*insert cliché about time here*

Being busy does not equal success.

It isn’t good to constantly be busy, despite the fact that society pushes the idea that being busy equals success. The more we juggle in our lives, the more successful we are seen in the eyes of others. However, when we dig deeper into this topic, we can see that constantly having a checklist of things to do does not equate to success.

Speaking as a very busy college student, who has probably bitten off more than I can chew, I can easily say that I have fallen victim to this very issue. I am guilty of occasionally doing some of my checklist items at half effort, with only the intention of checking the box. Although it may be hard to admit this fact, I’m sure that many of you are guilty of the same offense.

The real issue here, though, is that the value of our time has become lost in the whirlwind of checklist items that we all have to complete on a daily basis. Time isn’t money and there are enough hours in the day.

Time is relative; but in our culture, we have objectified time. Time doesn’t always have to be running out, though. We can still make the most of our time- be productive and successful all while valuing the seconds, minutes, and hours that we are allotted.

If we weren’t always so busy, we would be able to value the things in our lives much differently. We would place more value on our time with others and more importantly so, our time with ourselves.

I’m sure that you’ve all heard the whole “take time for yourself because its important” bit. While it may seem cheesy, that statement is very true. How can we be kind and helpful to others if we do not even allow time to value ourselves?

Your ability to make a change in the world and to spread love to other humans begins with your ability to serve yourself. Make the time, it’s important.

 

-K.Thurgood

Help others to help yourself

We have all heard the saying “we must give love, to receive love. Some may brush this off thinking it is just another corny quote of failed self help. However it is actually beneficial to ourselves and the community and here is a list why:

1. When you help someone, they are more likely to help you.
2. Karma- when you are a good person, good things seem to happen to you.
3. Helping others is a great confidence booster.
4. The simplest gesture can make an awesome impression.
5. Hiring managers look favorably on volunteer work and many acceptance committees use it to separate similar candidates.

“No one has ever become poor by giving”-Anne Frank

I think in order to live a longer, healthier, and fulfilling life you should do everything your doctor tells you to do, and then go out there and share your time and love with people who need it.

-Colleen Knell

All Big Things Have Small Beginnings

With the current refugee crisis at the forefront of international news, it’s easy to get stuck in the feeling of hopelessness, the pit in your stomach that screams this is just too big, too hard, too overwhelming to overcome. Yet despite the political debates and the death tolls rising, people are still working together to give refugees a chance of survival, revival, and new life.

In Matt Mellen’s article Sustainable safe havens for refugees, he points out that one in three Britons has contributed to help the refugee situation, and more than 1.8 million households in the UK would offer a refugee shelter. Individuals across the UK have shown immense support for refugees by offering supplies and shelter in the form of caravans and tents to Calais.

With the long winter months soon approaching, an online platform similar to AirBnB offers refugees rooms to rent in the hopes to accommodate the individuals. Known to the german community as ‘Fluchtlinge Willkimmen’ the platform offers refugees temporary shelter while they are waiting to be resettled. Even more impressive is the Sustainable Safe Havens organization. This response to the refugee crisis incorporates sustaining farmland, offering opportunity for the refugees, and immersing the individuals into a supportive community.

While it’s our default to look at the big picture, or in this case the big crisis, sometimes the best antidote to tackling a situation is to take the first small step.

People may believe it’s unrealistic to think the refugee crisis will be completely solved in the future, but more often than not the people who dare to think they can change the world are the ones that actually do. The key is to just take the first small step.

-Carrie Brennan

Complain-cency

When challenged with making a change or addition to my daily routine that would improve my life and perhaps even the lives of others I interact with, I decided to not complain out loud. Simple. Keep those negative thoughts to yourself, Kelli, no problemo.

“Ugh my head hurts.” I texted out to my boyfriend Tuesday morning (almost a week after making my commitment). Crap. Is that a complaint. I mean it’s kind of a fact but I am also complaining. This was the first moment since the Wednesday before that I had actively processed the words coming out of my mouth (or my phone). How many mindless complaints had I let slide. This week, I told myself, I WILL do better.

Thursday morning, “Hey, Kel. How are ya?” I opened my mouth to respond to my classmate and immediately closed it. I was about to answer “Oh, I’m tired/ busy/ stressed/ happy this week is almost over.” Instead, thinking now about how I actually was (no Friday classes, just finished a big paper, got a full nights sleep, had plans for the evening, was going to the gym this afternoon, had spoken to both my parents this morning, not sick, really good mood, weather was nice), why was I so inclined to complain when asked about how I was. I am good. I AM PRETTY DARN GOOD. Why was a complaint about to be the first thing out of my mouth????

“I’m really great today, thank you for asking. I hope you’re doing well” I responded with a smile, hiding my slight, internal concern. Had I gotten to the point where I couldn’t distinguish a complaint coming out of  my mouth. Yikes scary. I’m one of the most blessed people I know, what on this earth do I have to complain about? I complain about my lack of employment, but I haven’t even graduated yet. I complain about being hungry, but I have a meal plan and money for groceries. I complain about school work, but I am fortunate enough to be receiving an education from a university that has brought me more than simply papers and tests.

I do consider myself to be a relatively positive individual, I pride myself on my ability to see the good in every situation but I still complain when I don’t have anything else to say. Because of this, I have tasked my friends with calling me out whenever they hear me say or see me text something out similar to a complaint. I am replacing my negative thoughts with optimistic ones and my complaints with praises.

Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have, and say thanks to God for the problems we don’t have.

-Kelli Anne Louthan

Fueling Connection

 

 

Last week in class, we were given the task to make some kind of change that would not only benefit us but also benefit those around us. At first I had a hard time thinking about what I wanted to do. First, I thought of washing my roommates’ dishes, then I thought of buying a stranger a cup of coffee– both very kind things that you could do for someone else. Still, I felt like I could do better. I remembered a video I watched in one of my previous classes and how after watching it, my whole perspective on the way I treat people changed. I decided to do something along the lines of this video. In 3 short minutes, Dr. Brené Brown explains the difference between sympathy and empathy. So, I decided to make my mission to offer more empathy rather than sympathy to those around me. I can proudly say that over the last few days I have noticed my relationships have changed for the better!

 

Here’s the video:

 

 

All my life I thought that being sympathetic was always good….boy was I wrong! Turns out, empathy is what fuels connection and strengthens our bonds with each other.

After having a class discussion on society’s fascination with being busy, I realized that life would be so much better if we each took the time to turn off our phones & really focus on being there for each other. If we all made our focus on being more kind, genuine, and empathetic, the world would be a much better place! I think one of the reasons why there is so much division & tension in the world could be due to human race turning against each other. Humans, all around the world, are turning against each other either because of religion, political views, etc. What if, instead of turning against each other, we took all that energy and used it positively to band together?

How lucky are we to live in a world full of different cultures, customs, traditions, languages, attitudes, and beliefs… The diversity found on earth is what makes this place so beautiful & special. As empathetic beings, we need to make it our duty to celebrate this diversity instead of shutting it down. We need to fuel connection.

Being more empathetic is important for being good activists & advocates for our world.

-Kimia

Tell me about yourself.

As I continue to apply and interview for jobs, I have repeatedly heard the question “so, tell me about yourself.”

It’s the worst.

It shouldn’t be a hard question to answer, but it stumps me every time. Why is it so hard to tell them about MYSELF?!

I don’t know for sure, but here is my theory:

I have no problem answering questions about what I am involved in and what I am doing, but can’t seem to answer questions about my being because it’s not my priority.

I have been so “busy” scheduling my days down to the hour that I have forgotten to take time for myself. I have no idea what it even means to tell people about myself because I haven’t spent time reflecting on myself.

Does what I’m involved in define me? Maybe.

But it is certainly not all that I am.

“Tell me you remember you are still a human being, not just a human doing.” – Krista Tippett

-Whitney Roberts

525,600 minutes in a year, but who’s counting?

“Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective.” – Doe Zantamata

Madonna once sang “Time goes by, so slowly time goes by…” I am here now to say: Madonna you are LIAR! Especially when you’re the decrepit age of 21 and have one-month left of your college career. Days turn into weeks in the blink of the eye and before you know it you’re being forced to buy your cap and gown.

I’ve mentioned before how I am the lucky recipient of the ultimate senior schedule, with loads of free time and the 4-day weekend. But sometimes I feel overwhelmed with guilt because of the free time I have. This leads to the creation of unnecessary errands or desperately creating tasks for myself in order to let my day feel more productive, which in turn makes these precious days go by even quicker.

But you know what? Productivity just needs to take a backseat some days. Sit on the couch and watch hours of TV! Sleep in! Take a nap even after you sleep in! Why should we stress ourselves when we are in taking part in some of the best years of our lives? Taking the time to enjoy the simply joy of nothingness is crucial for our well-being, both mentally and physically. It’s time I started taking time for granted.

I’m a self diagnosed ambivert; I enjoy being social but when I want to be left alone, I’ll make sure I am left alone. Because of this quality, I’m all about the quick response to “how are you?” when I run into someone. Most of the time it’s “I’m good.” But what does it really mean to be “good”? I don’t even know what it means when I answer with it. Taking the time to do some introspection is needed. Much like taking the time to do nothing, it puts everything into perspective.

– Lauren Antilety

 

Rest for the Restless

I am.

Restless at times.

Distracted.

Joyful.

At peace.

Weary.

Good.

These are some adjectives I would use to describe my days. Some are filled with me constantly over-extending my mind and body to the point of collapse. While others don a more carefree manner in which I find myself hammocking, driving to see the sunset, with the spontaneous stargazing excursion here and there, and the like. I prefer the latter, but in all honesty I’m not sure I would find so much satisfaction in the days filled with unscheduled adventures and rest without the former.

For class last week, I read an article called The Disease of Being Busy (attached at the bottom). It discusses this idea that we are created to be human beings, not human doings. So often we busy ourselves and adopt the mandate that says it’s ok to push ourselves and consume our hearts with a hurriedness so that we can quickly get from point A to point B in order to move onto the next thing and we don’t even realize we are drowning. We check things off our lists, we are quick to formulate responses without hearing the questions, and we don’t think to take in our surroundings as we walk from here to there. When someone asks how I am doing, my predisposition says to answer with what I am doing or what I have done that day. My answer hinges on my external circumstances that I allow to define my day and my heart. Well…that person didn’t ask what I was doing, they asked how I was. Oh…

We live in a world that is rapidly expanding and yet, we are scarcely finding ourselves in deep, enriching relationships with our fellow humans. Why are they so hard to come by? I will be the first to admit I have not emerged unscathed from this existence. I continuously find myself trapped in it, only recognizing my fixated state once I reach a point of complete exhaustion and burn-out. That’s never a fun place to find myself.

My spring break mission trip to New York taught me many things to which I am always open to grabbing coffee or a blanket to lay out on in order to dive in depth about. A crucial point towards the end was our discussion on the Sabbath, which biblically refers to a day set aside for worship and rest for God. The Bible holds that Creation was formed in six days (relatively speaking), while the Seventh day was consecrated and set apart, holy for God. Christianity expresses the great need for this Sabbath, because it is built into our human design to feel complete and whole in the presence of God, knowing and being known by Him. With this in mind, one Sabbath may look entirely different from someone else’s. Rather than envisioning a Sabbath day as rigid with regulations and rules, it is quite the opposite. Rest is about establishing a pattern, not following guidelines or blueprints. It is created to establish rhythm, not be legalistic in nature. Our society teaches us that the Sabbath does not fit into our schedules, however we should not work to rest well, but rather we must rest to do work well.

The Sabbath also teaches that we do not have to do anything to become right with God – Genesis 1 & 2 hold that when Adam and Eve were created, they had not even done anything when God declared “This is good.” Similarly, we as human beings do not have to do anything to be “good.” Does this sound similar to the idea of human beings, rather than human doings? I hope so! Resting is a form of worship – of being in communion with God. Its essence involves loosening our tight grip on control and surrendering to trust. It’s about eliminating busyness, slowing down, and spending time in silence and listening. It should be life-giving.

To quote the article “What happened to a world in which we can sit with the people we love so much and have slow conversations about the state of our heart and soul, conversations that slowly unfold, conversations with pregnant pauses and silences that we are in no rush to fill?” Many conversations that have transpired this week with friends and family members have guided me towards this idea of creating margin in my life. Establishing buffer zones and breathing space. Cutting down on my involvement in things. Leaving room to be still and to listen and to be able to give of myself what I have received through rest.

I encourage you to a state of vulnerability and honestly within yourself as you read these words. Our academics, our organizations, our work, our extracurriculars – they can be good. But once you find yourself in an inflexible position of over-extension and over commitment, these turn from life-giving to life-sucking things. I won’t pretend they are easy lines to navigate, by any means. But I hope to provoke thoughts and meaningful discussion on the subject to which you find yourself asking where can I create margin in my life?

I am not defined by my works, but rather am a work defined by my Creator.

I am.

Not I do.

“I want us to have a kind of existence where we can pause, look each other in the eye, touch one another, and inquire together: Here is how my heart is doing? I am taking the time to reflect on my own existence; I am in touch enough with my own heart and soul to know how I fare, and I know how to express the state of my heart.”

The Disease of Being Busy

-Ashleigh

Tick Tock On the Clock

Time is a funny thing. Sometimes you want it to speed up (like when I’m on the treadmill) and sometimes you want it to slow down. As a senior in college, time seems to be all anyone is talking about. Countdowns until graduation are popping up on social media, and every time I scratch another day off in my planner I cringe slightly. My roommate and I have a “bucket list” of things we must do before graduating and are constantly talking about how we won’t be able to complete it all before graduation. And that is where the problem lies.

Today I read a great article and I realized time doesn’t control me.

Don’t let time be your life’s focus. Instead, focus on the events that are taking up your time. Are you super busy? If so, why are you busy?

My very first day of a leadership class my professor gave our whole class our hardest task. He told us to drop something from our schedule, to quit one of our requirements. I thought he was absolutely insane, but I blindly trusted him. After evaluating all of the activities I was a part of, I was able to identify something that was adding more stress than joy to my life- so I dropped it. I dropped it and never looked back, and this freed up more time for me to do things that I love with people I love.

When people talk about graduation they talk as if life is over. Yes, college is great and I grew so much while making amazing memories with my friends. But I [hopefully] still have a bunch of time left on this earth. And I’ll be damned if I waste all of this time in a job that I don’t enjoy, and vacation days used for doctor appointments.

So what does this have to do with erasing indifference? Well, if you are going to dedicate yourself to this cause, you should be mindful of how you spend your time. You should work hard at eradicating injustice, but keep time for yourself. You can also incorporate small acts of kindness into your life that shouldn’t consume much of your time at all. But really the true reason I wanted to share this post is because I think incorporating mindfulness about how your time is spent will lead to happier lives; and I want you people to be happy.

 

-Haley Winter

 

 

A Broken System in Need of Fixing

19.5 million people have been forced to seek safety abroad.

19.5 million.

 That number is not fathomable.  These people need help and this change will not happen over night.  Every country needs to be able to aid in assisting the refugees.  Refugees are dumped on predominantly South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries; who end up taking in 86% of the world’s refugees.  I find it alarming that 86% of refugees are placed in just these three parts of the world.  This is a broken system in need of fixing.

The Numbers

19.5 Million: current number of refugees worldwide

1.45 Million: vulnerable refugees needing resettlement by the end of 2017

86%: percentage of refugees hosted by developing countries

Currently 1.15 million people need to be resettled.  Sadly enough, the world’s richest nations only offer to resettle less than 10% every year.  Lives cannot be saved unless other countries around the world start stepping up and changing the policies currently intact. 

Innocent people will continue to live on the inside of the fence.  Innocent people will never be able to venture on the other side of the fence unless changes are made.  Once the world is entirely aware of what’s going on across so many nations and become invested in the changes, the broken system will change.

It is important to understand change is not impossible.  Little changes can make all of the difference.  The broken system that millions of innocent people face everyday can be changed.  The changes will come once more people become aware of these daunting crimes occurring all over the world.

Open your eyes.

See the change.

Be the change.

~Hayley Fox