Saturday, November 7, 2009

Quotes!!

I am one of those people who just loves quotes. I'm not real sure why, but sometimes other people can sum up things better than I can or the quotes are just witty and memorable. But either way, quotes from movies, books, and just life in general define my life. So I'm going to share some of my favorites. Some are from books and movies and some are just from my life, which sometimes is far from ordinary..thanks to my random array of friends. (:

"Burnt popcorn is g-ross. Just like boys and warm apple juice."-My niece, 7, wise beyond her years
"Remember this, the woman came out of a man's rib. Not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal. Under his arm to be protected, and next to his heart to be loved..."-Aaaaaaw <3
"When it comes down to it, let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them anyway."-Marilyn Monroe
"If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything."-Marilyn Monroe
"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful"-Mae West
"To err is human, but it feels divine"-Mae West
"Imagination is more important than knowledge"-Albert Einstein
"Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion"-Dolly Parton from Steel Magnolias
"I'd rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special"-Julia Roberts from Steel Magnolias
"I'm looking for a dare to be great situation."-Say Anything
"You're not a guy. The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don't just be a guy"-Say Anything

Yes Si Oui II

Ok, so to continue on with the "Yes Man."

One of the things the book I talked about last time touches on is positive thinking. If you have positive thoughts over and over then your thought will actually BE. I'm not sure I believe this 100 percent. I mean, yes, if you are going into an unknown situation and you think positively, then it will turn out okay or you will at least be in a good mindset for it. However, it takes more than positive thinking, you also have to have positive doing. If you want your life to go a certain way, then you have to make it so. You can't just sit at home every day and say, "I'm going to a CEO someday," and then just wait for it to happen. Even if you positively think of becoming a CEO, that's not enough. You have to get out there and make it happen. And you also have to understand that these things are not immediate and will not happen over night, which, for impatient people like me, stinks.

I think a big majority of people my age and in my position (in college, soon to graduate) are concerned about what they're going to do "for the rest of their lives." I've had lots of different people tell me that what they're doing now is not what they had originally set out to be. In "The Yes Man," the main character comes across such a situation. A monk he is talking to was not always a monk, and didn't always want to be a monk. He first studied zoology, and then psychology, and then pottery, of all things, and now is in monk-dom. "It's important to have time to figure out what you're going to do. Because there are key points in life, times when one decision will affect the next twenty years of your life. And only then will you have the freedom to make another choice, which could affect the next twenty years." (pg. 289).
Which actually, when you think about it, is quite scary. The choices I'm making now, and the choices I am going to make, are going to affect the rest of my life. If I screw up, does that mean the rest of my life is going to be screwed up too? Or will it just make my path more difficult? If I have a tiny misstep, will the things I want never happen or will I just have to wait longer? And how long do I have to wait anyway..I mean there are some things I've waited for and prepared for my whole life and I haven't gotten them yet and other people who don't even care if they get these things or not are getting them right away! I'm sure this means that since I'm waiting so long I'll be able to appreciate them more when they finally do get here. But, quite frankly, I'd rather just have them now. (:

I just want to throw out a random quote from the book that's pretty self-explanatory: "You may find as you progress down your path to enlightenment, that you receive more help from enlightened beings. Or maybe more help from the people around you. People you wouldn't expect it from. Listen to what they tell you. Sometimes inspiration comes from the strangest places. Even the ordinary can be magical. Be open to it." (pg. 299)

The last point I'd like to touch on is one that I believe everyone has dealt with. It's far more difficult to live with the "what if" then to do something and really regret it. Everyone, at one point or another in their lives, has done something stupid. You've said the wrong thing or done something that you so should not have, but at least you can chalk it up for what it was, learn from it, and move on. But what about the what-ifs? What about the thing(s) you've passed up that could've very well been the best things in the world? The things that could've made your life easier or better, but you decided to be safe and say no? I was in a relationship that I had to end, because of lots of reasons, but it was by far the hardest decision I've ever had to make. People from the outside could see that it was not right for me. But what do they know, right? They haven't lived my life, they don't know him like I do, stuff like that. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, because I was essentially cutting a person out of my life I cared for a great deal. I felt like an awful person for doing it. I mean, if I was super-upset the whole time just thinking about then clearly I was making the wrong decision, right? If I didn't want him to not be a part of my life, then I was I doing it? I was seeing short term. I knew that short-term I was going to hurt, a lot. And I did. And even still now when memories come back, it's hard. But I know now (but still not 100 percent) that it was the right decision to make and in the long run, not only will I be better without him but I will find someone better and will want better for me than even I want. At the time, I suppose I didn't think I deserved better, but now I know that I do. Because, after all, I am a F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. Stephens Woman.
(:♥:)

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Yes Si Oui

So I recently read this book called the "Yes Man" (yes, like the movie) by Danny Wallace. It's an amazing read; very inspiring, very funny, and most importantly, honest. You can buy it here (http://www.amazon.com/Yes-Man-Danny-Wallace/dp/1416900667) or just ask me, I'll let you borrow it! (: I thought I would pull some passages from it to share on my blog. The book itself is about saying Yes more and giving everything a chance..being open minded to all the possibilities (good and bad) that life throws at us. I have learned while at Stephens that all kinds of things will happen to you, most of which you never saw coming, and they shape you into who are and who you are going to be and how you react to these things will determine how your life pans out.
No, I don't go out every weekend, because I either have homework or don't have the money and sometimes I just plain ol' do not want to go out. My weeks are hectic and busy and I don't feel like going out and pretending to have a good time around people I barely know, some of which I don't even like! But then I wonder, what am I missing out on? What would fate lead me to if I had gone out? The man in the book goes through a rough break-up and for quite awhile afterwards just wants to stay in and sulk (been there!). But then he begins to wonder, what if I never go out? What if I never have any stories to tell my children and grandchildren? What if I never have children?
"Saying yes more would get me out of this rut. It would rekindle my love for life. It would bring back the old me. The me that had died a little the day I had been dumped. I just needed a little kickstart. A little fun. A chance to live in a completely different way." So, will I say yes to more things? Yes, I think I will. Will I go out all the time, probably not. (Sorry again, VGabs) I do need to be realistic. I know if I do nothing homework-related all weekend then I will be unprepared for the week and be more stressed out instead of less.
Also, the character in the book eventually meets some monks-long story-and learns that every opportunity, good or bad, should be seen as a chance to learn. If something bad happens then sure, it sucks. But now you'll be more prepared for next time, or realize what not do next time. It's kind of like going on a date. Even if it sucks, at least you know what to do or not to do next time, that he's really not for you, and hopefully you'll have a funny story to tell your friends later. And it's not necessarily bad to reflect on these bad times, that's how you learn and how you heal from them. Don't let the past consume you, life's too short for that. "We can learn from just accepting the way we are rather than being attached to the way we'd like to be."

So there's a lot more from this book I would like to post, but that will be next week. (: Right now I have to go to class to learn how to be an awesome event planner (more awesome than I already am now, of course). I hope you enjoyed reading this and will come back to read the next one too!! :D

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Anything you can do I can do better... :P

Okay so here's the dealio. I'm supposed to write about Stephens College (of course), so this week I am going to write about why my school is better than yours. :D Now keep in mind, I love Stephens College as much as pink (I know, that's huge) so I'm not saying your school is bad, just not as fantabulous as mine! I mean, MIZZOU boys don't even know our name(s) but if they see Stephens College attire, they already think they're not good enough for us. And you know what? They're probably right. ;)

1. We have security. And no, they don't have black suits, aviators, and ear pieces (although..they should) they do have a golf cart!! (: And they're really nice, and some are cute. (Hey, I'm at an all-girl school, cut me a break!) Don't get me wrong, Stephens is quite safe, but it does get dark here and we are a haunted campus, but that's a story for another time. You can never be too careful. You just call them up, regardless of where you are on campus, and they will walk you back to your dorm building and make sure you are safely inside. Also, if you call them during the day they will let you back in your building/bedroom should you lose your keys. Which I've done..twice.

2. We have ten ideals, which at one time I had memorized. But for those of you who don't know them, here they are...
Respect
Courage
Independence
Support
Sensitivity
Responsibility
Belief
Creativity
Intelligence
Leadership
Oh, whats that? Your school doesn't have ideals? Hmm, that sucks. I suppose you don't have a hymn that talks about these said ideals. No? Man, I'm glad I don't go there.

3. Stephens College offered aviation training for women during WWII so they could become pilots. This "enabled women to move into new, dynamic roles," according to http://www.stephens.edu/stephens/history/. So, not to brag, but we probably secured America's freedom. You're welcome.

4. At most schools, students don't even know the name of their president. Our President, her name's Dianne Lynch by the way, offers students to come visit her, whenever they want, and she offers candy! She's really sweet and her love for her hubby is too adorable for words. When she speaks, it moves me, it really does. Because she understands what Stephens means to us here and since she is a mom, she can give all that motherly advice, but she can't ground you if you don't listen to her.

5. And the last reason is, I'm here. And what could POSSIBLY be better than that??
...
Ok, just humor me on this one

So thanks, once again, for reading my rambling, babbling, and just straight up talking too much, I appreciate it. :) Hopefully I'll have some awesome new stuff to talk to you about next week. Until then, remember, "Whatever doesn't kill us, makes us hotter." [:

TOODLES!!
:D :D :D

Thursday, September 10, 2009

My First Blog!!

You may be asking yourself what is a Stephens Woman? Well, I'm glad you asked! A Stephens Woman is independent and strong, we are "career-ready women of distinction, connected through a supportive network of alumnae across the world, confident in themselves, and inspired by our tradition of the Ten Ideals as core values that enrich women’s lives." So basically, we're awesome. (:
I'm also supposed to be talking about what I've learned from life as college student. So I'm going to do what I do best: make a list!
1. College is way easier than us students make it out to be. I mean, it's just class and homework, you've been doing that for at least 12 years now, you should be used to it!
2. College is WAY harder than we all think. I mean WHY do teachers give us 638967093485327 surprise assignments, due tomorrow, and a pop quiz? "This is just like the real world." Yea, I don't think so...
3. Moms are smarter than we give them credit for. Well, at least my mom is. I mean, I know she says she has eyes in the back of her head, but I really think she does.
4. You can accomplish far more than you think you can. Okay so this is me going all "deep" on everyone, but really. How many things have you done that you thought a year, a month, a DAY ago that you would never in a million years do? That's what I thought.
5. Don't procrastinate. Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of this too. This blog assignment was assigned about 10 days ago..oops. But you'll save yourself a lot of headache and worry if you just do it and don't waste time on Facebook/YouTube/Twitter. I do all of those.

So this is my blog for right now. There's way more things that I've learned, but do you really want to read them all right now? Yea, I figured as much. So, in the words of Ron Burgundy, "Stay Classy."

:D :D :D