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(Don’t) Throw it in the Pile
You’ve probably heard the saying: “if everyone threw their problems into a pile, once you saw everyone else’s, you’d take your problems back instead”. One of my advisors recently turned that on its head. To put what he said in my own words: If everyone threw their good things in a pile next to everyone else, and realized how other people got to their good things we’d all take ours back. I love that this is what I see as an optimist’s version of the famous example. It challenges what we see, I mean people might have their own value in the process of how they got to where they…
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Send Me a Postcard
My parents recently left on a vacation that’s been a decade in the making. I kid you not. They just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary (congrats Mom and Dad!). They had a celebratory dinner on the actual day at the cafe (read: restaurant) where they had their wedding rehearsal dinner, and now they’re celebrating together on the trip of a lifetime to Hawaii. They’ve gone on trips before but neither one of them has been there yet, and it’s been on their bucket lists for, again, at least a decade, probably longer. Before they left my Mom and I talked in the car about what they should bring home for…
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Being Mindful
Sometimes in our lives we become convinced we have something right, sometimes we are right but other times we may not be. It comes down mostly to wisdom and having the courage it rely on facts over feelings and focus on the truth. Being mindful is about being a critical thinker, not just in school, not just when you’re working on a project for work, but also when you believe you’ve found the truth, keep looking for proof, it will keep you sharper in your convictions, that and you’ll be better at defending those convictions. Also, though, make sure to listen to others and ask questions, just be nice about…
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Teaching Whether you Like it Or Not
I’ve mentioned before that I didn’t want to teach at many points in my life, but now not only have I realized that I enjoy teaching, but more in non-traditional elements, like speaking opportunities, and one-on-one guidance. Now I need to add to this that everyone is a teacher whether they intend to be or whether they’re a good one or not. You see, there is always someone watching you, whether its the person behind you in line seeing if your polite the the cashier, and learning about how others engage, or its a sibling or cousin that sees you as a great example in their life, or sees you…
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A Part of the Story
People seem to always say, “Try something different with your hair, maybe you’ll have more luck with styling.” Not saying this happens to everyone but when I got “inspired” to cut my hair shorter (like 5 inches at the time) it did not end well. Well, it curled under and did not look the way I wanted it to. These days I keep my hair long and my cut is almost the same each time, with minor corrections over time as I learn. So what do I change? Back in college, I realized I shouldn’t be brushing my hair all. the. time. I used to do it every morning, before…
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Every Season Has a Reason to Smile.
I know it sounds cheesy, but stick with me. I don’t just mean the seasons of the year, I also mean seasons of life, and while we’re at it, TV show seasons too. I mean, if your favorite show’s characters are on screen again, whether or not you like the new season or not, their presence should have some value as the producers noticed enough value in the show to keep it going. But back to my original point. Spring is here, and I am still on the search for a great company and role to take for full-time work. At the same time I also realize that I’ve found…
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Extroverted and Introverted Moments
I was talking to one of my extroverted friends. She mentioned that although she knows she’s extroverted and loves people that she also has found that during this busy season of her life she needs more time by herself because she has spent more energy at work. She mentioned that although she loves people she sees the value in taking time for herself. Some might call it being an ambivert, I think I’d tend to call it human. Everyone has moments when they need others around them, and when they need to be by themselves. Don’t let the extroversion or introversion label block you in to certain actions.
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Fill the (Virtual) Cart
I have had an Amazon account since high school, and there are saved items from back then sitting in my account. Either I didn’t purchase the item because I forgot, or because I didn’t need it, after all, saving me money. When online there’s hardly any reason not to fill up your cart, you can track items you like, see the total while you shop, wait for price changes. This applies to other websites, and sometimes real life carts, since, at most stores, the cashier has a “put back” bin, just please don’t abuse this opportunity. See by filling up your cart you can save items and there’s no obligation…
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Quotes
We like them because we have reason to believe they’ve been thought through because we see value in them or we like what the person who said them has done. Quotes often become famous when they have their real world or perhaps universal application. The first few who said “be careful what you wish for” may have been told they were crazy. After all, if you want it why couldn’t it be a good thing if that was all it had been in the past? This is a simple example but it gives a good framework for this idea. So next time you have an idea don’t think that it’s…
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Is any credit card debt okay?
I’ve talked about having a credit card, and how that’s helped me. I recently read a question: “How much credit card debt is too much for a young adult?” The answer? Any credit card debt that can’t be paid within the month or billing cycle) without going into debt is too much and going to do more harm in the future. Does that mean everyone will always be able to avoid it? Perhaps not, but it should never be seen as something that is a good idea, or something that is a way out or a viable option. Be careful with your money, be even more careful with money that…
