Month: June 2014

Posted in A Better You

It’s All About CTRL

Posted on by melissaburgess

One of the keys to happiness is this simple: taking control of your life and your path in life, to the best of your abilities. Know that you have power over your own life, and know that you can control what happens in your life. With this, you must also know that you can’t control others; you can only control yourself and how you react to situations.

If you’re not happy, figure out why. Figure out some small ways to change that, even if it’s something as simple as getting a haircut to make you feel better about your appearance, working out more often to blow off steam, or taking up a hobby like painting or writing. Not happy at your job? Look for a new one. Not happy in your relationship? You can’t control the other person, but you can control yourself. Either decide to make an effort to fix things, or decide to walk away.

In fact, adapt that attitude in all aspects of your life. If something is making you unhappy — or not making you happy — figure out why, and either decide to do what you can to change that, or walk away from it. Don’t let things hold you down in life.

Recognize your boundaries, and recognize what you can and cannot control. You can’t control other people or how they may act towards you, but you can control how you react to them. You can’t control whether or not you get the job, but you can control how you appear in an interview and how your resume and application materials look to the manager. You can’t control the traffic lights or the line at the coffee shop, but you can control what time you leave the house in the morning.

Life is all about having control over your life, and your life only. Once you start to adopt that style of thinking, you may find that you end up a lot happier.

Posted in Miscellaneous

Prompt: Going it Alone

Posted on by melissaburgess

Prompt: Going it Alone – There are certain events and activities that can feel odd to do alone. Going to the movies, attending a concert, and eating in a restaurant are common things that people would rather do with a buddy. But what about the times when you simply can’t find anyone to go with you, for whatever reason, or when your buddy backs out at the last minute? Write about an experience you’ve had when going by yourself was the only option. How did it make you feel? Did it turn out all right in the end? If going to an event or engaging in a typically social activity by yourself is not a big deal, or you happen to prefer it, write about a specific instance that exemplifies why you feel this way.

I’ve actually never had much of a problem doing things alone. Perhaps I’m odd, but I quite enjoy it. I enjoy the independence of it, being able to go by my own schedule and no one else’s and do whatever I want. I remember years ago when I first went to the movies alone.

I remember in 2011 when I first traveled by myself. That was a big deal for me… it was a big step in independence. I love to travel by myself now and I do it often. Just this weekend, I went to Toronto for the day by myself. I find it refreshing, nice to get away from everything and everyone and just take some time for myself. I think it’s important to spend time with yourself and do things alone. I don’t think going to events or engaging in “typically social” activities alone is a big deal. I don’t think you should ever let the fact that you can’t find someone to go with you to something stop you from doing that thing. Doing it by yourself may feel awkward at first but just enjoy it, whether it’s going to a movie or a concert or traveling. Just enjoy it.

I go to the movies alone. I travel alone, whether it’s to Toronto for the day or Columbus for a weekend or wherever I end up. I take myself to dinner sometimes at a nice restaurant. I don’t think I need to rely on having someone with me to enjoy doing those things, and sometimes it’s nice to go alone.

This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy the company of others. I certainly do, and I find that traveling with other people and going to concerts with friends is very fun. But I also don’t mind going at it alone, and sometimes, it’s nice to feel independent and know that I don’t necessarily rely on others in order to allow myself to have fun.