My Summer So Far…

I know it’s not technically summer, but since classes have been over for awhile (maybe 2 or 3 weeks, who’s keeping count?) I feel that my summer is already under way.

What have I been doing besides wearing the same Interview outfit over the past couple of weeks? (in no particular order)

Making cheesy collages like this one…

• Decided against straightening my hair for the summer to prevent the battle against humidity
• Fell in love all over again with blogging
• Have been blessed by God beyond belief not only to be attending my dream school for Grad Studies, but to have an awesome community of people who are supporting me along the way
• Joined some other new social site where people are signing up to meet people aka Flirt: Badoo
• Also joined LinkedIn- and cringe every time I’m notified that I’m connected to someone by e-mail
• Read Animal Farm and started 50 Shades of Grey
• Have felt like I’m loosing my religion by continuing said journey through 50 Shades of Grey and since then have not read past page 125ish
• Washing my hair almost every other day (a practice I’m not used to)
• Acting kinda skankish
• Responsibly gotten my mid-yearly Status check-up
• Adopted a little sister of sorts
• Have lamented over countless hours behind my computer screen
• Experimented painting my nails in some funky summer colors
• Have contemplated doing my follow up vlog to Rejection…
• Have suffocated on humid nights trying to sleep in a room that gets no outside ventilation
• Fallen asleep late night next to my bed buddy aka my laptop
• Pondered over paying any mind to the new season of Love and Hip & Hop: Atlanta
• Found out about the political climate in certain states while performing telephone surveys- my unofficial ‘job’ of the moment
• Have set intentions to start reviewing my coursework/start refreshing my memory before Grad school begins
• Am contemplating having a quiet birthday, although I’d rather be spoiled.

As you can see, my summer so far has been filled with all kinds of trivialities. I can’t say that I want it any other way right now.

What are some habits/plans of yours that mark the official beginning of summer?

Quotable: Serve

“We can fix without serving. And we can help without serving. And we can serve without fixing or helping…fixing and helping may often be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul.” – Rachel Remen (1996)

I found this quote in one of my Communicative Disorders textbooks, and I thought it was interesting. Sometimes when people say they want to ‘help’ others, that denotes a relationship between two unequal partners (the subconscious You’re beneath me mentality). Serving is viewed as a balanced or equitable connection between individuals. In my career, I don’t want to fix or help, I want to serve. Isn’t that what God desires from us, after all?

If you’re interested in more ways to serve others, here’s a cool list of 100 Ways to Serve Others. I’ve already started with sharing books I’ve read with others (#30). It’s better than having them sit on my bookshelf, collecting dust.

What kind of things do you do to serve others?

ReTracing 2011

Reflection Question: Where did 2011 begin?

I feel like I’ve been talking about 2011 since it begun, so I’m trying not to talk myself out of this post before it even begins. In totality, 2011 has been a catalyst for change in my life. I was comfortable in the beginning of the year. At 25 years old, I had yet to experience true heartbreak, grief, loneliness, disappointment and feelings of worthlessness. The year begun with my Tia in her last month of life, loosing her courageous fight against what begun as colon cancer. I witnessed  first hand a life being depleted from a body, but was reassured in my Tia’s steadfast faith and knowledge that her body was only a temporary condition, and the spirit–eternal. In the beginning of the year I was fighting for an almost 3-year relationship that I believed would culminate in marriage. In the beginning of the year I had no idea how my publishing internships would turn into full-time work, but was holding on to the idea that writing for a living could be profitable. In the beginning of the year I learned how callous the corporate world could be, after receiving an e-mail from my boss of 5 years that I was laid off days after my Tia was laid to rest in Costa Rica. In the span of months I had lost a family member, my job, my relationship and had to physically relocate because I was living with my ex.

In the face of fight or flight– I flew. I got a one-way ticket to Costa Rica, not knowing how long I would stay or how I would pick up the pieces of my life which I clearly had no control over. Enter Globe Tracer, this blog, which was birthed out of my need to document my time in Costa Rica and lessons I learned in my recovery period, if you will. Eventually what ended up happening was those things that angered me the most– getting fired and dumped over e-mail, became those things that set things in stone for me. I know I deserved more respect than that, but how long could I stay angry at those people and expect to keep moving forward? I definitely couldn’t change what they had done, and they probably will never know how DEEP that cut me. So what could I change? To this day, I repeat this anecdote to myself on those days that unforgiveness and angering thoughts replay in my head.

Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

It’s so simple, yet, plenty of us are intoxicating ourselves daily.  Forgiveness is not an easy formula, a one-size-fits-all for every person and every situation. But acknowledging you need to forgive someone and taking the steps you need, at your pace, to DO it is imperative. More for you, than anyone else.  There is an indescrible freedom in forgiveness, if you stick with the journey. I am not at that point 100% yet, but I won’t stop until I get there…

#Godisworking,

She

7 Things I Learned from going back to School (At 26)

1. The concept of school was more appealing from a distance.
2. Nobody knows (and/or cares) how old you are.
3. Studying is painful, honed skill. It also has the word ‘dying’ in it.
4. Friend-making is harder now that you’re older and discriminant.
5. You’ll wonder if some classes should have really been called: Autodidacticism 101.
6. There will be days you also wonder if you’re the only one in the library.
7. No matter what, working towards a new goal beats the dead-end job blues.