Hey! Today's post is one I originally wrote on my other blog. It's about trying new things, even when it scares you. Read the post, and then I have a few more things to add at the end.
Hey, I know you. Yeah, I might not know you personally, but I know what you're going through. Deciding whether or not to go for it. Wondering if risk could be worth the payoff. Worrying about looking like an idiot, or failing completely, or just planing screwing up. Well, let me tell you my story.
In the spring, I had what I thought was the perfect plan for summer and fall. Me and my friend were going to be cheerleaders for my brother's football team. I had never done anything like that before, but I had talked to the coach, and there were a lot of other girls who hadn't either, so it was fine.
Now, I am super shy, and this was going to be a new group of people, none of whom I new really well, and most I didn't know at all. I never worried about that, though, because I thought my friend was going to do it with me.
After I had already mostly sighed up, I found out my friend wasn't going to do it. I totally freaked out. I didn't know what I was going to do. I was scared to try it without knowing people. The last time I had done something without knowing anybody had been 4 years ago. After talking to my parents, I decided to do it.
Now cheer season is almost over, and I am so glad I did this. It wasn't easy at first, I was in tears and almost quit before the second practice, but ultimately it has been a great experience, and I can't believe I almost missed it. You never know what you might miss if you stay in your comfort zone forever. Now, because I love lists, I'm going to give you a list of things I've learned this season.
1. Not knowing anybody else shouldn't stop you from trying something you really want to. This one was kind of the main the post, but that's because this was my biggest lesson this season. I was so scared to be there, but I went anyway and it was fine.
2. Stepping out of your comfort zone is the best thing you could ever do for yourself. It doesn't feel like it at first, but once you do it, then you open yourself up to being able to have the best experience ever.
3. The hard stuff is always worth it. Guess what? Anything good is going to have hard stuff. There were days I so didn't want to go to practice. I had to do school on Sundays for weeks because I just didn't have time to get it done. On Thursdays I had to go from straight from dance to cheer and I was exhausted those nights. But, by far, the good outweighs bad. I could go on and on about that stuff, but I don't have time right now.
To conclude, I am so blessed to have gotten to be a part this amazing team. I am so glad I stuck with it, and traveled outside my comfort zone. And you there, trying to make a decision, take courage from my story, and take a step from your comfort zone. It might just be the best step you ever take.
So, I wrote this almost two years ago, in October of 2014. The funny thing is, as I read it, is that these feelings are the same ones I have looking back at Summer Salt. I stepped way out of my comfort zone, and it was great. This isn't to say everytime you step out of your comfort zone it'll be great. I've definitely had bad experiences with some stuff, but even the bad experiences you learn from. So whether you're trying something new by yourself, or doing something that feels impossible, stay strong, and know that in the end it'll be worth it, either as a great memory, a good lesson, or both. Xoxo
Showing posts with label Conversations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conversations. Show all posts
Monday, July 11, 2016
Monday, July 4, 2016
Stop Worrying About Things That do not Affect You
Hey guys. First of all, happy fourth of July! This week I am at the beach, so this post and Wednesday's post have been written in advance. Today I want to share a post I wrote a few months ago, and posted originally as a Facebook status, as I didn't have a blog to put it on. Now I have one, and I figured I'd add it to my stuff.
I'm writing this as a blog post, but am unable to post it to my actual blog, so I figured at least posting it here will do for now.
I'm writing this mostly so I'll be able to get some sleep tonight. I kept feeling bugged after I had the idea for this post, so I figured I'd jump in and give it ago. To sum it all up before I begin: DO NOT JUDGE PEOPLE. EVER. Specifically I'm talking in this post about women/girls, and fashion/'hygiene' issues. I put that in quoted for a reason.
Earlier today a post popped up on my feed, by a woman for women, about preparing for flip flop weather. This a was a sort of harsh toned/bitingly sarcastic advice piece on what the writer deemed appropriate when wearing flip flops. All of these things were primarily appearance based, save two things one about noise and one jelly shoes and safety or lack thereof. I was kind of shocked after reading it, and looked in the comments to see if, surely, someone else felt a little tug of hey-maybe-this-isn't-right, but all the comments seemed to be positive. Everyone was applauding this woman for comprising this list of essentially ways she was going to be judging others this flip flop season.
This is ridiculous. We have better things to do in our lives than worry about what someone else's feet look like. I'm sorry if you have to hurt your delicate little eyes because someone's feet aren't perfect, but why do you get to say they are wrong for not hiding away their feet in big, hot tennis shoes while you parade your 'perfect' feet around? Not cool.
The thing is, there is a big difference between hygiene and appearance. Hygiene is related to health, while appearance is merely how a person is viewed. Hygiene is objective, but appearance is subjective. People like to say that if it doesn't look appealing, it can't be hygienic, but this just isn't true. Thinking like this only perpetuates judging.
And it isn't just footwear. Another reason I felt so strongly about posting this, is I have felt this kind of judging a little more personally before. I had a cheer coach who sat us all down at the beginning of the season and told us how important it was for us to shave our legs and wear at least a little makeup. She told us that not shaving our legs was disgusting and made the whole team look bad if we didn't look good. I immediately felt self conscious because this was my second year cheering, and the year before I had been totally make up free. It also made me hyper aware of and constantly comparing my legs to everyone else's, in effort to meet her approval.
Here's the deal: make up isn't hygiene related. Even shaving your legs isn't hygiene related. I realize I was on her team, and therefore I needed to submit to her standards, and I did. She was fully in the right to set those standards, as it was her team. I just don't think they should have been a thing.
One things that is talked a lot about is how teen girls, and beginning younger and younger, have severe self esteem issues. These begin by watching adults they look up saying things like what I talked about above. To help combat this, when teaching grooming skills, etc. focus on what is truly hygiene related, and let them control their appearance.
In conclusion: please don't judge other people. It's not cool. It can have lasting impacts, even when you don't realize it.
Side note: This is not an article against the lady who originally wrote that post. I Facebook stalked her a teeny bit, and she seems like a very nice lady. Nor should you think anything bad of the cheer coach I talked about. I can say with certainty that she is a wonderful person. She was awesome to work with, and I hold nothing but good feelings, truly. The examples are against the way of thinking that equates hygiene and appearance, and assumes some appearances are lesser than others. This thinking is not a new thing, but in time, perhaps it can become an extinct thing.
I hope you liked that, and learned a thing or two. I have a really great post for you on Wednesday, so check back then. Xoxo
I'm writing this as a blog post, but am unable to post it to my actual blog, so I figured at least posting it here will do for now.
I'm writing this mostly so I'll be able to get some sleep tonight. I kept feeling bugged after I had the idea for this post, so I figured I'd jump in and give it ago. To sum it all up before I begin: DO NOT JUDGE PEOPLE. EVER. Specifically I'm talking in this post about women/girls, and fashion/'hygiene' issues. I put that in quoted for a reason.
Earlier today a post popped up on my feed, by a woman for women, about preparing for flip flop weather. This a was a sort of harsh toned/bitingly sarcastic advice piece on what the writer deemed appropriate when wearing flip flops. All of these things were primarily appearance based, save two things one about noise and one jelly shoes and safety or lack thereof. I was kind of shocked after reading it, and looked in the comments to see if, surely, someone else felt a little tug of hey-maybe-this-isn't-right, but all the comments seemed to be positive. Everyone was applauding this woman for comprising this list of essentially ways she was going to be judging others this flip flop season.
This is ridiculous. We have better things to do in our lives than worry about what someone else's feet look like. I'm sorry if you have to hurt your delicate little eyes because someone's feet aren't perfect, but why do you get to say they are wrong for not hiding away their feet in big, hot tennis shoes while you parade your 'perfect' feet around? Not cool.
The thing is, there is a big difference between hygiene and appearance. Hygiene is related to health, while appearance is merely how a person is viewed. Hygiene is objective, but appearance is subjective. People like to say that if it doesn't look appealing, it can't be hygienic, but this just isn't true. Thinking like this only perpetuates judging.
And it isn't just footwear. Another reason I felt so strongly about posting this, is I have felt this kind of judging a little more personally before. I had a cheer coach who sat us all down at the beginning of the season and told us how important it was for us to shave our legs and wear at least a little makeup. She told us that not shaving our legs was disgusting and made the whole team look bad if we didn't look good. I immediately felt self conscious because this was my second year cheering, and the year before I had been totally make up free. It also made me hyper aware of and constantly comparing my legs to everyone else's, in effort to meet her approval.
Here's the deal: make up isn't hygiene related. Even shaving your legs isn't hygiene related. I realize I was on her team, and therefore I needed to submit to her standards, and I did. She was fully in the right to set those standards, as it was her team. I just don't think they should have been a thing.
One things that is talked a lot about is how teen girls, and beginning younger and younger, have severe self esteem issues. These begin by watching adults they look up saying things like what I talked about above. To help combat this, when teaching grooming skills, etc. focus on what is truly hygiene related, and let them control their appearance.
In conclusion: please don't judge other people. It's not cool. It can have lasting impacts, even when you don't realize it.
Side note: This is not an article against the lady who originally wrote that post. I Facebook stalked her a teeny bit, and she seems like a very nice lady. Nor should you think anything bad of the cheer coach I talked about. I can say with certainty that she is a wonderful person. She was awesome to work with, and I hold nothing but good feelings, truly. The examples are against the way of thinking that equates hygiene and appearance, and assumes some appearances are lesser than others. This thinking is not a new thing, but in time, perhaps it can become an extinct thing.
I hope you liked that, and learned a thing or two. I have a really great post for you on Wednesday, so check back then. Xoxo
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Lessons from Summer Salt
Today's post is about some of the things I learned at Summer Salt. Some of them are serious, some silly, and some somewhere in between. I'll just jump right into it all.
1. The appropriate amount of water you should be drinking is, and I quote, from one of the chaperones, "Drink it until you feel like you'll throw up of you drink anymore." She also said, "I'd rather you drink the water and throw it back up than not drink anything." The irony in this is I am very emetaphobic, (meaning scared of throwing up, or of other people throwing up. I personally am more freaked by other people doing it than myself, but still, being away from home I was definitely trying to avoid it as hard as I could) and when I told my sister what she had said my sister just laughed.
2. I have amazing friends. I talked about this last week, but its worth mentioning again. :)
3. I need to work on keeping my head and heart connected. This is something I've struggled with this past year, in that I know all the answers to questions about Jesus, but I don't always take those things to heart. This is one thing I'm going to be working on, reminding myself to make that connection.
4. I am not a person who will just eat whatever if I'm hungry enough. I am a person who will hold out and refuse to eat if I don't think I can eat it. I think this goes back to the emetaphobia thing, because I'm paranoid about eating something and it making me sick, so if it doesn't taste good, my body automatically decides the food is bad, and I won't eat it.
5. Biology's got nothing on God. This is something I've always known, but I got to see it in action Thursday. Thursday morning I woke up with a stomach that didn't feel 100%. I wasn't able to eat anything for breakfast, and I only drank 1 little water bottle. I had to go to the ropes course that morning right after assembly, and I was scared I wouldn't make it, as I hadn't eaten anything, but I didn't want to tell anyone, because both other days I had missed different stuff because I felt sick. I was worried they wouldn't believe me or would be annoyed that I was complaining again. So I sucked it up, and went on the ropes course, and was totally fine. I did end up feeling bad later, but by that time it was free time and I was able to go back to my room and rest. By supper I was able to eat and was back to normal.
6. Along with the ropes course, I learned I am not at all scared of the actual ropes course. I am, however, incredibly uncomfortable and anxious around other people, specifically crying, terrified ones who I just met.
7. My story isn't my story, its His story of His work through my life. This is something that I wrote down during one of the sermons. I'm trying to keep this in mind when I blog about stuff, because really, my life isn't about me, its about Him.
8. If something won't fit in a bag, don't force it in and hope it stays. Find a new way to carry it. Otherwise, you *might* end up losing your wallet. This is especially bad if you have stored >20$, your meal card, and room key in that wallet. Don't ask how I know this. (and if you do lose it, pray someone turns it in, with everything perfectly intact, and it all ends ok)
9. Finally, you can stack buttered bee bees for an hour. This is something that my grandfather used to say all the time, and I really love it. It means that you can do anything as long as there is a definite ending time. On the hardest days, when I was tired and ready to be done, I just kept repeating that in my head.
So those were some of the lessons I learned at Summer Salt. I'm so glad I went, and I'm hoping I can go back next year. :) Xoxo
1. The appropriate amount of water you should be drinking is, and I quote, from one of the chaperones, "Drink it until you feel like you'll throw up of you drink anymore." She also said, "I'd rather you drink the water and throw it back up than not drink anything." The irony in this is I am very emetaphobic, (meaning scared of throwing up, or of other people throwing up. I personally am more freaked by other people doing it than myself, but still, being away from home I was definitely trying to avoid it as hard as I could) and when I told my sister what she had said my sister just laughed.
2. I have amazing friends. I talked about this last week, but its worth mentioning again. :)
3. I need to work on keeping my head and heart connected. This is something I've struggled with this past year, in that I know all the answers to questions about Jesus, but I don't always take those things to heart. This is one thing I'm going to be working on, reminding myself to make that connection.
4. I am not a person who will just eat whatever if I'm hungry enough. I am a person who will hold out and refuse to eat if I don't think I can eat it. I think this goes back to the emetaphobia thing, because I'm paranoid about eating something and it making me sick, so if it doesn't taste good, my body automatically decides the food is bad, and I won't eat it.
5. Biology's got nothing on God. This is something I've always known, but I got to see it in action Thursday. Thursday morning I woke up with a stomach that didn't feel 100%. I wasn't able to eat anything for breakfast, and I only drank 1 little water bottle. I had to go to the ropes course that morning right after assembly, and I was scared I wouldn't make it, as I hadn't eaten anything, but I didn't want to tell anyone, because both other days I had missed different stuff because I felt sick. I was worried they wouldn't believe me or would be annoyed that I was complaining again. So I sucked it up, and went on the ropes course, and was totally fine. I did end up feeling bad later, but by that time it was free time and I was able to go back to my room and rest. By supper I was able to eat and was back to normal.
6. Along with the ropes course, I learned I am not at all scared of the actual ropes course. I am, however, incredibly uncomfortable and anxious around other people, specifically crying, terrified ones who I just met.
7. My story isn't my story, its His story of His work through my life. This is something that I wrote down during one of the sermons. I'm trying to keep this in mind when I blog about stuff, because really, my life isn't about me, its about Him.
8. If something won't fit in a bag, don't force it in and hope it stays. Find a new way to carry it. Otherwise, you *might* end up losing your wallet. This is especially bad if you have stored >20$, your meal card, and room key in that wallet. Don't ask how I know this. (and if you do lose it, pray someone turns it in, with everything perfectly intact, and it all ends ok)
9. Finally, you can stack buttered bee bees for an hour. This is something that my grandfather used to say all the time, and I really love it. It means that you can do anything as long as there is a definite ending time. On the hardest days, when I was tired and ready to be done, I just kept repeating that in my head.
So those were some of the lessons I learned at Summer Salt. I'm so glad I went, and I'm hoping I can go back next year. :) Xoxo
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Mid-Week Crash, a Lesson from Summer Salt, and Why I'm not Ready to Turn 17
Hey everybody. Today is Wednesday, and I'm kinda done. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. Camp every morning is taking more out of me then I originally thought. I'm glad its in the morning, and I can give the girls the best part of my day, before exhaustion sets in. This time last week I crashed too. I started feeling dizzy and sick in the afternoon, and ended up spending about an hour resting in the cool, dark room sipping water. Its funny, because, during the school year, Wednesdays are one of my favorite days. I go to youth group with my sister and bestfriends, so I look forward all week to that. But in summer, Wednesday's are the dead middle, right when I'm exhausted from climbing up the hill. Tomorrow I'll start heading down the hill, and it'll get easier. (finger crossed ;)
Next week I'm planning to go into more detail about stuff I learned at Summer Salt, but I want to give you a little piece of that this week. I learned how to trust people a little more. A part of my anxiety surrounding social relationships is the fact that, starting in 6th grade, I can name at least two people who let me down and left. Not to mention people who moved, or changed schools and I didn't get to see nearly as much. It's taken a long time to find people who get me, and I'm terrified I'm going to lose them. Every weird thing I do I worry will be the thing that causes them to change their minds. But, my friends who came to Summer Salt with me were amazing. On Tuesday, I had a panic attack. I won't go into details, mainly because it would take to long and I'm not sure I could explain it anyway, but it ended with me going to down to find my friend, and upon finding her dissolving into tears. She was the most amazing person ever in that moment. She stayed calm, and eventually I settled down and was fine. That was the only panic attack I had all week. The chaperones with our group were also really nice about when we told what had happened and why I was with the wrong group. Same for my Bible study leader when we told her. And I say we because my friends stayed with me when I told people. The whole week, I felt like I had people on my team. That's a relatively new feeling, but a pretty great one.
Finally, I realized yesterday I would turn 17 in just a month, and I am definitely not ready. My birthday is two days removed from the day my grandfather passed away last year. He was in an accident the 17th, I turned 16 the 21rst, and he died the 23rd. I'm celebrating my birthday in August this year, and a part of me wishes I could change it all together. I don't want to turn 17 yet, especially not then. But I can't do anything, so I take a deep breath and life goes on.
That's it for today. Sorry if it was kinda rambling. I just wanted to talk at you for a bit, instead of having an actual post. Next week I'll have my act together a bit better. :) Xoxo
Next week I'm planning to go into more detail about stuff I learned at Summer Salt, but I want to give you a little piece of that this week. I learned how to trust people a little more. A part of my anxiety surrounding social relationships is the fact that, starting in 6th grade, I can name at least two people who let me down and left. Not to mention people who moved, or changed schools and I didn't get to see nearly as much. It's taken a long time to find people who get me, and I'm terrified I'm going to lose them. Every weird thing I do I worry will be the thing that causes them to change their minds. But, my friends who came to Summer Salt with me were amazing. On Tuesday, I had a panic attack. I won't go into details, mainly because it would take to long and I'm not sure I could explain it anyway, but it ended with me going to down to find my friend, and upon finding her dissolving into tears. She was the most amazing person ever in that moment. She stayed calm, and eventually I settled down and was fine. That was the only panic attack I had all week. The chaperones with our group were also really nice about when we told what had happened and why I was with the wrong group. Same for my Bible study leader when we told her. And I say we because my friends stayed with me when I told people. The whole week, I felt like I had people on my team. That's a relatively new feeling, but a pretty great one.
Finally, I realized yesterday I would turn 17 in just a month, and I am definitely not ready. My birthday is two days removed from the day my grandfather passed away last year. He was in an accident the 17th, I turned 16 the 21rst, and he died the 23rd. I'm celebrating my birthday in August this year, and a part of me wishes I could change it all together. I don't want to turn 17 yet, especially not then. But I can't do anything, so I take a deep breath and life goes on.
That's it for today. Sorry if it was kinda rambling. I just wanted to talk at you for a bit, instead of having an actual post. Next week I'll have my act together a bit better. :) Xoxo
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