A Night of Rock n' Roll (Literally)

Hey everyone!

Last Sunday I took a day off from my blogging in honor of spring break, but I am back! From gambling for the first time at a casino to line-dancing the night away, I had a great week hanging out with family and friends. Even more, mother nature decided to shake up my break with a little bit of rock n’ roll. Literally.

On Friday night, while we were home watching some March Madness, an earthquake of 5.1 magnitude hit our area. The house abruptly jolted, followed by 30-40 seconds of fierce shaking and a power outage. It was definitely the biggest earthquake I’ve ever felt, and a pretty scary experience altogether. The thing that gets me most, however, is what I was thinking from the moment it began until it finally ended. In that minute, the only thing that mattered to me was the safety of my family. I noticed the way my mom rushed over to protect my brothers the second the earthquake started, and the way my stepdad remained completely calm and made sure that our house was safe. Not knowing how long the earthquake would last, or if it would get even worse, all I wanted was exactly what I had before the whole thing began - for the people I love to be okay.

Thankfully, there was no significant damage done to my house, and no injuries sustained by any of us. What the earthquake did do, however, was help put into perspective my life and the things I worry about. Kind of like the idea that you don’t know you have a good thing until it’s gone, I was reminded of just how blessed I am to be alive and to have my family. I think it’s so amazing that we have the natural instinct to protect those that we love, just as in that moment, I was prepared to do whatever it took to keep my loved ones safe. Yes, it was stressful, but it called to attention what matters most to me, and made me appreciate even more the fact that I have what I need most. Have a wonderful week everyone! God bless.

Love,

Vanessa 

Making Stress Your Friend

Hey everyone!

So right now, I, along with other college students on the quarter system, am in the midst of final exams and essays. It can definitely be an overwhelming week for many, as the work we’ve put in all quarter comes down to how well we're able to perform on this one exam or paper. 

No matter what, we all face stress at some time or another in life - but no fear! We do have the power to utilize it for the better. When we experience stress, it’s really our body’s natural reaction to a challenge that we face, whether it be a test, a tough day at work, or an argument with a loved one. Instead of allowing the stress to overcome you, use it in a way that actually helps you. Think about you for a second - what brings relief and happiness to your mind and body? Whatever that is, do it often, and especially when you’re stressed. Maybe it’s hanging out with friends/family, playing an instrument, or taking a walk. Releasing stress puts you in a better position to overcome the challenges you face.

For me, one of my favorite ways of relieving stress is exercise. Exercise increases a type of neurotransmitter in you called endorphins. Their job? They make you happy! Try going for a jog, taking a dance lesson, or working those muscles. A healthy body not only makes you feel great, it also equips you to handle stress in the best way possible so you can accomplish your goals. Another way I like to relieve stress is through meditation. Have you ever tried sitting in one place for a good 20 minutes and not thinking about anything? Try it! You’d be surprised how great you feel after doing this for a short amount of time. No matter how busy your schedule is, set aside some time for yourself and just breathe. It works wonders.

These are just a few ideas of how to relieve stress. You know yourself better than anyone else, so do whatever it is that makes you feel good - the important thing is that you do something. Stress was not meant to be built up, it’s meant to be utilized for your success. Remember, stress just means that your body is gearing up for you to meet some demands, know that you can do it! Invest in your mind and body, because when they are in good condition, you’re ready to go out and do awesome things in the world! Have a wonderful week! God bless.

Love, 

Vanessa

Words from Hillary Clinton

This week I had the honor of seeing our very own former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, when she gave a lecture at my school. Hillary is an extremely intelligent, powerful woman and an engaging speaker. First off, I really liked how she discussed the importance of making sure that young people have access to good jobs, and that the economy continues to grow in a way that ensures equality, opportunity, and prosperity for all. Speaking from her own experience, she believes that a young person’s first job is vital in gaining not only necessary people skills, but a sense of dignity and responsibility. My favorite part of the whole lecture, however, was in the last few minutes of the Q&A, in which she gave great advice to us college students that I believe anyone can appreciate.

She started off by saying how it is important that you “believe you can change the world,” and that you have confidence in yourself. She advised us to expand our horizons as much as possible in order to figure out what we want to do and how we want to impact the world. She quoted Eleanor Roosevelt, saying “Grow skin like a rhinoceros,” meaning learn how to take criticism seriously, but not personally, in order to be able to have a real impact on change. Finally, she encouraged us to take charge of our own lives, and to never give up. She ended on this quote: “You figure out what you want - it may not be what your friend wants, it may not be what your professor wants, or your parents want, but if you’re responding to an authentic desire and dream of your own, then you’re halfway there.”

I left from the lecture feeling inspired and empowered, as I’m sure many others did. Hillary reminded me that despite criticism or people telling you no, you can make a difference in the world. If you have a dream, and it is genuine and meaningful to you, then keep chasing it. It’s up to you to believe that you have what it takes to make it happen. Have a great week everyone! God bless.

Love, 

Vanessa 

Let it Go

Tonight at the Oscars, “Let it Go” won Best Original Song. This powerful piece from the movie “Frozen” is one of my favorites, and it also happens to be my theme for this week’s blog post.

Something I realized recently is that what we want out of life makes us who we are. Each day is filled with so much opportunity for us to make our dreams a reality. And you know what else? We all have those days when things just don’t go our way. Our initial reaction may include complaining about it, getting angry with people, or even being hard on ourselves. But I want you to think about something - what good does that exactly do for you? I strongly believe that whatever consumes our minds has tremendous power over our lives, because our thoughts direct the actions we take every single day. Why is it that we want certain things, and what are we choosing to let motivate us? All of this comes back to how we occupy our time and the types of things we put our energy into. We can choose to spend our time dwelling on our failures, being mad at someone, or despising situations we can't control. Or instead, we can let it go.

Life is short, so why waste time harboring negative feelings towards yourself or someone else? And why expend valuable energy on something so trivial to the bigger picture? Speaking from personal experience, sometimes we need to learn how to let go of the things that are holding us back from living our lives to the fullest. After all, think of all the amazing, wonderful, better things you can do when you release yourself from that tension. You can spend more time appreciating the people you love, or doing something meaningful for the world, or becoming the person you want to be. Because once you let go of whatever it is that’s weighing you down, it reinforces the power in you to take charge of your own life - trust me. God bless.

Love, 

Vanessa