Here is the Sun.

While on a jog on one of the nicest Winter days in January with my favorite friend, it came upon me that thinking that happiness is something that simply comes to us in brief moments or days is almost preposterous. The song, "Here Comes the Sun, " by The Beatles does indeed impart hope into our hearts because it gives us something to look forward to, but why not be the cause of your own happiness and keep it with you wherever and whenever you go?

It is important to look at the bigger picture. We must force ourselves to be our own best friends, and remember that as a best friend, it is important to give love as much as possible. While being "in" love with another is always wonderful, it is not possible to reach that without maintaining a state of love for yourself. I envision the maintenance of this state in this way: your mind is a city, any caliber of city that you choose, and there is only one boat dock that allows newcomers in and out. You must rid your city of naysayers and wrong-doers (aka destructive thoughts and habits) and refuse entrance to any that may compromise the state of contentment within the city limits.

Allowing yourself this power is invigorating and hopeful. Once you are able to simply be in this state, it is with you. You must continuously focus on the goal of remaining content, and rather than allowing a wave of conflicting feelings to traverse through your being you must steadily tread the calm waters of self-love. Remember, you have all of the tools you need to be happy and owe it to yourself to allow your tools to do their work.

BFF/LYLAS

Now, I usually don't watch talk shows, but today as I sat on the couch with my mom in the awkward hours that are always the early evening Dr. Phil was showing, and I decided to give the channel changer a rest and listen in to his sometimes-words of wisdom.

On today's episode, a woman who saved her 11 year old brother from their burning house when she was 14 was featured. Not only did she lose the rest of her family, but she was also left with third degree burns on most of her body and because of this, her self-esteem was left at dangerously low levels, causing her to feel unworthy of others' love and attention. Dr. Phil so wisely advised her that we must be our OWN best friends: take care of ourselves as we so generously take care of others/commend ourselves for our admirable actions/treat ourselves often. Being a best friend means being supportive, and oftentimes we refuse to remain loyal to our own selves.

While I don't have the same physical issues as this woman, I can relate to her lack of self-esteem and shallow feelings of self-worth, and I know others can too. Too often do we forget to take care of ourselves, and Dr. Phil's advise is sound: it is of the utmost importance to be a friend to ourselves before others can be a friend to us.

We ALWAYS were a piece of the pie.

It seems that every post I have references something from my J370 class with Professor Bojinka Bishop. Guess I got my money's worth in there, right?

So in that class, we were forbidden to use technology: no texting, laptops phone calls, nothin'. For my peers and I, it was difficult to stand the two hours without looking at our phones to check up on our social lives. This was especially difficult for me because I ALWAYS seem to be needing to text someone for something, and I always tried to push my luck by sneaking peeks at my phone.When Professor Bishop politely reminded me toward the end of the quarter that we were not allowed to text, she also mentioned something that she'd read about such a thing as texting addiction. In retrospect, this is totally plausible, and I see it in my own activity as well as that of my friends.

Along with texting, compulsive Facebooking is an issue. When on the computer, I can't go an hour without checking to see if I have new notifications or to check up on my friends.

What makes us so obsessed with our new media tools?! Why are we so addicted?!

It is because they give us a sense of importance. When we check our phones and our Facebooks and see that there is a missed call, text or message awaiting us, we feel needed and are given a sense of purpose. What we need to realize, however, is that this sense of importance is only relative in the tiny bubble that is our lives. There is indeed a bigger picture - our sphere of influence only reaches as far as our friends.

It is definitely humbling to ponder this idea. We get so wrapped up in our own lives that we fail to remember that we are only one part of a thing; we're only one piece of the pie. I hope this thought stays with you, dear readers, as you continue your day and that the next time you find yourself reaching for your phone or logging into Facebook you remember that if that message goes unread for another hour, the world will not end.

For an article discussing texting addiction, please visit:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health&id=6043089

No Wet Blankets Allowed.

wet blanket (noun) - someone with no personality; serving no purpose

This past Tuesday in my Journalism 370 Media Relations and Publicity class, we reviewed everything we've learned throughout the quarter about Public Relations and how to be successful. The one item that stuck out in my mind was the idea of being personal. "It pays to be personal," as our professor, Bojinka Bishop, said. We were using this idea in the sense that journalists and others in positions to pick up PR professionals' publicity materials will respond much better if those PR people are personable and friendly, therefore increasing your chances of obtaining publicity for your client. I would like to take this advice a little further, however, and apply it to life in general.

Most people consider me to be outgoing: someone who is cheerful and friendly most of the time. Others consider my willingness to communicate freely a bit much and would never think to talk to half of the people I do on a daily basis. Whether it be because they are shy or just don't think people want to talk to them, I must contest that my friendly disposition has truly enhanced not only my relationships but also my ability to pull ahead in life's race. I consider "personal" to mean that you are making the effort to be human: displaying your personality, your current thoughts (appropriate ones, mind you) and showing depth to the life in which you lead. Being personable pays off in big ways: you're able to form stronger networks of people and you are more likely to get what you want.

When others realize that there really is a person deep down inside of you, they are more able to relate to you, making it easier for them to empathize with whatever situation you're in at that time and therefore allowing them to willingly assist you. The next time you're in a situation that requires interaction with others, let them see just a teeny bit of the real you, and I can guarantee that those individuals will be much more willing to team up on your side when the going gets rough.

Here on Avenue Q...

I just got back from seeing the Broadway musical, Avenue Q, and I knew I just had to discuss the newest words of wisdom that I have learned! Now, I'm not sure if you've ever seen the show, but it's definitely not child-friendly, to say the least. It talks about real-life situations in a down-to-earth way that allows its viewers to relate, such as "everybody's a little bit racist," "a fine line between love and waste of time," not knowing what to do with the college degree you've worked for four years to earn and the idea that the internet is only for porn. The main character, Princeton, as well as other characters, grapple with their personal "my life sucks" dilemmas and, after the audience has been moved to find their inner-Princetons, Kate Monsters, Christmas Eves, Brians, Rods and Gary Colemans (yep, his character is in there too!), the characters bring us to the show's conclusion: "Everything in life is only for now."

We are constantly trying to change the bad situations in our lives; seeking out solutions and fretting over what will come next. But what Avenue Q teaches us is that, yeah, things may be awry right now, but that's exactly what it is: just for right now. These lines especially sent the point home:

Don't stress,
Relax,
Let life roll off your backs
Except for death and paying taxes,
Everything in life is only for now!

Change is the only constant we have. While the show does not by any means tell viewers to stop looking for their purpose in life, something Princeton is constantly searching for, it reminds us that sometimes it's okay to take a breath and just let everything be. Heck, the show goes even farther to say that the good things in life are also fleeting: love, happiness, health, friendship. If we are constantly looking for something more we will miss out on the good things in life, because they are just for now.

Let me put it into an analogy that everyone can associate with: food. You gotta make sure you appreciate what you've been served, even if it's not all you're craving, because even that chop liver is better than nothin'.

The Verdict

Yeah so about that October Resolution...it's November and I've neglected my blog once again! Oh bother. Okay, now I'm REALLY going to do better because my future career probably depends upon it. So that's that.

As I've read others blogs and considered what mine should focus on, I've decided that what better resource to draw upon for inspiration then my own experiences? Here's the verdict: I will continue to post about my daily triumphs, failures, peeves and findings so as to invoke a feeling of ability to achieve in my readers. I am reaching the goals I have set for myself every day, and while it is easy to become wrapped up in the details of life and neglect to realize what really matters, this is the most important thing we can do to keep ourselves going. And you can take that to the bank.

Being a peer mentor for a group of freshman communications students this quarter has really taught me so much about this. They are continuously emailing and texting me with their concerns over their grades in the class, the group projects that were due today that they presented to the class, our upcoming activities and other menial details of being a college student. When I hear of their freak-out sessions I assure them that it is not the end of the world! Life is going to go on even if they fail to be perfect presenters or are having trouble scheduling a class. I tell them to BREATHE and to STOP and to REALIZE that they are already ahead of their peers by simply having a worry. Some people fail to care about their life's situations, causing them to fall behind in this rat race.

So, the first motto that I am imparting to live by is this: DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF, BECAUSE IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF!

I think some of us could learn a few lessons from this oh-so-wise read!

October Resolution

My apologies for not posting in months. Once the internship ended and school started, I forgot about maintaining my web presence. How silly and unresponsible of me for neglecting you, blog readers! My "October resolution" is to maintain a schedule of posting once a week every Sunday. I even have it written in my planner!

What inspired me to pick up blogging again was the presentation Chip Mahaney of the Scripps Organization gave to my Journalism 333, News Editing, class. He stressed the importance of our web presence in the changing communications field and offered his own experiences with hiring individuals based on how they portray themselves online. For a junior in college and someone who needs to being seriously thinking of her entrance into the workforce, this was good advice, and I appreciate it. :)

So now that the school year is in full swing and my life has become hectic, as expected. I've become increasingly involved in PRSSA and am glad for its stronger presence in my life. I've begun writing a column for our newsletter, PR Success, call "True Life: I'm a JKid." My first text detailed the common theme of anxiety that characterizes the lives of JMajors and reassured readers that even when it seems like we're failing at life, we all have the same worries. I'm excited about this new endeavor and can't wait for next quarter's issue already!

Writing has become an increasingly present notion when it comes to my thoughts of the future. I've always been good at it and have enjoyed expressing my ideas through written word, leading me to believe that a career involving writing may be just the ticket t0 my success. In my J370 class, Media Relations and Publicity, we learn all about the inner-workings of PR professionals and that the field includes a great deal of research and thoughtful expression, and while it has been challenging thus far I have appreciated the writing practice and the additions to my portfolio it provides.

I'm considering changing the theme of this blog to something dealing with educational communications, such as high education admissions or social change in the field, perhaps with materials and mentions of the Teach for America program. Keep checking for any updates on this issue!

Until next Sunday :)