Commitments

For the few people that follow my blog, you may have noticed that my posts have become more and more infrequent. I don't feel it's necessary that I justify not writing, but I would like to merely say that it's not because I don't enjoy it.

That's the thing... I really do like writing on here... that is.. when I have topics to write about. Also, the fact that very few people even notice if I put up a new post gives me justification for putting off writing. For something like a blog, it is easy to procrastinate to the point of not writing at all.

Why have I not been writing? Do I even enjoy it? I'm not doing this for anybody else...

I haven't been writing because there are often other things that are bigger priorities. These include... well most things actually. Working out, working, seeing friends, sleeping, eating, reading, and even watching tv are all higher on my "to do" list than blogging. I do enjoy it, and if I were writing for other people's enjoyment, I would be more likely to write more often.

I would say part of this comes down to commitment issues. I spent a huge amount of high school battling with whether or not I wanted commitments (other than school work) in my life. Since I am a perfectionist, I often worry about overcrowding my schedule or doing too many things because I don't want to get stressed out. What I've learned is that, in fact, I do better with a lot on my agenda. I don't mean that I like every minute scheduled, but I would rather have an extracurricular activity than an hour in its place to watch trashy television.

Back to blogging, I guess I really just need to commit to it to do it. Part of me doesn't want to commit, though.
AGH.

Does it make me happy? Sort of...

Chewing gum

Hi, I'm Julia, and I'm a chewaholic. Since middle school, I have been (on and off) addicted to gum. I'm not quite sure how my addiction started, but it's been strong enough to prevail through six or seven years of my life. I have actually become a gum connoisseur; I have tried countless brands and flavors of sugarless gum out there, and I have a strong opinion about every single one. Just for kicks, my current gum of choice for the past few months has been the Apple Pineapple trident layers.

A sugarless gum addiction seems like no big deal; after all, I could be hooked on cigarettes, right? Well, here's the conundrum; is the trident doing enough good things for me to outweigh the negatives (and yes, there are negatives)? I think I will make a pros and cons list.

Pros of chewing:

-It cleans my teeth

-It tastes delicious

-It relieves my anxiety

-It keeps me awake, for example, during a boring class.

-It is a better addiction to have than most other addictions (I'm not sure if this is a pro or just an excuse to keep chewing :/)

NOW, the CONS:

- There are many issues I have regarding oral fixation habits... Mainly I think they block the body's natural signals of hunger and fullness.

- Gum causes bloating

- A gum habit like mine adds up in expenses.

- The gum has probably increased my tolerance for sweetness and therefore makes me crave more sweets.

- Gum causes acid reflux

- Gum can cause lock jaw

...

I am sure there are more, but that's really enough cons for me to say that I should stop chewing so much gum.

As this relates to happiness, if gum makes me less happy than I would be without it, I should stop chewing it. I think that this relates to any other addiction. If it causes more harm than good, stopping is the best option.

But then there's the actual stopping part...

Easier said than done.

I guess we'll just have to see if I have the will power and motivation to truly stop chewing!

Taking events (some unfortunate) as they come

I actually feel like a total hypocrite after writing my last post about the 72 hour rule and not publishing another one for more than double that time. I am not one for excuses, but, quite honestly, I have been incredibly busy and unable to write. Even as we speak, I am blogging from my blackberry.

Anyway, although I may sound organized on here (as I try to be), I did something very and unfortunate today; after having lunch with my grandmother in Rutherford (near Calistoga and in the wine country), I locked the keys to her turquoise convertible in the trunk. With today's cars' safety features, there was literally no way to get the keys out of the trunk without getting an extra key, so Triple A came and stayed about 30 seconds with no job to do. Luckily, my step grandfather (who is a saint and quite obviously Type B) drove almost 2 hours in traffic to deliver us the spare key. We need more people like him in this world.

Anyway, the moral of the story here is that having an attitude and getting upset about life's little mishaps never makes the situation any better. For some of us, it is difficult to remain calm when
unfortunate events happen. Immediately after slamming the trunk closed, I felt my anxiety level rise because I knew the keys were in there. I was thinking about the plans I had made back home, but more pressingly, I was paranoid that my grandmother would be upset. To my great surprise, I was the only one freaking out; my grandma merely laughed it off, which made me feel stupid for caring so much. When it comes to overall happiness, staying cool, calm, and collected is the way to go.

The 72 hour rule and schedules

So it has been over a week since I've written on here, which was probably a little too long to wait. My mom once told me about the 72-hour rule, which states that if you wait more than 72 hours from doing something, your motivation drastically decreases for wanting to do it again. She applied the rule to exercise, but I would say that, for me, it goes for many other activities as well, such as writing in a blog.

For this reason, I am a firm believer in schedules and structure. I don't think every moment in a given day should EVER be scheduled, because that usually leads to a failure to follow the schedule, and sometimes the most important events get sacrificed first. More importantly, especially during summer vacation, having some plans in place can be very helpful in reducing boredom and the destructive activities that come with it (like excessive partying). This could mean getting a job, taking classes, or even just making a specified time for writing in a blog.

To sum it up, my suggestion to all you bored teenagers on summer vacation is that you buy a planner and write some events down in it. Summer should not be boring! Plan a trip to the beach!

Anyway, now that I have broken my streak of no blogging, I will write again in the next few days!

A little on friendship... and Yoga?

I actually am having a huge debate in my head over whether to write a post right now or not. The part of me that wants to write the post is pondering the thousands of ideas running through my head, while the part of me that doesn't is feeling my congestion, achiness, and fever. I know I should be laying on the couch watching a movie, but there's plenty of time for that later.

First... wow. Today, I once again was blown away by how important it is to feel like you have close relationships. I had a long conversation with my best friend this afternoon, and I noticed the unique feeling of bonding with someone, whether it is over recreation, interests, or even unhappiness. I can't stress enough how much a sense of well-being comes from feeling companionship with others. My tip for those who may be feeling disconnected is to write down a list of three to five people (which can include family members) whom you can rely on. Then, somehow contact every single one, even if it takes you a little while, and tell them how much you care about them. I guarantee that it will brighten their days. :)

Second and completely unrelated... I actually came upon a website that offers trainings to be a yoga teacher, which sparked my interest. I know that I will need to take classes more regularly this summer before I try to get a certification, but I feel like it would be a really cool experience. Yoga combines mind, body, and spirit, three of my interests (well, I guess they are everyone's interests in one way or another), and promotes RELAXATION! I think everyone can advocate for relaxation every once in a while, am I right?

Well, the yoga thing is just an idea... but what's an great idea if you don't look into it?

Getting sick in a time of good things...

It sounds pessimistic to say that good things don't last forever... but that is how I am currently feeling. Yesterday was a really great day; I got in two workouts, went shopping with one of my good friends, ate a delicious dinner with my family, and, most exciting of all, I STARTED THIS BLOG! Yet, I knew something wasn't right when I was extremely hot last night before I went to bed... and... what do you know? I woke up with a fever of 101, a sinus headache, and zero energy.

I feel that it is important never to pity oneself, even though I often find myself doing it. I will say to myself, "It's not fair! I get sick so often!" Yet, while I think these negative thoughts, which may or may not be accurate, I am not finding any solution to the problem at hand. I am actually making myself feel worse because I begin to believe my negative self-talk. Instead, I should be resting and trying to heal my body for mass on Friday, graduation on Sunday, and Hawaii on Monday.

Illness is one of those things that makes us feel helpless because our bodies only heal as fast as they can. Getting sick is pretty different from, say, failing a test, because when we are sick, we are unable to use many of the coping skills we might normally use to feel better. Two of my favorite coping skills are working out and taking walks, which obviously aren't great for recovery from the flu. I consistently need to remind myself that those things WILL come back in a few days if I take it easy and take care of myself. It may not feel great to sit around the house on a beautiful sunny day, but it would feel much worse to prolong my illness from inadequate rest.

I don't expect anybody to find joy out of being sick, especially when you feel the way I do right now (nauseous, tired, weak, cold, etc.) However, illness is a time for relaxation, watching your favorite movies, catching up on sleep, doing some crossword puzzles, or doing whatever your favorite lazy day activity is.

Little flu viruses DO pass, and the sun will be out when I'm well again.

Gossip Magazines first.

In my opinion, magazines are entertaining, yet often misleading and VERY addicting.
Actually, let me clarify here; I am not going to touch on educational magazines, business magazines, or most specific interest magazines, mainly because I haven't read enough to judge them. In fact, I enjoy an intellectual periodical every now and then, so I won't start in with those either.
What I want to talk about is gossip magazines, fitness magazines, and fashion/beauty magazines.

Let's start with gossip magazines: what ISN'T wrong with an article titled "Boob Jobs, Botox, & Lipo"? I definitely saw this magazine at the front counter at 7eleven this week, and I wasn't impressed. It appalls me that our society is so enthralled by Hollywood's unhealthy obsession with artificial body transformation.... and yet... there I was... tempted to read it.

Luckily, I happened to be in a hurry to get home, so I had no time to flip through the magazine. Normally, though, I would have looked at it. I think I would liken reading an article from Star magazine to smoking a joint; it's usually fun in the short run, but it pollutes us with carcinogenic material (or something close to it).
I do think it's truly unfortunate that the first thing we see in line at the grocery store is a picture of Oprah 100 pounds heavier on the cover of the National Enquirer. Not only does it gross me out, but it sends the wrong messages to the general public. So, relating this to happiness, avoid gossip magazines at all costs, even if they lure you in. Nobody comes out of reading Us weekly with any more insight unless you consider Heidi and Spencer an intelligent topic. And yet, I still plan on watching the Hills tonight. Maybe I'll grow out of it.