there is one word any post or current student knows well it is the word project. The word is often associated with a rather common nemesis...work. Heaven forbid that anyone should be forced to that these days! With this, it makes me wonder if as individuals we often set ourselves up for failures. As work is certainly not always the most welcome aspect in life, when it does hit us, do we literally turn our backs to it and produce "half-decent" results?
How many times do we become victim of lying to ourselves to the point where we know the product/outcome is bad, yet convince ourselves that it really is something great? I know that I have certainly fallen victim to this way of thinking. The downfall of course? With false expectations of our work, when truth/reality hit us, we fall...hard.
Are people really "out to get you" when they bring you to this truth? I tend to think not. Although, after receiving a bad mark on an exam, you might catch me saying that the professor is "hard, tough, mean..."; but in all actuality was it my lack of preparations that led to this fate?
Although a point to be made is that there is not only do we lie to ourselves in a bad way, but it is possible to do so in a good way too. Now, before you think me crazy (although some of you probably already do), let me explain. Bad days are inevitable in life. But I am thoroughly convinced that in order to make a bad situation into a good one, some personal lying is involved. This tad bit of personal lying can lead to a better attitude and ability to make it through this rough time.
So now my question for you is....are you capable of calling yourself a fully honest person? March 02 Fear: The Modern Day DictatorFor those of you who hide your opinions out of fear, it is you who I write this post for.
Think back to the day you started school. Do you see your innocent little self? Now ask yourself, when you were that young, did issues of higher debate actually even phase you? For all you know, you could of been worrying about the bully that sat behind you or perhaps what your mother packed you for lunch. But after a few years of schooling had passed, teachers started asking you what you thought about certain issues.
This idea of free thinking started off small, with questions like: "Well, why did you like the book?" but grew to larger issues like "What do you think the author was trying to tell us?". Notice how in the two examples I have mentioned I did not once hint at a "major" public issue. I point this out for the fact that in life, very controversial issues have one thing in common, no matter the subject matter, they are avoided!
Your teachers in middle school probably never asked you what your thoughts were concerning racial stereotyping. Instead, they may of side stepped the issue by having you write a report on a famous civil rights mover. Hypocrisy at its finest I assure you. Society forces you to take on opinions yet give you no free space in which to express them.
As in order to express them in this day and age one sacrifices something of a big magnitude: comfort and security. Obviously, these are not traits that are easily surrendered. What causes me to say this? Countless examples. It is certainly not uncommon to see a free-thinker critisized for thinking in such a manner. So, in many ways, it seems that the free thinker never benefits by sharing their opinions; however, I beg to differ.
Although not always successful in their attempts to "change the world", without knowing it they are but the creators of ripples of change; ones in which they will never fully see the influence of. February 25 Make like a kitchen appliance and blend!"You know why the Yankees always win, Carl?" "Cause they have Mickey Mantle?" "No, its 'cause the other teams can't stop staring at those darn pinstripes."
Appearances say a lot. By simply walking down the street you automatically start assuming things about people. Since one is wearing a doctors coat, does that necessarily mean that they are the best doctor? Does a baseball outfit automatically make one a great baseball player? In reality, it doesn't. An outfit does nothing for an individual, however, with outfits come conceptions and assumptions.
Much like this opening saying, one would assume that the "stripes" on the Yankee uniform "make" a great baseball player. The result from this assumption? The other team would feel intimidated and possibly scared leading to the other teams victory. Much like when we go to a doctor we do not know. All it takes is the lab coat, stethoscope and perhaps the clipboard to make you start wondering "I hope nothing is seriously wrong with me." or "Okay, let's hope this appointment doesn't take long".
The outfit, more or less, classifies the doctor (or athlete and even you!) into a specific group. And because of perceptions of this group, it allows you to trust or not trust the person. It allows you to "perceive" how this person is going to perform before a single word has escaped either you or the others lips!
So surely, all you need to properly "blend" and possibly "intimidate" in this world, IS the proper disguise.
February 16 Pop-u-larWhen I was younger, I thought that Student Government was the "thing" to do. Little did I realize that the student government system in schools, at least in mine, was determined or based on one word: popularity. So despite my continual efforts, I never had the opportunity to get "voted in" such a glorious (?) position.
My experience with the voting scheme is merely an example to perhaps suggest that much of our society is popularity based. Many times the officials that get elected in won solely on the campaign slogans or their "connections" with the world.
If any of you have ever gone job hunting, you know exactly what I am talking about. What do you think references are for? People in this world honestly don't trust you enough to know if they should hire you. They have to get a second opinion. The world relies on others opinions to help them survive. Then, after intepreting these, they form their own. And for your sake, you hope its a good one!
From the moment we are born to the day we die, it seems as though life will forever be a "popularity contest". Who is the best student? employee? athlete? family member? The answer really should be one with little influence, yet, it does effect a lot. The best student probably will receive the best scholarship. The employee the best raise. The athlete the most "physical attention" and the family member the most spoiled.
It seems life is not only one containing a food chain, but also a popularity chain......... February 08 Who Wants to be a Millionaire?I was never one to be scared of the "boogey man". Now this was not because my dad was always there to protect me, neither was it for the fact that we lived in a "safe neighborhood"; rather because I had bigger things to fear, aka my two brothers. (Now some of you may laugh, but these were the same two boys who shoved me in the dryer for "kicks".)
Needless to say, the idea of fear came at the beginning of my life and it certainly hasn't stopped in any way shape or form. We live in a world that, ironically enough, promotes its growth.
While growing up, I oftened conjured up my "get rich quick" schemes. They would usually consist of a fairly proposterous idea, yet, as far as I was concerned...I was a genious. So where does fear play into all of this? Well, simply take a gander in your room or living environment. The human species, as a whole, lives in some form of fear constantly.
Someone is scared of strangers coming into their house at night; they buy a security system. Another worries about death, and as a result take every possible measure to prevent it from coming (even when it is inevitable). The question now comes to a designer: "How do I design a product and become rich off of it as well?". Could the answer lie in one simple fact: "Cash in on individual's weaknesses".
A person could worry about all the paperwork that has yet to be accomplished. Well, Bill Gates banked on that opportunity and probably most of us use something that came from his company to help us manage our tasks better (hence producing less worry in our lives).
One of the most common weaknesses I have seen? Procrastination and laziness.
And I am sure that McDonald's is banking on that weakness, even as we speak... January 22 Upside Down ThinkingWhen I was younger, I had a serious phobia of "going upside down". Let's rephrase that, I had a serious phobia of any machine of sorts that "forced" you to physically go upside down. Outings to "Theme Parks" usually consisted of the planar (non-rotational) rides. Fortunately, over the years I conquered this fear and to this day find any roller coaster a fabulous way to get a rush (and to scream loud without looking funny).
Perhaps it is this fondness of roller coasters (aka the jostling of my brain) that caused this, but in life, I am convinced that there are two kinds of thinking: planar thinking (sorry for the chemistry jargon) and non-planar thinking.
Planar thinking usually happens when you are doing a report on something or a math problem. A little work is involved, but overall, you are not coming up with any new concepts and most likely are reproducing things that were "invented" many years ago. Non-planar thinking, on the other hand, consists of original new ideas or concepts.
Over the years, I have done my share of planar thinking; that is what calculus courses do to you. But, with my experience, non-planar thinking is so much more enjoyable. Now of course I would like some feedback on this issue; seeing as I could simply be a nerd and like this sort of thing. It is just when you are given the opportunity to come up with something new or even to come up with your own argument/opinion, you are able to put yourself into it. You become part of your creation. I not only find this fascinating, but it makes me want to think non-planar more often! January 11 A World of HypocrisyEach morning the alarm clock sounds. Time for another day filled with a few determined things, but for the most part, it remains unknown. Yet as one turns on the morning news.....the world in which they live in is awakened. "Gas Prices are continuing to soar" "Extreme weather conditions cause tradgedy" "Thousands mourn..." You cannot dodge it. Reality has now hit you head on.
However, no matter what is going on in the world, it seems that there will always be something trying to pull you away from the problem. "New ways to make you look younger" "Losing weight has never happened so fast" "The top 10 sexiest men/women alive" Sadness is quickly erased and one is forced to go back into the reality that they know and understand better; that of "quick fixing".
The number one thing advertised? The answer most likely has to deal with: instant happiness or instant gratification. We want results and we want them fast. Things need to be solely worth our time to make them "do-able". Cooking is replaced with fast food. Walking is replaced with vehicles. Even letters are replaced with email. The world, although we think we live in an age full of "hard workers", are really becoming more reliable on ways that give them more time to do the work.
The whole while, the media advertises the "miracle diets" that will happen if we eat right. The vehicles that are literally "larger than life" and the glorious events that the internet can provide. Then the only thing one can wonder is if life was literally supposed to be a tug-o-war between illusion/reality and hypocrisy itself or if we can really call the world we live in "normal".
All I know is, I wake up to a world advertising that "A van of college students were killed due to a car crash" but at the same time must be happy because "I could lose 30 pounds in 3 days".
January 06 I am a Woman Therefore that Means SomethingWhile celebrating this year's Christmas traditions at my house, I started to wonder what it may be like to be in other parts of the world. For those of you who don't already know, the cold climate that I live in is far from what I like. But of course, it is part of this cold climate that I live in that makes me the individual I have become.
Recently, someone asked me: "What does it mean to be in college? What does it mean to be living in the part of the world that you do? What does it mean to be YOU?". Now as you can most likely imagine, this is not a quick answered question. Neither is it one that takes little thought to answer it.
So I thought about it. What does it mean to be me? Ask yourself that very question right now...it is indeed a very complex question alone. Whether we realize it or not, every single day of our lives effect the answer to that question. What does it mean to be male or female in this society alone? I know myself, being a female science major, experience a different life than someone who is male and working on a farm. Not only are lifestyles different, but lessons are learned at different levels and at different magnitudes.
As a woman, one might be expected to have children while the man is there to provide the growing family. Being you really does mean something, and not only physically and personally, but I am convinced socially as well. Even though I do not have a "significant other" in my life, I certainly think that when we do have one, they would certainly mean the world to us; as I am sure many of our families mean the same thing to us.
Meanings. They often bring on stereotyping as well. I am a woman; that means I should want to have kids, be a wife and often skip past a long term education. Much as being a man typically means that you a the provider, you marry someone who makes less money than you and you are required to have a quote unquote "respectable" job. Although many of us do not fit that stereotype, the fact is that it is still present. I ask you the same question: What does it mean to be YOU......it may surprise you at what you discover. December 12 "50 Ways to Improve Your Looks""60% of all human communication is nonverbal, body language; 30% is your tone---so that means 90% of what you're saying ain't coming out of your mouth." It is interesting isn't it? Almost as if every single one of us was a magazine; people simply look at the cover and make a "first impression" as to whether you are of interest to them. Because let's face it, when we are shopping for magazines the cover does say a lot for us. The fonts, the words, the pictures....they all play a role in how we perceive them. If the magazine holds some interest to us, we hold onto it or purchase it. Now I understand that we all will have that certain magazine that we are always reading, despite what the cover even looks like. (...mischievously picks up a copy of National Geographic...) Perhaps this could relate to the fact that we all have those close, valuable friends that we stick with, no matter the times or the looks. Sure there will always be the need to acquire new "magazines" along the way, but it is nice knowing that there will always be certain ones that will "make our day" either by their words, pictures or just being them in general. But I can't still help but think how interesting it is that without even saying something, people can already get a sense not only of how we are feeling, but who we are in general. Yet, when I open up my closet, there certainly are clothing items that one might say "define" me in a way. The color, the style, the designs...they all play a small role undoubtedly. (Could this be why I own so much red, black, and blue?) Because, to me at least, it seems that we wear what makes us feel good--and could that be the same clothing that defines us as well? Hmm, I suppose now all I need is to have a sign on my door that says: "Note to self: Dress to Impress--both with clothes and attitude--even if it isn't a job interview..." December 06 Light the Fire WithinA few years back I had the opportunity to attend the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Although I wasn't able to go to many of the events, I was still able to get a sense of the spirit of people "lighting the fire within". And now, as the snow is falling and the ski resorts are opening up, I can't help but think back to this slogan associated with the Olympics.
Now I certainly am no expert, but when it comes to my studies, as well as many other things in life, perhaps it is possible to say that one needs to really do what the slogan says: "light the fire within". When I look back on all the tests, well, lets just say all the assignments that I didn't pass with "flying colors" on--I can't help but wonder if I simply lacked the passion to learn the certain aspect of the subject. Not only the passion to learn it, but the passion to even continue on in it!
We can't deny it, certain things will always catch our interests. And of course, there will always be that "certain thing" (or perhaps things...) that does not appeal to us. Even if it is as simple as the food we eat...
But for me, now as I am studying for upcoming finals, I am trying, if it is even possible to do so, to "light my fire within"...to create a passion to study, to learn, to grow (even in the subjects I might not specifically fancy). Because, if there is one thing that college/uni life is teaching me (slowly might I add...), is that life isn't about being happy with everything it deals you. But acting upon these "dealings" as though you were happy.
I suppose that is why people tell you to smile a lot. Because after all, it does make people wonder what you are up too! :o) November 21 Grate ExpectationsWhen this time of year rolls around, I can't help but think of all the wonderful things that are present in my life--and how I would be a completely different person without them in it. Last night, I had the opportunity to talk to a friend; one whom had no clue how much she had changed my life the past year. Isn't it amazing the way life works? Many people come into our lives, some make quick entrances and exits, while some will always remain constant companions on our journey.
Phenomenon. Chance. Luck. Fate. Call it whatever you may, but I can't help but think that people we meet on the road of life come at the "right time". Almost as if our life journey is full of bus stops, or road markers, where certain things come into our lives. Yet it is almost our choice a lot of the time of how long those road markers remain in our lives.
This aspect can thoroughly be incorporated into the idea that life is full of "surprises" and "mysteries"--we simply do not know how or what lies ahead in our lives. Our past journey's have been full of grief and happiness but the future can hold so much opportunity and a chance for adventure.
I may not know what the future holds, but if one thing is for certain, we need to make sure we acknowledge those who have influenced us and continue to do so. I realized this, probably a little too late with my close friend. Yet even though I had "forgotten" to tell her about her influence in my life, when I did, time seemed to disappear and now, I think our friendship can only grow from it.
Charles Dickens wrote a book entitled "Great Expectations", and I tend to think, in order to achieve this "greatness" one needs to share their "gratefulness" as well. November 16 What's In Your Cupboard?If there is one thing that probably will never end, it is that of research. It seems almost as if everytime I turn on the television they are reporting about some recent study and what the results show. There will always be that "mystery food" that will "cure" your ailments or that "diet" that is "proven" to work. I could probably wake up tomorrow and there would yet again be another result of certain food I should stay away from, to avoid getting a certain disease. I can vividly recall watching one of these reports when my mother made the comment: "Who are they kidding? Anything in excess is bad for you!". (Ever heard the saying: "Use Sparingly"?)
I couldn't help but grin when I heard her say this. Not for the fact that she was arguing with the television (because that itself is pretty funny), but that there lied some truth in her statement. We go through life seeking this idea of equilibrium, yet are there some areas in which an excess is a good thing as well as exactly the opposite?
In studies, there will always be that "miracle food" that will prevent cancer--as in life there will always be those special things that will prevent us from being gloomy or sad. The secret to equilibrium in this aspect though? I am afraid I certainly am no expert. I can only think to relate such questions to the analogy of a pantry or cupboard.
In each of our life's cupboards, we need to make sure that we have two things: firstly, enough food and other nourishment to simply survive; and secondly, excess in the food that we like, need and benefit from. Over time you learn what your preferences are as well as things you always like to keep handy. Because after all, it isn't the size of your cupboard that counts, it is what you carry inside of it that does.
When people often look at those who achieve great things, for example, an Olympic Gold Medalist, we often simply see the medalist for what they have accomplished. Yet, when closely examined, it is really the things he/she had in their cupboard that lead them to this moment (trainers, personal inspirations, experiences...).
The past week has really opened my eyes in this aspect. Because yes, sometimes all it takes to get us through the times when we face the greatest adversity, are those simple, yet amazing, things we have built excess amounts of in our "cupboards". November 09 Mind Over MatterI am sure many of us can honestly define what it feels like to be "overwhelmed" in life. Mainly because we have all been there at least once in our lives. Yet, for some reason, certain emotions can be removed from our life, and sometimes almost instantly. (Rather interesting actually...) So how do we keep certain emotions in our lives, and keep other ones away from us at the same time? A balance act of such nature isn't possible, or is it?
I feel it is only over time where we learn to become a better "emotional juggler" of sorts. Through past experiences, we learn how we could have handled certain situations better. And with this past knowledge, we then can, in a way, "blindly hypothesize" about what may come from similar situations of equal magnitude. Yet, what could one possibly do in new and frightening situations, ones that probably no one can help you through?
Sometimes the key to life is one simple word: persistance. Learning how to get through certain things is never easy, but in most cases, it is worth it. When I first started my endeavors in the field of Chemistry, my mind was literally boggled. How was I going to make sense of this "hogwash"? Yet, with steadfast persistance, the subject has now become a fascination of mine, and I hope to not only get a minor in it, but go into a biochemical/biomolecular field of sorts. Not only that, but I get to wear a pretty snazzy labcoat too...:)
Perhaps situations of any magnitude are achievable if you only have the right state of mind. Our mind is a miraculous thing indeed, and how often it is, that if we tell ourselves we can achieve something, we will achieve it. A good example of this in medicine. When new clinical trials occur for a drug, often what is looked for is that of a "placebo effect". This is essentially something that happens when certain patients are given a drug that they are told will cure their ailment, but in reality is a sugar pill of sorts. And the miraculous thing is that some of these patients are fully cured, and they didn't even take the real drug! They simply thought that they were getting better, and in reality, their brain told their body to get better. Simply stunning.
So the next time something challenging is presented your way, perhaps by simply having the right frame of mind you will be able to get through it... |
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