Don't Waste Your Pretty

Okay, so today has been a complete fail of a day. Seriously, for once I would like to be a boy. I think that about sums up the day's problems. On the contrary, it was a beautiful, sunny Auburn day, so I should at least be thankful for that.

Anyways, so today I was talking to one of my best friends in the entire world, and out of no where he told me to listen to the song, "Don't Waste Your Pretty," which of course I did. WOW! What a beautiful song. Honestly, it was the sweetest gesture. Michael, if you read this, thank you. It made my day and really opened my eyes to some different things.

I feel that so many of us are caught up in trying to do the norm, that we forget what we truly stand for, therefore we settle. I am not an advocate of settling, let me tell you. I do not want to be that one woman who wishes that she would have pursued her most cherished dreams, but instead settled for a life that she secretly regrets. You only have one shot in this life, so why waste your time on people and things that are not going to benefit you in the long run? I've been having trouble with this lately, and coincidentally so have a few of my friends. I always try to see the best in the situation and try to pull out the best in others, but I think there comes a point where you can't anymore. You have to take people for who they are, then decided whether or not they should be apart of your life. It's probably one of the hardest things to realize, but it's something that we all must do; we all must make the choice.

I know I'm not perfect in any sense, but I have my beliefs and morals, I have my goals, my priorities, and have a general direction of where I want my life to go. Whether or not certain people should join me for the ride is the question I have to ask myself. I encounter too many settling people and it breaks my heart to see this. A wise, Barbara De Angelis quotes, "Living with integrity means: Not settling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships. Asking for what you want and need from others. Speaking your truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. Behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values. Making choices based on what you believe, and not what others believe.” I feel that this is such a strong and valid point. Why do anything that does not better yourself or the rest of the world? Why constantly submit ourselves to the lowest of life, when instead we should be embracing the positive, empowering aspects. We should be rejoicing in what a beautiful life we have been given, even with the ugly struggles that we must endure.

I guess to sum it all up, to go back to the song that Michael showed me- we are all worth more than what we give ourselves credit. Each of us are capable of achieving the highest, yet some of us still submit to the lowest. Not to name names, but I have people in my life that settle all the time, and all I want to do is just scream until they understand that they are so much more worthy than that; that there are so many other wonderful options for them, than what they are choosing in the present. But it's give and take, and they must be willing to take the advice, which is not always the easiest. However, whether or not any of us listen to the advice of our friends and take it to heart, we all should realize that we are much better than settling and are all capable of awesome things. God did not create us to stand still and watch our lives pass by before our eyes; He created us to jump right in and take control, living vicariously through Him and in a sense that is always satisfying at the end of the day.

And Michael, the picture is for you for your inspiration :)

"live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air..."

God, for one moment I would just like the world to pause. I feel that my entire life has been on speed for almost a month now. One of my professors the other day threw out a random question for thought: what would you do if you could pause your day for one hour? Of course no one really acknowledged her saying this, but it's actually an interesting question if you think about it long enough. Would you do something daring? Would you sleep for an extra hour? Would you lay in the grass and listen to the great outdoors? Would you sit and ponder on your life and how you wished it could be changed? Would you continue on like nothing happened? Would you spend it doing something worthless, or would you take full advantage of the moment? That's another thing... everyone's always talking about that- "you just need to live in the moment." Honestly though, I keep asking myself why? My past is apart of who I am today. Without it, I would be a completely different person. Even with my lowest of lows, I still believe that they were significant and important contributions to my life. And what about the future? I think about the future constantly! Have I chosen the right major, what if I never fall in love, how am I ever going to manage an even more hectic life than I have right now; where in the world am I headed in this great big scheme of life!?

However, if I could pause my life for one hour, I would stop and pay tribute to all the beautiful surroundings. I feel that the little things are constantly overlooked and are never appreciated. The always cheerful drunk bus driver that people say thank you to, but never in a sincere way- mostly out of habit. The beauty of the flowers and the way they trigger your senses, constantly reminding you of sweet, warm spring days. The journal that I've kept for quite some time, but hardly ever pick up, for blogging is the new replacement for random thoughts. The random acts of kindness that people share with one another, but are hardly ever noticed by anyone else. Things like these- random, small things that are hardly ever recognized or thought twice about. I feel that we are completely absorbed, that we forget to "live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." We should take these words as inspiration- we all could use a daily pause in our lives to bring us back to the basics of it all.

We should take these words and run with them.

triangle lovin', beeee-yahhhhh.

Hmmm, I don't know why, but at 11:33, when I should be reading some enthralling sociology, I started to look at some old pictures, reminiscing on old times. When I think about all the friendships I've had over the years, some of which at one point or another I've regretted, I can honestly say that each one of them has contributed to who I am today. I am merely lucky that I was privileged enough to have these people in my life. I suppose there's a reason why we were friends, there's a reason why we're not anymore, and there's an even bigger reason why I have the people I have right now in my life. My dad always says that in the end, if you can count on one hand the number of true friends you have, then you're lucky. It's funny that I never believed him, but now I understand that.

My two best friends, Becky and Maggie, have been through so much with me. It's actually funny though, because all three of us are completely different, but I think that's what makes our friendship work. Each of us adds certain qualities that the other two desire and we complement each other in that way. And although I don't get to see them very much, I think about them often and how they are my support. Out of all the wonderful people I've met here, if something is wrong or I just to need to have a "real talk," I call one of them- because they understand. It's the little things like that, that make a friendship worthwhile.

All of the years before, when I cared so much about what other people thought, and worried about being friends with everyone, was a complete waste. It's comical to me now to think that I cared so much, when instead I had all I need right by my side. The two people that toughed it out and stuck with me through everything. The two that never doubted me, never gave up my confidence, and always accepted me for who I was. Now in college, I see all the time, false friendships being created and it makes me even more happy to have the people that I do in my life. I guess to sum it all up, I'm incredibly thankful to have such wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, caring, and insightful people in my life. And in the end, if I only have two, it'll be just fine with me.

TRIANGLE FOREVER, beeeeeee-yahhh :)

WDE!

Spring is officially in bloom and so are all the amazing events that come along with it. With only three weeks left until freedom, I would have to say that spring in Auburn is absolutely beautiful!

Today was A-Day, where our Auburn Tigers scrimmage, so the fans can have a look at what the team will be offering in the fall. I honestly didn't believe it to be that big, but oh is the pride and spirit of Auburn alive today!! There are thousands of people here; generations of tigers walking through the streets, while everyone allows a hearty, "WAR EAGLE!" to random, extended family members. I think that's one of the things that I love the most about this wonderful school. Undergrads, grads, alum, and all the other fans-- we're a family. We're a family of people that have one thing in common: our love, pride, and spirit for Auburn University. Everytime I hear someone yell, "WAR EAGLE," my heart flutters a little. This past summer when I went to Italy, my mom was wearing an Auburn t-shirt, and out of no where, in the middle of Rome, some random girl yelled "WAR EAGLE" to her as we passed by. Now that is something you won't find anywhere else, in any other school around the enture world! Some people don't understand us, but for me that's alright, because not just anyone can be a tiger. As beloved George Petrie so eloquently put it...

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.

-George Petrie (1945)

All of these things are what make Auburn men and women stand out from the rest of the world. Our tiger spirit doesn't just die after The Iron Bowl ends, but it's still alive right now in the middle of April. I'm so proud to be apart of this wonderful family. WAR DAMN EAGLE!

coffee cup brilliance.

Although I should be sitting here in RBD doing something actually relevant to my studies, I would rather being writing about other things than technological advancements' negative impact on the spreading of AIDS in Africa. However, I was the one that concocted this topic, so the only one I can play the pity card with, is myself...

Moving on...whenever I come to the library, I always imagine myself being productive, but then it usually ends with me staring blankly at the infinite rows of beautiful books. However, today I decided to take a break from writing my paper, and I started reading my coffee cup. I know this sounds ridiculously weird, but Caribou has developed a new coffee cup design that has abstract advice that you've probably heard from your elders a time or two. Each one is in creative fonts and scattered randomly across the cup. Here are some of my favorites (They all seem to be weird coincidences paralleling to my life, or maybe there's no such thing as coincidences, as someone once told me):

SPIN THE GLOBE THEN PACK YOUR BAGS
POUR YOURSELF A CUP FULL OF KARMA
LEARN TO SAY THANK YOU IN TEN LANGUAGES
BE THE RULER OF YOUR OWN LIFE
YOU'LL ONLY BE YOUR CURRENT AGE ONCE
DON'T WAIT FOR NEW YEAR'S TO MAKE A RESOLUTION
BE THE FIRST TO APOLOGIZE

I think all of these are little life lessons that each of us can take to heart. The way my world of Chelsea works, is that I want to get from Point A to Point B in every aspect of my life as quickly as I can, but I've come to realize that I should probably slow things down and just enjoy the ride.

One of the other pieces of advice on the cup says, "Spend time with your kids, tomorrow they're a day older." Although I don't have any kids of my own, this particular piece of advice can be used with any relationship you have with others. I have a wonderful family and a whole slew of friends that I think about daily, but I always neglect for other things. Everyone always talks about living in the moment, which I do often, but I usually forget that "the moment" includes my family and friends too. I fall victim to neglecting the little things, in replace for bigger things that in the end turn out to be a waste. Time is not always on my side, so in order to take full advantage of it, I should probably start noticing the little things, and focus on each day as being equally special.

I should probably remember to call my grandparents weekly, because I love them. I should probably start thinking of others more often than myself, because it's the compassionate thing to do. I should probably remember that even though I am one person, I can still make a difference. I should probably realize that this world is enormous, and that I should remember to pay tribute to both the beautiful and ugly aspects. I should probably pay attention to things that my parents and elders say, because one day I'll look back and wish that they could repeat them. I should probably acknowledge differences, and take them as well-rounded attributes. I should probably start remembering that each day I have been given is a blessing, because it is not at all my given right to have this life.

And I should probably keep this coffee cup, because it has inspired me so.

"THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON ON EARTH IS THE HUMAN SOUL ON FIRE." - Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch

Ever since I was little, my dad has always taught me that I can achieve whatever my heart so desires as long as I have the passion for it. This never really hit home until I came to college and was choosing a major. I've always had a deep appreciation for the written word and it's impact on people, therefore my natural choice of study would be Journalism. I adore writing, and I love to read literature. It's something that I can envision myself being surrounded by for the rest of my life, not because I can tolerate it, but because I'm passionate for it. As Emerson so profoundly put it, "Nothing great was ever achieved without ENTHUSIASM,"and boy was he point on! I'm one of the lucky ones that know exactly what I want to do with my life, and for that I'm extremely grateful.

The other day I was conversing with some friends about different majors, and somehow the "MRS" degree was brought up in regards to Elementary Education. Of course I laughed as well, but then later I started pondering on it for a little while longer. People perceive some majors as a joke, because they're "easier," or because they don't seem as prestigious as an engineering degree. Well the more I thought about people making fun of these majors, mine included, it honestly offends me. Not every person is called to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. I feel that God has given each of us different paths for different reasons that we may never know. I'm not a science whiz- I NEVER will be, but I can muster up a pretty good paper. My point is, is that I don't understand why people feel the need to put themselves on higher pedestals because they chose to take a different path. Without Elementary Education majors, there would be no one to teach children the basic fundamentals of education. Without them, no person who is an undergraduate would be at this level, had he/she never started at square one. So to think that these women and men are merely taking the easy road to an education, is completely false and demeaning.

I know my choice of major is not the most extensive that Auburn provides, but at least it's something that I'm passionate for. I have fervor for the subject, and I can see myself being happy with my decision for a very long time. When I hear friends and other students making derogatory comments towards other people of lesser majors, it really rubs me the wrong way. Of course I would love to make 200 grand a year for being a physician, but that's not something that I would enjoy in the long run. It's not that I'm uncapable of it, because I sure as hell am, but it's not what I'm meant to do.

I guess my whole point of this rambling blog entry, is that I do not appreciate when people try to extinquish someone else's passion that they have for a subject. Yes, so what if one person's classes seem harder; it makes them no better of a person. It doesn't matter what studies one does, as long as they have passion to succeed within it. Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch once said, "The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." Maybe one day more people will understand this, and they too will have passion as I do, and then the rest won't matter.