Reflections on the Week and the Season

It has been a long while since I've been on here, but I'm glad to be back! Writing is such a stress reliever and a way of recording where you are in life at the moment. Kinda like a diary, but a little less personal. I like to share my reflections with people every once in a while :)

It has been a hectic, no, psychotic semester! I've never had so much work in my life at one time. It's that feeling where you get one thing done and then 2 more things tack on. Yet, I have no room to complain. If anything, I've realized that the life given you is truly what you make it. I've been given the wonderful opportunity to be at school and to learn, so I better make the best of it. Also, for those who complain about being busy, think about it; we make and allow our lives to be busy. We make our own schedules most of the time. We fall into the world's rush. But, amidst all the hectic craziness, please take some time for yourselves. And for your families and friends. Because in the end, the people in the world, our relationships, are the important things. I say this because I'm the worst at taking my own advice. Don't let the stress of work and the holidays consume you because relationships and your own health will be the first things to go.

This semester has been great. My favorite class has been my counseling one, Clinical Helping Skills. I've learned what it's like to be a therapist, counseling a variety of people, from an agoraphobic college student who can barely leave her house to a grief-stricken woman who got in a car accident, killing her brother and leaving her best friend paralyzed. It sounds tragic, but it has been a great learning experience. I've learned how to work with many people and to empathize with almost anyone. It's been great to try to apply the skills to real life situations as well. I've learned that everyone has a story and deserves to share it; they just have to have someone willing to listen and understand. I've discovered my passion is trying to understand people and their stories, helping them through their difficulties and guiding them to being the best they can be. My vocation path is leading most recently toward pastoral or spiritual counseling. Not sure of everything yet, but I can't see a future without counseling and without involving my spirituality. The possibilities are exciting.

My thoughts for the night are centered on this: There is too little time in life to spend it complaining, arguing, and talking badly about other people. I've experienced a lot this week of those who have treated others poorly, many times for the sake of making themselves feel more powerful or justified. Well, in my opinion, those who are treated poorly by the arrogant and power-hungry, will ultimately have the upper hand in happiness and goodness. And those who spend time complaining about little things and being negative are wasting their lives and won't feel better about themselves.

This time of year, Christmas trees beam with bright lights and festive ornaments, the Christmas music rings from almost everywhere (I generally prefer music not found on the secular radio stations), and generosity becomes more prominent as loving feelings arise. Be generous in your actions to others always and be thankful for the good and bad things in life. It is the bad that makes us stronger and that causes us to know what is "good". But especially this time of year, remember that God first loved us so that we would know what it is to love others. Even with all the rush of this time of year, even amidst all the shopping and cooking, cleaning and wrapping, take the time to love, yourself and others, because it is the real meaning of the season.