Friday, January 28, 2011

January Update

I want to take a quick break from the inspirational posts (but will continue the "This I Believe" series later).

As January is quickly coming to a close, I want to re-cap before a new month arrives.

This month has been one of adventures and eye-opening experiences. My first adventure was heading out to Park City, Utah with the Ski and Snowboard Club. Jason, Lynn and I endured a 24 hour bus ride to have 4 days of excellent skiing.

We skipped the bunny hill, and taught Lynn to ski on the green runs. By her second full day we had her going down single and double-blue runs. Lynn and I skied together while Jason hit up some more difficult runs periodically.


After each tough day of skiing, nightly events were planned. For the most part, we hit up the pool and hot tub first, made dinner, played some cards, and had a few beers to relax. Day two of skiing was cut short for me; my ski broke. The inside edge of my right ski was completely torn out. I had two choices: rent the rest of the week, or check to see if they had a pair of skis on sale.

Luckily, I found a pair of two-year old demos for sale for only $99! What a deal! They were a little longer than my other pair (158cm vs 150cm), but at that price, how could I pass it up? So I spent the rest of the week riding 158's, which proved to be exhausting. Longer skis require a lot more strength and concentration to control. By the end of the last day, I was exhausted and could barely hold my skis together going down a blue run... time to call it a day.

When we got back from our trip, the rest of January & winter break consisted of watching to Packers dominate their way to the Super Bowl!

A few days after returning from the trip, classes started up again. My schedule this semester is considerably lighter than the past ones have been. I am only taking 12credits as opposed to an average of 17credits. Not only that, but I only have one business class this semester (a marketing class). Besides that class, I am also taking Flamenco Dancing, World Music, Introduction to Sport Management, and Migration/ Immigration studies.

I really like all of my classes! They force me to think outside the box, and not rely on a textbook to feed me the answers. These classes require that I think more creatively, more musically, more critically, and have an opinion... something I have greatly missed the last few years as I focused on business.

The grand finale of January: I am headed to St. Cloud this weekend (for the first time!) for the Halsey invitational. This is a volleyball and basketball tournament with multiple chapters of Delta Sigma Pi. I will be representing the Alpha Epsilon chapter and kicking butt on the basketball court! :)

Ta-ta for now, more news to come in February

Monday, January 24, 2011

This I Believe: Part 2



No one likes to be uncomfortable. Sometimes people will even stay in crappy, horrible situations or settings just because its comfortable and they don't like change. I know quite a few people who tend to be creatures of habit; and every day of every year seems to be the same. I have made the conscious decision to make sure my life is the antithesis of this. I want adventure, I want change, I want a challenge.

I came across another excerpt from the book titled "This I believe" that describes this desire to constantly be growing, changing. Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they are supposed to help you discover who you are! So...

· They say life is tough enough. But I guess I like to make things difficult on myself, because I do that all the time. Every day. On purpose. That’s because I believe in disrupting my comfort zone. The answer is simple. Disrupting my comfort zone, bombarding myself with challenging people and situations, this is the best way I know to keep growing. And to paraphrase a biologist I once met, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.- Brian Grazer

Whether it's moving to a new state for college, selling books, studying abroad, or trying things that are certain to scare us, life gives us the opportunity to discover things about ourselves that we never really knew (you may just be stronger than you think).

So don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It is OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing!


Sunday, January 23, 2011

This I Believe...


One day, while working at the library, a woman returned a book that caught my eye. It was called "This I Believe" and was the compiled short stories of famous and common people simply about what they believe.

I immediately checked it out for myself, and began reading. Some of the stories struck so close to home, that I decided to buy a copy as a Christmas present for my mom. This one in particular, I think, can apply to many people and their everyday lives. Wherever you are, be there.

"Wherever you are, be there. But someone like me, who focuses on lists of the next day’s tasks and often reads a newspaper while walking outdoors, should remember also to look up at the sky and at the people around me. It is important to recognize and appreciate joy when you feel it. Every once in a while, and not just on special occasions, I’ve suddenly realized that I am truly happy right now. This is a precious experience, one to savor." -Elizabeth Deutsch Earle

It is too often that we focus on the negative aspects of our life, the things that went wrong today... and the good things are ignored. Does this seem backwards to anyone else?

So remember, savor the moment, be present, and celebrate true moments of happiness. Because I can honestly say, that right here, and right now, I am happy. And it is beautiful.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

New Post Coming Soon

Hi all,

I know it's been a while, and I have a lot to write about... but I can't seem to get my thoughts together. I have had this little gray cloud hanging over my head the last few days and I can't figure out why.

Sooooo... enlightening posts to come once I ditch the gloomy weather in my thoughts.

Peace and love until then.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Saying good-bye, and hello


... It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life, for Me, and I'm feeling good...

2010 was a year devoted to a second chance with Zach-- everyone deserves a second chance-- and we had ours. It just wasn't mean to be. He will forever crop up in my mind when someone mentions the service, the navy, serving over seas, whenever I see a bumper sticker or hear a prayer said for those making the ultimate sacrifice for our country...

I have come to realize that I blamed the failure of our relationship on the distance, or the navy seals and how it changed him, or the new friends he had; I know better now. Those things just masked our real problems, our core differences and incompatibility.

With that said, I do not regret a single moment of it, I am not mad, not sad, and not longing for him to change his mind. He changed me, taught me to love; love with everything that I am, and to trust in that love. With that vulnerability came heartbreak and hurt, but I am one of the lucky few to have experienced both of those. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I now know what my heart is capable of and I want to wait for the right person to give it to, not just the next guy to come along.

With that said, in 2011, my goal is patience and trust in myself. I can be single and happy and I want to focus on proving that to myself. I want patience so I can wait for someone worthy of my heart. I have a lot to give, and I deserve the same in return. Respect myself and demand respect.

Goal number 2 of 2011 is to make fitness a priority. This coincides with goal 1 which is respecting myself... How can I be successful at that if I do not treat my body right? This is not going to be easy, but I owe it to myself to be healthy and fit. I will follow through with Insanity (no excuses).

Goal 3 is to read at least 1 book every month... and not a text book. I firmly believe that part of what makes us who we are is the books we've read. There are way too many classics and other works that can expand my horizons and make me a more well-rounded person. First step: Finish a Tale of Two Cities.

Goal 4: Be the BEST LSDP @ Polaris! I am starting my full-time job/ career in June and I want to prove to them that they chose the best candidate. I want to be successful, and give it everything I have. Nothing but the best.

Goal 5: Make time for long-distance friends. This means Maggie, Jake, Christie, Jamie, Teri etc. I have been promising for years "Oh yeah, I'll come visit you" and I never make time; and there is new excuse for that. They are important to me so I need to make them a priority in my life.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edwsf-8F3sI --Feeling good- Michael Buble