beauty in the struggle - A week in my life
hey beaut,
I can’t believe its been a month since my last blog post! Time has flown by and I feel like I haven’t even had a second to sit down and write. However, as I’m sitting here I can’t help but think about how exhausted I am from this semester. One of my goals in the creation of this blog was to make sure that I am always 100% honest with you guys and the truth is, I feel entirely burnt out. I hope I am not alone in this, but at this point of the year I am just eager to get to summer vacation and need a break from routine. That being said, I wanted to encourage some of you who may be feeling the same way. Life can often feel like a pattern of the same things each and every day and it gets exhausting! The pressures of school, work, relationships and achieving future goals can wear us out pretty early on. This semester has been extremely unique for me, as I’ve taken on new leadership positions, am involved in more difficult classes, am home less often and beginning this journey of an online blog.
A few weeks ago, I posted a poll asking what you guys wanted to read about in my next blog post. A couple of responses were about a day in my life which if I’m being completely honest, is nothing but absolute chaos. But, I have always enjoyed reading about other people’s lives and thought it would be a fun entry for this week. So, here we go I guess!
Usually in a typical week, Mondays and Wednesdays are my busiest. Mondays begin with a couple classes in the morning, Spanish and Political Science discussions (so fun, right!!). Then, I like to use my Monday afternoons for getting ahead on lectures for online classes, preparing for assignments due later in the week in addition to prepping for chapter meetings on Monday nights. Chapter meetings usually last about an hour to an hour an a half and consist of the fourteen members on the executive board and myself informing the chapter on current information. Typically, after chapter meetings I will head to a coffee shop with a friend or hang at the house in order to get ahead on more responsibilities for the week. Wednesdays consist of my Spanish class in the morning and my journalism newsroom class in the afternoons from 1-5. This class is such a great way for me to dip my toes in the field of journalism and to be able to write about local topics with the potential publication within one of Columbia’s local news outlets! Tuesdays and Thursdays are a little bit less busy for me, with my cross-cultural journalism course in the mornings, meetings on Tuesday evenings, church on Thursday evenings and the afternoons for catching up on emails. And finally, my most favorite days are Fridays! I begin the day with my final Spanish class of the week, spend the afternoon cleaning up around the room, finishing up a couple assignments and getting ready for the weekend. Many Fridays, Paige and I will decide to head over to a parking garage for content :) Weekends typically consist of resetting for the week ahead but also making sure to have fun with my girls!
As you may be able to tell by now, the weeks fly by but are filled with many to-dos. In comparison to the past years of my life, this one is probably the busiest I have ever experienced. However, this semester feels as though it has been the most rewarding. The skills I have learned within my new leadership position, the beautiful things I have seen within the student ministry I am involved in, the opportunities I am receiving within my major and the steps I am taking to pursue my future career, all have left me more fulfilled and inspired than ever before.
One thing I wanted to make sure I did before talking about a typical week in my life was to emphasize how tired I am after everything that goes on. Often times, I don’t get everything done that needs to be accomplished and I feel more worn out than I did the week before. For so long in my life, I made myself feel bad for being exhausted. I made myself think that being tired or not wanting to do anything throughout the week must have meant that something was wrong with me. That is absolutely not the case and is a lie I’ve told myself for way too long. This year, I’ve learned to use these times of exhaustion to take moments for myself and to be there for myself. When I’m feeling low or defeated, I try to find something that will give me even just the slightest bit of joy. Whether it’s a long car drive up my favorite road in town, getting ice cream with a friend, watching a show with my favorite candle lit or simply getting to bed early, it is so important to make sure that I take care of myself. The same goes for you! What allows you to feel rejuvenated and refreshed? Remember that it is okay to feel tired, it’s okay to not want to face another week. The one thing that is not okay is to ignore your own wellbeing. It’s your own story that you are writing and your choice to pause when you need it. As you finish this week and head into the weekend, try to take a few moments for yourself. Relax and be proud of everything you have accomplished up until this point. I hope this gives just a little bit of encouragement to somebody who needs it :) There is absolutely beauty in the struggle. Be proud of yourself, it makes living this beautiful life a whole lot easier <3.
xoxo,
CG
