Living with Style

I truly enjoy reading excellent quotes. I have one particular website that a friend once showed me that just has lists and lists of quotes from various song lyrics, books, TV shows, and well-known individuals. Isn't it amazing how a few words or sentences from an individual can so deeply strike a chord with another human being as if they had a window into your thoughts and emotions? As I browsed through some new quotes on that particular site, I stumbled upon one with which I felt an immediate connection. Therefore, I have decided to briefly focus on these words from Maya Angelou in this blog post.

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."
-Maya Angelou

I love the first part of this quote as it reminds me not to get stuck in the monotony of a routine but to approach each day with renewed fervor and energy. Next, she suggests that an individual incorporate passion in life. I love this! As you set goals or embark upon new endeavors, choose those which you truly care about and in which you will be able to easily throw your energies. For me, I've found that working as an educator is most certainly my passion which makes the challenges I might occasionally face in this position surmountable and the victories that much more worth celebrating. Maya Angelou also lists compassion as a key life component; whenever we take the time to give back to our friends, families, neighbors, community, and world, we are able to shift our egocentric views outward in loving others as God has commanded us. In addition to passion and compassion, we then should add humor to our lives. Growing up in a family where laughter and humor is valued, I find that incorporating this into my life helps to lighten up my view when I get too serious about the little things. I think we can all agree that there is no better medicine in any situation than to laugh so hard that your stomach aches and tears are rolling down your face! Lastly, the quote lists style as an important element of life. Live each moment being the true you, not an imitation of someone else. March to the beat of your own drum. Dance your own dance! Celebrating the diversity of personalities and styles of each person make our world a colorful, interesting place to live.

No Matter Where You Are, No Matter How Far

Five years ago, I decided to run for president of my high school class. The votes were cast and I was overjoyed to represent my class in the changing of our tassels on graduation day. My college years then passed rapidly in a flurry of busy class schedules, clubs, activities, social events, and sorority life. I was soon a college graduate with a very focused mission during my first year in the real world: be the most amazing teacher for my students that I possibly could be. As the school year began, I threw myself into this endeavor heart and soul embracing life in a new city with arms open wide to the possibilities. One day a few months ago, I received a text message from an old classmate inquiring if we would be having a five year reunion. I honestly had not given it much thought but was willing to look further to see if other individuals had an equal interest. After looking for feedback from my high school peers on facebook, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people not only acted as if they would attend but would honestly enjoy reconnecting and catching up with one another. It was so encouraging to see that, although our lives may have already taken us in differing paths in only a short time, the ties we shared from our childhood and youth in a small town were still meaningful. As plans are coming together for this reunion, I am appreciative of the enthusiasm of so many of my friends and classmates who I grew up with.

As I think about this further, I realize that my appreciation for this is most likely rooted in the importance I place upon building and maintaining relationships in my life. Keeping in touch with loved ones and close friends is something I try to do on a steady basis. At this point in my life, so many important people in my life are living in cities in towns spread throughout the country and may be at totally different stages of life as high school or college students, newlyweds, new parents, or older adults. I'll admit that it can be an overwhelming and daunting task to keep in touch with everyone; it's only human nature that some friendships will last for a season and taper off into a fond memory. Nonetheless, I strive to show many of these individuals that no matter where we are, they are still important to me and that I still care about their lives.

It's funny how we make a million excuses for why we haven't taken the time to get in touch. "I'm too busy!" "I was going to call, but I just forgot!" "We haven't talked in so long." I'm guilty of these same excuses. Even though they may ring true, I believe that the ties of family and friends should reach beyond. The times that I have been able to correspond via phone, computer, or mail with a friend, it has touched me in such a positive way. For example, one of my friends is currently obtaining her master's in Arizona, but we consciously build time into our schedules for phone chats and skype dates. Even from across the country, the wonderful world of technology lets two best friends feel like they are hanging out like usual. Even if I don't have time for a lengthy conversation, I try to remember that I always have a few extra minutes to send an email, message, or card to a friend.

What joy the diverse relationships in our lives can bring to us. Go out on a limb today. Pick up the phone, log onto the computer, or pick up a pen and send a little note to someone who has or still does mean a lot to you. I guarantee it will be a highlight in their day and what better way to experience happiness ourselves than to put an extra ray of sunshine in the lives of others. Reconnect and enjoy!

It's All in the Attitude

Every time I get in and start my car, I crank the music up loud and sing right along. If you're a good friend of mine, you've probably experienced this. If you haven't, you may just not have known me long enough yet. Just wait for it... As I head down the highway, hands at ten and two (yes, I'm a nerd who still follows what I learned in driver's ed), it's my singing time, sometimes it's cell phone time, but very often it's also my reflection time. As I drove to a store this evening, I sang along to the Lady Antebellum music on my newest CD. If you like country music, I recommend it! Anyhow, as this was going on, I also contemplated how extremely happy I am with my job and how much I appreciate the wonderful people in my life. "I'm just so happy right now!" I thought. But this occasion wasn't the first time that I had been thinking that. Life has been sooo good lately. It's hard to pinpoint anything in particular, but sometimes you just sit back and realize how blessed you are and how content you are in your current place in life. It's a wonderful feeling and of course I'm so very thankful for it. As blessed as I am though, I've faced days where I wasn't in the best of moods or where God has given me some challenges where I needed to be patient and wait on His timing. It occurred to me that perhaps many of my feelings of joy and happiness are really very much my choice. Will I focus on the positive or the negative? Should I choose to put on a smile and greet others with a chipper attitude or instead you sulk in the little problems? Might I lift others up today or will I instead draw them down? It's all in the attitude!

I once read an excellent thought about James 1:2. The verse says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." The author of the particular passage I read emphasized that we should "consider it pure joy...WHENEVER YOU FACE TRIALS of many kinds..." Unfortunately, trials and challenges are a fact of life. We were never guaranteed a ride through life with no bumps or potholes. Nonetheless, isn't it encouraging to hear that good comes of this? Be joyful in all of these things because it will only make us strong in Him!

Every day is new, every blessing or challenge a fresh opportunity to approach with joy and optimism. I love these feelings of joy and contentment. You make your choice and I'll make mine. It's all in the attitude, and as for me, I'm going to keep riding this wave for as long as I can!

You can teach an old dog new tricks!

Like most brand new teachers preparing for their very first day of school, I carefully combed through the teacher store back in August looking for the perfect bulletin board decorations, stickers, resource books, and other miscellaneous classroom needs. As I stood spinning a rack of inspirational posters, I happened upon one which I immediately pulled out to purchase. "Today is a great day to learn something new," the bold black letters stated. Ahhh, the perfect message to send to my students this year. Now I know what you are thinking.....wow, you're cheesy. Yes thank you, that is one quality that makes me an elementary teacher type. Despite the fact that I knew that my students and I would not necessarily skip through the door each and every day feeling that it was indeed the best day ever to learn brand new things, I like the whole glass half full, looking on the sunny side optimism thing pretty well. So into my stack of purchases and finally into my classroom went this poster and peppy motto.

There are a million things I love about being an educator, but one reason why I'm drawn to the profession is that I myself enjoy being a learner. Perhaps it was my years spent at a small liberal arts college that pushed me to develop this mindset, but I truly yearn to continue learning and growing as an individual through every day, year, and stage of my life. They say that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" and I know that I'm not anywhere near old, but I've found that people of all ages will leave behind a dream or idea simply because they think they have outgrown it. Do I need to pull the poster off the wall and flash it in front of you? Today IS a great day to learn something new!

Back when I was in middle school, I begged my parents to buy me a guitar. I was determined that I would take lessons and learn to play the instrument. When Christmas morning rolled around, I was elated to find an acoustic guitar tucked beneath the tree. I promptly joined the guitar club at school, but very soon like I expect is the case of instruments in a majority of homes, it found its resting place in the back of my closet where its only companion was the dust that began accumulating atop the case. My high school and college years rolled by and although I still had a desire to learn to play this instrument, I simply did not have the time for it.

Flash forward to December 2009. While looking around my old room at home during Christmas break, I pulled out my old guitar. Pretty soon, the wheels were turning and I decided that the perfect New Years resolution would be to give myself and my guitar a chance. After looking up guitar places on the internet, I found one in a convenient location and called just to simply gain a little more information. By the time I had hung up the phone, the guitar teacher had signed me up for lessons that were to begin in only a few weeks. Suffice to say that leading up to my first lesson, I was dreading carrying my guitar into the shop. I wondered, "Do grownups really take guitar lessons? Is this guy going to think I'm crazy?"

I'm happy to say that a few months later, I'm still a guitar student bumbling my way through chords and strumming patterns....and it's wonderful. During my lesson each week, I have found such immense happiness in working with my love for music. (I've also found out during these months that I am nowhere near the teacher's oldest student. Whoever she is, though, I like her attitude on life!) If I hadn't have picked up the phone and signed up for lessons that day, I can imagine that my little guitar would still be collecting dust. I may never perform in front of large crowds or become what anyone would dare call a talented guitar player, but that's of no consequence. For me, it's about the fact that I didn't let an old dream simply remain a cloud far off in the sky. What's your "guitar in the closet"? Isn't it time you dusted it off and gave yourself the opportunity to embrace the joy of trying and maybe just exceling at something new? Who knows, you might just find that it's never too late to begin because, after all, today is a great day to learn something new!

Celebrating Friendships

Even though many others may claim it, I believe I'm right when I say that I have the best friends in the world. Since this does seem to be a recurring theme for many people, I have decided to dedicate this blog to my many wonderful friends, both old and new, who I truly appreciate! Starting way back in the days when I invited my elementary friends over for Disney princess birthday parties or afternoons of playing Barbies, I have found that spending time with friends and cultivating these relationships is something that is of great importance to me.

First, I want to write a bit about how important seasoned friendships are to me. Growing up in a small town, you tend to know everyone and you know them fairly well. Nonetheless, through the years, I found individuals of a variety of ages who became pretty much like family. Two of my dear friends and I met in preschool and are still close to this day. I never would have guessed that some of the girls who sat by me as I became a master at colors and the alphabet would continue to be such important individuals to me down the road, but I'm so glad that our paths continue to be intertwined to this day! Then there came a day when I met another very special friend. It was one of those friendships that took off quickly with ease as if you'd planted a seed and watered it with Miracle Grow. H and I spent countless hours, days, and even summers together talking, cooking, working, riding horses, and doing things that teenage girls do. We soon grew up and left for colleges in different areas, but H and her family still mean the world to me. Life may change, but I love that some friendships established early in life are able to bend, change, grow along with it.

Just when you think that you have life completed figured out, college days arrive. I set off bright eyed and bushy tailed to a small college and was not disappointed by the array of wonderful new people I met during my four years there. Wonderful conversations and common interests were discovered amongst me and my roommates, my freshman year dorm floor girls, my sorority sisters, and my classmates. I still marvel at some of the random coincidences that brought me together with so many of these people. (And yet I don't truly mean coincidences because I know that God placed us in one another's lives.) For example, my amazing friend, M, and I met while wiling away the hours in a ridiculously long line for course registration. On yet another day, E and H became two of my dearest friends, and it all started by them inviting me to make football t-shirts to wear to a game. Shared challenges, lessons learned, joys, and hardships during these years bonded us closely until the day of graduation dawned and I knew that despite the distance, many of them would remain my lifelong friends.

Just when I felt so incredibly blessed by my continued childhood friendships and close college ones as well, I began life in a new city and found that yet again, God has blessed me with yet even more wonderful people in my life. During my first year of teaching, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most generous, kind, and wonderful people. As I look back at the past months, I marvel at how much joy each of these new friendships brings to me. Additionally, I began attending a new church in this city and have been adopted by a group there as well. One of the new friends I made over the last year once mentioned that she loves going out to do various activities because she appreciates the chance to make new friends. I couldn't agree with her more! Even though I stop sometimes and feel overwhelmingly thankful for not only an amazing and supportive family but a network of friends old and new, near and far, I can't help but smile at the fact that just around the bend, God will continue to bring these wonderful individuals into my life. So to each and every one of you who appreciate me for me and who give me the chance to appreciate who you are too (you all know who you are), thank you! I celebrate our friendship.

Shining Brightly

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but this year Spring seems to have been a long time coming. It's been a long winter filled with lots of snow and chilly temperatures. However, the warmer temperatures last week and the beautiful sunlight lifted the spirits of everyone I encountered. I love how much the warm rays makes me feel so incredibly happy and carefree. Thoughts of long summer days outdoors are already floating around in my head!

Just as much as beautiful weather and sun make a difference in my attitude and approach to my daily activities, I find that we can easily apply this to our interactions with the people whose paths we cross each day. Has someone ever given you a compliment or positive comment that made you light up inside? Or perhaps you've gone out of your way to do something especially kind for a friend or stranger and found what an impact it made. It's so simple, yet it has such an amazing effect on everyone involved. As Spring draws near, why not focus on being a ray of sunshine in the lives of others?

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

Live Like You Were...Alive!

Only a few years ago, Tim McGraw topped the charts with his song "Live Like You Were Dying." Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman portrayed two men experiencing thrilling life experiences in the movie "The Bucket List." Similarly, Mandy Moore introduced the idea of a list of experiences to check off during her lifetime in "A Walk to Remember." Of course, I can't fail to mention the well-known Latin phrase, "Carpe diem." Not only our current culture but generations and civilizations have passed along this piece of advice. Seize the day. Live life to the fullest. Don't take any day for granted, but live each day as if it were your last. Why is it, then, that we spout this idea in music, movies, and in the spoken or written word but fail to put it into practice? As a recent college graduate and new inductee into this thing we like to call "the real world," I think I have discovered one resounding answer: daily life. It's so easy to get caught up into our daily routines, our jobs, our responsibilities, and prior commitments. I will be the first to admit that I take my responsibilities seriously and wish to be successful at those things I do. In fact, I believe that this is a necessity in order to be a productive citizen and individual. Nonetheless, as another birthday rolls around, I take into account that I have reached yet another year and that my personal life list/bucket list remains rather lengthy.

Flipping to the other side of the coin, being a recent college graduate has afforded me the chance to begin a new chapter in my life and embrace a whole new set of experiences. During the past months, I have settled into a new city, added so many wonderful individuals into my circle of friends, started my career, embraced a new church family, and picked up a handful of new hobbies. One thing I have learned is that new experiences are exciting yet frightening at the same time. Perhaps this double edge sword is what draws us to add these thrilling ideas to our own life lists in the first place. I have discovered, however, that the enjoyment it has brought to my life was well worth the initial discomfort or uneasiness I might have felt. It seems to me that life would be terribly boring if we are only complacent and never take the step to make our hopes, dreams, and wishes a reality.

In a recent conversation with a friend, I similarly discussed the importance of this season in our lives as a defining period of who I will become. Just as it is easy to say that you'll begin the hobby you've always wanted tomorrow or will step out of your comfort zone next week, it's equally more comfortable to say you'll just wait until tomorrow to become the person you truly wish to be. I choose now, this very day and moment, to take the next step in continuing to become a woman I'm proud of. If I know that I want to known as a loving Christian, friend, daughter, teacher, coworker, etc, who makes a difference in the lives of others, then I must make every day count beginning with this one. No matter who you are or where you've been, God showers us with grace and lets us each make a new beginning in Him. Yet again, I stand in awe of my wonderful Savior!

Tim McGraw sang the words, "Live like you were dying." I love his music, but I'm going to have to disagree with his lyrics on this occasion. When I look back on my life someday, I don't want to say that I lived as if I were dying. Why wait until the end when you can begin now? Instead, I want to know that I woke up each day and lived like I was really alive! And as for that life list, hopefully I will have taken care of that each and every step along the way.

Until next time......carpe diem!