Today, as I was completing some course work for a certification I am trying to obtain, I came across a section labeled S.M.A.R.T goals. The section stated that S.M.A.R.T goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. I read the section a few more times and asked myself if I was creating goals with these parameters in mind. The truth is that I wasn't, and I hadn't been. Some of the goals that I had been trying to "achieve" were too open-ended and not specific enough. By not making these goals more specific, I was constantly overwhelming myself. I didn't know where to start, because I didn't know where it was that I wanted to go and what (specifically) I was trying to achieve! Therefore, I accomplished nothing.
Are the goals that you have for yourself specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely?
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This post lists out 87 ways you can help, educate yourself, stay informed, and take action. Please refer to this post for recommendations on what is posted below. Educate yourself and stay informed-Read books, watch documentaries, watch movies, watch YouTube videos, and listen to podcasts that educate you on the history of oppression and white supremacy. (Recommendations on post) -Follow social media accounts that will keep you informed. (Recommendations on post) -Read the news. Advocate -Sign petitions: change.org or colorofchange.org (Recommendations on post) -Contact government leaders: www.vice.com/en_us/article/935bye/basic-guide-to-finding-and-calling-your-representatives -Attend protests -SPEAK UP Support black-owned businesses and artistsClick below to see a list of black-owned Indy food businesses to support right now Acknowledge your privilege & blind spotsAs much as we, human beings, like to point our fingers at other people for being the problem, we first have to realize, and acknowledge, the problems that are in our own hearts. It’s highly likely that you have certain biases and prejudices whether you realize them (conscious) or not (subconscious). There’s a quote that states “the first step of change is to become aware of your own problems.” We can’t fix a whole society by ourselves without first being aware of our hearts. Click on the button below to take the implicit association test. Donate to organizations striving for changeVoteGetting ready for RISETo say that my mom and I went all out to prepare for RISE Live is an understatement. This is our first-ever RISE conference and we wanted to make it as special as we could. We created our space to feel as though we were at the actual event and not just in our living room, lol. Attached below are a few pictures :) After RISEFUELED. That's the word I am feeling right now after RISE Live. To put things into perspective (because it's all about perspective), before RISE I felt like a gas tank in need of gas. During RISE my gas tank kept getting more and more full as each of the keynotes spoke, and by the end of the conference, I was completely fueled. It was just what I needed to kick me into high gear.
As freshman year comes to an end I wanted to share some of my favorite memories :) 1) Welcome WeekAhhhh welcome Week. The week that was extremely exciting, yet extremely taxing on my sleep schedule. I will never forget all of the fun activities that took place during that week like the CLC scavenger hunt around campus (go Stars), CultureFest, Midnight Madness at Walmart (riding mechanical bulls, dancing, and doing karaoke), RecFest, FaithFest, and all of the late nights spent hanging out with my new friends :) 2) GAMESSSSFootball games, soccer games, volleyball games, basketball games, you name it. These were some of my favorite memories spent with some of my favorite people. 3) Service ProjectsI loved the service projects I got to do with the CLC and also my church. Most of the service projects included sorting clothes at My Sisters Closet, Wheeler Mission, and the Middle Way House. 4) Bloomington Farmers MarketSaturday morning trips to the farmers market warmed my heart. 5) Improv showsChocolate Moose and improv with friends = best duo. 6) Best Buddies Chapter EventsWhether it was the match party, carnival event, friendship ball, or the halloween party, my first year of IU Best Buddies was one to remember. 7) Fall Break: The DC TripSo many amazing memories from the D.C. trip. -Daily trips to shake shack -Dinner at Uno Pizzeria -Touring the city -The CLC networking event -The museums -Eating rounds and rounds of tortilla chips at a local Mexican restaurant in D.C. because hey they are free. "Come back when you graduate college and have more money" -our Waiter who wanted us to order expensive desert, but then realized we were college students who clearly didn't want to spend more money (hence all the rounds of free tortilla chips ). LOL. -The hotel breakfasts -And many more 8) Game nightsMost of the time I went to bed before this occurred, but when I did stay up and participate in game nights with the crew they were great. 9) Hooping @ the IC with the squadSometimes we killed it. Sometimes we got killed. Either way, hooping in the IC with the guys was always fun. 10) The Civic Leaders CenterJust to let you know this blog post is not an advertisement for The Hollis Company (although that would be cool, lol). It just so happens that all of my favorite podcasts are from The Hollis Co. Yep, ALL of them. I usually listen to them when I am running, but lately, I've been listening to them a lot more because I've been needing some extra motivation (I mean who doesn't right now). Anyways, I highly recommend that you check them out, especially the RISE Podcast by Rachel Hollis and Straight Up by Trent Shelton. I promise you will not be disappointed. Since quarantining has started, I have been working out like crazy. It's one of the only things that is keeping me sane during these times, lol :) Here are some of the workout programs/ videos I've been using and loving. My favorite one right now is the Peloton app, which has all kinds of workouts on it, and is free for 90 days! Here are some books that I love and strongly recommend reading!!! Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel HollisGirl Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis, is probably my favorite book of all time. I can't recommend it enough! Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel HollisYou can't get one without the other, right?! If you liked reading Girl Wash Your Face (which you probably did), you'll be very eager to get your hands on Girl Stop Apologizing. The Happiness Project by Gretchen RubinThe Power Of Now by Eckhart TolleThirst by Scott HarrisonI just got done reading this book and let me tell you.... It was AMAZINGGG! I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to turn their life around or to anyone who is interested in the nonprofit sector. The Greatest You by Trent SheltonYou Are A Badass by Jen SinceroGet Out Of Your Own Way by Dave HollisI am currently reading this and enjoying it :) Becoming by Michelle ObamaI've not yet read Becoming, but I've heard amazing things about it. This is the next book on my to-read list! A couple of days ago, Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter Gigi, and multiple others, passed away due to a tragic accident that took place. The death was extremely unexpected and unbeknownst. People are still in shock about it and the uproar on social media is still going on, as it should be. Kobe was not only an amazing athlete and basketball player, but he was also a father, husband, businessman, and an amazing role model to so many. It’s safe to say that millions of people have been taken back by the news of his death and affected by it. Why wouldn’t people be? Kobe was only 41 and had so much more of his life to live, as did the others who were onboard the helicopter! It’s extremely heartbreaking and tragic, to say the least.
All of this being said, I think this can serve as a massive wake up call for all of us. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 169,936 unintentional/ unexpected deaths occur every year. 169,936 deaths, every year. Guys, that’s A LOT of people who leave this world unexpectedly. The sad part of this scary statistic is that nobody expects one of those numbers to be someone they know or someone they look up to. They don’t expect one of those numbers to be a close relative or a friend. And they sure don’t expect one of those numbers to be them. All of this to say that we, every single one of us, are NOT guaranteed a tomorrow. Every day, we need to cherish those around us and take advantage of the opportunities that we have. We are not always going to be around to make an impact and to live out the life that we’ve always dreamt of. So right here, right now, I challenge you to live out your purposes and dreams because truth be told, you never know what could happen to you. Cite for the National Center for Health Statistics: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm Today, I wrestled with the idea of writing another post about my dad because truthfully there are only so many posts that you want to write about something deep and personal to you before people start to think that you’re doing it for attention or that you need a therapist… lol. But then again, I realized that there are so many people out there who are struggling with this. And quite frankly, nobody talks about it. So here I am yet again posting something about my father. Not to vent, but just to be open about something that has caused a lot of pain in my life and something that I know causes a lot of pain in other people’s lives as well. And truthfully, I believe that we all go through things for specific purposes, one of which is so that we can help those who are going through the same things that we went through. So, to be honest, I highly doubt this will be the last time I talk about this because I highly doubt that people will stop struggling with this.
Anyways, three years ago, today, I came home from one of my basketball games to find out that my father had passed away. Throughout my life, my father struggled with addiction and there were many different feelings that I had towards him and his struggles. I didn’t understand what my dad was going through while he was dealing with his addiction, and I still don’t to an extent, but for a big chunk of my life, I was quite mad with him. If anyone knows the song by NF called “How Could You Leave Us” those lyrics pretty much sum up how I felt. Obviously, I loved my dad, I just didn’t understand. So, flash forward to when I heard the news about my father’s passing, many emotions rushed through me all at once. I was angry, I was upset, and I was hurt. Three years later, there is still an array of emotions that surround the death of my dad, but many of which are new. Maybe this has to do with the different stages of grieving that people go through, or maybe it has to do with time and age, or maybe a little bit of both. I don’t really know. But today, more than ever, I want to celebrate my dad for who he was as a person outside of his addiction. Because yes, those who struggle with addiction are not just addicts, they are people (not going to lie, I have struggled with this concept). So today I am celebrating my dad’s life by doing some things that he enjoyed. I’m golfing, I’m listening to country music, I’m eating some Mexican food, and I’m going to laugh and love more. Yes, today is still sad and it probably always will be, but I do think it is important to celebrate our loved ones who have passed. I also went to church this morning and prayed. It’s so clear that our world is broken and that our society needs to change, especially regarding how we handle addiction. So today, as I sat in church, I prayed for those who are battling addiction, those who are affected by addiction, and those who have lost loved ones to addiction. To end this post, I am going to be adding some ideas from a book I read last summer called “The Road to Daybreak”, by Henri Nouwen. Earlier I mentioned that I feel as though we all go through things in order to help those who are experiencing the same pains. Well in “The Road to Daybreak,” Nouwen states, “I became overwhelmed by the sense of isolation we human beings can feel. While our sufferings are so similar and our struggles so much a part of our shared humanity, we often live as if we are the only ones who experience the pain that paralyzes us…. Why do we keep hiding our deepest feelings from each other? We suffer much, but we also have great gifts of healing for each other. The mystery is that by hiding our pain we also hide our ability to heal” (214). These words and sentences that Nouwen wrote really resonated with me and maybe it does for you too. We all go through pains and struggles so why not help each other? I hope this post helped you in some way or another :) Also, please don’t be afraid to reach out to me if you ever need anything. And that’s a wrap. I’m officially done with my first semester of freshman year and 1/8th done with college…. ALREADY! Thinking about that is just so crazy. I feel like it was just yesterday when I was on my way to Bloomington with my car packed full of stuff to move in. It’s insane how fast time flew by. I still remember the first week of college when it took me an hour to find the rec center, when in actuality it’s only fifteen minutes away…Yep freshman fails. Now I know why they send the freshman down a week earlier, lol. Anyways, this semester has been jammed pack full of papers (seriously, around 20), late night cookie runs, game nights with the squad, deep convos, dorm room decorating, random dance parties, sporting events, and very early mornings. It’s definitely been one to remember. Can’t wait for more memories with all of my friends and my LLC love you guys :) |