gah, procrastination is seriously killing me if I can barely keep up with one written blog post a week >.< Anyway.
When’s the last time you went out of your way to do extra work to help someone else out? The last time I volunteered was at a nursing home when I was 12 or 13. My grandma was in the home at the time, so I would stop by and play the piano for the people living there, and help out however I could for a few hours. I flat out refused to do more volunteer work after my grandma died, so here it is 6 or 7 years later. As part of my environmental biology class, we’re required to volunteer for something to help out the environment, and to write a paper on it. Reading that requirement I kind of grumbled a bit—the usual complaints; a waste of time, I probably have to wake up early, environmental stuff means I’ll be getting dirty, and so on and so forth. Then I stopped and thought about it. There were a few times in high school where I’d thought about volunteering, but had homework to do or college apps to fill out…and I realized something. I am really really good at procrastination.
Luckily, my assignment is forcing me to break that habit, so I’ll be volunteering this Saturday with a group that regularly meets to pick up trash. So my goal (7) is firstly to volunteer for something. My second goal of the week, though, is to sign up to the group so I find out when the next clean-up is, and will volunteer again (Goal 8, week 8). I want to get back into the swing of doing something good for the community around me, and giving back to the world that I’m living in. The thing is, there’s always a reason to put off volunteering, but there’s just this awesome feeling you get from doing it, knowing that you’re doing your part to help out. “It’s like getting dressed up, you never want to put the time in, but you feel great once you do.” (-theiceallmeltsaway)
So, goals 7 & 8, week 8: Volunteer somewhere, and make a point of doing it again in the near future. (kill procrastination!)
-M.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Goal 6, Week 7
Late again, I need to get better with procrastination and doing my homework earlier…anyway, it’s a bit rushed:
I’m crazy about wanting to travel, needing out of this town I grew up in, and just needing to explore and go on adventures. I feel like a lot of people who still live where they went to middle school and high school think the same way. If you’re like me, it’s really unfeasible to just pick up and go to another country tomorrow, even just for a couple days. It’s expensive, and it’s unrealistic. You don’t need to spend a billion dollars and travel the world to start experiencing new places/things, though. The goal for the rest of this week is to go somewhere you haven’t been. Go to a store in the mall you’ve been meaning to check out, or visit a new restaurant—bonus points if it’s ethnic food you’re not used to eating. This past Saturday I went to an Indian restaurant—Kaarma in State College, PA, if you’re interested—for the first time. I got a vegetable dish in a cashew sauce. It came with a side of rice, and was absolutely delicious! I’d never had Indian food before, so I didn’t realize the spiciness level was higher than I expected. The point is, even if you go somewhere new and hate whatever you see or eat there, it’s a new experience you wouldn’t have had otherwise. To live you need to branch out, experience new things, gain a new sense of life. If you never go outside of your comfort zone, you’re stuck to live the same days over and over and never grow, change, or live life. So, take a chance, explore somewhere near home.
-M.
I’m crazy about wanting to travel, needing out of this town I grew up in, and just needing to explore and go on adventures. I feel like a lot of people who still live where they went to middle school and high school think the same way. If you’re like me, it’s really unfeasible to just pick up and go to another country tomorrow, even just for a couple days. It’s expensive, and it’s unrealistic. You don’t need to spend a billion dollars and travel the world to start experiencing new places/things, though. The goal for the rest of this week is to go somewhere you haven’t been. Go to a store in the mall you’ve been meaning to check out, or visit a new restaurant—bonus points if it’s ethnic food you’re not used to eating. This past Saturday I went to an Indian restaurant—Kaarma in State College, PA, if you’re interested—for the first time. I got a vegetable dish in a cashew sauce. It came with a side of rice, and was absolutely delicious! I’d never had Indian food before, so I didn’t realize the spiciness level was higher than I expected. The point is, even if you go somewhere new and hate whatever you see or eat there, it’s a new experience you wouldn’t have had otherwise. To live you need to branch out, experience new things, gain a new sense of life. If you never go outside of your comfort zone, you’re stuck to live the same days over and over and never grow, change, or live life. So, take a chance, explore somewhere near home.
-M.
Monday, March 14, 2011
"Haven't you learned anything, not even with the approach of death? ...
...Stop thinking all the time that you're in the way, that you're bothering the person next to you. If people don't like it, they can complain. And if they don't have the courage to complain, that's their problem" — Paulo Coelho (Veronika Decides to Die)
With all the recent tragedies in Japan and the warnings of death and destruction in other countries, the possibility of death has kind of become forefront in my mind--not in a morbid way, just in a "this could happen" kind of way. That being said, I live in the middle of the east coast of the USA, far from anywhere that the recent natural disasters would effect. I don't know anybody living in Japan or the Philippines or Hawaii. I'm drinking mint tea in my house and typing this up on my laptop. I really have no reason to suspect or believe that I'm going to die tomorrow. But none of us really know when we're going to die, right? And when large-scale tragedy and death occurs in the world, it seems like an important reminder that life isn't a guarantee.
Everything you own could unexpectedly burn up in a fire that breaks out in your house tomorrow, or you could be caught up in a terrible accident, or diagnosed with cancer. The point is, things in life change. "Expect the unexpected" and all that jazz.
Everyone has had low points in their life, and most people have at some point wished they could erase the past, could start from scratch, have a new life, or they've wondered how many people would go to their funeral, considered the possibility of death. The fact that you're here, reading this now, proves that you've got something to live for. Whatever that something is--passion about a hobby, talent, love for someone--don't hide in a corner. Don't be the door mat. Be vibrant. If you're shy, I'm not telling you to go screaming it to the world (trust me, I wouldn't, I'm shy enough), but be assertive. Let people know you're alive, that you're present, and that you matter. If death were to hit you tomorrow, how many people would say that you made a statement about who you were? How many people would know what you were passionate about, what made you smile, and what you wanted to do with your life? Take a stand, state yourself. If you do that by having a bunch of strangers follow your blog where you post random facts about your culture, that's awesome. If you do that by having a real conversation with your family tomorrow, that's awesome, too. It doesn't matter how you do it, just do it in a way that you're comfortable--but do it!
I'm not really sure where I was going with this goal, except to say: appreciate that you're alive. Accept the fact that you can't flip back the switch and start this life over. Accept who you are, and be that person, no matter who objects. Don't be who your parents are just because they want you to. Don't do what your friends do because they're doing it; do it because you want to do it. Most importantly of all, remember that life is fragile, and that you don't know when the end is going to hit you--so live how you would live if you knew you were going to die by the end of the day tomorrow. I suppose that's one of my philosophies--live every day like you're dying. Give it a try: Goal 5, Week 6.
-M.
With all the recent tragedies in Japan and the warnings of death and destruction in other countries, the possibility of death has kind of become forefront in my mind--not in a morbid way, just in a "this could happen" kind of way. That being said, I live in the middle of the east coast of the USA, far from anywhere that the recent natural disasters would effect. I don't know anybody living in Japan or the Philippines or Hawaii. I'm drinking mint tea in my house and typing this up on my laptop. I really have no reason to suspect or believe that I'm going to die tomorrow. But none of us really know when we're going to die, right? And when large-scale tragedy and death occurs in the world, it seems like an important reminder that life isn't a guarantee.
Everything you own could unexpectedly burn up in a fire that breaks out in your house tomorrow, or you could be caught up in a terrible accident, or diagnosed with cancer. The point is, things in life change. "Expect the unexpected" and all that jazz.
Everyone has had low points in their life, and most people have at some point wished they could erase the past, could start from scratch, have a new life, or they've wondered how many people would go to their funeral, considered the possibility of death. The fact that you're here, reading this now, proves that you've got something to live for. Whatever that something is--passion about a hobby, talent, love for someone--don't hide in a corner. Don't be the door mat. Be vibrant. If you're shy, I'm not telling you to go screaming it to the world (trust me, I wouldn't, I'm shy enough), but be assertive. Let people know you're alive, that you're present, and that you matter. If death were to hit you tomorrow, how many people would say that you made a statement about who you were? How many people would know what you were passionate about, what made you smile, and what you wanted to do with your life? Take a stand, state yourself. If you do that by having a bunch of strangers follow your blog where you post random facts about your culture, that's awesome. If you do that by having a real conversation with your family tomorrow, that's awesome, too. It doesn't matter how you do it, just do it in a way that you're comfortable--but do it!
I'm not really sure where I was going with this goal, except to say: appreciate that you're alive. Accept the fact that you can't flip back the switch and start this life over. Accept who you are, and be that person, no matter who objects. Don't be who your parents are just because they want you to. Don't do what your friends do because they're doing it; do it because you want to do it. Most importantly of all, remember that life is fragile, and that you don't know when the end is going to hit you--so live how you would live if you knew you were going to die by the end of the day tomorrow. I suppose that's one of my philosophies--live every day like you're dying. Give it a try: Goal 5, Week 6.
-M.
Sorry!
I took a break for a week, because I wasn't home for two days, I had a math midterm to study for, and I procrastinated a wee bit too much on my English paper. But, post later, promise!
-M.
-M.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
There's a Lot of People In the World
besides you. Part of living instead of just existing is allowing yourself to be more aware of things. First it means being more aware of yourself, what you're doing every day, and how you're living life. It also means being aware of your surroundings, and of the fact that there's a world outside of yourself. I don't just mean the nature outside or the people you see every day; there's an entire world out there that you more than likely have barely seen any of. So, become aware of it.
Goal 4, Week 4: Learn a little more about what's going on in the world. Pick up a newspaper, look up a news site on the internet, turn the news on tv, actually read the news that people post on their blogs. Here's the trick: Reading the comics section of the newspaper doesn't count, looking at a celebrity gossip website doesn't count, just watching the weather doesn't count, and reading about Whoever's new haircut doesn't count. Read actual news. Try it. Seriously. You can read about the festival that happened in your town yesterday, or you can see what's going down with the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Mascots (hint: Vladimir Putin's got his hands in it...), or you can check for the latest updates about Libya. Anything you read that exists outside the realm of the celebrity/gossip/entertainment world is helping to immerse yourself in the world.
So, live a little bit, read about a country you never heard of, or become more aware of current events. No matter how you look at it, it's got positives. You're taking the time to learn a little more about things you're not aware of, you're immersing yourself in current events, you're opening yourself up to new things, and you're finding conversation starters. You'd be surprised how many people have seen enough news to take you up on a conversation about recent big events. So live a little bit and explore the news. Just don't get caught up in all the ads and media nonsense. (:
(Sorry the post is late this week! >.< )
Goal 4, Week 4: Learn a little more about what's going on in the world. Pick up a newspaper, look up a news site on the internet, turn the news on tv, actually read the news that people post on their blogs. Here's the trick: Reading the comics section of the newspaper doesn't count, looking at a celebrity gossip website doesn't count, just watching the weather doesn't count, and reading about Whoever's new haircut doesn't count. Read actual news. Try it. Seriously. You can read about the festival that happened in your town yesterday, or you can see what's going down with the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Mascots (hint: Vladimir Putin's got his hands in it...), or you can check for the latest updates about Libya. Anything you read that exists outside the realm of the celebrity/gossip/entertainment world is helping to immerse yourself in the world.
So, live a little bit, read about a country you never heard of, or become more aware of current events. No matter how you look at it, it's got positives. You're taking the time to learn a little more about things you're not aware of, you're immersing yourself in current events, you're opening yourself up to new things, and you're finding conversation starters. You'd be surprised how many people have seen enough news to take you up on a conversation about recent big events. So live a little bit and explore the news. Just don't get caught up in all the ads and media nonsense. (:
(Sorry the post is late this week! >.< )
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