Wise Words on Happenstance

Do you ever wonder about the cause and effect of things sometimes? You know, as in “If I do this, then this will happen and then this will happen and so on…” Or, the opposite: “What would happen if I had never done x, y, z?“

I suppose it’s sort of like the domino effect of experiences in life. I’ve always preferred to hold rather tightly to my belief in all things logical and rational, but I came across this wonderful quote from Anna Quindlen the other day. And, well, she puts the whole idea of happenstance into perspective…

Sometimes I remind myself that I almost skipped the party, that I almost went to a different college, that the whim of a minute could have changed everything and everyone. Our lives, so settled, so specific, are built on happenstance.

I’ll admit that I rarely take the time to look back at my decisions once I make them — there’s that whole thinking rationally tendency again — and I’m even less likely to consider what my life would be like had I taken a different path. What’s the point, I’d wonder? The past is, well, past, and besides — isn’t it more important to keep looking forward? To move forward? To keep going?

Yes and no.

When I think about it, there are times in my life where I’ve wanted to go a different way or was even scared to do something altogether. Right after my father was diagnosed with cancer, I transferred from the local community college to a bigger university. I was completely overwhelmed and ready to throw my backpack away and call it a day, but my parents, luckily, talked me out of it. If I had quit, I wouldn’t have joined the school paper, won the Best Damn Reporter award and graduated two years later with a love of journalism.

And who knows? I might not have been led to blogging, which had become one of the biggest parts of my life.

Also, when I started working as a community college newspaper adviser, I seriously didn’t think I was cut out for it. Here I was, a twentysomething just a couple years out of college. What could I possibly have to offer? But, I went for it, and again, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only did I mold future journalists, but I also met people who changed my life forever. I made lifelong friends and even learned so much about myself in the process.

We just never really know what is going to mean the most to us over the years, do we? What has changed your life for the better, friends? Something that you never could have predicted at the time, but means the world to you now that you’re looking back on it…

[Photos via We Heart It]

Wise words from my sister

My sister Janelle is a pretty wise lady. My older-sister-knows-everything attitude tends to forget this sometimes, so it’s nice when she reminds me of the value of listening to others. I was going through some emails last week and came across one she sent me in 2010, when I was going through the thick of my battle with depression…

I hope you are having a good day and are feeling at least average. I know things are difficult for you right now but you must find healthy ways to make yourself feel better. What you have been doing doesn’t seem to be working for you anymore, so as I’ve learned, you must change what you normally do if you ever want to see different results.

Isn’t that smart advice? It’s something to keep in mind even when you’re not going through a rough time. Leave it to her to tell it like it is. Thanks, sister! xoxo

In The Pursuit of Happiness: Lucille Ball on loving yourself first

When my friend Jalyn and I were young, we loved watching old episodes of I Love Lucy together. We’d laugh at all the crazy situations Lucy and Ethel would get themselves into. Lucy was one of the first comedic females on TV, and she paved the way for the likes of Bea Arthur, Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tina Fey.

The TV trailblazer would have turned 102 this week, and in celebration of her awesomeness, Glamour rounded up a few of her most inspiring quotes. My favorite, on the importance of loving yourself…

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. What an amazing woman she was! And I love that she was a redhead… xoxo

P.S. More wise words from Zooey Deschanel, Susan Sarandon, Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana.

Disabilities In The Media: Nicole Kelly raises awareness as Miss Iowa

First Iowa, next America? When Caitlin posted about Nicole Kelly on Facebook, I knew I had to share it, friends. The recently crowned Miss Iowa was born without her left forearm, and will go on to compete for the Miss America title on September 15th. Her inspiring platform? Overcoming disabilities.

“A year ago, I certainly didn’t see “pageant titleholder” in my future,” she says in her pageant profile. “Perhaps I didn’t originally envision this path, but I now know that being Miss Iowa is the perfect fit for me, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people who have encouraged me every step of the way. Giving a voice to my platform, Overcoming Disabilities, is a tremendous honor and I am thrilled to continue my adventure by speaking out and touching lives as Miss Iowa 2013.”

How inspiring is that? Way to go, Nicole! Can’t wait to see you on the stage in September, and thanks for inspiring such self-confidence! xoxo

P.S. A fun new feature is coming up shortly! 🙂

[Via Huffington Post]

Do or Don’t: The disability edition

My mom is well into her last week of school before summer vacation, and this week, her students are reading a book about a girl with cerebral palsy. To teach them about disabilities in the real world, she made an awesome PowerPoint and was so excited to show it to me. It was the first PowerPoint she ever made, and she was quite proud of herself — and so was I. She included everything from why inclusion is so important in schools to some facts about Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome and how I’ve dealt with my disability over the years. My favorite slide, though, was this one, on what to do and what not to do when interacting with someone with a physical disability…

I’m a big fan of speaking directly to the person. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been out with someone, especially at a restaurant, and people will come up to us and ask questions as if I’m not even there. It’s all about squashing those stereotypes, friends! Way to go, Mom!

P.S. Disability bingo and common disability misconceptions.