Weekly Inspiration 7.6.14

I hate not knowing what is going to come next.  But I realize that no one knows, and it's better to be positive and hopeful about what could come than to be negative and worrying over something you can't change anyways.  I'm trying my best.  Happy week, everyone! 

Weekly Inspiration 6.29.14

So I'm currently FAILING at posting weekly... However this one is a healthy reminder that I think can make up for a few weeks 

It's simple, yet resonating.  We live in a world where nothing is ever good enough.  We always want more.  We're all guilty of wishing we have someone else's life at some point or another. 

We've each been given this life to live and we've been dealt our cards.  If you're reading this right now, you are blessed enough to live in a first world country and to have some sort of access to internet.  I'd like to wager there are many more things that you've been blessed with.

Now I'm not trying to be self-righteous, preaching that we all need to be grateful. I'm saying this because this is something I currently find myself struggling with.  I've been feeling particularly pessimistic and sad at this point in my life.  I'm at a plateau.  I'm not finding a teaching job and hating the part time job I currently have.  I'm seeing all the exciting updates of my friends moving into post grad apartments on Facebook (which is a whole 'nother topic for another day) while I'm living in my parents house.  Needless to say, my spirit has been feeling low.

Seeing this made me think.  This is the only life I get on this earth, the only chance I have.  I need to love my life and the things I've experienced.  In addition, I need to be more grateful.  I'm lucky enough to have a job, even though it's not my ideal choice.  I'm blessed enough to have parents who love me and a place to call home for right now.  

I need to stop the comparison.  I'm never going to be that other person, never going to have their life.  And that's okay.  I have a fabulous life.  It's time I start loving it!

Weekly Inspiration 6.8.14

Yes, I am a Harry Potter fanatic.  But even if you aren't, this is still a fabulous quote.  All too often we have all of these dreams and ambitions, but are afraid to act and take the necessary steps toward these dreams.  This week (and beyond) I'm trying to be more deliberate and take action in order to make my dreams come true. 

:)

Scurrying about our lives

Today while at the daycare I work at, I happened to notice a hole with thousands of ants wandering in and out, to and fro.  

The picture does it no justice, there were literally thousands of ants.  As I stood there and watched them, I noticed how the ants would sometimes run into one another.  The ants would bump and some of them kept going the direction they were originally while others seemed to bounce back and head off into a completely different direction. Some ended up in good places (back to their hole) and others ended up in some not so good places (under my preschool students' shoes). 

As I stood there staring at these ants, I couldn't help but think about how these ants lives and paths were changing, and how this parallels to our lives.

As much as we like to say we are in charge of our own lives, the people around us affect us.  People come into our lives, even if only for a brief period of time, and really change them for the better. God made our paths cross for a reason and to help us become who we are.   And as much as I firmly believe in loving everyone, there are also people who can change our paths for the worst. They can influence us in a seemingly harmless way, but actually cause us to end up in some not so good places in the long run.  It reminded me of a quote I've heard many times, but never really applied to my life personally, until now. 

I'm at a spot in my life where the people I'm surrounding myself with are really starting to change.  It's exciting to be making new friends, yet heartbreaking to be leaving the old.  Thinking about these ants and how they parallel human life has helped me gain a perspective.  I'm going to love those around me as much as I can, but I'm going to be extremely conscious of who I allow to influence me and change my path.  After all, you only live once. 

Weekly Inspiration 5.25.14

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  All around people are talking about how excited they are that it's the beginning of the summer season, how they're so glad to have a three-day weekend, etc.  

I'm excited for all of those things too, but sometimes I think that we forget the true reason behind many holidays and that Memorial Day is a biggie.  It's not just a day for picnics, but a day for is to pause and be grateful for those who died so we could have our freedoms. Now I'm not trying to get all preachy, I just think it's nice to pause and reflect and be thankful.  Happy Memorial Day!

Smile because it happened...

Well, I did it!

I am officially a graduate of THE Pennsylvania State University!

This is such an unbelievably strange feeling.  Part of me feels like it's just an ordinary summer and that I'll be going back in August for the fall semester.  Another part of me already feels like graduation was ages ago!

The Thursday before graduation, Nannerhead and I decided to of take some nice graduation photos in our caps and gowns.  It was a gorgeous day, and while we only had iPhone's to use, I must say the pictures turned out pretty great!

This girl is my very best friend.  Sometimes people enter your life seemingly insignificant and turn out to be forever friends.   The story of our friendship is fairly comical.  It was the very first day of classes my freshman year and,  as fate would have it, I was running 15 minutes late for my 8 AM bio lab.  I snuck into class and took the only available seat which, as you guessed it, was next to Nannerhead!  We were assigned as lab partners and had to work together a lot in and out of class.  We became friends and realized that we had so much in common.  We were both majoring in elementary education and had nearly identical schedules.  We were also both from Pittsburgh and went to neighboring schools.  We had many mutual friends and even took dance lessons together as children!  How weird is that?!?!  Throughout freshman year, we became very close friends, decided to live together for the next three years, take all of the same classes, and the rest is history! 

 I have no doubt in my mind that we are kindred spirits and are meant to be lifelong friends.  She is the Lucy to my Ethel and the peanut to my butter.  I have no idea how I would've made it through college without her!  I'm going to miss not being able to just walk up the stairs of our near-campus house to see my best friend.  Just typing this is making me teary!  I'm so grateful to have her in my life and cannot wait to be her maid of honor at her wedding in November!  Love you, Nannerhead!

Commencement was held on Saturday, May 10th.  It was an exciting and fun-filled day.  My Mom, Dad, Step-Mom, Siblings, and two uncles all came to Altoona for the day and it was a great time!

(Nannerhead and I, of course)

(The Elementary Ed Grads!  Love these ladies!)

(Can't resist taking a selfie during commencement!  We snuck in line next to each other for seating purposes.  It's preposterous that they should try to separate us during graduation!)

(The Rotondo siblings- Christopher, Cidney, me, Caylin, and Chloe)

I still can't believe my four years at Penn State are over!  It's sad, yet exciting.  As sad as I am to see it go I am so, so grateful that I was able to call myself a Nittany Lion and have such a great experience.  We Are!

Weekly Inspiration 5.4.14

So I'm going to try out this "weekly inspiration" thing.  Each Sunday (hopefully) I'm going to post a quote that's either particularly inspiring overall or is currently speaking to me as extra motivation for the week ahead.  Quotes are some of my favorite things and can actually be life changing.  I'm so excited to share some of my favorites! :)

And without further ado, here is Weekly Inspiration Number One:

a healthy reminder that not everything we want happens immediately and that some things are worth waiting for

PS:  May the Fourth be with you :)