Truthful Talks

Happy Friday everyone! Today marks the one week period that I have gone without social media (besides Facebook & Pinterest). I can honestly say that it has been so refreshing to not constantly be scrolling through my feeds and comparing myself to others. This past week I've focused on doing things that I love and enjoy. I've made a dent in the crazy puzzle I'm working on, I've made progress in my book, I've been more productive when it comes to schoolwork, and I've taken time to meditate and work out more. Without notifications constantly popping up on my phone and the temptation of clicking the apps on my phone, I have significantly reduced the time I spend on my phone. At some times during this past week I did get curious about what I was "missing" on social media, but after thinking logically, I'm not missing much. If I am wondering what a friend is up to, I can just text or call them, I don't need to scroll through their instagram or ...

For months I've been toying with the idea of ridding my use of social media, but for some reason I could never bring myself to do so. I thought that this year I would give it up for Lent, but as my friend said today, "you should give it up when you're ready." And I'm ready. In today's day and age, my generation is so caught up in social media it's unhealthy. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, VSCO, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. have taken over our lives. We spend hours on end each day scrolling through feeds, comparing ourselves to others, trying to make our lives look perfect. Social media has created a world in which we seek each others approval and try to fit into a mold that we've created. Although there are positive aspects of social media, personally, the negatives tend to outweigh those. Scrolling through Instagram I see pictures of beauty and fitness gurus, celebrities, and even my friends who post "perfect" pictures that get hundred or thous...

As I prepare to head into my fourth week at my new university, I am filled with ease. The first week was hard and I didn't think I would be able to get through it. I doubted myself and my ability to go to college, I wondered if I had made the right decision, and I cried over the change that I had taken on. But now I am content, I am happy, and I know I can do this. Jumping back into the college scene was hard after being out of it for two months. Adjusting to change doesn't come easily to me. But as many people told me that week, it takes time. And they were right. Some things will come easier than others and some will take longer than others, but as long as you stay hopeful and have faith, everything will be okay. For me, it took three weeks before I finally settled into the routine of going to school, going to work, and driving back and forth. But within those three weeks, I slowly regained confidence in myself, my decisions, and my happiness. Thank you to all the family ...

I woke up this morning to the realization that today I started college again. It had been two months since I had left my first university, two months that I was home, two months that I wasn't in school, two months that I had been purely happy. As I lay in bed preparing myself for the day ahead, I wondered if I was ready to get back to reality, to go back to being a college student, to go to classes and have homework, to put myself back into the college scene. At that moment my answer was yes. I had been going to work regularly and hanging out with friends occasionally, but I often found myself bored at home, so I was ready for a new routine. Dressed and ready for my first class at 11am, I departed my house and drove to campus. I navigated my way through the building and found my classroom. Taking a seat in the front of the class, I pulled out my notebook and planner and waited for the class to start. People filed in and I snuck quick glances around the room, looking at my class...

There isn't a more rewarding feeling than making someone else happy. It's not about the smile that emerges onto their face or the words of appreciation spoken afterwards. It's about the happiness and fullness that takes over YOU when you see the smile and hear the appreciation. Choosing to be selfless can be shown in many different ways. It could be buying someone a gift because they're having a hard day, asking someone if they want to talk, performing random acts of kindness, volunteering within your community, treating others the way you want to be treated, or even just having patience. In the society that we live in today, selflessness is hard to come by. But it only takes one wave or hello in the grocery store to start a chain reaction. As cliche as that sounds, it's true. Instead of feeding off of negative energy, we need to start feeding off of the positives. If someone does something nice for you, take that appreciation and gratitude that you feel and...

Everyone has those days where life is either super hectic or there's nothing going on, and that's okay. It starts to become a problem when every day of the week is super hectic and you never have time to breathe, or if you sit around all day every day watching netflix in bed and don't do anything productive. Balance is key if you want a healthy and happy life. It can be easy to take too many things on, saying yes every time someone asks for help or wants to do something with you. You don't want to let people down or seem rude. The thing that not many people recognize is that it's perfectly okay to say no. Sometimes saying no is the best thing to do for you. But you shouldn't be saying no to everything either. Everyone needs the appropriate balance of having things to do and having time for yourself. Life is a balancing act and the balance will differ for each person. Some need less down time while others need more in order to center themselves and relax....