http://www.myspace.com/towriteloveonherarms
I really appreciate that this guy is using free internet space to confront a serious problem in our world. I know the girl that the story is about, and I have been deeply affected by it lately. I just hope and pray To Write Love on Her Arms can help many other girls overcome their problems with addiction and depression and raise awareness to help prevent the destruction of abuse.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
It's Been Awhile
Only three weeks of class, a few minor papers and presentations, and one final exam stand between me and the rest of my life.
THAT'S overwhelming!
The only thing I've ever done full time is school. It's strange to imagine doing anything else.
I'm excited about the change though. Especially since now I'm in the process of becoming a Foreign Service Officer. It's a relief to at least have SOMETHING of a plan; even if it's not a sure thing. I'm really hoping it does work out. I can't help but imagine how amazing it would be. I probably shouldn't get my hopes up or have high expectations for it though. It doesn't hurt to keep praying about it. I just really have to trust God to work things out.
THAT'S overwhelming!
The only thing I've ever done full time is school. It's strange to imagine doing anything else.
I'm excited about the change though. Especially since now I'm in the process of becoming a Foreign Service Officer. It's a relief to at least have SOMETHING of a plan; even if it's not a sure thing. I'm really hoping it does work out. I can't help but imagine how amazing it would be. I probably shouldn't get my hopes up or have high expectations for it though. It doesn't hurt to keep praying about it. I just really have to trust God to work things out.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Just as predicted . . .
I turned my thesis in today. I finished it at 4:30 this afternoon. It was due at five. Seriously, I think that I just love the thrill of meeting a deadline. I just operate best, okay, I only operate when my adrenaline gets pumping and I'm in a time crunch. I just don't understand how people can work on the same thing for weeks or even days, just doing a little bit at a time. I admit it is somewhat fulfilling to see the incremental development of a major project - I think that's the side of me that's socialized to think that incremental progress is the responsible way to accomplish tasks. What's really fulfilling though is to accomplish a major project in a short amount of time, and still do an excellent job.
I have a sticky note on my bathroom mirror that says, "The key to success is not in trying harder but in being consistent." I got it out of a marathon training book. It seemed to apply to the rest of life pretty well though. Perseverence is one of my best qualities, but consistency is not something I do, well, consistently.
I heard a story about a man who took his son to a Navy base to tour a historic battleship. After the tour, the man toook his son aside and said, "how much do you want to bet that I can move this ship with one hand?" The boy looked at his father like he was crazy and replied, "Dad you can't move that ship! It's huge!" The father put his hand on the side of the ship and started to push. He continued to push, putting his whole body weight into his one hand. He pushed for nearly half an hour and the boy was getting impatient and just as he was getting ready to throw a fit, the ship budged. "See," the father said. "I just had to be patient and keep pushing. If I had given up, all that energy would have been wasted and I wouldn't have been able to move the ship. If you had helped me push, it would have moved in half the time."
So maybe the story is more about kinetic energy than consistency, but I think it illustrates a valuable point about being persistent and continuing to push even when it looks like nothing is being accomplished. Similarly, if the man had pushed a little, stopped, pushed a little, stopped, pushed a little, stopped, the ship would not have moved either.
For me, this story is really about struggling to accomplish difficult tasks and not giving up. Actually, I'm not even really sure about how that dumb ship story relates to my problem with procrastination, but it seems to fit somehow.
I'm just not wired to work on projects bit by bit. I like having lots of diffferent things to do in a short amount of time. That's exciting. I can't throw myself into something and truly become engaged if I'm just doing little bits and pieces over a long period of time. I like to be totally absorbed in something, focus, hammer it out or mull it over, and then complete the task all in one giant sweep. That doesn't mean that I get tunnel vision and can't think about anything else. I just like to be able to get passionate about something and channel that energy into accomplishing something.
I have a sticky note on my bathroom mirror that says, "The key to success is not in trying harder but in being consistent." I got it out of a marathon training book. It seemed to apply to the rest of life pretty well though. Perseverence is one of my best qualities, but consistency is not something I do, well, consistently.
I heard a story about a man who took his son to a Navy base to tour a historic battleship. After the tour, the man toook his son aside and said, "how much do you want to bet that I can move this ship with one hand?" The boy looked at his father like he was crazy and replied, "Dad you can't move that ship! It's huge!" The father put his hand on the side of the ship and started to push. He continued to push, putting his whole body weight into his one hand. He pushed for nearly half an hour and the boy was getting impatient and just as he was getting ready to throw a fit, the ship budged. "See," the father said. "I just had to be patient and keep pushing. If I had given up, all that energy would have been wasted and I wouldn't have been able to move the ship. If you had helped me push, it would have moved in half the time."
So maybe the story is more about kinetic energy than consistency, but I think it illustrates a valuable point about being persistent and continuing to push even when it looks like nothing is being accomplished. Similarly, if the man had pushed a little, stopped, pushed a little, stopped, pushed a little, stopped, the ship would not have moved either.
For me, this story is really about struggling to accomplish difficult tasks and not giving up. Actually, I'm not even really sure about how that dumb ship story relates to my problem with procrastination, but it seems to fit somehow.
I'm just not wired to work on projects bit by bit. I like having lots of diffferent things to do in a short amount of time. That's exciting. I can't throw myself into something and truly become engaged if I'm just doing little bits and pieces over a long period of time. I like to be totally absorbed in something, focus, hammer it out or mull it over, and then complete the task all in one giant sweep. That doesn't mean that I get tunnel vision and can't think about anything else. I just like to be able to get passionate about something and channel that energy into accomplishing something.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Procrastination
I'm just one of those people that can't get things done without a deadline. Stress is a real motivator - and not in the negative way, like I have anxiety attacks or anything, but in a good way, like I can actually get work done. So you would think that with my Thesis due in less than 5 days, that would be an adequate stress trigger. But no. I'm finding plenty of other distractions. Five days is SO much time. When I get down to two days and still have four chapters left to write, then maybe I'll be able to get in gear and focus. Until then, I wonder what's new on the J. Crew website?
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