Don't Worry, Be Happy

Oh Blog, how I've missed thee. Where to begin, you all have missed so much of my life! I have went a whole semester without letting you 5 followers know my every thought, how have you all survived!? (Run-on sentence, don't even care.) Well here I am, to remove your life support and fill you again with the sweet, sweet oxygen that is my life.

This past semester I've loved, I've lost (not really, just for dramatic effect lol), I've made new friends and lost others, made my first B, practiced voodoo on a professor for the first time, exclaimed hallelujah and hugged another teacher, attempted to eat a 72 oz steak, failed, grew gray hair, grew a beard, lost my beard and gray hair, and rode in a car to Tampa, FL and back, totaling 2,600 miles and 46 hours on the road.



What I've gathered from this exhilaration that I call my life is that I'm not as smart as I thought I was. I don't have it all planned out. I tend to stress way too much, and place emphasis on all the wrong things. Throughout most of my life, grades have been my #1 priority. Heck, I almost missed out on my uncle's funeral because it'd mess up my perfect attendance in high school. (I did go though, I'm not that terrible of a person. haha) And although I had convinced myself that there was nothing wrong with that stern focus, I realize now that there is.




While grades are important, they're not worth losing your mind over. With one B, I'll still get into pharmacy school, still earn the same pay when I graduate, and with some luck, still graduate college summa cum laude.

So how this applies to you all: Whatever you're struggling with, realize that it'll be okay in the long run, and as Billy the Bass sings, "Don't worry, Be happy". Life is a beautiful blessing, so don't waste yours by stressing out. Realize that you are made by a God that loves you, that you are surrounded by His people, and be happy. Everything short of this matters not in the long run. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus your attention on the people around you, and enjoy the friendships that will bloom as a result. Cherish the people you have in your life, because unlike what grade you made in organic chemistry the fall semester of your sophomore year in college, they will continue to bless you throughout your life.



Hope this has helped somehow.
Mahalo.

Welcome to Walgreens!

Hey followers/people that accidentally type in the wrong URL,

Sorry it's been so long since you've heard from me. I can't say I've been particularly busy, more like particularly lazy/unmotivated. But this past week, I finally heard back from Walgreens and once again, I'm here to tell you about my life!

The journey of my Walgreens employment is long and twisted, even though I've only been an actual employee since this past Friday. I actually went and interviewed with Walgreens at the beginning of the summer, and a few weeks later, I got a call back saying they didn't need me if I was only going to be able to work for the summer. After a few cries and beggings, they decided to give me a shot, on the condition that I work there at least one weekend a month while in school. So this past Friday, I showed up expecting to have the best day of my life. Unfortunately, it didn't quite turn out like I had hoped.

Once I arrived, I remembered that "work" isn't too much fun. If you've ever worked at a retail store, you've probably at some point had to face and front the shelves. It's a tedious task that involves just what it says, pulling items to the front of the shelves and make the label face the front. It definitely serves it's purpose, but is also probably one of the most boring jobs ever thought of. Especially when that's your task for seven hours straight. SEVEN HOURS!!!

Anyways, if that wasn't enough to fill my heart to the brim with joy, I also had the pleasure of meeting a work crew that had already established cliques within the first week. So being the new, college, wanna-be pharmacist clique turned out not to have too large of a following. A lot like my blog. lol

The one thing that I actually do like is that I feel completely like Jim Halpert from The Office.

Thank goodness for NBC sitcoms.

So this joyful week has made me wonder, what is so different about this job from my past three?

1. In my past three jobs, I worked with people that I already knew.

I believe that work is work, and what makes it tolerable, even enjoyable, is the people that you work with. Interactions with other people are what make us tick, so already having those connections when I started made the transition process very quick and easy.

2. In my past three jobs, I knew I wasn't going to be spending the rest of my life there.

I've always looked forward to the future and bigger, better times. It's important to set lofty goals, because they give you something to dream of and achieve. It's scary to not have them, because every day loses its purpose. And it's scary to think you've reached the end of the rainbow, when you don't see the pot of gold. <(What a great analogy, Cash! The end of a career search~(rainbow) and a pot of gold~(riches)>

3. In the past three, wait, two jobs, I've loved my bosses.

It's too early to tell whether or not this current one will attain their great levels, but through this, I've definitely realized that leadership DEFINITELY is a big part of happiness in the work place. ... Maybe that's why college places such emphasis on leadership...

4. In the past three jobs, I haven't had to drive half an hour to go to work.

But also.. In the past three, I haven't been able to have thirty minute jam sessions in my car before work.

So as much as I've sort of been dogging my current job, I AM looking forward to the future. I'm looking forward to learning more about pharmacy. I'm looking forward to establishing relationships with my co-workers. I'm looking forward to life.

Anddd if it doesn't work out, maybe NBC will give me my own sitcom..




Thanks for reading, and please leave me a comment if you have any opinions about work! :)

List O' Laughs

Well, I feel like it's been way too long since I've last blogged, and I definitely can't leave you with that last depressing blog, so here's my shot at redemption.

The year is almost over, and I really don't know how I feel about it. On one hand, I'm glad that I won't have to stress over tests for the upcoming three months. But on the other hand, I know I'm going to miss the crazy people I've met here at SWOSU...well most of them.

Last night, I was laying in bed, and for some reason, I started wondering what life would be like if I hadn't came to SWOSU. To sum it up, according to my dream, I would have been a rich oil tycoon and married to Taylor Swift.


PLUS

EQUALS

However, in real life, I think it probably would have been a little different...

If I had not came, I would have missed out on a multitude of laughs, including but not limited to:

1. Listening to Trevor tell me the story about him slipping on ice, hitting his head on the hood of a girls car, and the alarm going off.

2. Memorizing every line to the movie I Love You, Man.

3. Having all out brawls with Hulk Hands.

4. Meeting Heath. That alone is worth a million laughs.

5. Playing piano while Kyle improvised lyrics to a group of people I didn't know.

6. Meeting Tyler. Once again, there's another million laughs (at Heath).

7. Eating Caleb's food and watching him blame Brett (the office schmuck) for hours on end.

8. (This one's funny in hindsight but not so much at the time.) Posting a sticky note on my door that told my old roommate that if he didn't wash his clothes, I was going to throw them away..... I was serious.

9. Watching James make random people at Jerry's VERY uncomfortable.

10. Putting on my luchador mask and scaring Nic (this was the first time I met him).

*This list was hard to make, since basically every day another laugh is added to it. If I named everyone, this would go on forever and you'd get bored and quit reading..and we can't have that.

Anyways, I don't really remember where I was headed with this, so I'm just going to end it here, but in short, everything happens for a reason, and I'm glad this year did.

Broken

I am broken. I am embarrassed. I feel ignorant and even worse, stupid. This week I have five tests. FIVE! I am taking four different subjects this semester: General Chemistry II, Physics, World History, and Biological Concepts. And yet I have five tests (I had one in my Chem Lab also)! I didn't really mind having them all this week. Well... that's actually a lie lol. (Normally, when people type something they don't mean to, they delete it. But I'm not going to, because this is a prime example at how confused I am right now.) Anyways, I lied. I did mind having them. I hate feeling rushed. Hate it. You may think that's a universal, but trust me, I've met some people that will disprove that theory. I hate stress. Hate it. Usually the people that enjoy being rushed also agree with that. And most of all, I HATE failing, which is exactly what I did on my test today.

If you know me, you know I'm not used to failing (at least academically). 4.0 GPA, Academic All State, Oklahoma Regents Scholar..It's just sorta my knack. I just tend to grasp learning pretty well...or so I thought. I'd like to say that if I had spent more time studying, I would've done better. But the thing is, I spent time. I didn't even go home for Easter because I was studying! Between my job and already busy schedule, my free time is already somewhat limited. So this week, I squeezed out my already subtle me-time and spent it doing chemistry. And in the end, I failed all the same.



Today has humbled me beyond belief. Humbled me to the point of self loathing.

I know usually I write about the positive aspects in life and say to look on the bright side, and so I will try to remain positive through this. Anyone can be happy when times are good, it's when times are tough that true character is shown. So I am going to lift my head and look forward to tomorrow, but if you will, please pray that the grade on that test isn't as bad as I think it is. (That's right, I haven't actually seen the score yet, I just have a feeling. A STRONG feeling. lol) Also, comments are nice, so if you have any positive advice, let me know. Friends and family are what make the bad days tolerable. And sorry about the depressing blog, I thought about not posting this, but it shows that I have troubles too. But nevertheless, it's no worry, tomorrow is another day, and everything is gonna be alright.

The Simple Life

My goal in life is simple. To be a good man. To be a man that I would respect. Not the king of Sweden, or quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, but an honorable family man that enjoys life and cares for others even when there is no reason to. However, it is very easy to fall from the path of good and listen to the world’s definition of happiness. The world says to look out for yourself, that you come first. But I disagree. The world would be a cold place if we followed that advice. One of the main lessons I’ve learned in life is that people come first. It’s not just a hotel motto; it’s a way to look at life. As Alicia Keys so eloquently put it, “everything means nothing, if I ain’t got you.” The earth is special because it is the only planet that contains life. It’s not the biggest, or the brightest. It holds no marathon records for being the fastest to rotate around the sun (as far as I know). It’s special because of the people that inhabit it. When you were young, you always heard it was better to give than receive. Early in life, it’s hard to imagine that it’s true. I thought I’d always rather play with my toys than give them away. But with age comes maturity and the ability to understand the old adage’s wisdom. As you age, you can experience the wonders of the world many times over until their luster fades. However, a smile is a timeless marvel easy to obtain. So remember as you go throughout your life that true heroes aren’t praised for the riches they’ve amassed or the amazing feats they’ve accomplished, but rather for the lives they’ve touched and they smiles they’ve encouraged.:)

Yearbooks

~~~~ Think back to middle school. It's the end of the year and it's time to sign yearbooks. You have your best friends sign yours, then some kids you barely know, and once you've mustered up the courage, the girl of your dreams.

And at the end of the day, you sit down and read their scribbles. You'd read the "Have a Great Summer"s, and the "Can't Wait 'til Next Year"s, and of course the "Your Great, Don't Ever Change"s. But did you really take to heart what the messages said? Because more than likely, as time went by, you've changed. I know I did. People change for different reasons, some to fit in, others to get by in life a little easier, and some to try to get that girl of their dreams. But remember what your yearbooks said, "You're great, don't ever change!" Kids are often seen as ruthless little beings that aim to hurt each others feelings. However, it's funny that some of the wisest and most uplifting words can also come from children. This blog sort of went with the last one in the "uplifting, feel good kind of way", but I just feel it's important to know that you are special, loved, and a great person. So during your hard times, when you're feeling down and out, remember that you truly are great, retain your child-like innocence, and don't ever change.

Fingerprints

Fingerprints are an amazing thing! Even though there are over 6 and a half billion people in the world, no one has the same prints! Not only are we seperated by this physical trait, but also by our talents and abilities. We are all different, special in our own way. God made us all in His image, and every person unique. Therefore, don't compare yourself to another. When others succeed, praise their triumphs instead of loathing your shortcomings. Rejoice in their happiness, instead of drowning in your sorrows. The world is full of many different types of people, and each one has a story to tell. In life, it is our duty to listen to listen to one another and learn from their experiences. The world doesn't revolve around a single individual, but instead humanity as a whole. Therefore, be happy for your brothers' and sisters' achievements as if they were your own, for they better the world that we live in. Jealous only harms the envious, so learn to live and love and your life will be enriched in the process.

Yes, those are crowd surfing storm troopers.