So this morning, it began to bother me how many times I went to check if I turned off my curling wand. Even right after I checked (with my hand literally still on the doorknob) I opened the door to check again because I didn't remember what I had just seen! Isn't that crazy?

I started to think about living a life of purpose. I think Joel Osteen (or maybe Joyce Meyers... or both haha) has a book about this as well. It's sad to think about life as constantly going through the motions, constantly wasting our precious time doing the same things over and over; making the same mistakes; having the same worries and doubts holding us back day after day. What's the point? What's the use in that? It's really incredibly silly when you think about it. We should be living with purpose, with a destination. Even if we don't know WHAT we want to be, we know WHO we want to be. So even if it's just living life in the mindset that each action we make should reflect the person we are trying to be would be a step up. Realizing our choices, what we do and say and listen to does make a difference. These things mold us and in turn greatly affect our environments. If it takes the same amount of energy if not more to just go through the motions with worry and self doubt, why not try living with purpose and confidence instead? Can't hurt.

I Declare: Day 8

This story gave me chills and almost brought me to tears. It is Day 8 in Joel Osteen's new book "I Declare." The declaration is:

I DECLARE God's dream for my life is coming to pass. It will not be stopped by people, disappointments, or adversities. God has solutions to every problem I will ever face already lined up. The right people and the right breaks are in my future. I will fulfill my destiny. This is my declaration.

Now the story:

"A college professor took a group of students to China for a field trip. Several days into the journey the professor experienced incredible stomach pain. He  was hurting so badly,.the professor asked a friend to call an ambulance. He was rushed to a local clinic.
They were way back in a small town with no big hospitals. The medical staffer in charge noticed the professor's appendix had ruptured. Poison was spreading throughout his body, but there were no surgeons around. Ther was little that could be done for the professor, his friend was told.
"I can give him some pain medication, maybe some sleeping pills, but y advice is that he should make peace with his family," the clinic staffer told him.
The professor went into convulsions and passed in and out of consciousness. Back at home in the States, the professor's father who is a pastor, began to feel an incredible burden for his son during a service at his church. The pastor tried to ignore the feeling but it just wouldn't go away. Finally, he stopped the service and said to the congregation, "We must pray for my son. Something is wrong." They dropped to their knees and prayed.
Back in China at the clinic it was 2 in the morning when one of the country's most well known surgeons walked in-- the same surgeon who travels with the U.S. president when he visits China. The clinic staff was amazed to see him. "I'm here to take care of the American," the surgeon said.
 The Chinese surgeon saved the life of the professor with an operation. The next day the surgeon said to the recovering professor: "Who were those 2 men that you sent into my office yesterday?", "I didn't send anybody to you, " the professor replied. "I don't know anybody here in China. I've just been here for a couple of days." "That's odd, because 2 men came in dressed in nice suits. They looked like they were government officials," the surgeon said. "And they said you were a very important person and I needed to be here in the middle of the night to operate on you." 
God knows how to make it all work out. Even seven thousand miles away God had people praying. That's why you can live life in peace. God is in complete control. He knows the end from the beginning. God knows what you will need a week from now, a month from now, even ten years from now. And the good news is He's already taking care of you. "

Reading this book gives me so much confidence that I am exactly where I need to be in my life and that if I just keep listening to the voice of God that keeps speaking to me, my life will surpass my wildest dreams. The same can be true for you!!!

Embrace.

So for my first week, the word was embrace. I think I had some successes in this category and some shortcomings. I tried to go out of my way to hug people more than I normally do, but didn't do an incredible job at that. "The gentle pressure of a hug can stimulate nerve endings under the skin that send calming messages to the brain and slow the release of cortisol" So I figured everyone could use a little mid day destressor. The great thing about this is that every week, my words will come together. So though my week of "Embrace" is over, I will still actively consider "Embracing" while I'm "Engaging." This week, I also really embraced my emotions. When something inside me was telling me to act upon something, I did it. And in the moments where I did not, I quickly learned why I should have listened to the tugging voice in my head. This week I also cried, a lot. Heck Friday alone I cried a lot. With each each girl that came up to me and told me I was doing a great job or that she loved me or that I was a great leader or that she noticed my efforts, I couldn't help but get choked up. I was overwhelmed with emotions. 

One thing this upcoming week that I'm really looking forward to is She..., which is an all Greek female Bible study we are starting out this Wednesday! I have had the honor of having a meeting of minds (of the sort) with an alumnist named Emily. She is honestly so sweet and comforting and I think, hope, and pray that there is a lot in store for this group. 

One of many highlights this past week was a speaker by the name of Jim Ashworth that we got the pleasure of having come speak to my class. He taught us about NLP- Neuro Linguistic Programming, which basically means how our words affect what we think we are and how we act out in our everyday lives. It's an incredibly interesting thing to learn about and it was crazy how he came to speak to us about the power of our words! Just last Sunday, my mother bought me Joel Osteen's new book "I Declare" which focuses on positive affirmations to speak over your life. Some might say it was a coincidence, but I truthfully don't believe in coincidences any more. God has definitely planned out a life of prosperity for you and for me. When we start to see the links between things, those huge billboards in our heads telling us to take notice of something, we should open our eyes and see where that path takes us! This past week I can say that I've definitely been reading more into things and at the same time it's allowed me to be more aware, but at the same time, definitely more emotional. Honestly, just reading a few passages from the book has me teary eyed. I think with age I'm becoming more and more of an big sap, but I'm kind of enjoying it! 

The Happiness Project

"So I'm pretty much all about self help books, but I'm much more inclined to read books that aren't telling me what I need to do, but rather, what someone else did. It's easier to relate a person's journey to your own life and it makes me feel much more in touch with myself as I figure out how to adapt their lessons to my own experiences. Rather than trying to fit my life into the mold of rules given to me. This is why I liked The Happiness Project so much. Gretchen Rubin is completely relatable and her honest with her experience which makes the book such a great and relatable read."

I originally wrote this  couple months ago, but never got around to actually blogging about it. This past weekend, I bought two books that reignited the spark in me. But first, I'll start with this book. SO, she prompted me to make my own list of my own. It doesn't all have to happen at once. It can be a process - step by step, day by day, week by week finding ways to make my life happier. I wrote this list this summer but honestly could not think of a better time to implement it than the present. Each number represents a new focus for the week. I could do it for the month, but I want all of this to fit in the remaining time I have in college, so like everything else in life, I'll rush through it. But hopefully, I'll find I wasn't rushing at all, just choosing not to waste a moment of life.

1. Embrace.
2. Engage.
3. Let go & let live.
4. Soak it all in.
5. Accept and love - no judgement.
6. First things first.
7. No sulking, only doing.
8. Make time.
9. What brings me happiness? Do that.
10. Appreciate more.
11. Be Kelsey.
12. Don't compare, admire, fix, accept.
13. Be there, especially when your body is. Be present.
14. Be fearless.
15. Live in the moment. Enjoy it.

These are my ten commandments/truths.

1. Trust in God, for He can do all things.
2. Do it now.
3. Do good, feel good. & Vice versa.
4. Make memories and make sure they're remembered. 
5. You don't have to be good at everything.
6. Never give up, but be the first to admit if you are wrong.
7. If you're not failing now, then you're not trying hard enough.
8. It's important to be nice to everyone.
9. Save, but make a modest splurge each month.
10. Always choose love.

As time goes on, maybe I'll find that some of my resolutions become commandments and vice versa. Or maybe I'll add a whole bunch and in time narrow them all down to one. I'm not sure. This is a journey. My journey. Not to make life beautiful again, because I know that it has never ceased, but to be able to not only see it, but to experience it, appreciate it, and everything around me. To not only experience spurts of happiness, but to recenter myself and my mentality in the deeply embedded state of joy I most certainly have within me. Keep up with me? (: