Don't Sweat the "Burnt" Stuff!

“Ask yourself this question: ‘Will this matter a year from now?’”

— Richard Carlson

If the answer is "No," then simply don't let it bother you. 

I know! Sometimes it can be a lot harder, said, than done. But...if you follow this simple life advice, you'll slowly wind up becoming a happier person without even realizing it! 

Perfect Example:
Last Tuesday, my roommate came home rather "late" from work, with her brand new "do" (she got her 'hair did' after work and oh does it look fabulous on her!). Anyways, before I get too off topic, she mentioned earlier that morning that we should make spaghetti for dinner. She had all the ingredients for the pasta. And I was going to the store after work, and had planned to pick up a head of lettuce so we could have fresh salads with our meals. 

Well, she ended up getting home after 8PM, and I actually didn't do my grocery shopping until later that night because I had a MASSIVE headache at the office (which I rarely get), so I came home early from work and tried to sleep it off. 

By the time we were both home at the same time, one thing was for certain, we were not making spaghetti. Which was completely fine! I ate some cottage cheese and an apple with peanut butter for my din din, since it was already so late. And she was making her famous "cheese and rice" dish to snack on. 

I distinctly remember her saying, "I should be a professional rice cooker. I make this so much, I could basically live off it!" And until 10 minutes later...that statement held pretty accurate.

We were chatting at the dining room table, when we smelled something burning. She went to check on her rice. And before we knew it, the smoke alarm started going off.  (Our neighbors HAVE GOT to have grown accustomed to that noise, and probably think we will NEVER make good house wives.) Needless to say, the wrong burner got turned on and she actually was cooking my leftover eggs that were in another the pan from that morning. Not only were the eggs fried, but so was my brand new Paula Dean skillet that I spent $100+ on (for the set) a few months back.

My initial thought: "THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!" But I didn't have to say it; she actually said it for me. Hahah. Before I lost my cool, I took a good 15 seconds to think about what had just happened as I grabbed the sponge and started to scrub the pan with soap and warm water (which doesn't really help, if you were wondering!). 

My after thought: It's really not a big deal. Worst comes to worst, I can get a new pan! Me yelling at her won't change the fact that the pan is a tad crispy. The only thing it's going to do is put bad vibes throughout the room. 

So guess what? I let it go! And how good did it feel.

I still use the pan. It still works! (Except when I make omelets...or it might just be the cook...because my omelets look more like scrambled eggs than a stuffed egg, haha). And now, my brown tinted pan, has a story behind it. All the better!

Next time you want to raise your voice, next time you get angry at a situation, simply take 15 seconds to yourself. Ask yourself the question... "Will this matter a year from now?"

If the answer is no, take advice from the famous Frozen song and just, let it go! You'll be happier because of it, and so will your friends and family that surround you. 

Oh, Happy Day! 

You Do You!

I earned two college degrees last May when I walked across the stage and turned the tassel on my cap from right to left. 

One was in public relations. The other, in life.

You know, one thing they don’t tell you at freshman orientation is that you’re going to learn way more out of the classroom, than in the classroom. 

Sure, I learned all about the AP Stylebook. How there’s no such thing as the “first” annual. The word “towards” is nonexistent. And if you’re going to say there were “over” 5,000 people at Dill Street last Friday night, you ought to change “over” to “more than.” 

I learned that in a crisis situation, you have less than 60 minutes to make an initial response to said “disaster” and you better not wait any longer than 24 hours to notify your publics. And by golly, please refrain from using the phrase “no comment” in your press conference, because it will look like you’re up to no good.

But THE most important thing I learned in college wasn’t in the classroom. It was in the residence hall. You see, I joined Hall Council my freshman year. I was “that girl” that made fliers with pictures of herself and a clever saying “NOone say NO to Ashley NOga" to capture people's attention. I plastered those bad boys anywhere and everywhere. Up and down the hallways, in the bathroom stalls, throughout the elevators (that only went to the 6th floor) and even in the stairwells!

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I'd have to say, my design skills have come a long way since September 2010.

Although super cheesy, the fliers must have worked their magic, because I was elected Publicity Chair for the Brayton/Clevenger Hall Council. The position led to a plethora of opportunities that I am forever grateful for and experiences that I will never forget. But the best thing that came from it were the people. One of those people being Mollie. Some may have called Mollie a hall director, others an advisor or their boss, but to me she was my mentor, role model and friend.

Mollie had one distinct phrase, that anyone who knows her, would be able to shout:

“You do you.”

Those three words.

Those eight characters.

That’s the most important thing I learned in college.  

I learned you have to “do you” because no one is going to do it for you. College is when you are in it for you and yourself only. Your parents aren’t going to check to see if you’re back in your room before midnight (which is something I had to reassure the high school kids I gave campus tours to that would never happen). There is no curfew in college. You make your own choices, your own decisions and live by your own rules. Because you are simply responsible for you. 

And that’s what brings me to this blog. I know in Journ 169, (the “internship class” if you will), we were told to consider starting a professional blog/website so future employers could see the skillsets we posses. So they could get a better feel for who we are outside of our résumé. And I tried that. But it never worked out. Why? Because I wasn’t doing me. I was doing what someone told me would be a good idea. My heart and soul wasn’t in it, there was no passion. I was putting on a mask of who I SHOULD be. Which is something, you should never, ever do.

But now, four years later, this blog. This is totally me. I’ve been dreaming up some pretty big projects, and I knew a blog would be the perfect place to bring everything together. A friend who inspires me from many miles away once told me her favorite quote, 

“If you are working on something you truly care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”

— Steve Jobs

This time, I'm not being pushed. This is me, doing me!

What are you doing? Are you, doing you?