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!

Source

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.

When it comes down to it in life, I just want to be happy. I want to be loyal in the relationships I've made. I want to support everyone I love as much as I can. I want to eat healthy good food and enjoy good wine. I want to brunch on Sundays, wander through museums during the week and learn as much as I can. I want to read books in the park and watch plays at night. I want to keep fresh flowers in my home and get a puppy - something medium sized and sassy. I really want a fufilling job and a good group of friends wherever I end up after graduation.

These are all things that I want. It's important to want good things for yourself. It's only bad if you aren't content with what you have. I'm content with my life now as a college student. I work a lot, both for my jobs and my organization. I have hilarious friends and great meals at home. I have a lot of fun dressing up for events and learning how to do my makeup (I'm actually terrible at it). I did not have to go through the struggles my parents went through (thank you mom and dad). I'm pretty good at cooking, sewing and understanding science articles. I am content in my rate of growth as a person.

This post is sort of a grateful after speaking to a friend ramble but I have a point. In life, we will always want. That is in the nature of humans. The most important thing to remember about wanting is that you need to be content with what you have before you want. If you aren't content, your want becomes greedy and that's really dangerous.

Source

After a crazy month of March that had a breakup, a spring break like no other, a national conference (post coming soon as I can get all my pictures uploaded), a billion tests and a huge huge huge database project, I finally can breathe easy again. I try not to bring my personal life into this space but blogging about that experience helped me to see what I was blinded by. After that, I've been on a rampage to improve myself but also really focus on what is important to me in life. Sometimes, we as people can be so clouded by the people and environment around us that we forget who we are and what we are stand for in life. I took a lot of time during March to think and figured out what I need from the universe, friends & family, and myself.
I want to share those realizations with you so I can keep my self accountable to the promises and beliefs that I have.

From the universe:

• I need more positive role models in my life like Sossena Wood. I need to see that people like me can prosper in my chosen field and really impact the world. Black women engineers are the future and I want more of them to be visible to the world.I also need to reach out and find more mentors doing what I love and what really interests me. 
• I need people to stop thinking so negatively and trying to be catty to each other. It's hurtful and polluting and disgusting. You would be surprised what can happen when we are all honest and positive. The brain power that is harvested is magnificent.
• I need more nature and beauty in my life. Walking through a rainy forest or a snow covered path gives so much clarity to my mind. I also love fresh flowers in my room and fresh fruits on my table. Whatever beauty there is to see, taste, touch, hear, and smell, I need it in my life. STAT. 

Source

This year has been a whirlwind adventure for me. I've learned so much from people, experiences and school. I can't even begin to say how much has happened to me a person, so I'm breaking it down into sections of my life.

While on Pinterest, I found this little quote of the Ultimate List. It just struck me so much that I had to share it with everyone. As finals approach, every college student is freaking out and studying too much and not sleeping at all. I can't jive with this. My sophomore year fall semester, the semester that I did that whole no sleep, so much coffee studying was the year I did the worst in my finals ever. In the grand scheme of life, taking an hour break to walk, eat with friends and relax is not that serious. It rejuvenates my mind and helps me to get back on track. I also think of it as a reward if I put in enough work, I can still have fun and do well on my finals. That's why during finals week and during any week with exams, I do not stress too much because ultimately, I am trying my best and I am learning valuable life skills even if I do not get 100% on the final. Life is too short to get gray hair from stressing. (I know because I have a patch that I got from that crazy year and haven't gotten one since.)

I am a person who thinks positive almost 90% of the time. I litter my life with positive quotes and silly sayings to keep myself on track. It works most of the time. But sometimes, I have days where seeing that positive light at the end of the tunnel is hard for me. All of the work I put in for something is naught, someone really hurt my feelings or people think because I am a nice person that they can get one over on me. I don't like thinking negatively but sometimes things put me in a bad bad mood. It just makes me feel icky and want to stay in bed and eat marshmallows.

It's easy to get down when things aren't going your way. I know that it can be discouraging but I really feel like if you try to focus on happy thoughts, you can trick yourself into being happy again. I've been doing this lately and it seems to be working! Today, I had to study and I really did not want to. It was gloomy outside and just a terrible way to start a week. That's State College Weather for you though :[ But as soon as I started to think positive and about all the things that have gone right this week, I felt better already! Luckily for me, the sun came out at like 3:00 and I'm in such a good mood now! Between the sun and my attitude, nothing came keep me down today.

I love being an engineer. I want to use my brain for the greater good in the world and being an engineer is the best way for me to use my talents to improve life for everyone. That being said, being an engineering student is a struggle. I constantly have to like structure my day so that I can get 6-7 hours of sleep every night and also get all of my work done everyday. I follow a modified version of the G4.0 system, that I talked about in a previous post briefly. I take notes on reading, notes in class, notes on my in class notes, go to office hours, correct my homework and exams as well as make time for study groups and tutoring when anyone needs help with chemistry. I also work about 10 hours a week in the computer labs on campus, mentor young women engineers and hold the treasurer office in one of my favorite organizations. All of this leaves me pretty tired during the week, but I also try to make sure that I work to maintain the friendships that I have with people that I love. I schedule in lunch dates, cupcake baking sessions and movie times for my lovely friends as well as attend their campus organization's shows and performances.

Every time that my overwhelming schedule gets me down, I think about how much fun  I will have in my full time job and how much fun all of the engineers I have met love their profession. Career Week was last week on campus and talking to the recruiters made me remember how much I love being an engineer. It was a perfectly placed interlude. Almost four weeks into the semester right before when most people hit their first set of midterms, career week reminds me that there is a bright future for me in the world. I can do so much with my industrial engineering degree and help to improve processes that can change the world. Everything can be optimized to some degree and small changes over time can lead to a huge impact. This fall is a huge semester for me, starting my major classes and really getting into leadership on campus. It's important to keep myself motivated when I have big plans in my future.

This Sunday was the First Day of Fall! A time for new harvests and a celebration of what hard work can provide for the people of this earth. I read this quote and it struck me very poignantly. So much so that I made a little instagram graphic post about it to encourage my fellow friends in the same boat as me. Everything we do has a purpose and we need to remember that even when the activity or something not fun is on your to-do list for the week.

When I was little, I always thought of sparkly things as something decadent and super special. Now, as a young woman, I still love sparkles but realize that it's not the most cost effective for my closet. Today, I bought some sparkly shoes because I liked them and they were fun.

Buy things because you like them and not just because it's a neutral color. (They were also like $9. I have a rule that I buy anything I like that is less than $10. No regrets.)

 Life is too short to not have the things you want, as long as you can afford them.

For as long as I can remember, my mother has stressed good healthy eating habits to me. I rarely ate fast food, it was such a treat. I always ate baby carrots, cheerios and mozzarella cheese for snacks. Lots of salad, protein and a small dessert of yogurt or sometimes a snack cake.  When I got to college, I realized how many people did not eat a lot of fresh produce and home cooked meals. It was such a shock to me that a lot of people did not have or underestimated the value of healthy eating habits.

My main tips that my mother taught me for eating healthy were simple. Eat well 5 days a week and splurge for two, especially if you are exercising a lot or playing outside. I usually eat a lot of salad and lean sandwiches during the week. A lot of mexican and italian with vegetables substituted for bread and pasta. On the weekends, I enjoy cake or a good pie. By eating healthy most of the time, I never regret how bad I eat on the weekends. I also really enjoy the not so healthy food when I eat it because it is a treat.

She also made me realize that eating healthy does not have to taste bad. Find things you like and use a lot of that. I love spinach, tomatoes and kale. I eat it in almost every meal and it gives me a ton of iron and vitamins. I also love greek yogurt in almost everything. I put it in baked goods, dips, parfaits and pretty much anything I can find on Pinterest. That gives me protein, calcium and a slew of other health benefits. By having favorite healthy food, I can eat these and be happy rather than sulk over the foods I am not allowing myself to eat all the time.

Lastly, my mom taught me the importance of cooking for yourself. I rarely eat out unless it's a date with family, some friends or someone new. Otherwise, I cook for myself. I  love love love fried food and it helps me avoid things like mozzarella sticks and fried zucchini sticks, which are my favorite fried food.  I also tend to avoid processed food unless it's on sale and I'm hungry when I'm food shopping. (Side note: never go food shopping hungry. You will regret it on your hips and in your wallet.)

Healthy eating has helped me to maintain my figure and keep me pretty healthy at school. My challenge for you is to eat more healthy during your work week. Don't get take out and bring a healthy lunch. Only shop the perimeter of the grocery store and see how much better you feel. Simple changes can make for a healthier you!

I cannot imagine life without my friends. They're like my family but better because I get to pick them. Old friends know you and what you really stand for. New friends have similar interests to you and you click. For me, keeping the balance of making new friends and keeping old friends has been tough. I am constantly busy and I have certain people that I love hanging out with all the time. I also have friends who aren't really my friend anymore and that's alright. What matters to me is that you put in the effort to see and make time with people. That's what friendship is about to me. You make time to bond and laugh and get to know the little things about a person. I was kind of nervous for this upcoming school year with a lot of my good friends studying abroad or going on co-op but my new friends are filling that void quite nicely until my old friends get back. Hopefully, they can all mesh and then we can have some real fun! My goal for you is to really make sure you reach out to old friends and to people you haven't met. Constantly expand your network and see what can happen when you do. You'll never regret it.

I've hinted at this through my previous posts but I think overdressing is one of my biggest life lessons I've ever learned. My grandmother, a southern belle in her own right, instilled in me the importance of dressing yourself for the day. Even at 5:00 am, she is dressed in a fabulous moomoo with a full face of makeup and fabulous hair. She taught me at a young age that dressing right means that you are putting your best foot forwards, your best persona forward and your mind is in the right place.

Most college students wear yoga pants and t-shirt to class. I have maybe once in the two years that I have completed at Penn State. I am always seen in at least jeans and a white v-neck with a scarf or cool shoes unless I am at the gym, getting ready for bed or hiking. Wearing yoga pants to me signifies down time, time where I can do what I want, whenever I want. Putting on a nice outfit separates Play Taylor from Work Taylor for me. When I wear something cute, I know that I need to be on the ball, on the money and ready for whatever can be thrown my way. Even when I am the most stressed, taking the time to put on a nice outfit soothes me nerves. It makes me feel much more at ease. I think that is because I believe that overdressing is a lifestyle choice to me.

It's a choice to wear something nice when you really do not want to or you don't want to upset the status quo. It's being prepared for things that you would not ready for otherwise. It's being cognizant of things that could come your way and wanting to eliminate one thing from your worries. I always think that when I'm dressed nicely, I do not have to worry about what I look like. I can just worry on what the problem is or the people I am with or remembering facts for tests.

My challenge to you is to elevate yourself into the overdressing mindset. Be prepared for all the meetings or classes you attend. Dress up and show yourself that you can look good everyday. Get a manicure and admire your nice nails while at work. I promise you that it will make a difference.

For a long time, I have had a fear of honey. Something about the smell, the taste, the everything put me off as a child and I refused to really have it on or in anything I ate. My really good friend from home, who is a greek yogurt fiend, made me try plain green yogurt with berries, honey and granola. OH MY DEAR LORD BABY JESUS, it was delicious. I've eaten plain greek yogurt with honey for the past week and I am not tired of it. I went to Whole foods and bought some Tangerine Flower Honey and I want to try all the different varieties, even if the difference is subtle.  I can say that I am obsessed and I'm not sure how long I will be obsessed for. All I know is trying something new has introduced a whole new flavor to my budding food palette.

One of the restaurants we ate at for dinner

This Monday, I drove to visit my roommate in Bethlehem, PA. It's about an hour half to two hour drive depending on the traffic in New Jersey. I have never driven out to PA before. New Jersey driving is very fast paced and shifty while PA driving is fast but way more relaxed. It was a little nerve-wracking but totally worth it. I got to see my roommate, see where she grew up, and what it's like living in PA. I just got to relax and rewind before work this week. We went shopping and ate all sorts of good food. Her parents are so nice and her parrot was hilarious. Watching that thing do circuits in its cage and then stare off into space for a while is so amusing. I also got to see my best friend! He's such a little frat star and a gentleman. He paid for me and KW to eat dinner when he totally did not have to do that! But it's AV, so arguing with him is like talking to a brick wall. I'll totally get him back by taking him out to dinner or mailing baked goods for his birthday.

Anyway, it was really good for me to practice something that makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I've really been trying to embrace the Take Chances lesson that I made for myself this summer. It's actually becoming really enjoyable.

In life, some people can get above themselves. A lot of good things can come your way and it's up to you to stay grounded and be humble. Being humble to me means appreciating what you have and not trying to be greedy for more rather doing the best at where you are in life. I have a great job for the summer and I am learning so much, but my mom always knocks me down a notch when I get a little self righteous about telling people how to do things. It's good for to have her because she helps me to stay grounded as I am learning everything in my company. One of the richest men in my company is one of the nicest and humblest men I have ever met. He is an IT genius, one of the best in his field, and yet you would never say a bad word about him because he is so nice and appreciative of all that is done for him. His family and his wife keep him grounded.  The lesson I want everyone to work on with me is remembering that everyone is doing their best in life and we need stay humble in all of our endeavors. Having someone that will knock you down a peg helps.

Sorry that this is so late but today, I went into the city for an adventure! I previously wrote a post about taking chances and this was sort of my little shell breaking experience. I always text Karen and say I will visit and then never do. (Bad Friend Status) I ended up with this Monday off and my friend Karen from high school invited me to see the Colbert Report with her! I'm really glad I went to see her, see the show and explore even though the weather was not the greatest. I finally met her boyfriend Billy and her best friend Lauren, which was so great. They are the sweetest people ever and they made me feel so comfortable even though I just met them. Karen's really happy and it made me happy to see her so happy. It was just a great big happiness circle. *cue the Don't Worry, Be Happy music* It was awesome and I have some pictures below of my adventure.

Dean and Deluca Coffee Break after the train ride in to regroup my thoughts.

Poetry on the Subway Car- Isn't that the niftiest thing?!?

Key Lime Sprinkles Cupcake- I finally got to go when in the city this time :]

Sprinkles! I really love the store because it's adorable.

View from under my umbrella today- it was so gross out but still gorgeous!

Yummy Lunch at Spring on the UWS with my lovely friend Karen! This was to die for. I recommend like ten times over.

Colbert Report Tickets and Taping- You might see me tonight on the  episode- Dan Savage (author) is on it today!

Tips: Google Maps is your best friend and only friend. And NEVER underestimate the power of sitting down. It's the greatest feeling after sprinting and walking everywhere.

Source

I am a very cautious person. I think it might be because I am the oldest child in my family or maybe because my mother always made me think before I did anything. Whatever it is, I am always thinking of the consequences before I do anything. As a college student, especially at school, things happen spur of the moment. My roommate and I were studying when she got a text about going to a formal at the house of one of her good friends. She decided brings me, we get all dolled up and go over to the formal. I ended up meeting some of my best friends this year there and my roommate is now one of my closest dearest friends.

I think a lot about if I hadn't taken that chance. If I stayed in my dorm room and studied rather than going to the formal, my sophomore year would be so different. I wouldn't have meet JM, DM, and JF. I would not have cooked weird Indian food dishes after finals, found a love for chocolate covered peanuts or taken long walks to discover plants at the Arboretum in the cold. They have truly enriched my school experience and I love them dearly for that.

My life lesson that I need to incorporate into my life more often is to take chances. Of course, I will always have responsibilities. But if I have finished my work or am just studying for something a couple weeks away, it makes sense to let myself live a little and try something new. After all, when you look back on your life, you won't remember all of the times you spent studying or working on little things or freaking out over bills to be paid but you will remember the crazy antics, late nights out or silly study breaks you took with friends. This summer, I am planning trips to places I haven't been, trying new foods and reading books I never usually pick up. I'll keep y'all updated on my application of my lesson.

A question I pose to myself often is "Are you happy?" It's very important to evaluate how you feel on a daily basis.  If you aren't happy, then you need to make yourself happy or do things that make you happy. I find happiness in reading a book or cooking something new or walking around in nature.  I also find happiness in figuring out math problems or having theoretical discussions with my friends. Today's lesson is to make sure you are filling your life with things that make you happy. If you are not, I want you to start by doing your favorite activity for at least 15 minutes today. Allow yourself to do something non- constructive, silly, wacky, goofy, peaceful and any of those feelings in between. If you did it right, you should go to sleep with a smile on your face and a lightness in your heart. Keep at it everyday until you can eventually do what makes you happy all day every day.