Transitions

Transitions are hard. That is what has been on my mind lately. And maybe this is not so for many other people, but it sure is for. Sometimes I find myself subconsciously trying to hide inside myself and completely shutting down at these points. The transition from school to going out into a big, scary world has been especially hard for me. Is it not scary?!

For 18 years of my life, I have been going to school. And I've always known that's what I needed to be doing. At the end of each school year, I always have known that in 3 months from then, I was going to be going back to school again. However, and fortunately, that is not so after April, because I am graduating. So now what? I guess I'm supposed to go out and get a big kid job, which honestly scares the heck out of me. My husband has been so great and trying to help me find a job. But every time I find myself, shutting down to all of his ideas. Because I am scared. Because I feel under qualified. Because it is change. But that is life.

I know what I would be telling someone else to be confident, that they can do it, that they are the best. And for some reason I can't accept that own advice for myself. But I know I need to. If I beleive that I am confident and qualified and the best, then others will too! So that is my new goal, to believe in myself.

blog

For my last blog post of the semester (I believe this is the last blog post of the semester at least), I wanted to write about what I learned about blogs and about how useful they can be. One of my favorite parts of having a blog post each week was that I felt like it was a little escape. I was able to get whatever was on my mind out there and it was very refreshing! I also felt like it was a great way to connect with my classmates. I really appreciate all the uplifting comments that you guys have posted on here! It always made me feel really good when I saw that someone had commented on my blog post. I also enjoyed reading other people's posts! I enjoyed the laughs and the uplifting thoughts! So I have actually come to really enjoy this assignment throughout the semester. I feel like it made me a better blogger, communicator, and person. So now what? Now I am going to continue blogging! I also am going to follow some of my classmates blogs even after the semester is over because I have enjoyed it so much! I will also make more of an effort to comment on blogs that I read (even though it doesn't get me any credit) because I know how appreciative I am when people comment on my blog. Plus it's good networking! I can definitely see how blogs can be relevant in today's busy, social, internet-driven society.

remote meeting

Last night, we did a group meeting. I was very surprised at how well the tech worked. There was a few internet problems for some people throughout the meeting, but other than that, the whole technical aspect of the remote meeting went very well! Everyone was able to sign on, everyone was seen and heard well throughout the meeting. It was interesting trying to communicate with a group without being together. The hardest part, I thought, was that I felt like people would say things at the same time, not knowing the other person was about to respond and then it would be hard to hear and confusing for a second until the people that spoke at the same time clarified what they were saying. I enjoyed the remote meeting because I felt like it was very convenient. We were all able to meet without having to drive and then walk to wherever we were meeting. I also felt like it helped the meeting go faster, there were no side conversations and everything was straight to the point. Overall, I felt like the remote meeting was a success!

that thing you do

Everyone is different, so I assume that "this thing that you do" is different for everyone. But I really, really hope that everyone has that thing. There is no better feeling than doing something that you love, doing something that makes you feel refreshed, doing something solely because that is what you want to do. 

After my husband and I ran our first half marathon, we decided that we were going to keep on running five miles at least a couple times a week to stay in shape. But life said, "haha, yeah right." We got super busy and I do not remember one time after our half marathon that we ran five miles. Every once in a while, we would squeeze in a short couple mile run, but it wasn't a regular thing, and unfortunately, we lost our endurance, fast. About a year later we decided to do it again.  After our first run, I couldn't believe how amazing I felt... Mentally.... not necessarily physically, that is another story. I feel like t

After that experience, I realized the importance in doing that thing that you love doing, just because you want to. I can't believe how much better I feel. I know that exercising is a great high, but that's not what I'm getting at. It is just doing things because you want to, doing things because all day long you do the things that you have to do. You do school, you do work, you do cooking and dishes and laundry, because those are the things you HAVE to, but among those things don't forget to do the things that you love to do. You will feel less stressed, happier, and more willing to do those things that you have to do.

the internal struggle

I feel like I'm a person who has an adventurous heart, and an over-analyzing mind. As you may guess, these two parts of me tend to really get in some pretty big fights. I always have the desire to do crazy things, like go sky diving for example, like I really really want to go. Until my friends ask me if I want to go with them next week. That's when my over-analyzing mind jumps in the the ring and starts to take charge. Then I'm all the sudden like, "sitting home in my nice, comfortable home, doing my normal Saturday activities sounds really great." But then my heart takes a shot at my mind and is like "NO! You are breaking all my wildest hopes and dreams!" Seriously, the struggle is that real.

So the latest brawl that has been going on in my head is about whether or not my husband and I should go on a study abroad together in May. Everyone is always quick to say YES OF COURSE! and honestly, that's what I said too when my husband brought it up. But then it got more realistic, and my mind started punching back. "It could be hard," it jabbed, "it's so expensive," it kicked, "THAT'S A DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOUSE," it roundhouse kicked my heart in the face (what? Yeah I don't know either). So what do I do? Well I don't really know. But one of my biggest fears is that my mind will get the best of me and keep me from doing all the fun things in the world. I hope that just knowing that that is how I work, will help me to remember NOT to let that happen.

presentation realization

I never do presentations. Like ever. I think the last time that I had to present something may have been my country report in 6th grade... not even kidding. In my major, Communication Disorders, the classes grades are based mainly off of tests. So last week doing my flip-chart presentation was pretty intimidating, I'm not going to lie. However, I am very happy with the way that it went and I feel like I learned a lot about how to be a great presenter. 

Being a good presenter is a lot more important than I ever realized, and it can be applicable in many more situations than I realized. I can use the skills that I learned in anything from teaching a class to giving a talk in church to interviewing. 

Presenting is all about connecting with the audience. If you give a presentation and don't connect with the audience, then what is the point? (Unless it's for a class and you are just doing it to get a grade... but then again, you would still be trying to connect with whoever is grading you, right?) I came to this realization after I was done presenting and it is something that I am going to always remember when I am planning a presentation! 

online interview

The online interview was a lot different than I thought it would. The environment was unlike any interview environment I had been in before. I am glad that I was able to practice before doing it for an actual interview. I was surprised at how professional an online interview could be. I liked that I was able to have my application and a few notes in front of me to reference throughout the interview. I thought that it was hard to have eye contact during the interview because I felt that if I was looking at the camera then I wasn't looking at the interviewer, but if I was looking at his face, then on his side it looked like I wasn't looking at him. The eye contact was definitely the hardest part to balance throughout the interview. I also realized part way through the interview that I didn't have very great posture and that it was noticeable on the screen, so that is something else that I could work on. Overall, I felt that it was very successful and a great learning experience!

Doing Everything Vacations vs. Relaxation Vacations

Every year for Christmas, my dad takes us on a vacation. He thinks it is easier than going out and picking out gifts for each of his four kids, plus one in-law. And quite frankly, I'm not even mad about it! It's always something I look forward to, whether we are going to the beach in California or touring Washington D.C. However, there is always one dilemma that we encounter when planning our Christmas vacation. Should we do a relaxing vacation or a tour everything/do everything/go all day long vacation?

What's the best type of vacation? I mean vacations are meant to be a nice, relaxing get-a-way from work and school and real life, right? Or are vacations meant to be for the journey, the exploring, the thrill of a new adventure? So what are we supposed to choose?!

Honestly, I don't know the right answer, and I don't think there is one! I think that it is preference. One thing that I have noticed is that the vacations that I plan are usually packed to the brim and by the end I am completely exhausted. I think that I could use a little bit more relaxation time when planning vacations. So this is my note to self: give yourself one relax day when planning this Christmas Vacation!

The Y

I have hiked the Y my fair share of times. Probably about once every semester that I have been at BYU, and I have been here for 3 years... So that's a lot of semesters and a lot of times hiking the Y. However, no matter how many times I have hiked it and no matter how good of shape I am in when I do it is ALWAYS harder than I think its going to be in my mind. I have hiked up Mt. Timp (13 miles total), and this is way harder. That steep incline will get you every time. Maybe it's the illusion of standing in the parking lot and looking up and seeing the Y right there, so close... but so far away. Maybe I was in really, really, really good shape when I hiked it the first time ever and now I just have that impression of it in my head. Or maybe it's because of the view from the very top, that is so beautiful and that it is all I can ever seem to remember about the whole hike. And for some crazy reason that beautiful view makes all that lactic acid in my thighs worth it? I don't know what it is that is playing tricks with my mind, but because of it, I am never prepared for the strenuous hike ahead of me when I begin. SO this post here is a reminder to myself and to any of you reading this that are considering hiking the Y: HIKING THE Y IS REALLY HARD. But, the view just might be worth it. I'll leave that one up to you.

disconnected time

This week I have really learned the importance of disconnected (from the world) time. Last week I was talking to my husband and I told him that I miss him and felt like we've been so busy that we haven't had very much time to spend together, with just me and just him. The more we talked about it, the more I realized that I wasn't taking advantage of the small time that we had together because I was so distracted from social media or other things on the internet, including Netflix. It made me feel really sad to think that I was wasting my time doing useless things like checking instagram over and over again or watching 3 episodes of Burn Notice (even though it was with my husband) when I could spend my time more wisely in the real world strengthening my relationship with the real people around me.

It's sad to know that sometimes (unintentionally) I care more about the fake online than I do the actual things that are happening around me! How much am I missing out on because I am too glued to my phone or the latest Netflix series.

I having been making more of an effort to check my phone/instagram/facebook/whatever less and not care about what is going on there. In the past, my husband and I have run 2 half marathons together. We trained for it all together and both agreed that that is some of the best times that we have spent together. We have really liked it because we really are completely away from the world. There are no distractions on our runs. Not to mention that exercise releases endorphins that make the body feel better and make you happier. So we have decided to start running together again BEFORE we turn on whatever our show on Netflix is at the moment. And let me tell you, those two things have made all the difference. I have felt a million times better and happier this week!

Also, if you would like some good reading, hit up this talk from general conference last weekend! It talks about avoiding the "fake" online world! I really enjoyed it!

let's get down to business

I am here to tell you all (or whoever is reading this post from my MCOM class) that business writing is a real thing. This is the moment where Professor Middleton can hop in and say "I told you so." I never really doubted that learning to write in a business setting would be useful, but I also never really thought that it would impact my life that much, but it is proving me wrong as I speak. Yesterday, I went to the job fair (apparently when you are supposed to find a job 7 months before you graduate?), it was good, but I am sort of in a weird place right now and don't really know what I am looking for. I am majoring in Communication Disorders, but my dream job is a wedding/event planner, but I'm also pretty open to anything else. So after the job fair was over, I went through the papers and business card that I had acquired and there was some great opportunities, but none that really got me excited. So I decided to research some jobs on my own. I came across a job posting for a full-time wedding/event manager! It was perfect and I knew that I had to apply for it! So as I was going through the application process I came across a section asking for a cover letter. I had never written a cover letter before and I know that if this same situation would have presented itself one month earlier I would have been super stressed. However, since we had just covered grammar in class and have talked a bit about business letters, I felt a lot more confident! I was really grateful for this past month of MCOM and what I have learned in this class so far.

The moral of the story is that business writing is relevant! It will help you in you life, it has already helped me and I have only been in the class for one month! As I continue in this class, I am definitely going to more appreciate the things that we are learning.

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all

The other day I was talking to one of my coworkers, she is a freshman at BYU and she is one of the sweetest, cutest, and funniest girls that I have ever met. She is very personable and easy to talk to. She was telling me about her weekend. She told me about one night when she ran into a guy that she worked with over the summer. Long story, short he made a comment about her weight and indirectly told her that she was "chubby." She wouldn't let that fly and called him out on it and told him that he was a jerk. He justified his comment by saying that he was just, "being honest and speaking his mind." What I would like to say to that guy and everyone is that sometimes it is best to just keep your mouth shut. It makes me think back to when I was kid and my mom would always tell me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"

My co-worker's self image was hurt by this inconsiderate boy's comment. I am sure that most girls in that situation would have been hurt by that type of comment, whether it's true or not. In that moment, I realized that it is important to always be building people up. Many things in this world tear people down. It's a harsh world, with some harsh people. But I do not want to be one of those harsh people.

I am making it a goal to give sincere comments to people everyday. The world needs more positivity, more joy, and more confidence. We are not here on this world to worry about lack of beauty or excess weight. We are here on this earth to grow, to have joy, and to serve others. And so, that is what I am going to do.

"Persistence is Key"

Something I learned this week is the value of persistence. I tend to give up on things too easily if they are not working out the way that I planned in my head.

The past two weeks I have been persistent in trying to get into this MCOM class and, finally, on Monday I was able to get into the class! So my persistence paid off!

From now on I am going to be more persistent in going after things that I want. When things seem as though they are not working out and there is no way that I can achieve my goal, I am going to work harder. Being persistent will help me in many aspects of my life, it will help me in my education, my job now, and also in my future career. I know that I will be able to achieve more through practicing the skill of persistence.