A Brand New Day

It's been a while since my last post, disappointing. But I have been so consumed with studying for the GRE that everything got put on hold.  Unfortunately...I need to take the GRE again. As much as I didn't want to have to take it again, I ran out of time on both sections of the test which is where I lost most of my points. I'll admit that the second I walked out of the testing room, I was overcome with emotion and tears. I was so upset that I had devoted so much of my time to studying and did worse than I had done on practice tests. I was ashamed and embarrassed which is why I'm surprised I'm even blogging about it. But there is a reason why I am. This came to me through a song by Joshua Radin called "Brand New Day", in it he sings:

"It's a brand new day, the sun is shining, it's a brand new day. For the first time in such a long long time, I know, I'll be ok." 

These lyrics made me think about something my dad has told me my entire life and another thing he recently told me. He's always said that life is hard. Of course, nobody wants to hear that, but it's the truth. And during one of those recent hard parts of life, he opened my eyes to something that has been in front of me all along. He said, "No matter what I've faced in life, it doesn't matter because I am thankful to wake up everyday and see the sun shining."
The thought is so simple, yet so profound because many of us don't take notice to the sight of a brand new day. We know the sun will rise and expect it to, but we don't seem to realize what it signifies.
It's easy to get lost in our troubles and problems and want to give up, but it's also easy to remind ourselves that the sun will always rise on a new day. As much as I would love to give up at times and crawl into a hole, I am thankful that I have people and things in my life that keep me going. It makes me take a step back and look at some of the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for:
  

• The beautiful weather of Utah, although it is unpredictable, it sure is one of a kind.
• My dad, and my mom who are always there to give me great advice and shed light on the dark parts of life.
• My amazing friends who I can always turn to.
• The strength the Lord gives me every day to face life's opportunities, trials and blessings. 
• My internship that brings new experiences every day and helps me grow by teaching me so much.
• The talent of singers and songwriters who create amazing music that makes life happier and a little easier.
• Books, they allow me to broaden my knowledge and escape into a world of any kind.
• Technology, it connects me with all my friends and helps to open doors for great opportunities.  
• And I am thankful for SO MUCH MORE! But the thing that I am most thankful for, is the fact that I can experience these little lessons of life and enjoy the sun shining on a brand new day.

Oh, and as for my GRE. My amazing father told me to forget about what happened and try again because there is no reason for me to give up. I have the chance to take it again, so I should because I should never give up. He said that once I have my degree, nobody is going to ask how many times I took the GRE. Sometimes I think my dad is the smartest man in the world :) I love you mom and dad! xoxo

Don't worry, be happy

"The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future"

-Audrey Hepburn

This is one of my favorite quotes because I can deeply relate to it. Recently I have realized that life has been somewhat of a roller coaster. I'm sure many will agree with me when I say that just as great as one day can be, the next day can be a complete 360. When life is good, everything is great! But what do we consider good? Maybe you got out of a speeding ticket, had a romantic day with your crush or you were able to relax after a long week. Whatever your reason is, it doesn't seem to matter because everything is good. But what about those not so good days? Sometimes it's hard to even realize why one day has drastically changed the perfect pattern you had. We may blame it on a bad grade we recieved, being late or on that boy who never called. Whatever we blame it on, I've realized that they all have one thing in common, worrying.

The definition of worry:  a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems.

In my life I've noticed that my dimmer days have been shadowed by worrying. It's something that we all do. We worry about whether we will have a job, how to pay the bills, how we look, what to have for lunch, if our relationships will withstand the test of time and much more. But if you look back at this list, you will notice that many of those things have to do with the future.

We tend to worry about the future because we are uncertain about it. We don't know what to expect, and since our lives have always revolved around planning, we end up driving ourselves crazy. 

Now it's easy to say don't worry, be happy. But I've recognized that when I stop worrying, everything is back to being great! It doesn't take a single incident to make your day or your life great because life is good on it's own, but we tend to forget that when we start worrying about the little things or the big things that haven't even occurred yet. So how can we break the natural tendency we have to worry? 

I think its best to reverse the root of the problem. When you worry your mind is filled with racing thoughts. So clear your mind whether it is through exercise, meditation, or writing. I myself have a little combination. When my mind is racing to the point where I can't even distinguish my thoughts, I go running. After I have released that anxiety, I write my problems. Of course, the cure to worrying will be different for every one, but I've found that writing my problems down puts them on a piece of paper and out of my mind. 

It's so much more fun to enjoy the good things in life and live day by day in the present. Especially since when we look back into the past we realize that even when we thought it wouldn't get better, it did and life was good once again. When we worry about the things that have not arrived yet it causes us to forget about the present good. So my word of advice to myself and to you is: DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY. It may seem too simple to be possible, but give it a try and see how you feel!