Reasons to Feel Grateful During College Crunch Time

 

 

Lately I've been feeling really stressed out with the amount of school work I have to complete.

Every night I have piles of homework, big projects and presentations with deadlines that are quickly approaching. And every day in class I try my hardest, but sometimes it isn't enough. Sometimes I don't get a very good grade, or I feel completely lost. School is tough at times.

But one thing I always remind myself, especially when my desk is covered in papers and my calendar shows I have two tests and a project due the next day, is that I am so happy to be in college!

I worked so unbelievably hard to get to this place.

 

And I am extremely grateful to be here.

Something I have learned recently is that the things that seem the most difficult, the things we have to work the hardest at, are usually the things that have the greatest rewards.

 

It's always good to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing instead of just thinking about how difficult it seems. And to always remind yourself that you are stronger than you think and you can handle more than you believe - so clear your head and just do it.

 

I know for myself that starting college was really scary. I kept thinking about how much everything was going to cost, how difficult it would be to balance school and family life as a parent, how I would get to school, if I was smart enough, and so many other worries were in my head.

 

One thing I knew for sure though was that I wanted to go to college. I wanted it so bad, and I was willing to work hard to make it work. And the funny thing is, I surprised myself.

 

Yes, now that it is officially halfway through term one I do have a lot of homework, assignments and tests, but I have also settled into a comfortable routine that makes everything balance.

 

I've never been good at time management, and I do still struggle with it, but I'm making it work! And I'm getting better at it every day.

 

All of the things that worried me don't even seem that bad any more. I mean, school is expensive and I have to be super careful with my spending, but I'm learning to budget myself and how to handle my finances better.

 

It's funny all of the other things college can teach you outside of your school work. While I'm learning how to use recording equipment, CP Style and Canadian law for journalists, I'm also learning how to better organize, how to manage my money, how to be healthier, how to multi-task, and even how to relax and have fun.

 

So I am truly grateful for this experience and all of the lessons I am learning along the way.

 

Did you ever experience a time you didn't think you could get through? How did you handle it? Did you come out stronger?

 

Thanks,
Cole

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving Day, and so I would love to wish all of my Canadian readers a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Today is a day to be thankful for what you have, or in other words, to feel grateful.

I'm big on gratitude lists because it has been a life changing habit for me. And so today I want to write a list of what I have been feeling grateful, or thankful, for this weekend.

• I am grateful that my mom and I took the girls apple picking on Friday. It was really a great experience for all of us. The children got to run around, picking their own apples right out of the tree as my mom and I tried to capture their excitement with our cameras. We enjoyed apple cider afterwards and pulled over the car on the way home to look at a field of cows that were grazing.
• I am grateful that Nick came over on Sunday to cook Sidney and I big vegan Thanksgiving dinner, which was absolutely delicious! It's nice that him and I can come together and enjoy the holidays with our daughter.
• I am so grateful for all of my family, and that I got to spend so much time with them weekend! And for all of their support and help they have given me throughout my life, but especially in recent years.
• And I am truly grateful for all of my readers, and all of your lovely comments that make this blogging world so amazing and fun!

Thanks everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! Or at least, happy Monday!

What are you thankful for this holiday?

Thanks,
Cole

My Living Room Tour

When I first moved into my apartment back in May, I was really excited to decorate it!

 

What I didn't consider was how much money it could cost to do things the way I thought I wanted them done. Even though this place has always felt like home from the moment I first walked through it, it's starting to finally feel more and more like my very own space, even without a lot of money!

 

There is still a lot of changes I would like to eventually make, but I thought since I finally at least like my living room I would share with you it's current look, and tell you a little bit of what I would like to change.

 

  

 

• So this is my couch. It's in pretty rough shape and I can't wait to buy a new one! But I'm the kind of person who won't buy something unless it's exactly what I want, or at least really cheap.
• Like my end tables which were only $1 each!
• And as much as I like the lamps, they are going to get replaced, too, because they don't really match my new style.
• The paintings above the couch were done by Nick and Sidney a few years ago.
• My awesome skeleton mirror on the right was a Christmas gift from Nick. It's from a neat little store called Grumblin' Granny's. 

 

 

 

• My current TV stand is an old dry sink my parents gave me. I'm thinking about painting it, but I kind of like the natural wood look so I might just refinish it. For now, it stays the same.
• On the right is a big old wire mess that needs a good solution, and on the left is my wooden elephant my cousin gave us.
• There is a candle holder at the top that needs to be raised higher since switching my old crate for the dry sink.
• My purple curtains are new, and I love them! And on the top are pumpkin lights for Halloween.

 

 

 

• Inside my old dry sink I keep DVDs, a few CDs, my DVD player and my PS3. As of right now all the cables are coming out the front and it looks really messy but one day soon I will arrange it to come out the back so I won't have to look at that stupid wire mess!

 

  

• This is my new shelf that I got for $10 today.
• On the left is my fern which looks pretty sad, but is actually healthier than it was a month ago! If you can believe that.

 

And here are a few small details around my living room.

• A Guinness tray which is currently a remote tray.
• My wooden elephant up-close.
• My peace sign candle holder, a Christmas present from my sister, with a Buddha beer bottle and a little elephant which was a gift from my Uncle.
• My corkboard and calendar, which keeps me organized with my school assignments. And Nick's headphones that I need for my Broadcast Technology class.

My place is finally starting to change slowly, but every now and then I manage to find something that I like that makes my apartment feel more like home, more like me.

 

And I think that is really important. It's important to look around your house, and to feel that swell in your chest, that emotion that says, "Hey! I'm home!" And you can grab a beer, and relax. And lately, that is exactly how my living room makes me feel. No matter what anyone else thinks about it.

 

Thanks,

Cole

Self Love Book Club - Red Hot and Holy

When I first started to read Red Hot & Holy by Sera Beak I had a difficult time staying interested in it. So I would read a couple of pages at a time each night, hoping it would get more interesting. And it did!

By the halfway mark I couldn't put it down. I would read it on the bus to and from school, in between classes and before bed. It still took me a while to read it, but that's because I like to read slow so that I can absorb the information and reflect on it as I'm reading. And I dog-eared many pages, and highlighted many quotes.

I think one of the reasons I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning is because I'm not at all religious and I felt like I couldn't relate to what I was reading. After I pushed that thought of my head and focused more on Sera Beak's journey and how it related to her self, and not so much her beliefs, I found a lot of inspiration in her memoir.

One of the things I loved about this book was how honest it was. I loved how she mentions times when she felt tired, embarrassed, ecstatic, devastated - when she laughed, when she danced, when she cried.

Her honesty made her seem more real, and the story more real.

Sera talks a lot in her book about doubting herself and her beliefs, which is something I can relate to very well. I often doubt myself. I don't believe I can do the things I want to do, and so I don't even try.

Reading about how Sera felt similar, and also didn't want to try at a lot of things, but ended up forcing herself to do those things because she knew it was right, helped me to realize that sometimes things may feel difficult, or even impossible, but those are usually the things worth doing. Those are the things that most define us, the things that have the greatest rewards and importance.

And this book reminded me that I am human, that I am going to make mistakes and that it's okay to forgive myself.

I lost my book for a little while, but eventually found it under Sidney's bed! She had tried to highlight sentences on her own, which I thought was super cute.

Here are some quotes I found especially inspiring:

"The truth is, if I let myself unleash, if I did what I really wanted to do, I'd probably just mack on random people all day. I'd love their shit up..." - Page 60

This part of the book made me laugh, because similar thoughts have crossed my mind! I honestly think that if I let loose I would make a lot of people very uncomfortable. Actually I know I would, because every now and then I do!

"Skin yourself bare of what is not you." - Page 162

This quote really hit home. I often find myself thinking that I am too weird or strange when I'm being myself. That I might freak people out, or they just won't like me in general if I open myself up to them. But when I do this, I withdraw from social interaction and I just end up feeling miserable. It just feels better to be myself, which is something I have been trying to do more.

"Remember, the process is the point." - Page 245

Sometimes I forget that. I forget to enjoy the journey, to enjoy each and every moment.

Reading someone else's self-love journey has been really inspiring as I continue on my own journey towards self-love.

Thanks,
Cole



The Life Makeover - October

 

 

My goals for September were somewhat achieved. Some things I feel were accomplished quite well, and others were not.

 I Feel Great About:

One of the most important goals that I made for myself was a success! I wanted to develop a comfortable evening routine with my daughter. One that consisted of dinner, homework, and a suitable bedroom routine (bath, snack, brush teeth and hair, bed). And making lunches the night before is a major plus! Towards the end of the month, I even started adding some activities to make our evenings more enjoyable.

Making time to see my friends has been really great, too! It can get lonely living on your own with no adults around to talk to, so it was really important for me to get out and see people. Every weekend I managed to see at least one friend, sometimes way more! Sidney really enjoys getting out to see our friends, too.

Big Fail:

My big fail was not picking up my exercise bike, which means I didn't use it for 20 minutes a day.

I'm Okay With That:

My apartment got a bit more organized. I bought a few small things for around my place that makes me happy! And I did switch around some of the furniture. I didn't get nearly as much done as I initially wanted to, but I'm okay with the results.

My budget got done, but like I mentioned, it was pretty loose and I could have done a better job.

It's now October and I have new goals:

1. Health: I still want to get that damn exercise bike! It will get done this month! But my main health goal for October is to eat a healthy breakfast every day, which is something I've neglected to do since school started. Awful, I know! In the mornings I get Sidney all set up for breakfast and while she eats I do my hair and makeup. However, if I get up 15 minutes earlier and do that before Sidney wakes up then the two of us can sit down and eat together. Which is really good parenting, too.

2. Parenthood: I mentioned that my last month's goal for parenting was to develop a better evening routine, and that has worked out awesome, and I also mentioned we started to do more fun activities in the evenings and it's been a lot more fun. So that is my goal for October - do more fun activities with Sidney! It's October, the best month of the year! Walking trails are gorgeous, the weather is amazing and all sorts of fun things are happening! Corn mazes, haunted houses, apple picking! So much to do!

Plus, I have a birthday party to plan for Sidney, who will be turning six on Halloween!

3. Relationships: I've made time for friends, but I forgot to include my family. I haven't seen my parents or sisters all month! In October, I want to see family more often. And because Sidney and I will be doing all sorts of fun fall activities, I'm sure my family will want to get in on the fun.

4. Home: My redecorating and organizing has been going well - let's continue with that. But more specifically, I want to organize my filing bin and set up a more organized system for all that junk.

5. Money: Budget has been made! Now it's time to stick to it... My spending got a little crazy this past week. And I only sent out a few resumes. With the holidays approaching more places will be hiring, it's time to get looking for work! As a single mom, I need moneyyy!

6. School: I'm getting things in on time, and have yet to be late. However, I keep leaving projects until last minute so I need to stop procrastinating. And there are a ton of bursaries, scholarships and awards deadlines coming up in the next two months. I need to get my applications filled out and sent off to at least give myself a chance of getting some extra money for school!

Do you have any goals this month?

Thanks,

Cole