365 days

A new chapter began 365 days ago. Or that’s what I was told, at least.

Graduation. A farewell to friends. A goodbye instead of a see you later. The real world. A new chapter.

It’s been 365 days since my new chapter began, and I have learned a thing or two. 365 days, or 52 weeks, going on 53. I could make a list of a lesson-a-week, but you’d close your browser now, so I’ll spare you.

But I will list a few notable lessons I have learned in this past year. I so envy those who recently closed their last chapter of undergrad, but I promise the real world isn’t nearly as great as they told you.. I mean bad. Not nearly as bad…

The list:

1. Be punctual. I mean it. Be on time. Early. Punctual. The real world doesn’t take attendance, but I promise punctuality means a heck of a lot more than an absence. (Plus, there’s no extra credit a week before Christmas.)
2. Take notes. Nope, I’m not kidding, either. Those notebooks will still come in handy after graduation. Don’t burn them all just yet, but you can rip out the pages filled with chemistry formulas or scattered doodles. Notes in the real world mean you don’t have to ask the same questions to your manager/ coworker ten times over. Trust me, they appreciate when you learn the ropes the first (maybe second) time.
3. Lunch. Simple as that, lunch. This hour break, give or take a few, will be your saving grace. Take a walk, get some fresh air, breathe. Lunchtime is a great time to get to know your coworkers, stretch your legs, and to simply forget about the real world..while you’re in the real world.
4. Stay connected. And no, I don’t mean don’t delete facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest…. yada yada. I mean stay connected with your friends, your relatives, and everyone in between and outside. There will be no better feeling than knowing that, 365 days later, you are still snapchat-streaking with your teammate or old roomie. It’s a lifesaver and can make any transition to the real world much easier than you’d think.
5. Workout. I may be bias, but a workout in the morning before work can make or break my day. Eight hours sitting in a rolly chair staring at a screen may seem magical, but an hour workout in the morning will change my attitude and outlook on the day. Just try it 🙂
6. Don’t complain. Did you ever like that classmate that complained about arriving at their 11:15am class when you had been on campus since 8am (0r 6am in my case)? Well then, don’t complain about your overload of emails or your coworker now. Everyone has their own situation, their own personal mess, but yours does not top the next cubicle over, 99.9% of the time. And, if it does, I assure you no one wants to hear about it.
7. Travel. It may be tough the first year, but even travel an hour away on a random Sunday. Getting your mind off the area in which you work or away from your nagging problems/troubles can be a game changer. And, hey, a late Friday-night plane flight through Sunday evening never hurts either if you can make that work.
8. Stay grounded. “Chase your dreams, but know the road that leads you home again.” Even when you’ve taken on a new role or moved to a new city or job, your home, your faith, your foundation will still be there at the end of the day. Even though I’m still new to the whole “real world” thing, I’ve already seen my fair share of friends/ acquaintances who have, simply put, lost it. Money, time off, a night out, etc, will not make you happy. Your family, your faith, your relationships, those are what will make you happy. Money cannot buy you happiness; it may buy you your first “big kid” purchase, but monetary value has never been used to determine happiness, to this day.
9. Branch out. If anyone had told me I would meet new people through a random guy hitting on one of my best friends at a Dave Matthews concert, I would have told you you were all things crazy. But that, in fact, did happen. And through that random connection, I have met a great group of friends that enjoy everything from beach volleyball and pool days to planning yacht trips overseas with complete strangers. Now, I didn’t say you’d have everything in common… but I do know that if I had not blindly met this group of people, I would never have had half of the memories I have now.
10. And, Pray. No matter whether it’s about ending your work day 30 minutes earlier or about making a choice regarding your future. Pray for success, but pray for wisdom and clarity. Pray daily, hourly, whenever it’s necessary. Prayer will lead you through those first 365 days, and the next 1,000,000 (give or take.) No issue is too small or too large to be included in a prayer. God works in crazy, mysterious, and all-around awesome ways.

So, I pray that you take this list, even if you only take away a thing or two out of ten. I pray that my experiences can help someone just starting out in this real world, big kid thing. It’s real, it’s fun, but it’s not always real fun. But, it’s a new chapter that I wouldn’t take back in hindsight because I’ve established and even re-established relationships that will never be matched. I’ve made memories and learned a few things that can never be taught in the classroom.

So, with that, I’m onto the new chapter, the next 365 days of memories, experiences, workouts, trips, lunch-breaks… you get it!

The Phenom We Know as Selfie Nation

I know you would rather read my political and ethical opinions about the Ferguson situation since there’s not really any coverage on that topic at the moment……

But I’d rather write about a different topic… something like : SELFIES.

Because we all know it didn’t just take one second to snap that perfectly-angled, sun lit, overly- edited picture of yourself….. Come on now.

We have Instagram selfies, selfie Sundays, selfie Wednesdays, selfies with pets, profile pic worthy selfies, “no makeup” selfies (the worst of the worst), and snapchat selfies (guilty as charged but at least they’re gone “forever”).

So selfies that end up all over social media aren’t there just to gather up all those confidence boosters and awkward comments like “kik?” or “follow for follow?” Sure…. There’s no chance anyone would be posting these up close portraits if they weren’t simply to gather up likes and cutesy comments.

As the song goes… Let me take another selfie. If those likes per minute aren’t accumulating at a rapid pace, you probably chose the wrong filter on insta (just being honest though). So maybe next time it wouldn’t hurt to put a baby or puppy in the background because everyone loves babies and puppies right?

Oh and can’t forget the 10 people behind you who wanted to make an appearance on your social media so they can benefit from those likes too. Even though you can’t make out your face, a tag is a tag right? #popular

So even though this rant isn’t exactly going anywhere, and one blog won’t change the phenom of selfie nation, maybe reading the reactions that could go through someone else’s head while scrolling through your perfectly cropped, edited, and rotated selfies can make you think twice next time you consider snapping that quick “no makeup all natural look selfie with absolutely no effort.”

Except of course if you’re snapping a triple chin selfie or a pre- Thanksgiving, then you can go on with your day. Happy reading & happy snapping pics (any kind besides selfies…)

No Phone Storage Means Finding Old, Stored “Notes,” Like This!

I have been attempting to clean out my phone to create more space for those holiday pictures (in my case for pictures from my upcoming cruise in about 26 days but who’s counting…). But anyways, nonetheless, I stumbled across this note I wrote one night when I couldn’t sleep, and it couldn’t be any more true today. Especially with the Ferguson drama happening and all the tens of thousands of lawyers on my TL and Facebook homepage.. this post (along with a few additional sentences I added today) seems to hold true today and will for years to come..

I believe we are all so attached to our phones nowadays because those times spent using this 4×6 device are sometimes the closest we’ve ever felt to someone before. A heartfelt text, a spur of the moment FaceTime, even a lengthy voicemail describing how much you love or miss someone can make or break one’s day, let alone one’s week. Behind this glass screen, opportunities are endless. An Instagram like or Facebook comment have so much more meaning than a silly tap on a screen. Girls read into guy’s favorites as meaning they’re suddenly going to get married in the next month and a half and guys decide that any sort of social media interaction means she’s “dtf.” Society revolves around about 5-6 social media apps and probably won’t stop there. Behind closed doors used to be the phrase, but now we’re evolving into a society where the phrase will shortly be behind your glass screen. Once in person, even with phone in hand, relationships friendships even marriages change. People no longer feel comfortable communicating one on one or even in a big group. The influence of texting and social media not only affects teens but even politicians and businessmen day in and day out. Effort to type a text is more strenuous than the words that come out of one’s mouth on a daily basis. It’s becoming harder and harder to trust anyone because texts can have so many different meanings and no one feels comfortable explaining their feelings or thoughts after pressing the send button. Life before smart phones seems like centuries ago, when really it was only about a decade. Now, more than ever, people cannot even travel to the bathroom without their cell phone in hand. Even though I LOVE social media and my phone (guilty as charged), I recognize the importance of a good catch-up over coffee or family meal without my fancy gadget in hand. I have been making the effort to leave my phone in the car more often than not when headed to a meal or social event.. just some food for thought! 

Anyways, rant over.. even though it started almost a year ago (this note in my phone dates back to 1/15/14). Crazy how time flies. But I’m thrilled I now have a place to post this paragraph since it was taking up some extra space in my phone. Happy reading & Happy in-person socializing (hopefully)!