I Don't Care!... Okay, Maybe I Do

Hey There!
So this week's tweet is actually one that one of my followers retweeted and upon reading it, I had to retweet it as well. It's also rather funny that I would stumble upon this tweet because as freshman year comes to a close, I realize just how applicable it is to some of the people I have befriended this year.
My freshman year here at Penn State has been a learning experience, to say the least. While I have learned something new in each of my classes, I would say that the bulk of my learning came from experiences outside of the classroom. Namely, through living with someone else.
To sum up the situation with my roommate, we requested one another coming into this year and about a week in, I realized things about her that I really didn't like. Since we requested one another, I didn't know how to confront the situation and eventually things boiled over and the situation got so bad that we didn't talk for weeks. Now, we manage to be friendly with one another without actually being friends. It works for the both of us and provides us with some space from one another. After all, that shoebox we call a room can get cramped when you spend your entire day with your roommate, as the two of us did. But I have to admit that during the time when we weren't talking, I seemed to talking about her the most to other people. I quickly realized that by trying to maintain my attitude towards her and forcing myself not to talk to her, yet by still being consumed with talking about everything she did,  these were all signs that I clearly did care about the situation. What makes it even harder is I have to admit that I did still care about her as well. We had grown really close at one point during the year and if there was a night she was out at a party little later than I expected, a part of me started to worry that she was okay. But then I would quickly remind myself that I'm supposed to be mad at her and I shouldn't care about her wellbeing. Now that my roommate and I are fine, I realize just how ridiculous I was being and just how true this tweet is. I've realized that if you grow close to someone as a friend (the same applies to someone potentially becoming more than a friend), it's difficult to just turn those feelings off and act like you no longer care about them. A part of you will always care about them, regardless of the situation.
Has the same situation ever happened to you? Did you have to learn the hard way like I did?

Skinny? Fat? Just Right!

Hey there!
I thought this tweet was a great one to talk about for this blog entry. While the hype surrounding body image issues has significantly decreased in recent years, it is still a topic of great discussion. We all know that celebrities play a huge role in this body image topic, considering some of our favorite actresses or singers might appear a certain way on a magazine cover and we strive to emulate that person. This issue especially seems to be a huge deal amongst girls but I'm sure the same is applicable to guys. What I find the most interesting though, is just how often our image of the "ideal" body seems to change so frequently.
I can remember not too long ago, it seemed like every magazine cover was something like this:

Magazine covers showed celebrities from Paris Hilton to Lindsay Lohan and even some models, like Kate Moss. It was nearly everywhere! We saw the skin and bones of some of our favorite celebrities and although many of these magazine covers were denouncing their severe weight loss, these celebrities were still gaining much attention, which could lead one to believe that they were actually being praised for being so skinny. During that time, it seemed like weight loss surgeries and procedures were all the rave in an effort to lose weight and have these "ideal" bodies. Then, our societal views seemed to shift, as the bodies of people like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and more recently, Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj have been gaining much attention. These women are known as being more curvy. They have larger butts, wider hips, thicker thighs. Their bodies are now the "ideal" standard. We've taken this whole body image thing to such an extreme that I've heard that women are able to get injections put into their butts to make them more voluptuous. Ultimately, this is absolutely ridiculous! Women will never be able to successfully achieve this "ideal" body because it is impossible to achieve it. We can work out until we're 98 pounds or pay thousands of dollars to have larger butts and boobs but in the end, we will still never view ourselves as good enough. I decided to use this person's tweet because I love their confidence in accepting themselves just as they are. More people, namely women, need to have a similar view of themselves, which can seriously help us get over this societal obsession with perfecting our bodies.

We're Kind of, Sort of, Dating.... It's Complicated.

Hey guys!
So when I saw this tweet, I had to retweet it and I thought it was absolutely hilarious. I think this tweet especially applies to girls more than it might to guys but all in all, it's hilarious. I think any girl might be able to relate to this tweet in one way or another. There had to be that one time where you really liked someone, so much so that you became almost territorial over them. You completely understood that you and the person were not dating but you still believe, in your head, that you were entitled to have some control over who that person can and cannot talk to. I wonder why we tend to lead ourselves to believe that we are allowed to be territorial over that other person. I wonder if it's our feelings getting the best of us or if it could be contributed to something else. I know when I've had these feelings before, it was strictly because of how I felt for the person and moreover, feeling that if the person is flirting with someone else, they might not be interested in me. Looking back, I realize it's probably ridiculous to act that way but hey, sometimes you just can't help it.
What I also find rather funny is, as this tweet implies, girls have a tendency to get upset with the other person, rather than the girl or guy that they are being territorial over. I don't know if I will ever understand this concept. Granted, I am just as guilty but it is still something I question. That's like when we hear these news stories about women attacking the "other" woman. Um, last time I checked, you were in a relationship with your significant other and not the other person. Therefore, shouldn't you be upset with your significant other and not the other person?! In hindsight, it's actually really ridiculous that girls, especially, tend to get upset with the other person to such a degree when they really should be mad at the person they are talking to, dating, married to, etc.

#Y.O.L.O Has To G.O.G.O!

So for those of you who might not know, recently, the rapper Drake released a song, "The Motto" featuring Lil Wayne. During the chorus of the song, Drake raps, "You only live once: that's the motto ni**a, YOLO..." Since the song gained popularity, we suddenly see people tacking a "#yolo" to end of their tweets on Twitter. At first, it was cool because the song was still new and that tends to be the trend with newer songs; people find a part of the song that they like and they quote it on Facebook and Twitter. But now, this YOLO thing seriously needs to end! I think this tweet nicely conveys my point:









While the rhyme in the song is rather catchy, the overuse of the acronym really just makes people seem like idiots. I'm pretty sure we all know that we only have one life to live but why are we suddenly taking advantage of that privilege because Drake mentioned it in a song? I've seen it used countless times. People consider not doing their homework or choosing to drink on a Wednesday night instead of the typical Thursday night to be an example of "YOLO". Okay, I guess these can be examples of "YOLO" but I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time that you decide not to do your homework and it's not all that atypical for some people to decide to go out on a Wednesday night. Ultimately, I think the overuse of the term to justify making, in some cases, stupid or ridiculous decisions just makes people seem rather foolish. If you decide to do something, you're typically not choosing to do it because you only live once, but you're doing it because you want to. I'm pretty sure 95% of the people who constantly use this "YOLO" term ever really consider the fact that they only live once when they are making decisions... People are just using the term because it seems like the "cool" thing to do. Well, they're wrong. It's really just annoying!
Also, these people who are now suddenly using "YOLO" should probably consider that the deeper meaning of the term is to teach people to actually appreciate the experiences we have in life and to take advantage of opportunities, and not to justify making ridiculous or random decisions.

Recently found this on Facebook... Perfectly explains my point!

"Oh Sorry I Forgot... I Only Exist When You Need Something"

Hello there!
So this week, my younger cousin actually retweeted the tweet I chose to share with you all. I think we all have met this person once before in our lives. The people who manage to exemplify the meaning of the term "user." These are the people who you might see everyday but they rarely ever say anything to you. At most, they might offer up a "hi." But then, all of a sudden when they need or want something from you, they happen to know you on a friendlier basis. They act as if the two of you have been best friends for the longest time when funny enough, just a day or two ago, the person treated you as if you were a stranger. In all honesty, I cannot stand these types of people. I guess I do not understand how someone can really believe they are justified in being so phony. Maybe it's because of my personality type but I try to be as genuinely nice towards people as I possibly can. But when I encounter these user-types... it's a different story. For example, last semester, I took a biochemical and molecular biology class. The class met three times a week and was mostly lecture. One girl would come to class but then spend most of the time on her Blackberry. Later, she would ask that I send her the notes. The first time, I sent them to her since I was trying to be nice. But it made me feel like I was being used when I would see her outside of class with her own friends, and she would walk past me as if I was a complete stranger to her. Really? Are you kidding me? Then, during one class, I noticed that she would sit in class and use her phone so I just stopped sending her the notes all together. I know it was probably mean of me to do that but the same way I could pay attention in class, so could she. This, my friends, is a prime example of a user!
Have you ever had to deal with someone who would only use you for what you could do or give to them? How did you handle that situation?

#GPAProblems

 Hey There! :)
So this week, I found this tweet thanks to one of my followers who happened to retweet it. I thought it was such a great reminder to us college students that while GPAs matter, they do not define us.
We have all been afforded such a wonderful opportunity to attend such a great university like Penn State. And with the academic greatness that Penn State is known for, there also comes much competition between students. Ultimately, we all want to succeed but I've noticed that here, one's GPA definitely seems to "say" a lot about the person and their character. We are all quick to make assumptions to explain why someone's GPA might be whatever it is, "Oh he parties all the time, no wonder his GPA is so low" or "Her GPA is only so high because she lives in the library. She has no social life." And with these assumptions typically come judgments about how "smart" or "dumb" a person is. As we all know, a higher GPA usually means someone is smart. But is this really the case? That then brings about the question, "what constitutes as being 'smart'?" Just because someone might not be able to score a 95 on an exam, that does not mean that they are not smart. Maybe they just aren't the best of test takers? I know from my own experiences with classes, most grades are almost solely based on test scores. While the argument of whether or not this is fair is a whole other situation, it is the reality. Therefore, if someone is not a good test taker and their grade is largely based on test scores, then their GPA might obviously be lower. But a test score and even a GPA really does not reveal much about that person's intellectual ability, as this tweet implies.
In fact, I think it's important to mention that the late Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple and Pixar, dropped out of college after only one semester. We all know of the amazing things Jobs managed to do during his lifetime (one might argue that he single handedly changed technology forever) yet he dropped out of school. Jobs presents a perfect example of GPA not defining intellectual ability.
What's your take on this matter? Do you think a GPA is a reflection of intellectual ability or is it merely a number?

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover

Hey There! So this tweet is actually from someone who I do not follow, but I stumbled upon it thanks to the hash tag "#wordsofwisdom" at the end of the tweet. For those of you who might not be very familiar with Twitter, that hash tag at the end of this girl's tweet is blue because it is actually a link to a page where other Twitter users also tweeted something on the topic of "words of wisdom". I especially loved this tweet because I think it definitely embodies a word of wisdom that people should remember. 

I think often times in society, we get so caught up in judging one another that it has become difficult for us to take a second to consider what someone else might be going through in their own lives. This tweet is especially important for women to consider. We all know that girls tend to be rather catty, finding any and every thing to attack about another woman, regardless of whether or not we actually know that person. As an African-American female, I can speak from first hand experience and this is definitely an issue within our community. I've seen it so many times; one girl sees another girl at a party or some where out and within a few minutes, they have judged that other person from head to toe. It's actually so sad. Black women tend to be especially critical of other Black women. Instead of empowering one another, we have a tendency to tear one another down in any and every which way we can. Sometimes, it seems like it is rather difficult for African-American women to uplift one another because we are too busy being each other's worse enemies. I understand that not all African-American women are this way, and I know that the experience might be different amongst other racial groups, but I am only speaking on what I have observed personally.

When we really stop to think about it, we don't know other people's stories and we definitely don't know what they might be going through at the time. I know I have had days where I was feeling down in the dumps and all it took was someone smiling at me or doing/saying something nice to significantly brighten to my day. That's really all it takes; some small gesture can mean so much to someone, especially when they are upset or feeling down. I believe this tweet really reminds us all, regardless of race or gender, how we should be considerate of other people.

I also have a question for you all to consider: why do you think that we as a people are so quick to judge one another? And how do you think we can correct this judgmental society we have created?

Social Networks No-No!

Hey There!
So when I saw this tweet, I immediately had to retweet it to my own followers and I knew I wanted to share it with you all! "Social networks tell it all". In five words, this tweet manages to, basically, explain our whole lives. In recent years, social networks have began to dominate the internet. I'll be quite honest, I seem to only use my internet for Facebook, Twitter and to check Angel. Yeah okay, occasionally I might venture onto a celebrity gossip site, and do some online window shopping but I mostly use my internet to check my social networks. As embarrassing as it might sound, I sometimes even find myself subconsciously typing in Facebook or Twitter into my search engine bar when I actually intend to go to a completely different website. Yeah, you might categorize my actions as a bit obsessive but I think it just goes to show how much social networks have taken over our lives. Nowadays, it's rare for someone to not have a Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or some other social networking account. Social networks have enabled us so many privileges that we were not necessarily afforded some years ago. We can connect with people who live on our dormitory floor or people who live half way across the world. Furthermore, social networks have enabled us the opportunity to express ourselves. Whether you see it as a good thing or a bad thing, people use social networks to voice their opinions, their emotions and even their problems. I think that's exactly what the tweet above targets; just how people use these social mediums to "tell it all".
In all honesty, I do believe that people should consider the things they post online before they post them. Yeah, I know even I'm guilty of posting subliminal messages on Facebook and Twitter that clearly tells my friends or followers, "hey, Charisma must be mad at her friend since she posted such and such on Facebook". But in retrospect, I realize that using these networks to reveal the personal problems I might be having with a friend or even my parents is not such a smart idea. Expressing myself in this manner actually does reveal too much about what's going on in my personal life when really, personal problems should be kept personal. A friend who you might be fighting with today can become your best friend again tomorrow and it's rather awkward to explain to someone that your bashing of them on Twitter was justified because you were upset.
Essentially, I think this tweet is especially significant because it highlights an important point about what we decide to share on our social networks!

I'll Cry If I Want To!

Hey There!

So this week, for whatever reason, I started thinking about societal norms. Living in America and keeping up with all these can's and cannot's is actually quite difficult, if you really sit and think about it for a second. It gets even more difficult when you actually try to limit your behavior to nicely fit into these ideals that society deems acceptable.

 As I scrolled through my timeline on Twitter, I came across this tweet. It perfectly commented on a societal norm that is often seen as somewhat taboo, especially for men. Crying.

I think it's safe to say that in society, crying is seen as a weakness, regardless of one's gender. When someone cries, they're usually in a vulnerable state and can be manipulated or hurt more easily. Sometimes I wonder where this whole perception of crying really started because I don't know about you but after a good cry, I start to feel so much better about whatever I'm going through! Sometimes, it's actually great to cry because it's a way to release whatever you're feeling at the time. Yeah, I too get sucked into the societal view that crying equals weakness so I try not to cry too often but when I do, it feels like such a relief. 

What I found especially awesome about this tweet was the last sentence, "It means you've been too strong for too long." It's great because often times, people do tend to bottle up their emotions and try to stay strong. But in reality, there comes a time when that hard shell cracks and bam, you have no other choice but to cry and let it all go. Then again, I also have to consider that when people cry, it could be for a variety of reasons: happiness, sadness, anger, excitement. A person isn't necessarily "weak" if they're so happy about something that they become overjoyed and start to cry. If anything, that's actually really sweet, especially if it's a guy! In my opinion, this whole societal perception of crying just really sucks. I say, cry if you want to! Let it all out.

"Just Keep Swimming"

Hey There!
So this week, as I scrolled through my timeline, I happened to stumble upon this tweet from one of my followers. The briefness of the message actually made me miss it when I initially looked through my timeline but when I later looked through it again, I found it and it really struck me. The determination behind this tweet is really moving. Naturally, I imagined a sinking boat. Yet, for whatever reason, this boat would not fully submerge under water. Then, I realized how this tweet is so applicable to life situations (which I'm sure is what my follower meant by the tweet in the first place). I imagined situations in my own life that I could apply this tweet to and at first I was stumped. But then, I remembered nearly every time I've been stressed about anything, namely school.
Since I was in pre-kindergarten, I've always taken school very seriously. My parents did not tolerate misbehaving in school and they expected nothing less than my best when it came to my academics. Therefore, as I went through high school and now college, I've continued to have the same mindset: I must not fool around in school and I must give school my all. And while my parents' pressures have definitely been a blessing, considering they have only encouraged me to work harder in school, they have also been something of a curse. Now, I put so much pressure on myself! I set these ridiculous standards for myself and when I don't meet them, you better watch out. I become this stressed out monster! I seem to get mad at everyone around me and I always feel on edge. What makes matters worse is these feelings don't seem to subside until I feel like I'm secure again in school (so naturally, the people closest to me seem to think I'm a total nightmare and always assume I'm PMSing). When I get into these moods though, I tend to feel like I'm sinking. I feel like everything school-related is caving in on me. I convince myself that since I got one "bad" grade on a test in one class, I'm failing in all my other classes. I know, I sound like a totally crazy person for putting such massive pressure on myself. However, rather than "sinking", this self-applied pressure tends to encourage me to work harder. When I get into these moods, I refuse to sink.
Can you think of an incident where you felt as if you were barely staying afloat but you refused to sink? Have you been able to learn anything from that experience? Essentially, how do deal with pressure/stress?

P.S. This tweet also reminded me of the clip from "Finding Nemo" when Dori encourages Nemo to "just keep swimming" (hence the title of this post), so I thought I would post that clip for you all as well! :)

Life Lessons Learned

Hey There!

So this past week one of my followers tweeted the above message and it really struck me, as I thought it might strike some of you. I think this message especially applies to the reality many of us face as freshmen in college. We are literally on the cusp of young adulthood and being thrust into the "real world". As we enjoy the thrills of being young, wild and free, we are also faced with, for some of us, the very daunting fact that in some short years, we will become full fledged members of society. Personally, I know that each day I spend here at Penn State, I learn something new. Whether it be in class or just learning something new about myself through living life. 

Since the start of this semester, I have truly learned so much about myself. I have this new-found appreciation for my faith in God and how important it is that I keep these values first in my life. I've learned that it's important that I figure out who my true friends are and who I choose to surround myself with. Moreover, I see that it's fine to be cordial with people without having to hang out with those people all the time. To be quite honest, it seems like sometimes it's better to maintain a little space from certain people just to avoid problems! I'm learning just how much I value my family, especially my mommy (who's my best friend)! Oh and of course, I must always remember how important it is that I maintain my focus here at school and remember exactly why I'm here.

I'm also starting to realize what I want out of life. I'm learning what I want as far as my career and my aspirations. While it's all still a learning process and I'm still figuring it all out, I believe I am on the right path!

What are some of the things you have learned about yourself since entering college? What have you realized is most important in life? What is it that you want out of life? Does this tweet "speak" to you in any way?

Until next time! :)

The Horrors of Horoscopes

About a year ago, I became obsessed with Twitter. Yeah, Facebook is nice every now and again but it's nothing like Twitter. You see something photo-worthy, you can TwitPic it. Hear something funny? Tweet about it. Those limited 140 characters seem like so little but it enables you to make a point that is short, sweet and well, to the point. Furthermore, your followers, the people who actually want to read your tweets, can respond to what you have to say, therefore sparking a discussion or they may retweet your tweet by publishing it to their own followers. Oh, and how can I forget about trending topics? These topics are typically created by how many people are mentioning said topic in their tweets and they can range from politics to sports to reality TV. Basically, whatever is going on in America or around the world, you'll know about it via Twitter. It's great!

One of the pages I happen to be following is ZodiacFacts. I've never been one to really believe in horoscopes but since I follow the page, the horoscopes appear on my timeline so I tend to read them, especially the Gemini ones since after all, I am a Gemini. The picture of the tweet above is one that I read recently and it amazed me how much this tweet related to how I was feeling. For whatever reason, I just felt so down and in a serious slump. I had gotten in an argument with my roommate so there was serious tension in my room. As a result of the fight, I was also distancing myself from two of my other friends since they were both mine and my roommates' mutual friends. I just always felt in an irritable mood but also on the brink of crying. I really just wanted to go home. What was even more bizarre was that I couldn't even explain exactly what I was so upset about. I just knew I felt a certain way and it wasn't a feeling I was accustomed to. I didn't feel at all like myself. At first I thought it had something to do with the fight with my roommate but even after we talked things out, I was still feeling sad. It wasn't until I talked to my Grandpa and he prayed for me over the phone and then I went to church on Sunday that I was able to refocus my thoughts and get back on track. Last week really just felt like a blur, and it's probably one that I would prefer to forget! Yet, all in all, as much as I don't want to believe in these horoscopes, this one explained how I was feeling perfectly.

Are you a strong believer in horoscopes or zodiac signs? Why or why not? Have you ever read a horoscope that nailed your personality, your feelings or your outlook on life dead on?