Today was just one of those days that happened so quickly and I am not sure what to make of it. There was so much to do and so little time to do it!
We are halfway through the semester and it is starting to hit me that this is my last full semester on BYU's campus. This is the last time that I will be a full-time student and that seems crazy to me! It is the last time that midterms will hit all at the same time, the last time that I will realize that all the projects for each of my classes are due on the exact same day, and that day is next week, and it is the last time I will procrastinate all of these projects until next week. I would say it is a little bitter sweet, but the knots in the back of my neck are screaming that this is a good thing! Today it hit me that I am finally getting to the point where I have figured out how to balance school, work and fun, but that I only have a couple of weeks left to enjoy the bliss that is balance. I am not naive enough to believe that life will be less busy or less stressful once I graduate. In fact, I expect it to be just as stressful and busy but in a different way. I know a lot of changing is coming and I am both excited and nervous for it. Adulting, how fun! As I look to the future it is full of so many possibilities, and I am not sure which road I will take yet, but I know which ever journey I embark on it will be an adventure! As J.M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan wrote, "to live will be an awfully big adventure!" Ain't that the truth? I will probably be doing some exploring of possible future plans in the upcoming weeks on the blog, so if you have any advice or you want to share the best advice that you have been given please leave a comment! I would love to hear from you!!
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So, I really hope that you had the opportunity to watch the youtube video that I posted about Empathy! I have been learning so much about empathy lately and how truly powerful it can be. I love the end of the video when it talked about how sometimes we try to make things better and add a silver lining, but what really makes thing better is making a connection! I have found that to be so true in my life, and it has also brought me the most joy when I have been able to make that connection with other people!
The world would be a better place if we were all more empathetic. I have been reflecting on my life recently and I realized that there are times in my life when people tell me things and I get frustrated that they feel that way. How dumb is that? I get frustrated that they are having a hard time, like that somehow inconveniences me... it's like I am thinking, "why can't you struggle less, or other people have worse problems, get over it." I am honestly ashamed that these thoughts have even crossed my mind. How selfish is that? I am too busy trying to fix the problem that I am not caring enough about the problem! And the truth is, when I act that way nothing gets solved. It leaves me frustrated and unhappy and leaves the person with the problem hurt and feeling alone! Empathy is the solution to that selfishness! Empathy is the way that we can make a true connection with the people around us. It is trying to understand what that person is going through, learning about their emotions and the trials that they face. It is looking at a situation from their perspective. It is understanding that another person's feelings are valid no matter how different they be from yours. It is so powerful because it can be healing for all parties involved! Let's be honest, there is no way that we can know what another person is going through. Even if we think we know them perfectly, we don't. We can not read minds, we can not live their lives, we can not truly feel what they are feeling, but what we can do is listen! We can ask questions to understand, we can sit with them in silence and just be there, we can reassure them that we are there for them, and we can try and share their burden. Sometimes all someone needs is the presence of someone who wants to understand and care! Another thing to keep in mind, is that because we don't know what anyone else is going through we have to watch our words and our actions. Give people the benefit of the doubt that they are trying to be a nice, loving person. Not many people wake up in the morning thinking about how they can make your day a living hell, people are just to busy for that. Sometimes someone is just having a bad day, sometimes their home life is stressful, their work life is stressful, they are struggling with their mental health, physical health, spiritual health or crap is just hitting the fan in their life. The point is, life is hard so try not to make is harder for other people. (I say you a lot but I am really talking to myself!) So, my invitation to anyone who reads this post today is, if you come across someone who is having a bad day, just be there for them. Be a little kinder, be a little gentler and smile more! You never know who's day you will brighten! It's been a couple months since I last actually published something and I thought that it was about that time again. I have written a few half pieces, but nothing concrete enough to publish. I don't know why I do that, I am definitely one of those people that I have too many ideas to carry out in my life. If I was half as productive as I am in my head, I would literally be Wonder Women!
Well, today I decided that I would try and post more. Maybe I will work it into my nightly routine. I love writing! I like being able to get some of the ideas that are in my head on to the screen. It allows me to really think through my life and develop more complete ideas. There is so much to learn in this life. Some times that can seem daunting, but other times it is really exciting! So I though today I would share a few things that I have been learning lately! 1. I have been learning a lot about personalities lately! I have always been fascinated by personality tests and lately it has been my obsession. I took the 16 personality test recently and rediscovered that I truly am an ENFP. I have read through the profile multiple times seeking to understand myself better. I also had the chance to watch my best friend take the test. She is an ISTJ (the complete opposite of me). In fact, my best friend Alyson and my best friend Spencer are both ISTJ, which I found extremely intriguing! Alyson and I spent a good hour reading through our personality profiles, laughing and groaning as we came to understand ourselves and each other a little better! It has been fun to learn a little bit about what makes us, us. It has also helped me to learn patience and compassion when interacting with other personality types. It has truly been a delight learning. I am sure I will post more about this at a latter time! 2. I have been learning a lot about adulting! I know, about time right? I am 23 and I feel like maybe I should know a little bit more about these things than I do, but it has been fun (and sometimes stressful) learning all these new adult things. I became an American citizen during the summer and I finally decided to go and get my passport, so that made me feel grownup. Then my computer broke so I went and got that fixed, then my phone broke so I went and fixed that, I took a trip with some friends to Colorado, I registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot (which required buying stamps), I had to call the mobile company to complain about a contract they had sent me, all while working and going to school. So what I have really learned is that adulting is stressful and costs money and I have decided that Peter Pan is my spirit animal and I am moving to Netherland and becoming a lost girl... I think that sums it up! 3. I have also learned that although there is a lot of things going on in my life and it can be very stressful, the Lord has a plan for me and that as I try my best everything will work out! The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and it is there to strengthen us in our times of need, which leads me to the hymn, "I need thee every hour". I know that I need my God and Savior every hour, this life is not possible without them! The best part is, they are always there for us no matter what! The Atonement is real, meaning that the power and grace of God is a real power in our lives that will strengthen us and change us for the better if we reach out and let it. Times may be hard, and the world may seem dark, but I promise that the light of our Heavenly Father's love is there! Reach out and pray and he will bless you, just don't give up! I am grateful for this day and the opportunity that I have had to learn. I know that tomorrow will bring new challenges and new joy's and I am excited to see where this life takes me. All in all, this life is good. "Everything will be ok in the end, if it's not ok, it's not the end" - John Lennon. I know that is true, there is always hope even if it is small. So go forth friends, look for the good in the world and choose happiness whenever you can! |
AuthorI am Izsie. I feel deeply, which is a curse and a blessing and I love to rant. Archives
March 2017
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