Every Decision

"You're always one decision away from a different life." 
I used to think about this a lot when it came to life events. If I would have made (x) decision differently I would be doing (x) now. I have had problems in the past obsessing over this. I would lay in bed and run through the 1000s of different ways a situation could have played out. I soon realized that that wasn't a healthy way to live.

 What I learned from that, though, is that every day you have a choice. Every day that you wake up you have the ability to change your life. It may not be to the scale you want it to be but you can still make small, little self-improvements. These small changes have an impact.

 A line from a church sermon that continues to stick with me is, "your current storm is not your forever forecast." It may be easy to focus on what you aren't accomplishing, your current storm can be your forever forecast if you let it drive your life, but don't let it. Use your current situation to motivate you to do things to get you closer to being your happiest self. 

You are one decision away from changing the direction of your life. You (and only you) have the power to decide how you live today. Others may have an influence on your life or what you do, but your mindset always goes back to you. Recognize the power of your choices. 

 I am working on not worrying about the past decisions I could have made. I am working on living in the moment, being present, and making decisions that I will be happy with for the "now."

 Until next time,
Taylor xx
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Playing It Safe

So if I'm being honest, when I released my "Stop Feeling Guilty" post I had the titles for my two follow up blog posts (this one and "Being Remembered"). I was having a really good writing day when I wrote "Stop Feeling Guilty" but when I tried to write "Being Remembered" a few days later I was stumped. My ideas were cluttered, I knew what I wanted to say but not how I wanted to write it (which is pretty rare for me).

I talked through my "Being Remembered" and "Stop Feeling Guilty" ideas with a friend. He gave me some really good insight and helped me streamline my thoughts. We talked about the idea of being remembered first and then how playing it safe prevents you from being remembered.

I have always had an idea of what I want to do. In 8th grade I had picked out the university I wanted to study at and the major I wanted to pursue... well that was until I visited Drury in the spring semester of my junior year. The news of me wanting to go to Drury instead of Truman shocked a lot of my friends and family because I had been set on it for so long. I guess you could say one of my biggest moments of not playing it safe was choosing Drury when I had already set my mind on Truman.

Going into college everything is a new opportunity, everything is a risk. My freshman year I adapted to the college setting a lot more than I anticipated. Part of that was pushing myself to not play it safe. I would constantly tell myself that I wasn't paying all of this money to sit in my room and stare at the wall, I could do that at home for free.


I had to (and still do) actively work to not play it safe. I went through sorority recruitment, I took smaller leadership roles in my chapter, I am managing editor of the newspaper. I would not have accomplished these things if I chose to step back and let others do what I thought I could do. 
I definitely have my friends to thank for pushing me to believe in myself even when I doubt my capabilities. Because of them I truly believe I am a better person than I was a year ago.
Lambda Chi Alpha's Watermelon Fest
This summer I spent a lot of time doing nothing and it was great for a while but I can only do nothing for so long before I go stir crazy. I missed my friends from school so much and all I wanted to do was spend time with them. Like I mentioned above, they motivate me to strive for more and I missed that so much this summer.
My little, Noelle, and I on Bid Day (obviously before we knew we'd be big/little)
Rachel and I after she ran home for the 2nd time. She was Panhellenic's VP-Recruitment and was disaffiliated for the recruitment process.
It's crazy to me because my best friends now are people I barely knew at this point last year and they are some of the most important people in my life. I want my sophomore year to be filled with as many memories and experiences as possible and I know that with them I can make that a possibility.
Life is full of great opportunities that you'll miss if you continue to choose to play it safe.

 Until next time,
Taylor xx
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Being Remembered

It's pretty safe to say that we all want to be remembered. While what we want to be remembered for may vary, we all want to look back on our lives and see that we made a difference in some shape or form.

As I've continued my reading of Mark Manson's, "The subtle art of not giving a f*ck," (I introduce it more in my last blog post here) I have been reflecting on what I want to do and what legacy I want to leave behind.

Part of that legacy isn't up to our control. It's what other people thought of us, how they interpreted our actions and the values we held.

What we can control is what we do and why we do it. Many people let opportunities slip through their fingers because they are too scared or too lazy. I heard the quote "step outside your comfort zone" so much growing up that it makes me cringe, but Fred DeVito's quote "if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you," resonates much more with me.

It can be so incredibly easy to get caught up in our day to day routine and become complacent. I'm a creature of habit and I find that I get so engrossed in my routines rather than just living life. I have come to realize that I have to push myself to strive for more.

What do I want to be remembered for? Among many things I hope that I am remembered as someone who made an impact on someone's life for the better. I hope I make others feel important and valued.
This is a photo I've used before when I've talked about my trip to Hawaii. Visiting Hawaii is one of my most cherished memories and I cannot wait to go back. This is part of the Ironman triathlon swim course that I swam a part of while visiting and I hope to one day be able to qualify to compete for the Kona Ironman.
Manson's novel has made me reconsider who I value in my life. You only have so many cares to give and you should invest in the people who mean a lot to you. If I let the wrong things stress me out or consume me, what impact does that have toward how I want to be remembered? I end up neglecting the people I surround myself with.

We need to shift our focus from our worries to what we can do to live how we want. This will not only shape how we are remembered, but also give us a better sense of self.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

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