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! :)