2014 in Review

Last year, I wrote this post. This year rocked my world and taught me so much about myself as a person. Instead of writing a lengthy essay about my life so far this year, I am sharing 5 things I learned in 2014 today and sharing 12 goals that really need to happen of my 101 in 1001 list tomorrow!

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1// Learn to love yourself, your flaws and all your imperfections to be truly happy.
I've always been insecure about a lot of things in my life. I'm tall, I've got the craziest hair known to man and I never really was good at making puns. This year, I sort of let myself believe in me and I just rock what I got. I wear heels all the time - what is a couple extra inches right ?! I wear my hair natural, in braids, in weave, straight and curly and all the inbetween. I've admitted to myself that I will never be the most clever but I am honest and silly. These things are enough for me. There is no need to compare to someone else because I'm awesome at being me, not being someone else. It just took me a really long time to see what everyone else saw in me. (Thanks for being supportive, friends!)

2// Trust in God and yourself to make things happen in your life.

I am a planner. If I could plan everything in my life, I would do it in a heartbeat. But that's not the reality of life and that's certainly not what is intended for people to do while living. I plan everything I can - my day, my job, my outfits for the week. But there are so many things I cannot plan for like what route my career will take, when my future husband will come into my life or the health of my body. I have to let things go to what I know has made my future come to fruition: God and my soul doing what is right. It scares me a ton but it makes thinking about things in the future a whole lot simpler. That's exactly what I needed this year with all the stress of finding a job that I could love, graduating and being president of the greatest organization on the Penn State Campus (sorry, I am a little biased.) Trusting in my heart and God to lead me towards the best things in life has made me a happier person.

3// Eat what you want in small amounts and you will be happy and healthy.

I was having trouble this year with my weight. I am tall and slim - I wear a size 4 or 6 but I felt like my lower half was getting a too little round for my liking. I am not much of an exerciser but I love yoga or Pilates. My main problem is portion control when it comes to eating.I eat a lot at night or when I study. I ended up buy this book that changed my life - French Women Don't Get Fat. Basically, you eat what you want, three times a day and really enjoy what you are eating. A lot of the time, I eat to make sure my stomach doesn't eat away at my body but now, I try to enjoy what I get to eat and eat good quality things. For breakfast, I will have an nice piece of baguette with a dippy egg, some coffee and some fruit. For lunch, some soup, maybe with a sprinkle of good cheese on top. For dinner, a salad with all my favorite toppings or a small portion of pasta or something delicious from a meeting. I eat what I want, but I am much more disciplined in the portion area. If I eat bad all day one day, I compensate not by going to the gym super hard but by eating healthier the next day and taking all the stairs possible.

4// An optimistic attitude is what is needed to get through a lot but it really does work!

There are so many things in life that can get you down. The things I see on the TV, the people that I have to deal with at times and the silliness of being at school with dramatic young people can really make me sad. I just believe that taking a positive attitude when things don't go your way has made me a happier person that doesn't worry about much. I don't like to dwell in sadness because it is a waste of time. A waste of time that can could have been used for something better, something to improve you, something to make a situation less sucky. Time is precious and you should not waste it on things that aren't bringing you up and into better situations.

5//Find a passion in life outside of work or school. Improve the world using what you really care about! 

I love NSBE. Being president has changed my life and I will always cherish what I have done for my org. We really are trying to do new things - even if they flop, we want the best for our members. I love being the representative for my organization and I love love love what I have really been working on this year. Educational inequality in America is terrible. So many children do not have a passion for school, a passion for knowledge and a passion to use their brains for good, not bad. My main plan is to get more children, especially young minority students, into STEM so they can use their brains to do change society for the better. My parents always wanted the best  for me in school and I want the best for all children in school. Working with the Dean of the College of Engineering this year to decrease the inequality at the college level is an honor that I will cherish for a very long time.