Diana Reader

I know a wonderful woman (shout out to Alanna) who last year made her New Year's resolutions different than the traditional "beginning of the year" type.  She chose a word, Brave, to outline her year.  Each month she would choose a "Brave Act" to do so that at the end of the year, she would have done twelve things out of her normal comfort zone.  I thought this was a fantastic idea considering for most of us, our resolutions usually last about two weeks after the New Year before we start slipping into our old ways.  Having a new one each month seemed like the perfect solution. I tend to make a lot of changes to myself, thinking I will improve somehow.  It's usually the same struggles I deal with, but each time I'll change something, or make a new approach to solving, thinking that "this one will work" or "it'll be different this time" only to find myself searching for another idea to help me solve my struggles.  What I've no...

What if you really only get one shot? I've been thinking about this for quite awhile now.  I've always been a strong believer in things happen for a reason, everything will work out, you're where you are supposed to be, but what if you really only have one shot?  What if there aren't any second chances?  What if the consequences of your actions are not a matter of fate, but a matter of choice?   What if it isn't about what's meant to be, but rather the ramifications of actions? What do you think? Looking over my past four years at Northland, a lot of what I think of is nights I spent alone.  Time I spent hurting from self inflicted stomach aches, isolating myself in the basement of Memorial walking ten miles in-between classes, not leaving until it was dark outside, living these days off of juice fasts and disappointment. I think about Love Your Body Week, and how excited I was for that because I wanted to go to all of the events and really give a mess...

I just want to right a post about gratitude.  If your honest with yourself, you probably focus a lot on the negative aspects in your life.  Things like worrying about school, grades, relationships; stressing about sports, workouts, weight; anxious about life.  It's a trap so easy to fall into: negativity propegates negativity in a scary spiraling cycle. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.  "It's a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.  One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."  He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."   "Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed." Is...

I'm struggling trying to decipher what I want to say. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go somewhere totally different, where no one knows you, no one would miss you; it would be as if you didn't exist? Sometimes I think that would be nice.  Just to hide away from all responsibilities, all expectations, all people who keep asking what you're going to do, where you're going to go, who you're going to marry, and why you haven't done any of these things. It's moments like these that I just want to curl up in a ball and disappear.  And then go to a foreign country and travel without reserve, without fear.  Most importantly, without your critical self telling you that you should be doing something more important with your life, helping people significantly more, putting all your effort into doing these things and not being so afraid to start.  Without your critical self asking what are you waiting for, why can't you decide, why aren't ...

"Self-sabotage is a real problem. It's not a lack of desire or motivation.  Something holds us back. We have to learn to validate ourselves because we'll never get everything we need from other people." We have to learn to validate ourselves. I've been meeting with a career counselor this entire semester, usually about twice a month.  She's been having me take tests and reviewing the information from them to help me better figure out my strengths and interests and then applying them to a career choice.  It was a bit frustrating because I got all my test scores back, thinking that would help me be more confident in choosing a career, but they just confirmed what I already knew.  I know my strengths.  I know what adjectives to use to describe myself.  I know I am a perfectionist, I like organizing, I want peace and don't like angry confrontations.  I thought there would be more to these tests, but they told me what I already knew. This counse...