Confidence

           Confidence is a funny thing.  Some people seem to have so much.  Other people seem to have so little.  Sometimes I think the people have a small amount of confidence should have so much because of all the wonderful things that they do. 

            Every year my school has Greek Week.  I am in sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha.  I am not the most athletic person, but neither are my sisters, which I greatly appreciate.  This year the first event was Greek Sing.  This is where the different Greek groups sing and dance to a song.  I still can’t believe did this!  I do love do dance, but getting up and preforming in front of people is not my favorite thing to do.   There were seven people in our group for this event.  The song we picked was You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift.  We acted out the song.  The song is about a girl who wants to be with a boy who is a relationship.  I played the girl who wants to be in a relationship.  In the fall my school has something called Varsity Review.  This is a talent show during homecoming, but for this performance I had my whole sorority with me.  Last year my sorority did not participate in Greek Sing, so I am really proud of my sisters for getting up and preforming.  It takes a lot of confidence to do it.  I stared at the ground the whole time, but maybe by next year I can be staring at the audience. 

Religion

         Lately I have been struggling with the idea of religion.  I am a religious person, but I just don't understand how religions call them selves when they preach hate.  I a song I really like it says in it if you preach hate the words won't be anointed.  This is how I was raised.  In church they taught me to love everyone.  My church was not a traditional church.  I guess sometimes people who claimed to be the most religious sometimes go against what they are preaching and that is something I have never understood.   In high school I was told I was going to Hell because I did not go to church.  That experience defiantly changed my opinion of religion.  At my college we are required to take a class about religon.  The class I took was World Religions.    In this class we had a discussion about what makes a person religious.    It was a very interesting discussion because some people felt that if you go to church every Sunday you are religious, but some people felt that it was the way you live your life.  In my opinion it is the second.  It may not be the same for everyone.  I guess I just feel what really matters is how you behave day to day not just one day a week.

What to do when it is Cold out

So it has been really cold here.  We are talking negative numbers.  It has been really chilly here.

Here are some ideas to do when it is cold out:

1.       Wear layers – it is too hard to look cute and be warm, so focus on being warm

2.       Wrap yourself up in a blanket when you study

3.       Work out and then take a hot shower – both are warm

4.       Dance around your room – it works

5.       Watch a movie with friends

6.       Read a book under your covers

7.       Clean up your email

8.       Organize your photos

9.       Do a craft

10.   Write letters – who doesn’t like getting a letter in the mail

11.   Listen to music

12.   Get ahead on your homework

13.   Wear fuzzy socks – your toes will be toasty

14.   Plan ahead

15.   Give a lot of hugs

Friends

This blog is going to be a little different because it is going to be in a form of a letter.  This letter is to my friends who are amazing.  In college I found friends who love me for being myself and that is a great feeling.   I college you are figuring out who you are and where you fit in this world.  These girls have helped me along the way.

Dear Friend,

You are an amazing person even on the days you don’t see it I do.   You can make me giggle even when I am in the worst of moods and usually your jokes have me laughing the rest of the day.   You have a strong sense of self, which I greatly respect.  You’re the only person who can get away with calling me by my full name besides my mom.     You taught me that worrying about what others think of you is a waste of time. 

You are friendly to everyone you meet.   You are a lot stronger than you think you are.  Every time something gets thrown at you take it with grace.   You always seem to know what I’m thinking without me even having to say it.  You share my love of children and enjoy looking at kids’ books as much as I do.   Every time I hang out with you I feel like I get to be a kid again because we both like to color and watch Disney movies.

You are my friend that reminds me of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.   When we were freshman you would always say that I was a social butterfly, I’m pretty sure now you know more people than I do.  You’re an amazing artist and I will never forget your art wall freshman year.  I felt so special when I made the wall.  You are so driven and don’t ever lose that because that is going to take you far in life.    You know your values and you stick to them.   You’re going to do something amazing with your life.

You are my sweetest friend.  You have such a kind heart.  Whenever I’m scared to do something you make sure I know it will be ok.  Right before I had to go on stage in front of the whole school you told me that you would be right next to me and that it would be ok.  You don’t know how much that meant to me I was so scared to be on stage, but after you said that I knew it would be ok.

You are going to take on the world!   You dream big and work hard.  You are a very loyal friend who always has my back.  The pictures we send to each other are priceless.  They always make me smile.  You have a heart of gold. 

Perks to Being Quiet

          This past week I have been thinking a lot about how there are different types of people.  I think in today’s society the people who are extroverts are highlighted.  Some people are really loud, while others are more reserved.  People who tend to be louder seem to sometimes think that not being as loud is problem, but actually there a lot of good things that come out of being reserved.  As my mom says if everyone was loud who would be there to listen.  I’m not saying that being loud is a bad thing because it’s not.

A lot of people seem to believe that quiet people cannot be leaders, but this not true.  Quiet people are leaders through action. Leaders who have been described as quiet include Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rosa Parks.  The people who inspire me the most take action. These three people took  a lot of action and made big changes.  Quiet people tend to know the most about what is going on.  Some of the most involved people on my campus are the quietest.  They always know what events are going on and they are happy to share their organization with you.   Quiet people tend to have a good sense of people and people’s personalities.

      Quiet people are the best listeners.  By being a good listener they are able to gain knowledge and insight from others.  I also think that people who are quieter tend to understand different people’s perspectives.  I always think it is funny when people are talking about their opinions and they assume that I have the same opinion because I was just listening to their opinion.  They know how to listen to you when you have a problem and can be the friend that is there when you just need to vent and do not want to hear anyone’s opinion.   They can also read situations really well they can tell if you are having a bad day or a great day just by looking at you.  People who are quiet tend to think through their actions before they react to something.  They are often the most thoughtful in a situation.  This can be very helpful when put in a leadership role.  Leaders need to be able to respond to situations appropriately.  People who are quieter tend to get people’s attention when they voice their opinion.  They typically do not voice their opinion often, so people listen when they say it.    

Questionnaire

So I found this questionnaire and I thought I would answer some of the questions:

1. List 3 random facts about yourself:

·         My favorite color is pink

·         I usually wake up early

·         I love to write letters

2. List 3 fears you have and why?

·         Snakes – there slimy

·         Heights – they make me nervous

·         Failure – disappointing myself

3. List 2 things you wish you could've told your 16 year old self:

·         Trying to make everyone happy is a waste of time.

·         Everyone you meet will teach you a lesson

4. What are the 3 things that make you the happiest now days?

·         My family and close friends

·         Dancing

·         Reading

5. What is the hardest thing you have had to experience?

·         Being bullied

6. What is your dream job and why?

·         To be a special education kindergarten teacher

o    Why?

§  To make a difference in children’s lives everyday

7. What are 3 passions you have?

·         Giving back to my community

·         Dancing

·         Teaching

8. List 3 people who have inspired you and why?

·         Helen Keller – she overcame many obstacles that were thrown her way and she never gave up

·         My grandmother – she is probably the happiest person I have ever met, but her life has not been easy, but somehow each day she find happiness

·         My 12^th grade English teacher – she had a way of teaching to each of her students in the best way they could learn (she could teach in different learning styles)

·         I would be a bunny because there my favorite animal

9. What are your 2 greatest accomplishments?

·         Teaching my first lesson to high school class (as a teacher)

·         Graduating high school

10. What is the 1 thing you were great at?

·         Making people smile

11. What are the 4 greatest memories from your childhood?

·         Christmas morning

·         Taking pictures on the first day of school

·         Trips to Cape Cod

·         Dance recitals

12. What are your two most favorite hobbies and why?

·         Doing community service because I think it is important to give back to your community

·         Writing letters because it is way I keep in touch with people all over the country

13. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?

·         People often think I’m quiet, but if you get to know me I actually loud.  Some of my best friends have to tell me lower my voice when I get excited.

14. What 3 things do you hope to be remembered for?

·         Making a difference in children’s lives

·          Being kind

·         A hard worker 

Things that make me happy

1.       My dog – my dog has been in my life since I was nine years old, so basically I can’t remember life before her.  Last weekend I was able to go home for the first time this school year and nothing beats the feeling when my dog greets me at the door.   She wags her tail and makes me feel like royalty.   She has her own special way of saying thank you.  Every time I take her for a walk she wags her tail in appreciation smiles at me.   She always lets me know that she is grateful that I took her on that walk and it always makes me want to do it again.

2.       Dancing – I have been dancing since I was four years old.  My favorite type of dance is ballet, but any kind of dancing is fun to me.  At my school twice a week I take a zumba class and I’m pretty sure I do not stop smiling until the class is over.  I am not a person that likes to be on stage, but the only exception to that is when I dance.

3.       Reading – I love to read.  To me reading is like taking a vacation in your mind.  You get to go somewhere new and meet new people.  My favorite kinds of books are suspenseful the ones that make you keep wanting to turn the page.

4.       Feeling tall – ok this might sound silly.  I am short.  You know when people line up to take a picture and they say all the short people in front, I’m always in the first row.   When I am with someone who is shorter than me it makes me feel less short.

5.       My family – my family is my rock.  Every time a break is coming up at school I can’t wait to go home and see my family.  My mom always makes my favorite meals when I go home.  This always makes me super happy.  I miss my mom’s cooking terribly when I’m at school.  Almost every weekend my family takes a hike and I love this it is a time when we are all together.  My brother and dad were both boy scouts, so they love the woods. 

6.       My Friends - My friends make me laugh and keep me grounded.  Sometimes they know me better than I know myself.   I live far away from home when I am at school so some of my friends I consider a second family.