Investments

I want to get to the point where I think of every minute of every day as an investment.

There are good investments, and there are terrible ones. When you wake up in the morning, how do you plan your day? What investments will you be making? The ideal outcome would be to make an investment that will pay off in a positive way for you, whether that be later on that very day or later on in life.

What you eat for breakfast affects how you feel hours later. What time you go to bed affects how you feel the next day. Extra minutes you spend treating someone the right way affects how that relationship will be in the future. Will you invest 30 minutes into an early morning run, to be healthier later on? Will you stay up until 3:07, like I’m doing, to feel sluggish and useless until the next afternoon? Will you invest an hour towards reading a book, hoping for the chance that you read something that could change your life forever? Think about how you invest your time.

My thoughts about religion

Just so we’re clear, I am a very faithful person who was raised in a Baptist family, attending church every Sunday. I find it impossible that someone can walk around outside for ten minutes without being completely convinced that there is indeed a God.

The concept of going to church has always puzzled me and confused me. I’m not sure whether or not I like it. I find it a little immature to have religion spoon-fed to us through a sermon, especially because believing in God is one of the most private and mature things a person can do. I get that a minister knows the entire BIBLE inside and out, and I probably couldn’t even tell you the difference between the Old and New Testaments. But I know that when I have the time to sit and think about God, I have more valuable experiences than I’ve ever had in church. Church is great to spend time with your family, and it seems like it is one of the few places in the world these days that is uninhabited by cell-phones, alarms, and other distractions. However, the fact that we have a set time each week to go learn about the almighty being who created anything and everything we have ever seen, heard, or felt, is strange. Religion should be a private relationship between you and God. It should be left to your own interpretation, in my opinion. Nobody should be allowed to give you their opinion of what they think you should or should not think. 

Happiness, at what cost?

We all want to be happy, but happiness is a simple feeling that is difficult to get.

I deserve to be happy, I work too damn hard to be anything but. The thing is– happiness is selfish, and I am not a selfish person. Am I willing to ruin someone else’s happiness to achieve my own? The answer right now, unfortunately, is no. I know I could be happier if I took the right steps, but in doing so, I know that I would completely wreck someone else’s happiness in the most brutal of ways.

While this may be hard to understand, just know that sometimes it is okay to put your own happiness on hold to protect someone else’s. This way of living cannot go on forever, though. I long for the day when I can put my own happiness first for once in my life. I just hope that I’m not too late.

What I hope to get out of this…

Although I’m new to blogging, I’ve always been very good about writing my thoughts down. I don’t spend much time explaining them on paper, so I just write down captions. When I re-read them, my brain does the rest. If it is important enough, I’ll remember what exactly it was that I was thinking. Years later, the captions that I wrote down that I can still fill in are going to be transferred onto this blog. The ones that I can’t have been scratched out or thrown away.

I’m writing this blog because sometimes it can be very rewarding to just write down what you’re thinking. As I’ve said before, I don’t expect people to read this and I actually kind of hope that they don’t. I don’t have my name on here for a reason, as these are my own private thoughts. I’m writing this blog because sometimes it is not easy to share things with people. When it gets too hard to communicate our feelings, it’s best to hide behind anonymity. If they figure it out, then good for them. If not, then that’s okay too. I want to be sure these thoughts are clearly communicated somehow, because it’s only fair.

This blog will be honest at all times. If there are ever any doubts in your head about what I’m thinking, or how I’m feeling, just come to this site. Whatever you think these posts are telling you– I trust your interpretation.

Soul-mates

There are two theories that I have about soul mates.

1) They do not exist.

Think about it– there are billions of people on the earth. If there is a person made explicitly for me and me alone, what are the odds that I run into them at any point in my life? Much less, what are the chances we meet that person in our own hometown, or school, or even state? The best match possible for you could be literally anywhere in the world, and both of you will settle for something else that doesn’t even compare to what you could have. And the worst part is, neither of you even know it. Soul mates do not exist, we just find someone good enough to partner up with for the rest of our time here.

2) They do exist.

This is a little more optimistic. The person who is the best fit for us is purposefully placed in our lives so obviously that we would be have no way to miss it. If we do miss it, we’re constantly reminded of it through future freakishly coincidental interactions. So don’t worry, if you’ve missed your soul mate before, you’ll get another chance. And another one after that if you miss it again. You could search your entire life for a better match if you wanted to, but you won’t find it. God put the right person for you into the seat next to you in 3rd grade, or in the apartment down the hall, or in the bar-stool just a few feet away.

What do you think?

Saying hello the right way

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is how to say “hello” to someone. The first step in building a successful relationship is the first thing you say, and there are many ways to say it.

Saying “hello” isn’t actually saying that word, so don’t get that confused. Saying “hello” refers to the first interaction you have with someone. Ensuring that the first thing you do for a person will be a positive memory for them later on is vital to a successful relationship.

Whether it be a warm smile, a good conversation, easing a person’s stress when they need it the most, or simply sending them a quick text to make sure they made it home safe in a rain storm. First impressions last a lifetime, so say hello the right way. I know that I will disappoint people my entire life, and I know that before I even introduce myself to someone. Eventually, when those days come and they start to add up to the point where they should just give up on you, they’ll think back to that first moment when you said “hello” the right way.

Strangers

Meeting someone for the first time is one of the most rewarding, intimidating, and thought-provoking thing a person can do. 

I am intrigued by strangers, drawn to conversations with people I’ve never seen before and will probably never see again. I hypothesize who they are as a person. I wonder about what they’ve gone through, and mistakenly believe that I can help. I wonder about what they’ve accomplished, and quietly root for them from a distance.

Every person that you pass has the potential to be your best friend, your worst enemy, or the love of your life.