Planning a family vacation sometimes makes you wonder 'why did we decided to do this anyway?' But, once you reach your destination, you will find your answer. So, here are a few ideas to help smooth out the bumps ahead.....
1. With global positioning systems (GPS) taking over paper maps, the room for direction mishaps are growing. Don't always rely on your GPS. Even though it more and likely will guide your to your destination, remember that outdated directions, misnamed streets, and detours will only get you lost. If you are a AAA member, always remeber to pick up a TripTik travel planner. Just in case. For more info. on GPS mishaps visit http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080329_5_E4_spanc44056.
2. Turn your vacation planning into a responsiblity lesson for your kids. This works best if you are planning a year or more ahead. Take a canning jar, or another container that has a lid. Let your kid decorate it how ever they like. (glitter, paint, magazine cutouts, markers, and stickers are all good ideas) Then, use the jar for your child to save up their money in over that time period. Make sure they know that this is their money they will be able to spend over the vacation and it does not get touched until the vacation. Depending on how you carry it out, you child may get more than one lesson out of it.
3. Money management could be difficult on vacation. The best way I found to keep track of everything is to bring a notebook and tape, so that you can tape in all of your recipts and then make notes for yourself on exactly what the recipt was for. This way there will not be any " where did that $20 go?" when you get back to your hotel at night.
4. Going to the beach has one outcome: seashells. To make sure they don't end up in a trash can at the next gas station (because a their smell took over the car), pack some clorox with you. Make sure that is in an old container, and in a sealed plastic bag. To deoteroize your shells, fill a sink with water and partial clorox mixture. Let your shells soak over night. This way, your shells will make it home.
5. Something many people don't think of until their glasses floated out to sea, is to bring a copy of your eyeglass perscription with them. Don't let your entire vacation be ruined!
These are only a few ideas to help you out just a bit. More is too come!!!
I have something to admit. I think Earth Day is dumb. It is one day out of 365 days that people might think about recycling. And they still don’t understand that recycling centers are open the other 364 days of the year.
I am one of those people who pick up empty plastic bottles alongside the road. Look at me crazy as you walk by, but maybe this planet needs more people to stop littering and start taking care of their environment. But that would take too much energy.
For personal amusement I went to see what students had planned for Earth Day. I found a few tables, and only a few students. Bloomsburg University has about 8,000 students. I thought the participation would have been higher.
The one incident that caught my attention the most, was this one guy who was engrossed in the ‘save our earth’ posters. I watched Mr. I-did-my-good- deed-for-the-day walk away. He threw a plastic bottle in the trash, which was right next to the recycling bin. I wonder what his excuse was. Maybe he didn’t understand English. But the poster was mostly pictures.
Later in the day, something else made me shake my head. Members of BU's Global Awareness Society International had handcrafted tote bags available in exchange for plastic shopping bags. Well ladies of BU, the totes are eco-friendly shopping bags, not purses. Some people just don’t get it.
It is not only students that don’t care. Up until last month my family burned most of our trash. In order to get them to recycle, I pick it up once every other week. With my trunk full of recycling, from newspapers to empty juice bottles, I venture to the Bloomsburg Recycling Center.
Today while I was unloading, I looked around. There was only one other vehicle there. One. And the couple only had a small laundry basket of plastics. That basket contained about a tenth of the plastics in the over heaping trashcan next to Staples I saw that same day. The planet is in need of much more than that one laundry basket full, maybe a few million more.
No one is perfect. I know that. But everyone could at least try to do a part of the work. I realize that I can rant and rave all that I want too, without getting anyone to listen. If anything, try to use this bit of non-threatening advice:
1. Locate a recycling center near your home/work/ school, and try to drop recycling off when you pass by it, or are heading in that direction. Plan to leave 5 minutes earlier. That is all it takes (http://www.therecyclingcenter.info/). 2. Use eco-friendly shopping bags instead of plastic bags. Most grocery stores sell them for a low cost, and other chain stores are catching on. Keep them in your trunk. They don’t take up space and they help the environment. 3. Try to plan out your trips, make one productive trip instead of five separate ones. This will help put less carbon dioxide and other chemicals into the atmosphere and save you gas (not to mention money!). 4. Use a reusable water bottle. According to earth911.com, there are 35 billion water bottles in landfills. This is because Americans recycle only 23% of all the plastic water bottles used! At almost any store you could find a reusable one for little cost!
-Afraid your tap water isn’t clean? Purchase a Brita Water Filter Pitcher . Even though the costs vary, think about all the money you spend on bottled water throughout the year and how much you will save.
That all sounds very Oprah-ish, I know, but it is something everyone can do. It takes a little more energy, but there are no excuses.
The earth is on a downward spiral. Humans are the ruination of it. The smartest beings on earth can just as well be the dumbest. Earth Day at Bloomsburg University helped prove that fact.
Sometimes we have to look beyond our own daily social life to find what is really happening in the world. Bloomsburg is a small town, just a piece to the puzzle of environmental conservation. For more information visit: http://brita.com/, or to find a recycling center in your area visit http://www.therecyclingcenter.info/
I am one of those people who have been planning my wedding since before I was five. But, that is still a few years away, not to mention a good chunk of money away. But, after growing up in as a child of divorce, and seeing so many people argue, who are supposed to be in love, I wanted to figure out just what it would take to make a successful marriage. This is what I found out after interviewing many people. If anyone has anything to add....just let me know.
A successful marriage does not come from a life without worries, but rather from the trials and tribulations of life. A successful marriage is not one that comes from a fairytale book, but one that has conflict and good communication. Conflict is normal, which many people don’t believe. Couples need to have good communication and also have to learn to compromise, reach a middle ground with some situations. It is when a couple mutually accepts a solution that fits both parties. A successful marriage also needs both parties to be accommodating. This is when an individual neglects his/her own concerns to satisfy the concerns of the other person. One person should not do this all the time, but rather each party needs to switch off, taking turns satisfying the other’s needs. This should not occur all of the time, but when the situation calls for it.
When in conflict, the couple should focus on the issue, not the individuals and use ‘I’ statements instead of ‘you’ statements. And then they will be able to work out the situation without getting into other aspects that do not deal with the situation. Facts of the situation should be stated by each side first, that way if one person perceived the wrong idea, it could be fixed and worked out before turning into a full blown argument. Remember, if one party loses, both lose. And if an argument does happen, make sure it is in the right place at the right time, this way, no one will be embarrassed and more people will not get involved. Always listen to what the other has to say, do not let anger get in the way of listening. No one is perfect, and married couples have to realize and accept the other person’s faults and shortcomings and have to be willing to accommodate that.
To avoid some conflicts, a successful marriage has to have clearly defined role agreements. Who should take care of the kids, who should cook, who cleans the house, who pays the bills, and who takes care of the vehicles are only a few examples of role agreements. Some couples may favor traditional roles, where the male is the provider and the women does the cooking and cleaning, or some may prefer non-traditional roles, where the husband may stay at home to take care of the kids and the wife is the one who pays the bills. There is no set role that is wrong and one that is right; whatever agreements fit the couple are the ones that are right for them.
Couples also should not be in close proximity all day long. It is healthy for couples to have their own groups of friends and spend time with other individuals. Having friends of the opposite sex is also good. When a couple is together all day long and hang out with the same people, they have nothing new to talk about and/or bring into the relationship, so unnecessary conflict might arise. As people, we learn from others through observation. The more people we interact with, the more we can bring into our own relationships.
Eating healthy as a couple plays a major role in having a successful marriage later on in life. The couple may be able to live longer and have a better lifestyle as an elderly couple. They may not have to go into a nursing home as quickly, and may be more alert and happy as they get older because they are healthier.
One big piece of a successful marriage is to understand that the romantic love does not last for the entire relationship. The butterflies will eventually fade away. That does not mean that you don’t love the person anymore, but it means that you both have gotten comfortable with each other. Now, you can focus on other aspects of the relationship, helping it grow stronger. When people are married love falls into the realistic/conjugal love category, where it is less emotional, passionate, and exciting, but is characterized instead by companionship, calmness, comfort, and security. Couples learn to enjoy life together in a successful marriage. They also enjoy being around each other, but do not have spend every second together, because they know at the end of the day their partner will be there for them.
Jealousy is not always good in a successful marriage. The causes for jealousy are mistrust, low self-esteem, anxiety, lack of perceived alternatives, and insecurity. None of those qualities are a part of a successful marriage, and when they are present, they can ruin the marriage. Before getting married, you should ask yourself if the person is completely trustworthy, and if you have enough self confidence to trust yourself. If not, don’t get married. It will only lead to disaster. There are some desirable outcomes of jealousy, as long as they don’t happen often. Everyone gets jealous sometimes, as a part of human nature and a slight case of jealousy can tell your partner that he/she is cared for and can lead to a good discussion. But is the case of jealousy turns bad, it could end a relationship.
Sexual values and behaviors of each partner also have to be the same to have a successful marriage. This way, each person will be sexually satisfied and not feel bad/unhappy afterwards. This should be talked about before marriage so that one partner is not misunderstood. If the husband knows that the women is more emotional when it comes to sex, he should be considerate and allow his wife to experience that feeling more often than just feeling as if it is a chore.
A successful marriage is not an easy task. It takes work and understanding along with good communication. Each couple needs to figure out what works best for them, and then go on from there to reach that happy marriage everyone is in search of.
Finding a potential date is sometimes the hardest part of the dating process. Once found, then the fun part begins.
To find a mate, the first thing that a person should do is to make a list of all the qualities they would like in someone. The list should include everything from eye color to their likes and dislikes to if they are serious or humorous. This way you will know exactly what they are looking for and will be able to judge a possible date quickly and decide if that person is date-worthy or not.
A good way to meet someone new and without having an awkward one-on-one experience is to hang out and have fun. This could be at a bar, party, or just a small group getting together to watch a movie. The experience could help to ‘test the waters’ before dating someone. The group interaction will help the ‘looker’ see who the possible date actually is. Although some say that this is a bad way to meet a possible mate, I think for some people who are shy around people they have not met yet, it is the perfect way to meet people.
Finding a relationship is based highly on where the person is located geographically. People usually meet people when they have a common nearness in regards to proximity, also know as their propinquity. If you live in the country, odds are that there will not be a large group of people to choose from. But if you live in New York City, there will be thousands of people to choose from. If you want to meet someone in college you should go to a college that follows your religion, tastes and likes. If the person does not feel they are in the right area to meet someone and they are not happy, move somewhere that is more appealing and will have a greater population of the same type of people as you. Also, if the person is in a place they like, but is still not meeting people, change up the daily routine. It is known that architectural structures influence traffic patterns within and between buildings. Walk around the block on the path to work instead of through a building, or get the morning cup of coffee from different places once or twice a week. This will widen the looker’s view for possible dates and will give them a few more mates to through into or out of the mate pool.
One of the biggest problems people have when looking for a relationship is to not give people a false impression of their true self. Many people want to try to impress the possible date to a point where they form their opinions, judgments, and behaviors to that of the other. This will give them a false impression of you and if a relationship does spawn from the dates, you or the other person will realize that one or the other was not who they thought they were. This could be very harmful and case each a lot of unnecessary heartache. A person may also attribute negative or more positive characteristics to themselves than is accurate. This will also give the possible date a false impression of you.
Do not fall for someone just because they are attractive. This might give you a ‘reward’ of esthetic satisfaction along with ‘rewards’ from others as a result of forming a relationship with an attractive other, but if that person does not fit most of your other categories on your list, toss him/her out. In the end, you will not be happy and your other needs will not be fulfilled. Instead, you should find someone who is similar to yourself and who agrees with your opinions. It is impossible to find someone who is a carbon copy of yourself, but if you had that, life would be pretty boring. Sometimes debating with someone is healthy as long as it ends with no hard feelings.
The internet now is an easy way to find a possible date. There are now more than 200 websites designed for the purpose of meeting a partner, E-Harmony and Match.com are among the top online services. Here, many possible dates will be at your fingertips and you will be able to sift through people who have many of the same interests and likes as you do. The best part is that you will be able to develop a relationship based on content independent of visual distraction. It is also a safer way to meet people, because you are not alone with the person who could potentially be dangerous, rather you are miles away. Also you get to know the people before you meet them. People are more likely to be themselves when they are not face to face with you, and therefore you may not get as big of a false impression as you would otherwise.
Speed dating is another way for people to find relationships. Usually there is a large group of people (anywhere from 8 to 100 people) that you will be able to interact with on a one-on-one basis in a short time frame and will be able to mingle with after the last ‘date.’ A popular service is the 8-Minute Date that allows a person to have 8 one-on-one dates that last 8 minutes each. This way a whole night is not wasted on one person, but rather the possibility of finding a date becomes shorter and more promising. Other advantages to speed dating is that it is in a safe environment where you don’t have to share contact information and usually if you don’t meet someone you want to see again your next session is free.
If you are looking for a relationship after a divorce, you might have a harder time finding a potential mate. This is based on the fact that most divorced people date others who are divorced, because the rest of the population your age is married already, the younger people who are not married are not usually considered an option, and the older population, the widowed, are usually considerably older. Also, the place you work is made up of people of every age, unlike college where almost everyone was your age. Another risk divorcee have in finding a mate is the increased risk for attracting HIV, because of the person’s likelihood of having multiple sex partners. A challenge arises for divorced people looking for a relationship when children are involved. The parent has to incorporate the child into the relationship, and has to worry about the child’s feelings along with their own about the new partner.
Finding a new relationship could be fun and rewarding if the person is careful about it and goes about finding the person in a way that is comfortable for them. The relationship may lead to marriage or may lead to having to find someone else before the time comes to walk down the isle. That is the chance a person takes when starting a relationship.
College. I finally understand why people drop out. It isn't just the lack of sleep, the countless exams (all on the same day), or the uneeded drama your roomates add to your life. Rather it is all of that put together, plus so much more. The stuff that doesn't make sense starts to add up, and you ask yourself, how did this even happen? (Yeah, just like that time the computer decided to freeze during YOUR PowerPoint presentation or when you studied the wrong chapter and still had to take the test.) But, just think, how much worse can it get? Unless you are all of a sudden shipped to the depths of Africa or are diagnosed with a life-theatening disease, well, college is about it.
I read a book my freshman year on "how to survive college," and it only took me about to chapter two to realize that the authors must have never stepped foot on a college campus. Never. I am still trying to figure out why that book was one of the top rated. My only conclusion, they paid somone to lie.
Okay, so a real college student's perspective on how to survive. I will take a shot at it.
Stuff all of your money under your matress. If you want any state grants or other grants, you have to make yourself look dirt poor. Something a little more realistic is to invest in a good safe that you can keep at home or in another place that is safe. Have a bank account of course, but don't keep very much in it.
Choose a college where you know someone. When you get dropped off for the first time, life seems to end, and time seems to stop. You die just a little inside as your parents drive away and you realize you don't know a soul. If you go somewhere where you know someone, especially if they have been there for a year or so, life is soooo much more easy. (okay for the parents: you must pick a school that is good for you that you are going to academically acheive in, that is number one before the friends) If that person is a first timer like yourself, well at least you will get to discover it together.
Stick up for yourself. This lesson should be taken everywhere you go, with every person you meet. Older students like to make the freshman their puppets, even though they may seem like great friends. Greek life is skilled at creating clones. Once you start falling into the trap, the real you will never see the light of day again. You came to college for one reason, to better your future, don't screw it up.
Don't get caught up in the party life. Okay, so you are going away from home for the first real time. You will not have to come home to anyone except yourself and your roomate. No one is watching you. Or so you think. You might experiment, but just remeber one underage drinking violation could kick you out of your major, your school, and stay on your permanent record. Employers aren't a big fan.
Study, study, but make sure to get some sleep. If your want that A, or even a B, plan on nights where you fall asleep on your books. Some profs are much easier than others, but once you start getting into your core courses, life as you know it disapears. The books get thicker and the print smaller, and not to mention more difficult to comprehend. This means study your butt off, but make sure to get some sleep. If not, you will regret it when your eyes start closing during your exam. (And remember, in college, naps are amazing!)
Take sometime for YOU. As you get futher from the begining of the semester, you start to realize you might just go crazy. With profs and friends taking up every minute of the day before you pass out at night, remeber to take care of you. As simple as it sounds, when life get hectic, you do forget the simplest things. Whether you just take time to read last month's magazine or watch a back epidsode of your favorite show, make sure YOU are enjoying yourself. This sometimes take the tip of the stress away and makes a little room for you to breath.
Don't fall into the freshman 15 statistic. (Oh sorry, now the freshman 20.) ALthough the campus food may not be the greatest, don't live on hamburgs and french fries. In one of my classes a prof taught me good lesson, plan out your meals. Okay, so it takes 5 extra mintues (which means alot to a college schedule, dont' get me wrong) but you won't see that extra weight packing on. On mypyramid.gov, you can go to the menu planner and find out just what you should and should not be eating. One tip: put all salad dresssings and sauces on side, you eat a lot less of it, consuming less calories and fat that you would otherwise eat.
Only sleep in your bed. By this I mean do not study, watch TV, eat, or just chill in your bed. Living in a dorm room can make this difficult, but it will completely mess up your sleeping habits without you even knowing it. Try to find a study lounge, or get a comfy chair for your room. You might just sleep a little better.
Be rational, do not let stress eat away at your sanity. This happens so quickly that before you know it you will go from happy to sad in a few seconds. Don't try to overload yourself. (Although you will.) The best thing to do is before you go to bed, go over all of your notes, this way in the morning the info will stick. Also, make a schedule or keep a list of what you have planned out for the week. This way, you can figure everything out.
Don't die, you will make it. We all do. And you won't believe this until you get the diploma in your hands.
This past weekend, my mom and I walked for breast cancer, helping raise money for the American Cancer Society, at my university. The event pulled in 377 participants, mostly students, community members, families of BU students, cancer survivors, and university faculty and staff. This was the first time that I have ever done anything like it. I was amazed at how serious some people were and how others just wanted the attention.
My family doesn't have a history of breast cancer (luckily) but it is surprising how many people that I started talking to who had relatives diagnosed with it. The stories, all different, yet with similar outcomes. Some endings were sad, but others were enlightening. What I took from all this?? My OB-GYN isn't as crazy as I thought.
After the walk, I decided to look at little more in depth about breast cancer and find out what I can do to get the word out that this is something that is curable, but it takes money, and a lot of people to support it. More women should be educated on the warning signs, symptoms, and what to do if they become a victim of breast cancer.
I was looking on the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation site, http://www.komen.org/, and found so many answers to my questions.
From the site I pulled together some information that I want to pass along: -women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men -women have a 1 in 8 or 12 percent lifetime chance of breast cancer -women who don't exercise are 25% more likely to get breast cancer -some factors that increase risk include: -family history of breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer -poor diet/overweight -environmental exposure, such as radiation, especially at a young age -menopause at age 55 or older -postmenopausal hormone use -first period before age 12 -high bone density -drinking alcohol -not breastfeeding -not exercising -high breast density on a mammogram -benign breast disease (hyperplasia) -high levels of estrogen in the blood -current or recent use of birth control pills -not having children or having first child after age 30 -being tall -personal history of breast cancer Now, if you were like me, you fit into a few categories already. The more categories a women falls into, the higher a risk you have. Scary? yes. ------------------------------------------- So, I felt that I should explain what some of these mean. Instead of rewording, I took these explanations from the site:
menopause at age 55 or older
Going through menopause at a late age is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer. Studies show that women who go through menopause after age 55 have twice the risk of breast cancer as women who do so before age 45. This likely relates to the amount of estrogen a woman is exposed to throughout her life. A high lifetime exposure to estrogen is an important risk factor for breast cancer. The later a woman goes through menopause, the longer her breast tissue is exposed to estrogens that are released during the menstrual cycle, and the greater her lifetime exposure to estrogen.
first period before 12
Starting menstrual periods at a young age is linked to a small increase in breast cancer risk later in life. Studies have shown a 20 percent increase in risk among women who began their periods before age 12 compared to those who began their periods after age 14. This likely relates to the amount of estrogen a woman is exposed to throughout her life. A high lifetime exposure to estrogen is an important risk factor for breast cancer (for more information on estrogen and breast cancer risk, click here). The earlier a woman starts having periods, the longer her breast tissue is exposed to estrogens that are released during the menstrual cycle, and the greater her lifetime exposure to estrogen.
high bone density
Studies show a link between high bone density and a higher risk of breast cancer. However, it’s not that strong bones themselves increase risk. It’s that high bone density is an indicator of elevated blood estrogen, which is an important breast cancer risk factor (for more information on estrogen and breast cancer risk, click here). The more estrogen a woman produces in her lifetime, the more bone mass she has. While higher bone density is associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis, it may also be a marker for a higher risk of breast cancer. Studies suggest that women with the highest bone density have about twice the breast cancer risk of those with the lowest bone density
drinking alcohol
Many studies support a link between alcohol intake and an increased risk of breast cancer. One analysis pooling the data from 53 studies found that for every one alcoholic drink consumed per day, the relative risk of breast cancer increased by about seven percent . Overall, women who drink two to three alcoholic beverages per day have a 20 percent greater risk of breast cancer than non-drinkers. Alcohol may increase the risk of breast cancer in a number of ways. It can alter the way a woman’s body metabolizes estrogen, causing blood estrogen levels to rise, which may in turn increase the risk of breast cancer (for more information on estrogen and breast cancer risk, click here). Drinking alcohol can also reduce blood levels of the vitamin folic acid. Folic acid plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair. Low levels of the vitamin may make it more likely that DNA is incorrectly copied when cells normally divide. Such errors can lead cells down a pathway to become cancerous.
not having children or having children after 35
Women who have their first child at age 35 or younger tend to get an overall protective benefit from pregnancy. While the risk of breast cancer goes up for about 10 years following a first birth, after that it drops below that of women who don’t have children. The younger women are when they have their first child, the sooner the effect of pregnancy becomes protective. The older women are when they have their first child, the longer it takes to see the benefit of pregnancy on risk.
being tall
Many studies have found that taller women have an increased risk of breast cancer. One pooled analysis of seven prospective studies found that women over 5’3” have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer than women under 5’3”. One reason for this may be the growth spurt that tall women can have in their youth. Such growth spurts can create a chance for damage to occur in breast cells that can lead to cancer later in life.
-------------------------------------------- The best way to fight breast cancer is to first know what your personal risk is. Talking to your doctor will answer any questions you may have and might give you some information that you should know. The second way to fight breast cancer is to get tested regularly. Out of the five standard screening tests, MRI, mammogram, digital mammography, clinical exam, and self exam, they all are effective.
All women should get in the habit of doing are self exams. We should be comfortable enough with our bodies to do this, but I have found that some people don't feel as comfortable as they should be. Try taking the process in steps. Most women do this in the shower, others in front of a mirror. Once you get in the habit of what you are comfortable with, you will have it for life.
Since I have looked many upon many sites over, I feel much better about my worries. But, although it has subsided for now, it should never go away. It could happen to anyone, at anytime. So, never let a busy schedule get in the way of scheduling your breast cancer screening. A busy day is not worth a shorter life. Get involved, spread the word, save lives. For more information check out http://www.komen.org/.
Stress. We all have experience, we all have lived through it, even the most stressful moments of our lives when we didn't think we would make it to the next sunrise.
"Don't wonder why people go crazy. Wonder why they don't. In the face of what we can lose in a day, in an instant, wonder what the hell it is that make us hold it together."
Although Grey's Anatomy can't solve all of women's issues.....I think this quote explains a good chunk of life outside of the walls of Hollywood.
Lately I haven' t had time to think, let alone find a corner to crawl up in and sleep, so last night I crashed. Essay upon essay, 4 midterms and so much homework I almost drowned in definitions and powerpoint slides, I would say this past week was full of stress. In the midst of all this, someone taught me a great lesson.
After about three days of my 'I suck at life ' attitude, my boyfriend finally had enough and pulled me away from everything. (If you ever need some advice....take this piece to heart.) He didn't try to make me fake smile or tell me everything was going to be okay, but did something that actually made me feel better. So here are a few things to think about next time stress gets the better of you.
As my boyfriend did, just take a blanket outside and get lost within the depths of the stars, or if it is daytime, the clouds. Now, this sounds gushy, but after you take a few breaths, start concentrating on something outside of yourself, you might discover the secret for unleashing at least a part of the stress. The stars don't have an answer, they don't have a motive. They don't ask anything of you, and don't say anything back.
Another great stress reliever is to take a blank sheet of paper and just write everything that is flowing through your head. Curse someone out, say things that would make people cringe if they heard you say it, and then when you get it all out, shred it to pieces. Don't worry about neatness or if it even makes any sense, because this is for your eyes only and no one else will ever see it. This allows your anger to be channeled in a way that is private, yet it allows you to express everything. Sometimes just getting rid of some frustrations will help you become a little more level headed.
If that doesn't work and you are the kind of person that needs to talk to someone, try finding someone who will make you feel truly better and not worse. The best person to talk to is a stranger. Although they don't know your history and maybe not even your name that is sometimes the best thing. The stranger might get you talking about something you have thought about in a while, or bring up some memories that make you smile.
Some other things to make you perk up: A hot bath, a good cup of coffee, exercising, or calling someone you haven't talked to in a long time.
Whatever you do, don't mess with electronics, watch reality TV, talk to your boss about something important, or try to write the world's greatest novel. Because more than likely it will blow up in your face.
So far so good. You might have touched on crazy, but we all haven't gotten there yet. The sun is out today. Tomorrow is still a fews hours away.
Sometimes we search for answers, only spinning ourselves around in circles. We can try to find the 'right' one, but then, what is the 'right' answer? The world if full of doubts, lies, and enemies, but it is also full of love, friends, and truth. Sometimes we just need to dig a little to find what we think is the truth. In the end, you may be wrong, but that is what life is all about. Make the best decision you can, if you get lost, turn around, and start all over again.
Life doesn't spell things out, and it sure doesn't give you the answers. But, sometimes you can learn something from someone else's mistakes, someone else's lessons. You can take someone's advice, try it on for size and see if it fits. That is what I want to do. So many people need direction, yet many of them do not find the answers they are looking for. I may have not lived a hundred years, or done anything amazing. But I have lived and experienced so much in my short 19 years. If you read this, you may not agree, but this is what has worked for me, this is what I have learned, this is what I want to share with you.
