Take care & stay safe!
I hope you all had a safe and pleasant July 4th! For me, I cannot help but have mixed feelings this year. It is unlike any other Independence Day I have experienced. There is a somber tone in the air; an acknowledgement that it is not just a celebration, but a day of reckoning and reflection. So much has happened this year; we now see in broad daylight that the values that define America are not enjoyed by us all. We have known this since 1776 and made progress. But too little has been done up until this point and the reality of our African American communities is far from the American ideal that we proclaim so loudly on this day. With this in mind, it can be easy to be discouraged, but the energy and passion from these past few weeks show the America I love so well. In every part of this country, people are standing together to demand an America that respects us all and provides the quality of life we believe in. It is not going to be easy, but the fire in this moment is unparalleled. We believe that there are certain unalienable rights and together we are going to fight to ensure each and every one of us has access to a good life and is respected. Racism has deep roots here but with our willingness to acknowledge and change long standing policies and norms, we can replant America's ideals in a nation now strong enough to do what before was just an idea. I love this country so much and truly believe we have what it takes to make it the land of the free for all Americans and ensure safety, equity & liberty for all. And to do this, we have to vote! There are those who resist the change that would make us stronger together, so those people cannot be kept in office if they do not believe in the progress we need. The American people have spoken and it is time we use every right listed in our Constitution to ensure none of us has to fear exercising them. Let's bring to life the America we all hold dear, together. I know it is not easy; as a woman of a marginalized minority that is politicized, I know what it is like to love a country that does not always show its care for you. But believing in the American cause is a belief in what people often regard as the impossible. Let this year be the year we choose to fight for America.
Take care & stay safe!
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"We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives." Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful time with your loved ones!
It is hard to believe that yet another Thanksgiving is upon us. The year just goes by too quickly. Doesn't it? With everything going on in the world at this moment, I think it is important to recognize those who do something positive in our world. Sometimes, the misgivings and questionable choices we make overwhelm the good we do and experience. Losing these moments of gratitude takes us away from fully appreciating what we have and who we have in our lives. As complicated and unpredictable as people may be, my goal this year and in the years to come is to be more aware of those who have made a difference in my life. In taking this time to do so, I hope to also acknowledge them for what they bring to my life and others'. Sometimes, a simple thank you is all it takes to let someone know what they mean to you. 'Without struggle, there is no progress." Sometimes, it feels like there is always an obstacle popping up or some mountain to climb. Challenges seem to be our constant companions and it can get quite overwhelming at times. Tired and confused, we may find our motivation lost in everything that is going on. It is a difficult feeling to contend with but in reflecting on what is and taking time for ourselves (in little ways), the challenges start to appear a bit more manageable. At least, that is what I have found of late.
In taking time to think, I found that I had grown in ways I didn't expect. One of the most significant ways is my increased empathy. In general, I take the time to consider others' situations, but I have found that of late, I do so more frequently and with less judgement. We rarely ever know someone's whole story and by avoiding judgement as much as possible, we can build stronger working relationships and grow as individuals. Being challenged also forces you to either quit or rise to the challenge. In doing the latter, I have developed stronger will power and discipline.They guided me through obstacles and turned each one into a learning experience. I am grateful for that, because no moment has passed without progress. Hope you all are having a great week! I say this every year, but to think I am sitting here writing a post about my senior year of college is hard to fathom. The fact that I am writing this post much later in the year than I usually do, is an indicator of just how unbelievable it is. I am officially a college graduate! I am so grateful to say that while senior year was undoubtedly the hardest of my undergraduate career, in many ways, it was also the best. I was fortunate to have several great classes and moments with friends. With that in mind, here are a few takeaways I have from my senior year.
1) Seek understanding and perspective Now, that sounds really vague and not really what you'd would think I would start off with But, honestly, the main reason I put off this post for so long is because I left like I had so many takeaways from my senior year and wanted some time to figure out exactly what it meant to me. With that being said, senior year was a test. It was really stressful and I found myself struggling to keep myself motivated and optimistic. But as I went through those moments (some of which were really long moments!) I realized the importance of accepting that which I could not understand and seeking to understand the importance of challenges in both professional and personal settings. By taking this time, I was able appreciate my experiences for what they were. Yes, I was disappointed when some things did not go the way I wanted them to, but sometimes what we want is not necessarily what is best for us. The importance of this takeaway extends beyond the classroom and college life and it has helped me appreciate what I have and handle curves and dips in the road better than I used to. 2) Pursue opportunities, especially the unexpected ones Some of us pursue college with a vision and sometimes we can limit ourselves by pursuing the opportunities we planned and overlooking the ones we didn't account for. Senior year presented quite a few of those situations. I found myself doing projects that I hadn't pictured myself involved and each of them proved to be a rewarding experience. As I mentioned during my junior year post, expanding your experience academically, socially, and professionally is often one of the most significant things about the college experience. We cannot predict who we will be after we graduate because the experiences that move us the most are the ones we never see coming. 3) Recall with gratitude As my senior year approached, I was humbled when I realized just how many people played a significant role in my college journey. Many people went above and beyond to support me and I cannot find the words to properly thank them for believing in me when I doubted myself and for providing me with invaluable advice, guidance and relationships that I will always cherish. I had the support of my family, friends and professors who contributed so much to my growth and I could not have become who I am today without them. College is overwhelming and the thought of graduating does tend to define senior year. Yet, at the same time, remembering all the people I was blessed to have in my college journey made it truly special and I wanted them to know that. 4) Use what you've learned Certainly seems like an obvious one, doesn't it? The lessons I learned in college were valuable because of their applicability to all other aspects of my life, present and hopefully future as well. I struggled socially at the beginning of college; I felt out of place and unsure of what I contributed to the social atmosphere of a college campus. Thankfully with time, I learned to navigate the social scenes that I was uncomfortable with before and now am more aware of what it means to grow socially. Aside from that, I also learned about the nuances to commitment and resilience. Sometimes, what we need is the quiet strength and steadiness to get through a rough time, and in others, we need to be willing to take risks and speak uncomfortable truths (or not). Learning to direction one's self in such moments is a lifelong skill and college presented many such circumstances where the consequences were rather high. And the road ahead will likely have greater hurdles and challenges that require these skills. 5) Have fun While the entire college experience goes by rather fast, senior year feels like it's on the fast track. Each term just flew by and before you knew it, it was finals week of spring term. I remember the first week of classes and cannot tell you where all the time went after that. I was very conscious of it though and tried in my own strange way to make the most of the little moments when I could. I spent more time talking with friends and did not complain as much about long, confusing sometimes random lectures. I was sad, knowing this chapter of my life was ending and I just wanted to hold onto it a little while longer. It was overall a great year and I could not have asked for a better senior year :) With that, good luck to all of you who are now college seniors! Enjoy every moment and be proud of yourselves for what you are accomplishing! And for everyone else, hope you are having a great start to your week and September 2019 :) "We cannot become what we want by remaining who we are." As I contemplate as plans post-college, I cannot help but wonder if I have what it takes to achieve and succeed in what lies ahead. I have committed to what I want to do and I am overall pretty sure of my choice yet it feels like I may be falling short of what I imagined I would be feeling at this moment. I am hardly as confident as I thought I would be yet at the same time my dreams haven't shrunk in size. I suppose I felt a similar sort of way when I graduated from high school, I was excited for college but also extremely nervous. I could not have ever predicted how college would turn out, but for all its hurdles and obstacles, I absolutely loved it and I am so happy with how much I grew in those 4 years. With that in mind, I need to carry that lesson with me as I take on this next phase in my life. To handle what is to come, I must grow in ways I cannot fully grasp at the moment and accept the journey for what it is while making the most of opportunities I am given, to smile, to learn, to give. And hopefully I'll make some amazing memories along the way! Hope you all are having a great week! I know summer blogging hasn't been my thing lately, but know that I am around and I'd love to hear what you guys are enjoying at the moment and what you'd like to see on the blog :)
"Always find time for the things that make you feel happy to be alive." Extremely fitting words to remind for us all! I think in a world that is becoming more and more fast paced, we need be more purposeful with how we spend our time. Not that in years past, people had time to just do nothing but the mind itself could be allowed to wander from time to time, without the constant pressure of the media forms of today. Between those things and our daily schedules and obligations, it can become routine to skip over the activities that bring us pure simple joy. Granted, sometimes we do not have the time to do what we wish, there are commitments we have made and people who need us, but within those times, we can find moments to just be.
I know that I am very guilty of saying that I do not have time for the simple things I love to do. But I am trying to get better and making time each day taking some time to incorporate the little things I enjoy. While I have not given much time for them, I have started and often that's the hardest part. This actually should be my goal for the summer! Wish me luck and I'll keep you all posted on my progress! Hope you are all having a wonderful week :) "Happiness is letting go of what you think life should be and celebrating everything that is." A lovely quote for spring, isn't it? Granted the weather in California has not been very spring-like. The rain was such as blessing though, so no complaints here. It's reassuring especially when I think of the years of drought. Back to the quote, happiness is something that is we talk about so much as a goal and state of being. We as a society often strive towards the things we believe will make us happy. But in that pursuit of happiness, it is common to lose sight of happiness itself. Happiness after all cannot be a permanent state of being. We all go through ups and downs in life that test our will, reveal our character, and propel our growth as human beings. With that in mind, it seems silly to chase happiness as its source is not so much the external factors of our life but the internal ones. While there are undoubtedly unhappy moments in life, those moments of sadness,anger or grief are often felt more deeply because we can recall happier times. An ability to recall and reflect on both the big and little things that have brought us joy can provide comfort in times that are less so. So our happiness is and should be kept in our hands as no one else can care as we would. Hope everyone is doing well! I seem to have disappeared again; the last months of college have flown by and I cannot believe how fast time has gone. Reflections on Senior Year will be up sometime in the next month or so.
As always, comments, questions and suggestions are welcome :) I hope everyone has had a great start to 2019! I still cannot believe it's here, 2018 was such a jam-packed year with so much going on and I feel like it went by so quickly. 2018 was a good year, but in a very challenging way. It brought with it many opportunities for growth which were overall rewarding but also stressful and tiring as well. And as always, there were the goals that were left unmet, making failure feel like a more frequent companion than I care to admit. Despite that, i think I learned so many valuable lessons that made up for the many obstacles and struggles that happened along the way. For that I'm grateful and excited and nervous to see what 2019 has in store. It promises to be an intense year and I hope I make the most of it no matter what comes my way. Hope you all have a wonderful 2019!
Thank you for taking the time to be a part of Runwayffnd and please let me know what you are interested in hearing about this year! "Happiness blooms from within." Sometimes I find myself thinking about the present and feeling dissatisfied; issues arise and seem to be impossible to address and I wonder if it is too much to hope for them to be resolved. Almost immediately after that I am filled with a strong sense of guilt; ingratitude is a terrible thing and I do not to find myself in a place where I cannot be grateful for everything that is going well or getting better. But it is difficult; some things in life are cyclic and without a possible end in sight, some struggles appear as though they are lifelong and that can be very discouraging. How do you find contentment when so much is going awry? Perhaps, it is intuitive, but remembering that happiness and content does not come from outside sources is key especially when things are hard. Happiness is a state of mind. That is not to say that you will always be happy, but it is a reminder that if you are always looking for the source of personal joy outwardly, you'll always be expecting more than what is there. Life will always be wanting, because things could be better or different than they are. So my hope is in finding the moments that draw smiles and laughter and remembering all that is, rather than all that is not, I'll also find what I need to handle all the cycles and happenings, even when it does not seem to be getting better.
"Life is all about how you handle Plan B." It really is, isn't it? The way life turns out is almost always so different than what we imagine it will be. There's the random thing that you didn't plan for, the dreams that get delayed, the people who show up and the people who leave, all of this is part of the journey we find ourselves on.
It's easy to get discouraged, especially when plans we've invested so much in fall through or keep getting postponed. But I think that so much of the quality of the life we live is related to the message in this quote. Life isn't about how we handle things when they go our way; it is about all the moments when it doesn't. How we handle the bends, turns, twists and other surprises of life is ultimately comes to define our journey. So with that in mind, we have a choice, to make the best of what we have or wistfully think of what could have been. |
So, there's really not much to tell. I'm a person of many interests, and talking to others about theirs.
So, I guess that's it for now! Archives
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