~:[CH15 - Day 247]:~ Enroute

 
~:[CH15 - Day 247]:~ Enroute

I got an email today and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The past few weeks have been ones I don't want to relive again. There was nothing devasting happening, but rather, it was a unwanted stress that kept me away from smooth sailing no matter how hard I worked. With so much on my mind, it was nice to celebrate the top five nominees in a beautiful setup by ASB which transported us to paradise. However, the road ahead today would be exhausting. I looked forward to the end of the day, but knew that the route to get there would be a little rough. Regardless, I set my destination and followed my route. We know that are moments in life that are more demanding than others and it's in these moments that we roll up our sleeves and get to work, knowing that it's part of the journey. We may not like it, but sometimes there's just not much we can do about it. Dig your heels into the ground and get ready for those challenging moments in life as when we begin our journey to our destination, when we are prepared for these challenging moments, our route becomes a lot more manageable. Congrats to the top five and a big shoutout to our wonderful ASB!

~:[CH15 - Day 246]:~ Learning the Ropes

 
~:[CH15 - Day 246]:~ Learning the Ropes

MUN is quite intimidating for freshman. You walk into a class that is not as clear cut as the core classes. You hear terminology on a regular bases you are not familiar with. There are not as many people who can help support you, as it's not as familiar to most. That's why we must do our best to practice and to learn. This stretch also allows the students to interact and also learn how to ask questions and seek help, which is a valuable foundation for MUN students. Even veterans will come across topics they are unfamiliar with. However, int he end, these students are rewarded in the end by facing up to the challenge and not backing down. There will be moments of tough lessons, however, in most cases, even if they fail, they'll be a valuable lesson learned in the process. MUN can be brutal, but the difficult moments often lead to the greatest growth. I look forward to how these students will change over time and it all will begin with moments like these where they have no clue what is going on, rather then simply trust the process and begin walking the sometimes difficult (yet rewarding) tightrope that is MUN.

~:[CH15 - Day 245]:~ Let's Cool Off & Chill

 
~:[CH15 - Day 245]:~ Let's Cool Off & Chill

It's been hot lately, but it's beginning to cool off a bit, which was nice. Still yet, it's been nice to be able to cool down a bit during this stressful week. Food runs are not a thing that many cross country team does, but taking the time out of the training schedule to let the athletes bond together is more valuable than coaches may think. You lose out on miles, but you can often gain bonds that end up netting more than those miles will end up doing. In any case, today was a much needed chill moment amid a very busy stretch of days. Once I got home, I focused right back in on getting work done, so I was glad to have this moment, even if it was just for a short while. Let's all take a little time out of our schedules and invest it into ourselves as while it may seem like we are wasting time, it may end up netting better results in the end. 

~:[CH15 - Day 244]:~ Stress Relief

 
~:[CH15 - Day 244]:~ Stress Relief

It's been quite the rollercoaster start to the week. Tonight, I was supposed to go to the BTS concert, but I knew how busy it would be and thus I unloaded the tickets awhile back. Dealing with some different variables this week, the stress has been higher than in most years. It's not something I wanted, but you learn to deal with it. I always have multiple plans in place, so adjusting to the changing landscape wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it still was stressful. Of course, what better way to relieve some of that stress than to take a quick visit across the way to take my daily selfie. It's nice to chat or joke around. He has to hear my complaints from time to time, but most of the time, it's just jibberish talk, but somehow it makes me feel better. Life is stressful, especially when the flow is off, so hopefully we can all find a way to unload that stress so we can keep moving forward, not being dragged down by the weight of life.

~:[CH15 - Day 243]:~ Almost Treasure

 

~:[CH15 - Day 243]:~ Almost Treasure

"I struck gold," I thought to myself when I found this. Later, when looking at the package, I found out it was past the "best" date. Is it treasure or is it not? I can't give it to my friend, which was the intended purpose, however, maybe I can keep it for something out. They often say that one man's trash is another man's treasure. While this is perishable, still, it could be something valuable to me (or someone else). It may not be gold, but it could still be something valuable. I think this applies to another of things in life. We can't quite put a value on things. When people indulge in this or that, we can't quite say, "it's a waste of money." It may be for us, but maybe not for someone else. Let's respect each and understand that our values are all different. While we should warn others of things that are detrimental to them, hopefully we can be supportive of the other decisions in life that those around us make. We may not value the choice they made, but let's not discount the value to them. It was an exhausting start to a busy week, however, I am hopeful that all will work out and I'll find that treasure buried someone along my road of life. 

~:[CH15 - Day 242]:~ My "Off" Day

 

~:[CH15 - Day 242]:~ My "Off" Day

Today was my first day off in August. Whether work, media, or traveling, today was the first and only day without anything scheduled. Of course, my "off" days are typically catch up days as I frantically sprint to keep up. I had a long of sprinting to do. I caught up a bit with my morning lesson, they got to work on the media I had to catch up on. There is a lot of work to do, but luckily, I made my way through the piles of work pretty well today. While I didn't finish everything I wanted to do today, it felt nice to lay down a bit as I worked or catch up on a few shows while multitasking. There is a lot of work ahead this week, but I also look forward to crossing the finish line on Saturday when I'll find a little weight taken off my shoulders. September is just as busy as August was, so I know I'll try enjoy my off day later in the moth, but I think when these types of days are limited, you truly learn to appreciate them and make the most use out of the time you're given. 

~:[CH15 - Day 241:~ Blessed Union of Souls

 
~:[CH15 - Day 241:~ Blessed Union of Souls

Do you remember the group, Blessed Union of Souls? I'm not sure why I thought of the group when I thought of today, but it truly was a day where two people were united as one - marriage. Today, I had a role for the first time, wedding coordinator. I was in charge of coordinating the wedding on the day of. I didn't do too much prior to the wedding, but when it came down to the day, it was my day to manage the event from start to finish. I was asked to do this since someone already knew how many events I ran and how I am able to keep things organized and on time. The reality is, at times, I was a little clueless, but I figured it out and by night's end, everything ran efficiently and we even finished early. It was truly a blessing to be able to do this as I learned a lot in the process and connected with a few people while fulfilling my duties. I am not planning on taking on this task anytime soon, if ever, however, I am glad for the experience. I have always been someone who is open to trying new things and today was a reminder that doing so, isn't that bad. I unlocked a new skill this weekend. I think of myself as a jack of all trades, but a master at none. Even though I may not be top tier in any one thing, I am glad that I have a wide range of skills that are useful in life. As the night closed out, it was great to see the smiles on the faces of all those in attendance, as they celebrated the union of these two beautiful souls. I truly enjoyed the experience of being the day of coordinator, but I'll also be happy to be able to sit down and rest a little tonight and tomorrow after a long day's work. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

~:[CH15 - Day 240:~ It Is What It Is

 

~:[CH15 - Day 240:~ It Is What It Is

Sometimes in life, things don't work out as planned. It is what it is. What you can we do about it? We can improve ourselves to help us get on top of everything for a better result next time, however, for now, there isn't much more that can be done. Life itself throws us all kinds of curve balls. The pendulum has been swinging as there are good days and no so good days, but for the most part, we just have to deal with any given situation. No matter how things turned out today, there isn't much we can do about it today. However, we can begin preparing ourselves to avoid just accepting what is suppose to happen and use this opportunity to prepare ourselves when the opportunity arises. At the end of the game, the scoreboard read 3-7, as we fell short while they scored in the final minute of play, however, it is what it is. While we cannot change the outcome of this game, if we have the right mindset, we'll be prepared no matter what condition life throws at us. 

~:[CH15 - Day 239:~ A Little Resistance

 

~:[CH15 - Day 239]:~ A Little Resistance

These past few days have been quite the challenge as the schedule keeps needing to be adjusted. The hot weather is draining especially since it's been hot for a stretch. Of course, these kinds of challenges makes us stronger. Once again, we met at 6pm, but this time, we went up against the famed Brookhaven loop. The athletes got their Thursday strength workout as they battled up the overpasses to build some strength. In life, we often try to find the easiest path possible to our goals. However, when we see resistance in our lives, it actually makes us better prepared for what's ahead in life. The hills make the flat seem easy and those challenging days will help build your will power and ability to adapt to various situations. While we don't always want to be under a storm cloud, building some resistance is useful to help make us into resilient people in the future. 

~:[CH15 - Day 238]:~ It Makes Cents

~:[CH15 - Day 238]:~ It Makes Cents

My favorite project of the year is the one that kicks it off. My seniors dive into economics by applying for a job and then budgeting for their family. It's fun to see them figure out where they can live and to decide what they need versus what they want. It's always intriguing to see what they value in. These views change over time as I've seen these student change their focus on what is important. It's definitely important for these students to understand the value of money, but also time, as they begin their path into their future careers. There will still be a lot to learn as they head forward, but at least I know they'll have greater appreciation for their parents as they'll understand the challenges of preparing for life.