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Life’s swimmingly.

August 27, 2015
A101, Post-Grad
1 Comment

You know when you’ve had almost 200g 400g of coffee and it’s finally kicking in, so you feel compelled to write a blog post about life?

This is most definitely a stream of [coffee-induced] consciousness, inspired by the hilarious Grace Helbig.

Life has been going swimmingly. Sort of, I really just wanted to type the word. I mean, what does that word even mean by definition? The connotation suggests that life has been going great, which is sort of true. I really can’t complain. After having a conversation with a friend who teaches inner city kids, bilingually– I feel like I can’t/shouldn’t complain for the rest of my life. So Christina, if you read this- it’s actually inspired by you and your class.

We take life for granted, everyday. Every. damn. day. And it’s really hard not to do so. Because we get tunnel vision, and we only see what we want…and it’s never enough. We’re hungry, we’re selfish and above all, we’re greedy. We don’t have enough of X, we need to get rid of X or we don’t have X. In reality, we have so much. In reality, it’s arguable that we have too much. I’m sitting on my chair, typing on my computer. I get to work from home. I have a job and I have a home. I have two chalkboards that are pretty freaking cool to write on. What is there to complain about? What more is there for me to “need?” It’s easy to come up with things. It’s difficult to take solace with what we have, which at most times is more than enough.

So what’s the point of this post? There should always be a point, I’m told. Life has been going swimmingly, although sometimes shitty, but I’m going to keep telling myself, “swimmingly, swimmingly, not shitty.”

Life is going swimmingly.

A101: Don’t “fake it ’til you make it”, “fake it ’til you become it”

February 18, 2013
A101, General
3 Comments

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A101 (def): Tips on life taught by yours truly in hopes that maybe you can relate, share your story with me, and take something away from this. Not that I think I have some sort of God-given right to do so… I’m just hoping someone can relate and feel less alone in whatever situation they may be in. It really is a dream of mine to teach a class called “A101.” Ask Hannah.

I say “fake it ’til you make it” all of the time, but now I know that I’m wrong.

What? I’m wrong about something? That’s a first.

Just kidding, I’m only human. Humans can be wrong (even me). I do say “fake it ’til you make it” a lot though and here’s why: mostly because I like to kid around, but I did feel this strong belief toward it. Now I’m not advocating being a fake by any means but I think that sometimes we are our own person to our fullest potential…behind closed doors… or in the comfort of our home… or just around our friends. We only reveal our best selves in front of people we feel comfortable around and to everyone else we fake being a person of lesser potential…I do it sometimes. I do it a lot when I feel intimidated- like in an interview or talking to a professor, even when I meet new people.

When I evaluate myself after an interview, I sometimes think, “Man, I didn’t get to say _____ because I was feeling so nervous and now they won’t know I’m amazing and I deserve this job.” I am sure that I am not alone feeling this. It’s that post-first-impression-dissonance-type feeling. You wish you could take that moment back, rewind, and do it again. There’s a french word that I read in Seth Godin’s Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? that describes the feeling you get when you come up with something clever but only after the fact. (I obviously haven’t learn my lesson to write things down.)

Then I watched this: http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html

Here’s the thing: I love nonverbals and this video is all about that. I love reading them, I love learning about them, I basically geeked out the whole time I was watching this. If you have 20 minutes of free time and if you’re reading my blog, you do, watch it! Nonverbals matter. When Amy Cuddy mentioned “Fake it ’til you make it,” that only furthered my geeking out. But I also had a realization and came to agree with her when she said, “you shouldn’t fake it ’til you make it…you fake it ’til you become it.”

Now what I think she meant by this is what I was talking about above. We are incredible human beings but for some reason cower in these “low power positions” when we should really be posing like Wonder Woman, defeating job interviews and social situations with our best selves (you kind of have to watch the video to know what this means…). Study shows people who did these “high power poses” were willing to take more risks, had more testosterone, and less cortisol (stress hormone). Fake it ’til you become your best self, because when we do that, we are present, we are authentic, etc. Next time I go into a job interview, I will be doing the Wonder Woman pose in the bathroom so don’t be taken aback if you see me!

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Found this on my jog on Saturday | What’s stopping you?

Seriously, watch the video, it’s fascinating.

 

A101: Do Things Alone

December 26, 2012
A101, General
11 Comments

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A101 (def): Tips on life taught by yours truly in hopes that maybe you can relate, share your story with me, and take something away from this. Not that I think I have some sort of God-given right to do so… I’m just hoping someone can relate and feel less alone in whatever situation they may be in. It really is a dream of mine to teach a class called “A101.” Ask Hannah.

A101 Topic #2: Do Things Alone.
Maybe it’s because I am a bit of an introvert (or more than I like to admit) or maybe the chance of enjoying things done by yourself is so high it’s scary. It scared me, at first anyway. But now I take solace in going to the grocery store by myself and it’s not only because grocery stores are my pseudo-sanctuary. I then started to go shopping by myself at the mall and it’s a different kind of fun. I love my friends and family. I would go shopping with them in a flash to help them choose a dress/button-up or see how things fit but there is a peace in the time spent alone.

I understand though, it’s nice to go with a person to things. But just once, do something you’d do with a friend, but do it alone. A few weeks ago I went to the movies for the first time by myself and I have to tell you: it was weird. Granted, there was only two other people there but they were an older couple and I don’t know, I felt weird. But here’s the thing: that’s normal! Feel weird but just embrace it. It’s a lot easier that way. And you’ll thank yourself later…I think. -shrug- Who am I to know and tell?

Here’s what I’ve gathered:
– Going on bike rides with friends is fun. Go by yourself too, it’s freeing.
– Going to an exercise class with friends is motivating. Go by yourself, you don’t know anyone so there is none of that “judgment cloud” hovering over you…or is that just me?
– Going to a concert with friends is fun, but is it more fun than going alone? I think it depends but I always tell people to go to a show by themselves at least once, it’s different for sure. I’ve got a couple of stories about it.

Here are some things I need to/want to do alone but haven’t yet:
– Eat at a fancy restaurant alone (I’ve eaten at WF alone plenty, it’s a wonderful place for people watching)
– Go to an exercise class by myself, whoops, I feel like there’s a judgment cloud either way
– I’m sure you’ve seen this video, but if you haven’t click here

Have you done something alone and have a observation about it? Let’s talk.

A101: Go for it.

November 28, 2012
A101, General
1 Comment

 A101 (def): Tips on life taught by yours truly in hopes that maybe you can relate, share your story with me, and take something away from this. Not that I think I have some sort of God-given right to do so… I’m just hoping someone can relate and feel less alone in whatever situation they may be in. It really is a dream of mine to teach a class called “A101.” Ask Hannah.

A101 Topic #1: Go for it.
I don’t know how I get myself into things sometimes. It could be intrinsic force or incentive or plain stupidity- whatever it is and it could be a combination of all 3, I go for things that I feel immediate remorse right afterward. I tend to ask myself, “Should I really do X?” I do think about it, don’t get me wrong. I weigh pro’s and con’s, I ask for opinions on lots of occasions but in the end…I go for it. And I think that sometimes that’s what I have to do.

Like right now, I didn’t think I was ever going to share my “A101” idea with anyone aside from Hannah and a handful of others I so insistently told needed this “class” of mine…but I’m just going for it.

Here are some other situations but not limited to:

  • Answering a Twitter post and getting to work with Warby Parker 
  • Making a YouTube video asking for donations to raise money for Invisible Children and in exchange cutting 6” of my hair
  • Getting in front of people I didn’t know, talking about IC, and asking for donations afterward
  • Applying to a lot of things that were random from Facebook posts like Railroad Revival Tour, Austin Restaurant Week, and others. Got rejected but I tried!
  • Telling someone I didn’t know that I like their bicycle frame on campus
  • Putting aside my pride and asking faculty for help around campus. I got confused with SZB and GSB buildings
  • Going on a bike ride with my brother when he’s in town, hating myself because it was physically challenging, but in the end knew it was worth it

Here’s the thing: Put yourself out there. Go for it. In the times you regret it, you’ll forget it, but the times they pay off? From experience, you will remember it forever. 

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