Daily Challenge for May Wrap Up

 Well, as the month of May comes to an end, my challenge of putting things away once I'm finished with them has proven quite successful for me.  And I foresee myself continuing this method. When I come home from work, I don't feel overwhelmed looking at piles of stuff.  And when I get up in the morning, I am not looking at dirty dishes piled everywhere.  It is a lot more pleasant to start my day that way then ignoring the dishes, knowing I'll have to do them eventually.  That just fills me with desire to not do it LOL  And now I'm not worrying about it.  That's a good feeling.

I am also finding myself getting rid of things that I don't need.  If I don't have a logical place for something in the house, chances are I do not need it.  And I'm discovering some things that are simply taking up space and nothing else.  Now, I'm not referring to my antiques and collectibles...just stuff.  And it's been good for me to make room for things and know that's where they will need to be from now on.  Of course, their location may change in the future but for now it has a home!  

Last night, I was in bed reading some magazines.  I finished two of them.  I knew that I was going to recycle them eventually. I started to set them down beside the bed, telling myself that I would simply put them in the bin in the morning.  And then I thought to myself, no don't do that.  Get up and do it now.  And I did.  Otherwise, they may have sat on the bedroom floor for days (or weeks).  It felt good to go ahead and take care of it right then. 

Now, it's time to start thinking about a challenge for June.  Hmmmmmm!

Starting to look ahead after graduation next year

 Someone asked me the other day what I wanted to do after I graduate with my master's degree.  And to be honest, I do not know.  I really don't.  The opportunities for people who work with the elderly are growing rapidly because that section of our society is growing rapidly.  The key for me is going to be finding something that I really enjoy and going down that path.  I have a little over a year before I graduate so it is time to start figuring all of this out.

One of the things that I need to deal with first is the fear of having the same thing happen to me as when I got my BSW.  NOTHING!!!  I was not able to do anything with that degree.  It now sits in the bottom of a box out in the garage.  The only thing it got me was debt LOL I am so afraid that this degree will be the same kind of experience for me that it gets hard for me to look ahead sometimes. So, I really am going to have to deal with my feelings about my undergraduate degree and then let that go. I think that is the only way I can move forward.

I am definitely going to have to start doing some research.  Research into different kinds of careers open to gerontologists.  I already know that I love senior living, so that is always an option.  But there are so many more varied jobs out there that I have no idea about.  I think that out there somewhere is the perfect fit for me.  It is simply a matter of finding it.  I can do that. I know I can.  I just need to put forth the effort.  While there is always a chance that the right opportunity will present itself to me, there is always a chance that it won't.  I need to be control of my own career.  That may be the only path I have to follow and if I do not step up to the challenge, this degree will go in the box with the other one.  It's an exciting challenge for me and I am looking forward to it.

That is all. 

Black Coffee - Julie London

 I listened to one of Julie London's albums the other evening.  She has such a wonderful voice.  This was one of the songs on the album and I love it.  Appropriate for how I drink my coffee!  Enjoy!

My Cyber World

 

This week I have made some changes to my approach to the cyber world.  One is that I have significantly decreased my online presence through various social media platforms.  In other words, I have deactivated most of my social media accounts.  I've done this because, basically, they do not bring me pleasure anymore.  While they filled a very large void during the pandemic and they served their purpose well, I have found them to be more stressful than pleasurable. When I was using them, I kept falling into the pattern of making other people happy.  The profiles no longer became about me specifically but about how I could use that to please others.  

Now, you know me, there is nothing wrong with pleasing others.  But these profiles were created at a time when I was trying to please others at the expense of myself.  I am not going to do that anymore.  I have spent most of my adult life gradually losing myself because of that lifestyle pattern and it is unhealthy. I am immensely enjoying my rediscovery right now and those profiles no longer fit in with the person I am building.  It's not a win/lose type of situation and I don't feel as if I've failed because those profiles no longer serve a productive service in my life.  They were there when I needed them and now, I don't feel like I do need them. It also goes back to me trying to have more "real" in my life and less "fantasy". And there is nothing wrong with fantasy, it's simply not what I need in my life right now.  

And making that decision has felt good.  While it is an adjustment because I have had to change how I spend some of my free time, it has been worth it.  I have been better at communicating with people this week outside of work.  I have actually made some concrete plans for the summer as far as getting together with people.  That is what I need. I may choose to go back to those social media sites and begin again, but only if I know for absolute sure that I can balance that with a real time existence.  I don't know if that's possible for me, but for the time being I am keeping that door cracked. 

Another thing that I have been working on this week is being happy for others.  While this may seem like something that is obviously easy to do, in the cyber world it can be very difficult.  Seeing constant posts about people's vacations, going out to dinner, being in love, celebrating anniversaries, etc., can be emotionally overwhelming. I'm at a point in my life where I'm single and can't afford to do anything really.  I am NOT complaining, just stating the facts. Especially on a holiday weekend, seeing everyone's posts about their Memorial Day plans and such, one week ago would have really depressed me.  But I am choosing to be happy for people that they have things to do.  I was invited to a pool party this weekend and besides having to work some this weekend, I simply couldn't afford to go.  I have to think about the money spent on gas to get there (it was a few hours away btw) and it simply is not feasible for me to attend. So, instead of getting upset over the reasons I cannot go, I am choosing to be happy for those that do get to attend.  I will be there one day, it's just not in the cards right now.  And that is OK!

Anyway, I am having a good time working on real life right now. Even if it means sitting at home and listening to music or watching a movie, it makes me feel better than being tied down to internet profiles that stress me out.  I am choosing myself over other things right now and that is good.  At least it is for me.

That is all. 

Quote of the week

 This week I have started to make some small changes in some areas of life.  Changes that involve letting go of things that once defined me and making room for the person that I want to be and know I am.  It's made a big difference even in this short amount of time.  I'm glad of that. 

Affording tickets to the theatre

 Now that I am starting to attend more theatre, I really need to stop and think about how I can afford it.  I have been lucky enough to be the recipient of tickets to the theatre as gifts and as invitations from friends.  It's always been a great experience and I have seen some wonderful shows over the last year.  I want to keep that up but to be honest, going to the theatre can be expensive.  So, I want to look for some affordable ways to see shows. 

I think my first thing is going to be to get a UNCG student ID.  Prices for students are usually greatly reduced.  Especially when it comes to college productions.  And UNCG has a pretty interesting line up for their next season.  It would be great to get tickets for $5 instead of $25. And I could use that ID other places where student prices are offered.  So, that's a must!

Many community theatres in the area and other smaller professional companies will sometimes offer a "pay what you can" night.  That is something that I should take advantage of.  In the long run, it would be a cheaper way to see good, fun theatre. I don't know how fast tickets for those shows get taken or if it's a first come, first serve type of situation but it is something I need to explore more. 

I have seen two shows at the Tanger Center over the past year.  Both times, the tickets were a courtesy of others so thank you for that!  The first show I saw we were on the 6th row.  The second show I saw we were in the top balcony. Both were amazing seats really.  From the balcony, I could see the entire stage in a way I couldn't down front.  There are definite advantages to both.  But I have no doubt that the balcony seats were cheaper than the 6th row. So, if there is something that I really want to see, I need to look at that section of seats now that I know they are definitely worth their price.

So now, I need to start looking ahead at what is being offered in theatres in the Triad in the next few months and begin choosing what I would like to see.  Now that theatre is becoming a regular part of my life again, I don't want to miss out on any stellar performances!!

That is all. 

Checking my school email

 Right now, I don't check my school email as often as I should.  Part of that is because I just needed a break from school, which I have had, and it's been nice.  Another reason is simply because there is little activity of importance going on in my school email, so I simply am not there a lot right now.  A few weeks ago, I did have to go back and check because I needed to update my study plan and get my advising code, both of which I do through email. 

Well, the other day I logged on and I'm so thankful I did.  There was an email with the subject "Congratulations! You've been awarded..." Of course, I was intrigued. I open up the email and, lo and behold, I have been awarded a scholarship.  Yay!! It is the same scholarship that I received last year. It is not for the same amount that I received last year but, to be honest, my expenses will not be as much as I only have two classes left.  But this will still cover almost half of my costs and that is such a relief.

The scholarship is for people who work in senior living.  The family of a woman who suffered from dementia and lived in a care community in Greensboro, not Heritage Greens but Well Spring, set up the scholarship in her honor for people who work in care communities.  I am thrilled and honored to receive this scholarship again.  It will help more than they know.  And I wrote them a nice note thanking them for this assistance with my education.

So, I will be checking my school email a little more often now on my break from school.  Who knows what is in there that I will benefit from!

That is all.