It seems like it was only a short time ago that I started my University life (in truth, 3 years is actually a short time, but as school goes, it’s lengthy). Now I’m starting my fourth year, and it’s gotten me to thinking about how one year in a life can determine a future.
This year marks a stepping stone for many people I know:
One of my friends was accepted into the Education program.
Another of my friends was accepted into Optometry.
Yet another will be starting Plumbing in a month.
One has an internship as a student teacher.
My sister is taking the year off to save money to go to Culinary School.
My brother will be graduating high school this year.
I am in my last year of my degree, and will be applying to take my masters.
It’s amazing how somehow this year seems to be so important for so many people. This year is special: it marks the beginning to an end for so many people I know, including myself. How we succeed in this year will determine how our future will unfold. I’m excited to experience it.
Today I received news of a tragic misfortune: my bikini top that I had ordered somehow became unavailable, so I got refunded and am now left with the bottoms (which are, in fact, a final sale. Bastards.)
I considered complaining to the company, but then I thought why bother? It’s not a huge deal, I’ll just be a trendsetter and mismatch (this conclusion reached with the help of some friends – you know who you are). As I was trying on the various tops that would look utterly fabulous with the very boldly patterned bottoms, I couldn’t help but notice a few things about myself in the mirror. There’s the imperfections of my skin, the little bit of excess on my stomach, the speedbumps on my chest that for some reason I never like in a bikini top. And as I was trying to imagine myself differently, I stopped. Instead, I pointed out the things about myself that I liked: my hair, my eyes, my collar bone and bold shoulders. As I did that, I also started to think about how utterly normal I looked. Healthy. Why would I want to be different than that?
Seriously, I recommend that everybody do this on a regular basis: point out what you like about yourself in the mirror.
What a confidence boost!
It scares me how I was almost sucked in to the myth of perfection by comparing myself to pictures I’d seen of perfect looking women. What makes these women seem so perfect to us? The models on television aren’t healthy. They’re starving skeletons of women who are slaves to fashion. A small percentage of the women on magazines actually get their bodies from workouts and healthy eating. Even then, they’re so airbrushed that anything natural looking about them has been erased.
Why do women compare themselves to these impossible people? We are REAL. We live every day. If we have scars, or wrinkles, or extra weight, they are the signs of life. People on billboards aren’t real. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to them. It’s terrifying that we do, and that the future generations will do the same.
I can’t help myself! The dragons! They’re so cute!
I just got an iPhone and as if playing with it weren’t addicting enough, my sister got me hooked on DragonVale.
It’s bad folks. I check that game once every three and a half minutes to see if maybe – just maybe – while I was away my dragon will have somehow gone from 11.5 hours until hatching to being done. It’s so disappointing when it’s still at 11.5 hours when I check back. Seriously, why make such an addicting game have such a ridiculously long waiting time?
I WANTS MOAR DRAGONZ! Oh Zeus, I need help…
Cute Baby Dragon is Cute
And as if it weren’t bad enough, they have *rare* dragons that are ridiculously difficult to get. So now that you have your collection of dragons, you’re trying your darndest to get those rare ones, and eventually you’re forgetting to eat, you’re setting an alarm for when your dragon is due to hatch at 3:30 am, and you’re starting to look like Gollum from staring at that little LED screen for so long.
Something I’ve never understood is the absolute shock I receive when somebody finds out I like to play video games. What, you thought girls don’t game? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I know one girl for sure who games a LOT: me!
Naturally, I started off quite young playing the Magic School Bus and Treasure Seekers on my computer. Come to think of it, Where In Time is Carmen Sandiago was a favourite of mine as well. And of course we can’t leave out Oregon Trail and Amazon Trail from the school computers – hunting and fishing, baby, that’s what I did in those games. I’m sure many of you can relate.
Pokémon Yellow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Then, the beautiful GameBoy Color came out, and I got the special Pokemon yellow Pikachu edition. Oh the glory! Somehow even today I find that few games can compete with Pokemon. That game provided me with endless hours of entertainment. And if I could find it (I lost it somehow, presumably in the hurricane that blew through my room) it would provide me with even more. That game never gets old!
It was the first game that really let me have my own adventure – I got to choose where I went, and what Pokemon I had. I had power, and freedom! Oh! It was glorious.
Seriously, it’s really bugging me that I can’t find it.
Later I moved on to the Sims and the Sims 2. (Regrettably, my parents refused to allow us to have gaming platforms other than GameBoy and computer, so a great deal of my gaming potential was lost in the abyss). There is nothing quite like making ridiculous people and putting them in huge houses because you cheat. That sense of satisfaction that you have unlimited money to do whatever you want – because honestly, who likes waiting for them to be done work? – is unbeatable. Did anyone else find extreme entertainment in making them WooHoo?
Then, miracle of all miracles, my parents got us a Wii. I know, I know, lamest platform ever. But it was better than nothing. I’m super good at Harvest Moon, I’ll have you know! Also love Spyro, GoldenEye, Sonic the Hedgehog (because who doesn’t love Sonic?), and a multitude of other Wii games.
Naturally, I yearn for an Xbox or PS3 or SOMETHING more adult than the Wii, but as of now I’m far too broke to afford it, so that kind of gaming will have to be postponed until further notice.
Star Wars: The Old Republic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
However, it remains that what I loved as a child I love now as an adult – Computer games. Guild Wars got me through high school (Who’s excited for GW2? I AM!) Computer RPG’s are glorious fun (and once again, once I have more money I’ll be playing a whole lot more of them). Sorry, I never got into WoW, but I can see where the draw to it is. Currently I enjoy Star Wars: The Old Republic – Sith all the way baby! Although I do find that my Jedi is rather fun to play when I’m feeling like being a good person instead of killing children.
But right now, my favourite of all, and one that has occupied many hours of my time (especially recently) is StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. OH MY ZEUS! What an awesome game. Plotline, yes. Engaging characters, yes. Entertaining style of gaming, ABSOLUTELY. And Heart of the Swarm is coming out soon: I could die from excitement! I could write an entire post on SCII alone. Actually, I could probably have an entire BLOG dedicated to that game, I love it so much. That doesn’t mean that I’m good at it though. Before you get all excited I’ll have you know that I still have A LOT of work to do. What can I say, I love gaming, but it’s not my life.
But now that it’s summer, I have all the time in the world to get better!
It’s that time of year again (student’s know what I’m talking about) when finals are drawing nearer, and nearer, and my motivation has packed up and moved to Mars.
I had three essays due this week. That’s right, THREE! One Monday, one Tuesday, and one today (Thursday). Needless to say, tired Scribbler is tired. Not that I mind writing essays, after all, I do want to make writing my career. But the high stress and the buzz of spring in the air along with the incoming wave of final exams makes the mind a bit weary. Why on earth would I want to be inside studying when it’s so nice outside?
Like I said, Motivation is m.i.a.
Now that my essays are done (and class was over early so now I have a 2 hour break until my next class) I’m going to take a well deserved break, and draw this dog.
Ali, the husky. Awe, so cute!
Because, like I said, tired Scribbler is tired, and has no motivation to study during this break, despite the Monday final looming closer, and closer….
Today (March 31, 2012) at 8:30 P.M. is Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is a global action that comments on climate change.
But it’s also more than that. It’s an opportunity for community action. It’s proof that if we all do our part we can make a difference in our world.
Earth Hour 60+ (Photo credit: Regi Fauzi)
Last year more than 5200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide turned off their lights for Earth Hour.
This year the estimate is that 5251 cities will participate from 147 countries.
Can you imagine what that looks like from space? A gradual darkness that covers the globe – that’s the goal.
So for one hour today, turn off your lights. Ignore your computers, your televisions, your radios. Unplug your phones. Save power for one hour, and be a part of a powerful global action.
I know I’m going to! I’m going to shut off all my lights, turn off my computer, and leave my house.
I came across a quote today that hit me rather hard.
“Whether you believe you can, or whether you believe you can’t,
you’re absolutely right.”
Henry Ford
It really got me thinking. How often do I put things off because I’m not confident in my abilities? How often do I back out because I just don’t think I can do it?
How often have I regretted my self-doubt?
These thoughts brought me to an uncomfortable truth: I am afraid. I’m afraid of the future, and I’m afraid of rejection. I’m afraid that all the plans I’m making will come to naught. I have often regretted not going for something or not trying as hard as I might, as if to prove that unsatisfactory results were due to my lack of effort and not my talent or abilities.
How will I know unless I try my hardest? What is rejection but an opportunity to improve? Yes, rejection hurts, but I will make it my goal to try and try again until I’ve improved enough, until I’ve reached my perfection.
I will take baby steps towards my goals. The first step is realizing I doubt myself, and overcoming that doubt. It is my most crippling quality.
Henry Ford is right – I am everything I believe myself to be. If I believe I can do something – I can.
After all, my dreams are not going to come true without a little help.
I’m a procrastinator. Always have been, probably always will be. Sometimes even I wonder how on EARTH I can possibly waste so much time.
Well, here’s how.
The Scribbler’s Ginorma-list of Procrastination Tactics:
*These are in no particular order, other than the order they came to mind
1) Check Facebook. Like, seventeen THOUSAND times a day. Sometimes that many times an hour. As if I got a notification in the 3 seconds since the last time I checked… I swear when I’m procrastinating that little red “1” is the most beautiful image….
2) Check Twitter to see if Josh Groban said anything else that was notoriously hilarious. Seriously, if you’re on Twitter and you’re not following Josh Groban, SHAME on you! Because he’s notorious. And hilarious. And everyone needs to be following him. Pretty much the reason I got Twitter in the first place.
3)Check my Email. Just to see if I have any new spam. Or maybe the rare chance that I got something good, like a notification from WordPress that someone likes my post. Hooray!
4) Write a Blog. That’s right folks, I’m even procrastinating right meow.
5) Watch this video:
6) Check to see if, in the last minute and twenty-three seconds, someone has read my blog.
7) Read a book that just so happens to not be on my class reading list. Funny how that works, eh?
8) Check Facebook again.
9)Eat anything salty. Seriously, when I’m bored, salt is the go-to food. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know. But I’ve eaten many a package of dry ichiban in my day.
10) Watch a movie. Usually it’s Pride and Prejudice (or another Jane Austen adaptation – they’re all brilliant!). Depending on how much time I plan to procrastinate (yes, sometimes I have planned procrastination) it will either be the glorious BBC production that is approximately 300 minutes long (nom Colin Firth), or if I have less time, the also very good two hour Keira Knightly and Matthew MacFadyen version (nom Matthew MacFadyen)
“You have bewitched me, body and soul.”
Gives me shivers every time!
Matthew MacFadyen as Mr. Darcy. *sigh* (Photo credit goes to fanpop.com)
10)Draw a picture
11) Paint a picture
12) Check my DeviantArt profile, and lurk the first few pages of popular pictures.
13) Clean my room. This usually only happens when I have other things to do. Or if someone is coming over.
14) Stare at my ceiling. It’s not very interesting.
15) Check Facebook
16)Has anyone commented on my blog yet? It’s been at least three minutes now..
Such a cute little farmer! (photo credit: joystiq.com)
19) Play StarCraft II
20) Play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (I’m Sith yo – the badassery never ends!)
21) Play Guild Wars (Who’s excited for GW2?!?! I AM!!)
22)Play Harvest Moon. Those cute little farmers just steal my heart.
23)Shop online, even though I have no money to buy online things.. *sad
24)Write a story – or attempt to. I have many novels in the makings.
25) Write poetry
26) Make some tea – I love tea, tea loves me. We have a very comfortable relationship.
27) Have a bath – I use this when the excuse “I can’t concentrate” comes along. Mostly I just want to do nothing.
28)Play with my rats. Because they’re adorable, and I wuv them
29) Stare at my phone. Surely they got that text I send 7.3 seconds ago.
30) Have a mini beauty pageant… in my room… alone. Folks, if I’m bored, you can tell. I’ll have nice, time-consuming makeup on. I probably spent at least 15-30 minutes on it. Sometimes I just want to have my own mini beauty pageant in my room, okay? It also includes changing my clothes a million times, and dancing in front of my mirror.
There you have it folks. Some of the ways in which I waste time.
“SOME?! But Scribbler, there are 30 things there!”
Yes, I know. I just didn’t want to make the post stupid long. Maybe, when I’m feeling the need to procrastinate once again, I’ll write a part two 😉
What are some ways you procrastinate? I’d love to hear it!
The Constant Scribbler 