Lesson 30: Let people know where you stand.

Sometimes I find myself compromising my values and beliefs just to spare an argument. And yes, there are some things that it is okay to compromise on. But when it comes down to it, compromising on things that are very important to you will do you nothing but harm. My most recent ex-boyfriend believed that the relationship required a physical part. And of course it does...but not to the extreme that he wanted to take it. I believe that people should wait until they are sure that they want to move forward emotionally before they take any physical steps. At first it wasn't much of a problem, but as the relationship progressed it became the topic of most of our arguments. Soon we couldn't go through a whole day without arguing about this. And that would lead to bigger problems. Eventually, we ended it because out differences were too great.


All I'm saying is that compromising on the beliefs that are most dear to you is...bad. So stand up for what you believe in and more importantly, know what you believe in(:

"We see the world not as it is, but as we are."

Lesson 29: Become more aware.


So this past semester I took a class called Social Change. I thought it was going to be ridiculously boring and depressing because we had to discuss the current economic crisis. I wasn't prepared for it to be the most informational and life-changing class I've ever been a part of. 


What I learned:
1. [www.nationmaster.com]- Go here to see exactly how wasteful and well off Americans really are. It will really shock you.
2. Local. This word means nothing to most of us. But it should. Shopping local, eating local, buying local. All of these things can make your community a better place to live. And it can help the people who live right there in your area make a living.
3. Stop driving those stupid, gas-guzzling cars. This is something that annoys me to no end. Why drive a ridiculous car that gets terrible gas mileage? Why drive 20 miles to work when you could carpool or take the bus? Why drive from your dorm to the library or the store when you could walk or bike there? These extremely simple changes can make a world of difference in your community and the whole world.


I've already made the personal choice to leave my car behind when I return to college in August. It was an unnecessary possession that I feel can be easily replaced by a bicycle. Also, I've decided to attempt to stop shopping as much at places such as Walmart and Starbucks and start finding locally owned shops. Make these changes! For yourself and your community! (:

"I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating. "

Lesson 28: Don't cheat.

I'm referring to every aspect of the word. School and relationships.


1. School: Nothing bothers me more then when I work for days on a really tough assignment and then on the day it's due someone in my class leans over and whispers "Hey, can I look at yours real fast to see if I got them all right?" I want to respond with "Heck no you can't. You can kiss my booty and do your own  assignment." But of course I am way too nice to say something that mean so I just lie and say "Oh, I don't think I did it right either." Seriously guys, just do your own work. It really scares me to think that my future doctors, lawyers or nurses were once students who copied someone else's work to get the required grade. Just do it. This especially bothers me at the college level. In high school you are pretty much forced to be there so if you cheat on a really tough or pointless assignment..I'm not saying it's okay, but I do understand. But in college it's a whole new ballgame. You pay these professors to teach you and give you the knowledge to complete your degree and you are basically cheating yourself. That's really dumb. So just do your work and stop being a baby. 


2. Relationships: This is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. I've had very few honest relationships. Not on my part, but on my significant others. I hate people who think they can "have their cake and eat it too"...for lack of a better phrase. If you really want to cheat on someone....just break up with them. It's ridiculously selfish to think you should be able to do that and get away with it. I think cheaters is the main reason I have extreme trust issues. Sometimes I feel like the world has ran out of people that are willing to be honest to one another. And it drives me nuts. Just tell the truth and I'm positive you'll be MUCH happier.

NEVERSHOUTNEVER♥

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

Lesson 27: No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.


Sometimes I tend to think that other people effect how happy I am with my life. And that is totally the opposite. I am in control of my happiness completely and no matter what anyone else does, it shouldn't effect me at all. I, personally, struggle with being responsible for my own happiness 100% of the time. So yeah, be happy. For yourself and no one else(:

“Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”

Lesson 26: Be extraordinary. 

Nine tips for living an extraordinary life:
1. Approve of yourself.
2. Your limitations may just be in your mind.
3. Lighten up and have some fun.
4. Let go of anger.
5. Release yourself from entitlement.
6. If you’re taking a different path, prepare for reactions.
7. Keep your focus steadily on what you want.
8. Don’t focus so much on making yourself feel good.
9. Do what you want to do.

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

Lesson 25: Pray often.


Prayer is the most powerful thing ever. It's kind of a way of having a personal conversation with God. Sometimes I like to just sit outside and just talk to God like I was talking to my best friend. It's really nice to have someone to depend on even when it feels like the whole world has turned it's back on you. This past semester was a pretty tough one for me and I had some of the weakest moments of my entire life. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have my amazing God to turn to in my times of trouble. When I was feeling really low I would just take a walk to a more private part of campus and talk it out with God. Another thing that prayer brought me to realize is that you shouldn't ask God to do what you want with your life. Instead you should ask for His will to be done. Also bargaining with God is really silly. You can't just say "Okay God if you let me pass this test I will totally study for every other test" or "If you help my grandpa get better I will become a better Christian." It really doesn't work that way. God has a set plan for your life and you shouldn't question his intentions. I'm not completely guiltless about all of this but I'm constantly asking for God to help me be a better person for Him. 

"You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere."

Lesson 24: It's okay to be single.


So according to my dear sister Tallah, everyone should always be in a committed relationship. And for a very long time I worried that I was the weird one because I didn't always agree. I worried that I was somehow behind the loop and I would never get married. Which was absolutely ridiculous. As it turns out, I'm completely normal. I've discovered that it's okay to not be committed to one person or thing just yet. Some people see being single as a bad thing and that the individual should try to find said relationship before time ran out. Well that's just stupid. There are plenty of people out there are very happy being single and they are not concerned with finding that special someone so soon.


What I'm trying to say is, enjoy your life. When we are born, we are born alone. We live our whole lives essentially alone. And when we die, we die alone. So does it really matter in the long run? No. Of course it is nice to have a significant other to depend on but don't make finding a relationship the focus of your life. 

Like he says, substitute girlfriend if that applies to you better(: