When I was growing up, my mom would constantly say that good communication is the key to the success of relationships. It used to annoy the hell out of me, until I realized what true communication is. It took me until my sophomore year of high school. I was an assistant director for the school play and basically my job was to be the liaison for the director, the cast members, the orchestra, and the crew. It's a big job and takes a lot of communication. Here's my guide for communicating with other humans (as opposed to squirrels. trust me the squirrels were evil at my high school).

Communicating with an individual
-eye contact
-think before you speak
-watch the tone of your voice
-use the right wording so you don't send any mixed signal
-be direct with how you feel
-listen carefully; don't interrupt

Communicating with a group
-be direct
-be organized
-be aware of how others might react
-know the type of group (and the dynamics of that groups) you are speaking to/with
-make sure everyone understands; have them ask questions and ask them questions
-be open minded

This I Believe...

I believe in saying Hello.
I believe in leaving an extra five minutes early for class just so you have enough time to stop and talk and say hello without being late. (Really, friends hate walking with me because I have to say hello to everyone I know). Honestly, I feel bad if I don't say hello to someone, even just in passing.
Every August, right before school starts, I get a little nervous. There's so many things to worry about: my outfit (well, I wear a uniform, so let's say my hair), new friends, old friends, good teachers, bad teachers, and what if I get food in my teeth?! My dad would always call me down by saying, "A smile and a hello goes a long way." This has been my motto for as long as I can remember.
It's so simple. Hello. One word can brighten a whole person's day, so why not?
I believe in saying hello. I believe in asking people about their day and really caring about the answer. I believe in trying to bring a little joy to the dreary walk to and from class. Yeahhh that's a little cheesy.
But, really. We've all had those days when your professor just lectured for two hours, and at the very end of class he hands you back a C paper. Then when you get outside the building the sky is grey, it looks like its gonna rain and you live on the other sign of campus. But as you're walking at a pretty rapid pace back to your dorm, you hear your name against the wind. As you turn around, you see one of your classmates, who you're sort of chums with, walking up to you. This guy has a huge smile on your face, says Hey, and asks how your day is. All of a sudden, you feel a little lighter, a little warmer, a little happier.
I pledge myself to saying hello to not only people I know, but to giving a smile and a greeting to those I don't know. Why not make everyone's day a little brighter?


P.S. I went home this weekend and surprised my parents. They had no idea! After they stopped screaming from shock, their first question was, "Do we still have to come up for Parent's Weekend?"

The Setup: So as a child I was always forgetting my jackets, my lunchboxes, water bottles, etc. It made my mom crazy because every day when she picked me up from school, we would get halfway home, then have to drive back to school to go get my [insert forgotten item here]. During Parent/Teacher conferences the teachers would always say the same thing: "Mikaela is very bright, always smiling, a truly happy kid.... but... she hums in class." I still remember humming during the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1st grade haha. My mom was perplexed at my energetic behavior, my restlessness, and my forgetfulness. Well, my mom didn't know what to do with me. I guess, technically, I was developing a little bit slower than everyone else. When everyone was supposed to calming down for nap time, I would want to to run around on the Jungle Gym. I had a hard time remembering my belongings, sitting down and studying, and being smart about purchases. I was tested for ADD in the 6th grade. I tested positive. I have a learning disorder. However, I used to have a hard time calling it that. I could learn just fine. I was a smart kid. Kinda. I mean, we all ate glue when we were kids. Anyway, I have ADD. I am forgetful, impulsive, and it's damn hard for me to sit down and read the college textbooks.
The What: You know, I never felt hindered by my ADD until I came to college. All of this reading, these papers; it sucks. It's just really hard for me to sit down and start working. I have had to adapt to this new environment and a new way of teaching. There was one week when I would just call my mom, crying, because I didn't think I could do the work. (Granted I was also deathly ill with undiagnosed mono). She gave me some great advice and for the next three hours we strategized ways for me to get my work done.
The So What: Now, I have better resources and a system in place for dealing with 1) the everyday stresses of college 2) the overbearing workload 3) balancing my relationships both at home and at school 4) limiting my impulsivity to not buying so many cookies.
Honestly, when everything else is falling apart, i can always call my parents and they will help me figure it out. But here's the thing, my ADD doesn't control me anymore. I used to say I couldn't do the work, now, I know that I can do anything, as long as I am in control.

Hey everyone! Today, I am going to discuss a TED talk about happiness.

Where does it come from? Can it be self-generated? What defines it? Dan Gilbert explains how we can indeed generate our own happiness no matter what situation we're in. I'm a big believer in making the best out of things, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and trying to find the sliver lining. Everything happens for a reason, right? I like to think so. Gilbert tells the tales of several men who were dealt some seemingly bad circumstances. One was wrongfully sentenced to jail, another was kicked out of the Beatles before they made it big. After hearing these stories, most people would immediately feel sorry for these men, but they assure us that their misfortunes have been, in fact, just the opposite. These events have made them all the happier for going through it.
Recently, I struggled to find the silver lining. As you know I was really sick a couple weeks ago. As a result, I had to miss over a week of my Italian class and when I got back I just couldn't catch up. I was really disappointed in myself and when my teacher suggested that I just drop the class, I was devastated. I had figuratively "failed." I was too ashamed to talk to my parents during all of this so I was silently freaking out all last week. Luckily, one of my friends suggested talking to my academic advisor. We decided I should drop the class. I finally called my mom to tell her what was happening. I was expecting to hear an overwhelming amount of disappointment in her voice, but instead she started laughing. She knew how hard it would be to learn a new language with a quarter system even if I didn't   miss class. She was so understanding and reminded me that I'm only a freshman, barely halfway through my first year. I'm not supposed to be perfect. She's right. This is a learning experience and it's a process. We came up with some other options for myself and now I feel so good (even a little proud) of my choice. Of course, I hate that my sickness caused this, but I'm happier now and looking forward to the new opportunities that await me. For example, now I can finally get a job because my available hours don't conflict. I can take that extra guitar class. I can be more involved on campus with clubs and such. I don't know what awaits me, but I can't wait to find out!

P.S.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbellassai/47-of-beyoncs-absolute-best-dance-moves-6z51

trust me. you'll thank me later