Hope and Perspective

Today I’m looking at things from a different perspective and a perspective of two people rather than one. I’m spending the day with a wonderful friend of mine and she’s a huge inspiration for me. We can talk about personal things and trust each other. We can confide in each other. We are a good influence to each other and she’s considering starting a blog. So today, I want to invite her to share a bit of her thoughts as a spark for her journey towards happiness in life…

“So I feel like Carrie from Sex and the City… Typing on the computer, having coffee, and enjoying a rainy afternoon. This is my first blog experience but here goes!

Today Marcella and I were blessed enough to get a girl’s day and spend the afternoon together. I feel like life has been so hard lately, but seeing her and just spending time with her reminds me that there is more to life than what I am seeing. Sometimes I feel sad and sometimes I feel depressed and sometimes I feel like there is no end in sight to the marathon that I am running. Being pulled in fifty directions is not fun. When I went to pick up Marcella today, she was so so happy and we were able to just sit and laugh and not worry about anything. I learned that I need to make more time in my life for friends like her. Worry is the enemy of happiness. When we let go of that worry, things seem less of a disaster and we can begin to heal and put our life back together. Priorities for work or school or working out or whatever are great, but when you have no friends to enjoy it with or to hope for a new day, life can be about as dull as a pencil that’s written a 10 page essay. So now I guess that I just want to say: Take pride in knowing that you have friends that love you and cherish each moment with them because they can turn your whole day around. Have your priorities in line, but keep in perspective what is important- I mean REALLY important in life. Those that you meet will guide you along the journey to happiness.” -Angelique

So there you have it. A new spark has been born and I feel like this is something that will hopefully help heal my wonderful friend. Because, what is the point in life if we cannot share our joy with others.

What will you do to inspire and ignite a spark in your friends?

The Message

I’m not sure what today’s message was. Today was crazy though. It was filled with anxiety, stress, frustration, confusion, conflict, some tears but I also received uplifting and wonderful words from good friends. Some great words by, Ram Dass, inspired today’s blog topic. The quote reads, “The next message you need is always right where you are.” I may be experiencing lots of emotions as I find myself, but I’m doing what I can, one step at a time and I’m looking for the message to keep me going.

So what have I learned today? I have learned that I have more bravery than I think. I have also learned that the true friends I have really care about me and understand me. They want me to feel good and happy and they will do whatever they can to help me be alright. Perhaps the message partially relates to the fact that although I feel very alone when I have panic attacks and spells of massive anxiety, I’m not. I have people that are willing to surround me, embrace me in a hug, lift me up, and remind me that I am capable. Aside from that, maybe the message of today was that although I’m not quite where I want to be, I have made massive strides, huge progress and if I continue to work hard, things will come together.

I will say, today took a lot out of me. I’m mentally drained. So, my goal for the rest of this evening and tonight is to be calm, relaxed, let go of the stress and negativity and take care of myself. Physical health begins with mental health. I’ve got some work today, but I will cross the finish line. 1, 2, 3…..breathe.

Always Keep Going

Wow! It’s been a crazy week already and I had to come on to give myself a few minutes to blog and relax my mind. I had a test on Monday and have had mountains of homework. Tonight, I have genetics review, tomorrow a genetics quiz, genetics lab and a physics exam that is scaring me senseless. Physics has never been my strong suit but I’ve been trying incredibly hard lately to work on doing well and understanding the concepts. I’m hoping my hard work will be rewarded with a decent grade. Along with that, after tomorrow, I have to study for my biochemistry exam on Friday. Needless to say I’m ready for it to be Friday, but I’m not ready to give up yet. That’s why today’s inspirational person that popped into my mind is Winston Churchill. My absolute favorite quote of his is “Never, never, never give up.” It may seem rough, it may seem busy, I may be swamped and tired, but I’m working towards a goal and I will accomplish that goal. Hard work pays off and no one ever gained anything from simply giving up. And whether or not I do extremely well or need a little extra study time for the next round of tests, I need to remember this.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill

Continuously working hard, keeping your eye on the goal, striving to learn and accepting the help you may need are the keys to much success. And sometimes, we fail. There is nothing wrong with that. If you are trying, you are getting somewhere and you should be proud of that. Clearly, Churchill understood this.

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” -Winston Churchill

Remember that it is all about PERSPECTIVE.