Girls night..IN

For those of us who are in our twenties or in college or maybe even on our way out if high school the weekend is a time to celebrate, enjoys friends and/or family, try new things and meet and greet new people.  However so often is it that each moment of the weekend although filled with fun, goes fleeting by- often leaving you more tired on Sunday night than you were on Friday after work or class- and to top it all of... it's time to start the cycle over again!

Personally, as a enjoy my mid-twenties in the great city that is Atlanta I often find myself in this constant rotation. Matter of fact the seven days of the week often resemble a 7 disc changer...remember those?!  Our days are often routine based and monotonous until the weekend with the exception of a happy hour or church once a week, and for some perhaps a date night with that someone special. And yes each's routine varies a little as some attend Zumba on Mondays and call there best friend on Thursdays; while others enjoy happy hour on Mondays and church on Wednesday- but the overall outline is the same: work, eat, sleep, then relax & party on the weekend.

Welp- this past weekend me and my crew reverted backwards, we regressed a little and took a trip down memory lane; we had a slumber party! Yes a small group of ladies gathered in lounge-wear and enjoyed great conversation, drinks, and each other's company. Being a little older this party not only had drinks and wine glasses as party favors but also permitted the luxury of a mini vacation to a local hotel; having a drink in hand as a looked over the crisp white linens with a peak of the skyline in Buckhead as the the backdrop was calming and rejuvenating. But don't be fooled just like any other all girls sleepover this one came with tons of laughs, getting chastised by authorities, endless laughs, story telling, and memories to bring us all together.

So where is the struggle in that?! The struggle is in the idea that growing up means clubbin and lounging and hanging out at bars on one end of the spectrum and being a home body that watches movies solo with wine after a bath every Friday while catching up on reality tv for the greater portion of Saturday only to prepare for the work week by cooking and cleaning after church on Sunday. So no matter where you fall on this continuum- I challenge you to step out the box; find your innocence and relive a piece of your childhood.


No-one is saying it must be a sleep over- there is a wide array of other options.  From attending a kids movie to making a suicide drink at the local arcade or skating rink, waiting on the porch for the sound of the ice cream track- (yep summer will be here before you know it) to strolling through the park with a popsicle in hand.  Remember the good ole days, before life became complex or calculated. Bring past memories to the present.  And if you are truly up for the challenge- don't do the journey alone, everyone knows: the more the merrier!

Triangles: from College to Career

We all know a triangle is a three sided shape that is a fundamental item in basic geometry.  And we all know that these triangles come in difference sizes and that the three sides can be in different lengths- which changes the overall shape of the triangle itself.  

Now in college I was introduced to another triangle.  Yes, it could be drawn on paper but it wasn't taught in relation to math but better yet a theory that was spoken as a pearl of wisdom to be applied to life.  In college this triangle was referred to as "The 3 'S': social studies, school, and sleep".  Social studies referred to the idea being social; this included all activities from going to the gym to attending clubs, dating to partying, and generally just leisurely interacting with others.  School referred to attending classes and studying for those classes.  Sleep....welp- that's pretty obvious.  Now the idea of this triangle is that the ultimate student would like to have all 3 S's illustrated as an equilateral triangle, but so often is it that balancing these three components leaves at least one of the three ideas unbalanced, resembling  an isosceles triangle at best.   

SO WHERE WAS I: As I trotted through college this theory stuck with me and I saw it played out by several of my friends and myself.  There were some semester where sleep was just not in the equation at all and other weeks where being social didn't work out very well either.  As a freshmen- sleep was the component that was most reduced; sophomore year it was social studies; by junior year I was able to better balance as my social circle was reduced...can you say isosceles! And by senior year...I had this triangle in full balance: EQUILATERAL.

As I neared the end of my final spring semester I began to rethink my career goals and became frantic for direction in the next phase of my life.  In the midst of it all I was told about another triangle; this one was related to careers; often it is the case that individuals have jobs they are good at (dedication), jobs that make a lot of money (potential), or jobs they truly love (passion).  This theory was presented like a triangle because it also requires balance but as I entered the world of  true adulthood with college loans instead of college classes, and the need for employment I thought this theory was better described as a Venn- diagram; where the ultimate goal is to find bliss in your career.

In our more recent years the goal has been just to find a job in general upon graduation; for some disciplines this is a bit easier than that of others; and even still the location or salary or benefits are likely lacking.  So I quickly understood that a more accurate depiction of this theory is below: illustrating that even if you find 2 out of 3 you likely still feel you are lacking in one regard or another.

So what's the struggle in that!? The struggle is in finding where you are, where you want to be, and devising a plan to get there.  The struggle is in finding where you are because for some this will require self-reflection; who wants to admit to themselves, and others, that they are so far off the path from which they had initially embarked upon.  The struggle is in making a plan because you aren't sure where you are or where you want to be.  The struggle in is waiting while the plan unfolds as patience is a virtue. And to add one more struggle that is likely the most frustrating because it's beyond your control; the struggle is in beating the odds in our current economy and not becoming comfortable with what you can find in the mean time.  So I challenge you to this struggle....and like most other things- the first step is the hardest and the first cut (rejection) is the deepest; but don't become discouraged.  The hard times are what makes the struggle real.