Good morning, readers! Another summer day is upon us, but with prospects of a LONG and HAPPY Fourth of July weekend ahead, this week is just flying by.
To tell the truth, this SUMMER is flying by. With Florida State's Orientation officially over (hooray!), my year with the Student Alumni Association is officially over, and my feelings are definitely bittersweet. I learned so much in that assistantship, and am thankful for the relationships I built and the skills I gained. Even though I'll miss it at times, I have so much to look forward to--I have started an internship with the Career Center here at FSU, working with the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society, and then the second week of August I begin a NEW assistantship for my second year in grad school with the Student Activities Center!
In the meantime, I'm also taking time for me and looking forward to some personal things; namely, at the end of July, I'll be attending (as a bridesmaid :)) the wonderful wedding of my college roommate/best friend, Sarah, and her fiance/my friend Chris. This wedding will not only be a time to celebrate their relationship and bright future together, but it's also the ONLY time I'll be returning to Texas this summer and an opportunity to be reunited with some of my best friends from undergrad!
Like I said, I'm a bridesmaid for this wedding (my first time as an attendant! I'm pumped!), and I know there will be LOTS of pictures taken, so needless to say, I'm being completely shallow and decided that I want to make sure I grace the pictures with the greatest of photogenic ease. On top of that, I've been feeling like a lazy bum lately, and so this weekend I decided that the time had come for me to bring working out (running, mostly) back into my life. Ever since I improved my lifestyle and learned to be healthier last summer, I've noticed a change in the way I feel physically AND emotionally. I liked the way I looked, I liked the way I felt, and I liked the way I felt about how I looked (does that make sense? It does to me).
This spring semester was challenging, and unfortunately, part of that challenge was me LOSING aspects of my self-care such as exercising, and just plain feeling lousy. But luckily, with the motivation of this wedding looming ahead, and the unexpected partnership and participation of my cohort buddy Jason, it's time to get back into shape!
This past Sunday, Jason and I were discussing how we missed working out and how we wished we could find the motivation to do it. All of a sudden, we realized--what if we ran TOGETHER? We'd not only have a buddy to keep us motivated, we'd also have someone to keep us accountable and to kick each other's butt when we needed it. So Monday evening we embarked upon our first run, and I think our routine is going to be a resounding success. We run on a track, and so we warm up with 2 laps (half a mile), run one mile straight through (4 laps), and then cool down with 2 more laps, bringing it to 2 miles total.
I know that all the fitness experts say you're supposed to work out with a buddy, but really, listen to them. When my legs want to quit towards the end of our third lap, seeing Jason keeping pace out of the corner of my eye helps me round the next corner and keep moving. Our goal is to eventually be able to run 3 miles straight through by the time school starts, and I think we can do it. We have each other to keep motivated, and to compliment each other when we notice how in-shape we feel :)
So look out, world! I'm back in the running business, and I'm coming to get you. Granted, my legs feel like jello first thing when I wake up in the morning, but I can already tell a difference in my mood (endorphins are the BEST) and how well I'm sleeping (although my mom has always said I could sleep through a tornado, so I don't know how different that is). Soon to follow: world domination. And by the world, I mean Jason's and my little corner of the track. But I think that's enough to start with!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
"Squeezing the Sponge"
Good morning! And a good Wednesday morning it is, although rather hot and humid here in Tallahassee ( I should expect nothing less by now!).
Summer has come as usual with its hot days, weekends by the pool, grilling cookouts, and baseball games in the dusk (I. Love. Summer.), but this particular summer has also afforded me with one of the most full work schedules I've ever had. Currently, Florida State is in the midst of its Orientation for the Class of 2015, and as the graduate assistant for the Student Alumni Association, one of the largest student organizations on campus, summer Orientation is our prime membership recruitment time. So for the past four weeks and the next two, I'm outside with my students in the afternoon, advertising SAA and asking passers-by to take a picture with our cutouts of the Garnet and Gold Glitter Guys, and then in the evenings I am helping welcome parents to FSU by hosting receptions out at our Alumni Association. So from 1pm to 10pm (with a break for dinner), I'm on the go, in the heat, working and working and working some more.
This work is enjoyable, for SURE. It's amazing to be reminded of the zeal of the incoming freshmen and other students who are so excited and apprehensive to begin their college careers (and strange to realize it's been five years since I was doing the same thing!). I love helping answer parents' questions and helping them navigate the confusing world that is being a parent of a college student. Most of all, I love the additional time with my students over the summer, when we can relax a lot of the rigidity that the school year holds, develop stronger relationships as friends and as GA to students, and enjoy publicizing our organization to new students.
However, this busy summer schedule also holds a deep challenge for me, one that I must work very hard to overcome every day. You see, my number one StrengthsQuest strength is Empathy, or the ability to be able to see others' perspectives and really put myself in their shoes. This strength has been SUCH a blessing over the years, as it has enabled me to work better in group settings, to get to know new friends and colleagues, and to serve as a mediator between friends and in the workplace. Even so, those of you who are familiar with StrengthsQuest also know that all strengths have a "shadow side," or a challenging side to them. Even if you aren't familiar with StrengthsQuest, you have probably realized that some of your greatest personality and work strengths can double as your greatest challenges as well (for example, motivation can turn into pushing others; friendliness can turn into people-pleasing; adaptation can turn into indecisiveness). For me, empathy holds a great danger: compassion fatigue.
As I said, my Empathy enables me to put myself wholly in others' shoes; to really understand how they think and how that affects their actions, and then to convey that to others. However, as I pour myself into others (and let them pour themselves into me), I become a combination lighting rod and sponge for emotion. That's the danger in empathy--with understanding of others comes, well, an empathy for how they feel; a true knowledge of what's in their mind and heart. And while I love being able to convey emotion to others and enable understanding, soaking up emotions all day gets--as you can imagine--EXHAUSTING. When I get home, although I've enjoyed my day, my mind (my sponge, if you will) is FULL of others' happinesses, joys, sadnesses, anxieties, stresses, and every other emotion they exude throughout the day.
Don't get me wrong; I love having the strength of empathy. Many times, this skill has enabled me to build bridges where none existed and to strengthen relationships, both professional and personal. It's given me insight into people that I thought I could never understand, and a true compassion for every human being around me. However, as I said, the danger in compassion is what many in this profession have encountered--compassion fatigue, the danger of being so full of others' emotions that you become numb and feel no longer. Many days, my sponge gets full, and I'm "plumb tuckered out."
So how do I combat this fatigue? I take part in what Dr. Adrienne Frame, Director of Housing here at FSU, calls "squeezing the sponge." When my brain, my heart--my "sponge"--gets too full, I have to take time for myself, to "wring it out," to process and think (or sometimes not think at all!), and to come back to work and life the next day renewed and ready for more interactions, sponge empty and ready for more.
Recently, this "sponge-squeezing time" has taken the form of me becoming a SERIOUS homebody. It's not that I don't enjoy hanging out with my friends; I most definitely do! But on weekends, when I FINALLY have time to spend on myself, I like to be by myself. Whether that takes the form of reading a book, or catching up with my favorite television shows, or watching movies, or SLEEPING, I enjoy "me-time" to focus on myself and to engage in that self-care that is oh so important in life.
And you know what? I refuse to feel guilty for taking care of myself. Everyone needs sponge-squeezing time, and the most important thing is to know WHEN you need it and to know HOW you can do it.
So think about it. How do you squeeze your sponge? What refreshes you and renews you for a new day? And how do you encourage those around you to take their own time to renew themselves?
Until next time, readers, I hope your summer days are bright and your summer nights are cool (oh, those summer nights.). :)
Summer has come as usual with its hot days, weekends by the pool, grilling cookouts, and baseball games in the dusk (I. Love. Summer.), but this particular summer has also afforded me with one of the most full work schedules I've ever had. Currently, Florida State is in the midst of its Orientation for the Class of 2015, and as the graduate assistant for the Student Alumni Association, one of the largest student organizations on campus, summer Orientation is our prime membership recruitment time. So for the past four weeks and the next two, I'm outside with my students in the afternoon, advertising SAA and asking passers-by to take a picture with our cutouts of the Garnet and Gold Glitter Guys, and then in the evenings I am helping welcome parents to FSU by hosting receptions out at our Alumni Association. So from 1pm to 10pm (with a break for dinner), I'm on the go, in the heat, working and working and working some more.
This work is enjoyable, for SURE. It's amazing to be reminded of the zeal of the incoming freshmen and other students who are so excited and apprehensive to begin their college careers (and strange to realize it's been five years since I was doing the same thing!). I love helping answer parents' questions and helping them navigate the confusing world that is being a parent of a college student. Most of all, I love the additional time with my students over the summer, when we can relax a lot of the rigidity that the school year holds, develop stronger relationships as friends and as GA to students, and enjoy publicizing our organization to new students.
However, this busy summer schedule also holds a deep challenge for me, one that I must work very hard to overcome every day. You see, my number one StrengthsQuest strength is Empathy, or the ability to be able to see others' perspectives and really put myself in their shoes. This strength has been SUCH a blessing over the years, as it has enabled me to work better in group settings, to get to know new friends and colleagues, and to serve as a mediator between friends and in the workplace. Even so, those of you who are familiar with StrengthsQuest also know that all strengths have a "shadow side," or a challenging side to them. Even if you aren't familiar with StrengthsQuest, you have probably realized that some of your greatest personality and work strengths can double as your greatest challenges as well (for example, motivation can turn into pushing others; friendliness can turn into people-pleasing; adaptation can turn into indecisiveness). For me, empathy holds a great danger: compassion fatigue.
As I said, my Empathy enables me to put myself wholly in others' shoes; to really understand how they think and how that affects their actions, and then to convey that to others. However, as I pour myself into others (and let them pour themselves into me), I become a combination lighting rod and sponge for emotion. That's the danger in empathy--with understanding of others comes, well, an empathy for how they feel; a true knowledge of what's in their mind and heart. And while I love being able to convey emotion to others and enable understanding, soaking up emotions all day gets--as you can imagine--EXHAUSTING. When I get home, although I've enjoyed my day, my mind (my sponge, if you will) is FULL of others' happinesses, joys, sadnesses, anxieties, stresses, and every other emotion they exude throughout the day.
Don't get me wrong; I love having the strength of empathy. Many times, this skill has enabled me to build bridges where none existed and to strengthen relationships, both professional and personal. It's given me insight into people that I thought I could never understand, and a true compassion for every human being around me. However, as I said, the danger in compassion is what many in this profession have encountered--compassion fatigue, the danger of being so full of others' emotions that you become numb and feel no longer. Many days, my sponge gets full, and I'm "plumb tuckered out."
So how do I combat this fatigue? I take part in what Dr. Adrienne Frame, Director of Housing here at FSU, calls "squeezing the sponge." When my brain, my heart--my "sponge"--gets too full, I have to take time for myself, to "wring it out," to process and think (or sometimes not think at all!), and to come back to work and life the next day renewed and ready for more interactions, sponge empty and ready for more.
Recently, this "sponge-squeezing time" has taken the form of me becoming a SERIOUS homebody. It's not that I don't enjoy hanging out with my friends; I most definitely do! But on weekends, when I FINALLY have time to spend on myself, I like to be by myself. Whether that takes the form of reading a book, or catching up with my favorite television shows, or watching movies, or SLEEPING, I enjoy "me-time" to focus on myself and to engage in that self-care that is oh so important in life.
And you know what? I refuse to feel guilty for taking care of myself. Everyone needs sponge-squeezing time, and the most important thing is to know WHEN you need it and to know HOW you can do it.
So think about it. How do you squeeze your sponge? What refreshes you and renews you for a new day? And how do you encourage those around you to take their own time to renew themselves?
Until next time, readers, I hope your summer days are bright and your summer nights are cool (oh, those summer nights.). :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
I'm moving on up!
Good morning, faithful readers!
So, as you can tell, I've done a little changing up, and my blog is now brand-spanking-new in hosted website, format, and title. Here are some reasons for the changes:
1. Website: Although I admire Tumblr very much as a site and will still maintain my account there, the purpose of the site is geared much more towards microblogging, and since my posts are generally pretty reflective and not-so-micro, I figured it would be best for my site to reflect the purpose of my blog. So here I am, on the ever-faithful Blogger (sponsored by my homeboys, Google)!
2. Format: You'll notice a new design on my page. I LOVE reading (post to come about that!), and books and reading and writing make up a significant portion of the passions of my life, so why not have books as my background? Additionally, you'll notice a handy-dandy little side bar that shows you my Twitter feed updates. Twitter has become a huge part of my life, personally and professionally, and so I'd like to connect my online identities, blogging and tweeting. Which leads me to my next point...
3. Title: One of my biggest goals with this blog switch is to be a lot more intentional with my writing and my online identity in general. The #sachat community on Twitter (see the Twitter post to come for more info) talks a lot about personal branding, and I want my brand to more accurately reflect me! So with that, I'm moving the focus of my blog from my growing up process (because, let's be real, I'll be growing up for the rest of my life) to my constant search for meaning in everything. Writing is a huge part of my life and a huge catharsis for me, and it helps me think more about why I do what I do and make plans to be more intentional with everything that I do. So with that, I borrow some words from the band Jack's Mannequin for the blog title (the song is called "I'm Ready," and it's a goodie), and some even more brilliant words from one of my favorite poets, William Wordsworth for the description--I want to fill my paper (or your computer screen) with the breathings of my heart. I seek to be genuine in everything I do, and that includes this blog!
However, don't let all this "intentionality" and "genuineness" talk scare you away... I'm just trying to be more authentically ME! (Although if I scare you, you probably shouldn't be reading my blog anyway, huh?)
With that, it's time to go on with my day, but look for another new update soon. :)
So, as you can tell, I've done a little changing up, and my blog is now brand-spanking-new in hosted website, format, and title. Here are some reasons for the changes:
1. Website: Although I admire Tumblr very much as a site and will still maintain my account there, the purpose of the site is geared much more towards microblogging, and since my posts are generally pretty reflective and not-so-micro, I figured it would be best for my site to reflect the purpose of my blog. So here I am, on the ever-faithful Blogger (sponsored by my homeboys, Google)!
2. Format: You'll notice a new design on my page. I LOVE reading (post to come about that!), and books and reading and writing make up a significant portion of the passions of my life, so why not have books as my background? Additionally, you'll notice a handy-dandy little side bar that shows you my Twitter feed updates. Twitter has become a huge part of my life, personally and professionally, and so I'd like to connect my online identities, blogging and tweeting. Which leads me to my next point...
3. Title: One of my biggest goals with this blog switch is to be a lot more intentional with my writing and my online identity in general. The #sachat community on Twitter (see the Twitter post to come for more info) talks a lot about personal branding, and I want my brand to more accurately reflect me! So with that, I'm moving the focus of my blog from my growing up process (because, let's be real, I'll be growing up for the rest of my life) to my constant search for meaning in everything. Writing is a huge part of my life and a huge catharsis for me, and it helps me think more about why I do what I do and make plans to be more intentional with everything that I do. So with that, I borrow some words from the band Jack's Mannequin for the blog title (the song is called "I'm Ready," and it's a goodie), and some even more brilliant words from one of my favorite poets, William Wordsworth for the description--I want to fill my paper (or your computer screen) with the breathings of my heart. I seek to be genuine in everything I do, and that includes this blog!
However, don't let all this "intentionality" and "genuineness" talk scare you away... I'm just trying to be more authentically ME! (Although if I scare you, you probably shouldn't be reading my blog anyway, huh?)
With that, it's time to go on with my day, but look for another new update soon. :)
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