Faith and Growing Up

      Another week of school passes, more grades go into Blackboard, less sleep had, more TV seen. It's a never ending cycle. As a junior in college, I think everyone in my situation has the same thoughts. Worrying about making the grades, wondering if they should apply to internships, trying to figure out which bar to start out the night with. So many questions, so little time. 

     Right now the only thing on my mind is if I'm going to nap before I go to the movies with my friend or after. At the end of a long school and work week, the last thing I want to think about is just that. School. Or work. Five to six whole days are consumed with work and school, but come 12:51 on a Friday afternoon, my mind checks out. 

     This is the best thing about being 20 and carefree. I have the ability to do whatever I want once I'm done fulfilling my obligations of the day. Although I am done with school for the week, I can't get this quote out of my head my professor shares with us every Friday:

 "I hate writing, but I love having written."

     Ever since I heard this quote the first time, it has stuck with me. I hear a lot of quotes that I think reflect to my own life, but so does everyone. This one was different. I truly don't enjoy writing. Unless it is for personal enjoyment and not for a grade. However, once I am done writing, I have a sense of confidence restored. I feel as though I have successfully transferred my thoughts into words. Heck, maybe I've even inspired someone just like so many out there have inspired me.

    

    As I go off to enjoy my weekend, I am taking in the fact that I can let go of my week and enjoy my 2 days off with no worries. I advise you do the same. Enjoy having nothing to do while you still (don't) have it. 

Faith and the Future

   So, its' been about 3 months since I've written. I've been lacking motivation and inspiration, much like a typical 20 year old. Also, much like a modern day 20-something, I am binge watching on Netflix and BAM - inspiration found!
   Every time I get obsessed with a new show, I get reminded of what I want to do with my life. I want to be responsible for making young adults (17-24 year olds) become a piece of their couch and fall in love with a TV series. I want to be up with the greats, those that inspire me: Shonda Rhimes, Joe Davola, Steve Levitan, etc. All of this leads me to my reasoning behind this post.
   Constantly we are reminded that every decision we make in our college/post-grad years will affect our future. Every class we make, every job we take, every internship we apply for, every time we decide that we don't want to do a certain paper, or skip class because their is something better to do (aka watch Netflix). It is a lot of pressure to put on anyone between the ages of 18-25. We already put enough pressure on ourselves to live up to societies expectations, but if we actually break it down to daily decisions we make, it is a lot to take in.
   So, most of us during our lives, have always been stubborn to what those in authoritative positions have been tellings us. Why start listening and accepting now? I say block out all the pressure. It's my future right? No one else has to live with the decisions I make besides me, and those that I let be involved in my life. I'm slowly learning that all my decisions I make, good or bad, will define be but only as much as I let them. I live my life exactly the way I want to and that's how I want my future to be. Filled with laughter, love, passion, success, and most importantly, happiness. Have faith that it will always turn out the way it's meant, and say "go to hell" to all the pressure anyone is trying to put on you.

Faith and Change

      If you asked any of the people close to me, they would tell you that I am less than enthusiastic about the thought of change. Having to make new friends? I like the ones I have. Get a new job? I'm good at the one I do now. Move to a different town? I already know how to get around my own city. Change is terrifying.

      As I begin this venture into what is supposed to be the most exciting decade of my life (my twenties), I am becoming less and less afraid of change. I am learning that making new friends doesn't mean that I have to forget my old ones. Getting a new job doesn't mean I can't go visit my old one or hold on to the good memories I have made. Moving to a new town doesn't mean my old one disappears. It was always be there for me to go back to and it was always be considered home. I firmly believe that making the decision to embrace change is going to be one of the best I will make in my entire life. There are so many opportunities out their for love, wealth, and happiness out in the world that I could never have access to if I never choose to alter any aspects of my life.

      Another part of the story is that I am very eerie about the idea of making a huge mistake with my life if I change anything. What if I don't make it a new town? What if I can't get a job that I love? What if I am never truly happy with my decisions that I make? Every choice we make daily can affect our lives as much as we want them to.

      Idealizing what could come to be in these next 10 years is going to eat me alive. Who is to tell what my life will be like when I am done with this decade? Certainly not me. The problem isn't be afraid of change. The problem is planning out your life to the smallest detail that it scares you to not step out of line that would make this ideal life not come true. No one can plan out their lives. No one knows what is going to happen later today, tomorrow, next week, next month, or even in 10 years. The thought of not knowing, or not being able to even imagine what the future could hold is something that would stop even the wisest man in his steps.

      Faith is knowing that not knowing is not the worst thing in the world. Faith is having the idea that everything will truly work out the way it is destined to be. As cliche as that is, we must let life take us on it's journey and do our best to enjoy the ride and soak up every opportunity thrown at us.

     Have faith in ourselves to mess up. Have faith in ourselves to make the wrong decisions. Have faith in ourselves to know that if we aren't happy, we aren't done with our lives yet. Have faith to know that it does getting better. Have faith to know the only thing holding us back is ourselves.

Faith and Inspiration

        Inspiration is one of the freest acts one we can commit. There are no boundaries on what can play the role of inspiration to any given person. It can range from fellow artists, to the way the leaves fall off a tree, to childhood memories, to the weather. Absolutely anything and everything goes. That is beauty here. Very few things in our lives have no limitations. There always seem to be a schedule, spoken or unspoken, that we all follow in our respective lives. Inspiration does not fall into any category or schedule except that of its own. 

       Most of my inspiration comes from other artists. Listening to my favorite songs and watching my favorite shows allows me to delve deep into my own thoughts and determine why these specific songs and shows are indeed my favorite. What qualities do I fall in love with that cause the addiction I have with these various types of media? Half of the universe can be completely infatuated with a particular show and each and every individual has a different reason for why it touches them deeply. Personally, I love shows that make me feel like I have the same experiences as the characters. It makes them real. It makes me feel like I'm not watching a show, but like I am hanging out with friends. 

      For someone as interested in all forms of media such as myself, it is inevitable not to become one with the forms of art that I'm interested in. These artistically gifted masterminds creating shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Modern Family, Friends, Pretty Little Liars, Revenge, etc. all make me feel like I am a part of the cast and crew in which they work with every day. They have the ability to write so profoundly that they have created a drug that I never want to get 

     So, to sum up the jumbled up mess. I am addicted to the creativity of great television shows and songs. They is nothing like getting to personally involved in a show that you feel like you, too, are a character. I hope that one day I find it somewhere down in my body that I stumble upon my creative bone and am inspired like the unbelievable Shonda Rhimes and Steve Levitan and can create something that others get addicted to, just like I have. 

    Desperately holding on to the faith in myself to find this bone sooner rather than later and start my unbelievable journey to sharing my own addictive drug that is Primetime Television. 

Faith and Balance

   
      Faith. Some people see this as a belief in a higher being, such as God. I see this as faith in oneself. Ones abilities to succeed even over their biggest failures. Not that I don't believe Faith in God is important, because I do, I also believe in faith in your inner person is considerably valuable as well.

       Believing in oneself is quite possibly one of the most important, and equally hardest things a person can do. After making so many mistakes, no matter the size, how are we supposed to still believe that we can make ourselves the people we want to be? My life is the perfect example. 20 years old, trying to balance college (it's time and cost), a full-time job, and a social life. If I put too much importance on one aspect, the others will take a hit. If I work too much and do not make time for school, I will fail my classes or be forced to withdraw. If I focus too much on school and stress myself out, I won't have a healthy mind and energy for work or socializing. With so much going on, how do you decide what to dedicate a great portion of your time too? I say you choose which will make you happiest in the long run. And, as much as I may not want to admit it, the answer would be school. Dedicating a large amount of time to school will (hopefully) lead me to having my dream job and developing a fun social life. Which would then ultimately lead to all three aspects of a stressful 20 year olds life come to complete bliss in the coming years. Balance is something I think I understand on a daily basis and then the next thing I know, BAM, everything is all jumbled up again.

      I. Avery Harter. 20 years old. College sophomore. Full-time worker. Social butterfly. Wanderlust. Celebrity enthusiast. Intrigued in all things social media. Lover of quotes. Hopeful for the future. I believe in having faith in yourself. and that one day life will work out the way it is always meant to be. Trust the future. Believe in destiny. Don't be afraid to be happy. And, most importantly. Have Faith!