Introspection: Who are you?

Every day we walk through life, we should be living our best lives. Not many people can say they are living their best life, but that is likely because we have become an increasingly pessimistic society. We complain, we hold grudges, we care more about the perception someone else has of us than our own opinion of ourselves. We have lost ourselves in time.

What type of life do you want to live? Do you want to live a life that is filled with adventure, fun, passion, and lots of love? Do you want to live a life with regret, anger, contempt, and confusion? Select your path and allow me to introduce both sides in my story so you can understand what each has to give (or take).

My Story

I believe we all have a choice: a choice to be phenomenal or a choice to listen to the demeaning thoughts in our heads. Throughout my first year in college, I allowed the negative thoughts to deafen my optimistic spirit and kill me, slowly. Drained on a daily basis, I tried to obtain some source of motivation to take me out of this slump, but my motivations were all external. I questioned my intelligence, my sense of purpose, my life. I was going through a very tough stint in my life; however, depression became the present that would open my eyes to a new world. I was receiving all of my validation from the feelings of being liked by others, I was going to social media for validation (keeping up with the amount of likes and how many followers I had), and I was taken astray causing stress in my sense of existence. I felt so alone even when I was in a crowd of people, I felt envious toward those who had everything I felt I didn’t, I felt uncertain because I didn’t know who I was.

Self-Realization

I started to realize that all of the things I was pursuing were in fact driven by the external factors in my life, but not once did I ask myself what I wanted to become. As I began to come to this realization, I started to tend to myself and listen to that internal voice who has guided me in my journey of life. We all have our own answers, but many times we leave our own questions unanswered because we want to be able to correspond with the majority. We lose sight of the person who truly matters the most: ourselves. If we do not take care of ourselves, we cannot take care of someone else to the best of our ability. If we do not love ourselves, we will not be able to share a love that is full and wholehearted.

Takeaways

I learned that I must start appreciating myself and others would follow. When you understand who you are, you become authentic, you have genuine meaning in your voice, in your spirit. You are then not led by a false reality that you have shaped to fit in to society, but by something that lives within each of us, our heart. You discover that you are unique, that you are amazing, that you are one of a kind and nobody could ever replace you.

Usually we give out resources, but I do not want to throw resources at you because in the game of life, you are a resource to your self-actualization. You have the power to change your life and no one else has that leverage to do such a thing. To make the most of today, to live our best lives, we have to look deep within and start a new chapter in our book called self-appreciation, self-love, self-discovery. Everything else will follow, I promise!

So, I ask again what path will you choose, how do you want to live your life?

P.S. Watch this YouTube video.

9 Ways To Get Your Festivus On In Columbus

It’s officially December 1st, which means now is the chance to do all the winter and holiday things you can handle! Everyone enjoys this season in a different way, so get out there and enjoy it (instead of dreading the chill).

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Here are nine ways you can get your festivus and winter feels on:

  1. Do you like holiday lights, but hate being outside in the cold? Then go to the Ohio Statehouse Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting on December 1 at 5:30! Zoo
  2. Take in the lights at Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium! The lights are already up and will stay up until Jan. 3. They have millions of LED lights, 3 animated musical light shows, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and reindeer! And through Dtix in the Ohio Union you can get tickets for $10! What more could you want?
  3. What signifies cold weather more than hockey? The Blue Jackets have three games before the semester ends: vs. The Panthers December 4, vs. The New York Islanders December 12, vs. The Tampa Bay Lightning December 14. Ohio State’s Women’s Ice Hockey has 2 games against Minnesota Duluth on December 11 and 12.
  4. Kick off the holiday season with the Grand Illumination of Columbus as the Scioto Mile is lit up with thousands of lights! The ceremony starts at 5 p.m. on Dec. 4.
  5. Explore the Short North during their Holiday Hop on December 5! Enjoy an evening filled with sights, sounds, food, shopping, Santa, and surprises!
  6. Get a selfie with Rudolph! North Market will have reindeer outside on Dec. 6 from 12-3 p.m.GrandIllumination_FeatureImage
  7. Roam the historic streets of German Village and enjoy shops open late with holiday treats, discounts, and special offers during their Village Lights event. Festive surprises like carolers, live music, and a horse-drawn carriage are at every corner on Dec. 6 at 5 p.m.!
  8. Celebrate with the Ohio State community at Light Up The Lake on Dec. 9. There will be student performers, a motivational speakers, snacks, and holiday fun!
  9. Relax with friends and just enjoy the energy that comes with this time of year!

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