by Reilly Jaworski | Apr 16, 2022 | Advice, Opinion & Reviews
Children are equipped with certain habits and philosophies that often make them wiser than adults. There is something to be said about the energy and excitement that a child achieves when encountering even the smallest of joys. If you ever see a child walking in the street, watch as they stomp in puddles, even as their shoes get a little bit wet. For kids, a trip to the grocery store becomes a secret mission, and a walk in the park is actually a trek through an enchanted forest. While childhood brings about happiness, the natural flow of adulthood includes abandoning the magic of childhood. Starting in middle school and high school, we begin to take the smallest things in life for granted, even though they are the very things that should propel us to wake up every morning. Do not fret, though, because the magic that is lost is magic that can be obtained once again.
I want you to think about your daily routine. By changing how you perceive these tasks, and by getting reacquainted with some of your childhood hobbies, we are going to revive the magic in the things that you have to get done. Start visualizing at the very beginning of your day. Think right when your alarm queues you into the day. Are you frowning, straight-faced and tolerant, or happy and expectant? Some of the possible reactions that you may have in the morning correlate with how much sleep you may have gotten. That’s a whole other article that you should read, so we won’t touch on that right now. So, assuming you are well-rested in the morning, I want you to think of one good thing that you can do right away that will make your morning better. It could be anything from opening your shades to see the sunrise to stretching or making yourself a cup of tea. Little things make big things better. When your morning is good, the rest of your day will likely follow suit. Throughout the day and during the seemingly boring tasks, you have the opportunity to add in some bits of magic. And, if it doesn’t feel magical yet, don’t worry; we’re going to take care of that next.
Children have an amazing talent for being able to see things in the most positive way possible. As we grow older, we lose practice with this talent, but we never completely lose it; we simply have to work on it the way we work on homework, sports, and other things we care about. Some of us still naturally look at the glass as half full but still need help feeling this way when we are bored or not excited about anything. Others of us tend to look at most things negatively at first glance. We can fix our negativity by finishing every negative sentence with a positive “but” clause. For example, if you see that one of your favorite shows has been taken off Netflix, your first thought may be, “Are you serious? Now I don’t get to watch my favorite show!” Instead, your second thought should be, “But, I can try a new show that I might like even more.” Every negative thought should be ended with the addition of positive thought. “My mom is making me clean my room, and I don’t want to, BUT at least it will look nicer when I am done.” Simply changing the way you view inconveniences will make them enjoyable.
Why is it that we stop doing things that make us happy? This form of self-sabotage instigates countless problems in our adult lives. When did we stop being friends with everyone we came across? Why did we stop smiling at strangers and dancing in the grocery store? If there’s one thing I know, it’s that swinging on the swings is one of the greatest things you can do to nurture your soul, so why did you stop when you reached a certain age? The fearlessness that children embody is the very reason why you rarely see one sad. Or if they are sad, why they can rebound back to happiness a second or two later. Please sing your favorite songs at the top of your lungs, and please don’t worry too much about that test. I beg you to laugh at every joke and face every inconvenience with an unbreakable smile. I urge you to be a child for as long as you are an adult, and I promise you that there will always be happy things so long as you choose to see the happy things.
by Reilly Jaworski | Nov 30, 2021 | Advice
College application season was a trying time for many of us seniors, making the month of October more difficult to get through than the average year. As many of us submitted our applications under the Early Action deadline, November should be a month of recuperation. This month should be about taking time for yourself. After spending the month of October giving attention to the future, I encourage you to spend your November occupying yourself with the present. Here are some easy ways to make November your month of relaxation and repose after undergoing a period of stress.
1. Workout
Exercise not only improves your physical health but your mental health as well. Releasing anxious energy through physical activity is proven to be one of the most effective ways of calming down an overactive mind. Exercising in as simple of a way as going for a walk will be an immense asset to the process of moving on from the stress of the application process.
2. Meditate
Being a major proponent of meditation myself, I maintain that this type of relaxation is life-changing and solves many problems. There are many different forms of meditation and all are centered around the focus of slowing down your thoughts and living within the moment instead of wandering behind or ahead of it. Practicing meditation frequently will help in calming your worries about the outcome of your application process.
3. Spend Time In Nature
Going outside if only for a few minutes helps us to remember that there are bigger things other than our problems. If you take the time to analyze the massive sky above you or the rooted and stable tree in your yard, you can learn a lot about how you should face your problems.
4. Hobby
Now that you have the time after an entire period of focusing solely on applications, you should take that time and use it for yourself. Do something you love, no matter how small. The little hobbies we love are what make life worth living. Even during stressful times, we should never lose sight of that.
5. Spend Time With Friends or Family
Spending time with the ones we love helps us focus on something other than ourselves. Loved ones help our problems appear manageable. Forgiving yourself can be even harder than forgiving others but spending time with our family and friends teaches us that we are worthy of forgiveness and love.
6. Relinquish Control
This is difficult for us all but very effective. What we must realize is that once we send out those applications, admission is not in our control. Fate and the college admission officers are in charge of your destiny now. If you don’t get into your top school, then you weren’t meant to go there. You will end up in the place that is right for you.
by Reilly Jaworski | Jun 8, 2021 | Advice
All around, popping up at every corner, are countless problems with our environment. So many in fact, that we become easily overwhelmed; those of us who want to help, end up asking the question “How can I help?” My hope is that this article will help answer this question, giving you feasible and easy solutions to the bettering of the world that continues to be so important to our lives.
- Notice the small things. The simplest thing you can do to help, is fixing problems rather than ignoring them. I’m talking really small, like picking up litter that you walk by on the street and throwing it away. Even if you weren’t the one who littered, we all live in the same world and are consequently all impacted by the decisions of others. Little things like picking up trash and making sure your windows are rolled up if you have trash in your backseat are the little things that make big differences.
- Grow a butterfly/bee garden. Pollination is a process too far overlooked. Not only is a butterfly garden fun to build and aesthetically appealing to view from your porch, but it provides an opportunity for pollination to occur, helping plants produce more seeds and keep our world looking classy.
- Ask for paper instead of plastic. The next time the bagger at the grocery store presents to you the same familiar question, try switching up your answer and replying, “paper.” This goes a long way, as paper bags are recyclable. Alternatively, you could bring reusable bags and ask for your groceries to be put into those. Not only are there environmental benefits of this decision, but you also keep the bagger on their toes.
- Volunteer for cleanups. This one requires slightly more effort, but if it’s something you’re interested in, it could really be of benefit. I say, give it a whirl. Who knows what animals you will save or harm to the environment you will negate?
- Use energy efficient light bulbs. Not only do they contribute less to greenhouse gases, but these bulbs last longer so not only are you saving energy, but money too!
- Ride your bike. This one can be tricky to do sometimes depending on your destination, and it can also be a bit tiresome. But, when you can, I highly encourage you to ride your bike the next time you need to get something from the grocery store or go to a friend’s house. Plus, you save gas money.
Of course you don’t have to do all of the items on this list, though, all the more to you if you do. I encourage you to pick one thing off of this list and stick to it. You may be surprised just how easy and rewarding helping the environment in little ways can be. Everyone has the ability to make change big and small, good and bad. I hope that you choose to make a good change.
by Reilly Jaworski | Jun 1, 2021 | Advice
The repercussions of an idle mind are seldom discussed. While curiosity is a natural human state, we often distract ourselves from it and shrug it off our shoulders. The route that our minds take during moments of curiosity is what brings about so many of the great things in the world, claiming rights creations and bits of joy that pop up in our lives. Yet, there seems to be a dip in the growth of curiosity, probably because we as a society have evolved to stifling our curiosity, deeming it a misuse of our time. Why should we deprive ourselves the formation of new wonderful things? Why should we deter ourselves from getting distracted?
I like to look at curiosity as meandering through your thoughts, letting your mind go to many different places without an agenda. You sort of just let your brain know that it’s okay to get excited over anything it wants to. Your brain needs to hear that sometimes. If you loosen the leash on your mind and let it roam around, there’s sure to be some benefits waiting for you on the other side. You might even learn something about yourself; there are things that you like that you don’t know you like yet, miscellaneous facts you’ve yet to learn but that your future self is getting ready to tell at a party, and a lot of happiness yet to be revealed. The trick is letting your brain go off on tangents for a while, which can be a bit of a challenge to let happen. There are ways to go about it, though.
The best thing you can do, and I know you don’t want to hear this, is to listen to your incessant inner dialogue. That little voice in your head that never pipes down is crucial in revealing your inmost desires. It reveals a lot of other stuff, too, but I don’t want to get to Freudian here. That voice in your head that’s always getting distracted while you’re focusing is really important. The next time that little voice tries to tell you something, I want you to listen to it, humor it, and ultimately decide to let it take the reins. Once you let your thoughts be consumed by curiosity, you’ll probably find there’s a lot you’re interested in. Naturally, the next stage is to Google absolutely every question you ask yourself. We’re talking about who invented ice cream, what is the temperature like in outer space, and can you really get sick from eating too much raw cookie dough? Everything. What’s really advantageous, is that with practice, Your inner voice will probably lead you down more winding paths These more intricate inclinations toward the Google search bar may feature topics such as daily lives of ancient civilians, how to read Latin, and theories about the Library of Alexandria. Watching YouTube videos and documentaries, reading articles and asking people what they know about certain topics will surely lead you to interesting areas of knowledge, no matter where they take you.
You’ll find that letting yourself become curious about many things will give you many things to learn, be excited about, and pursue. You’ll be able to boast your newfound discoveries to whomever may listen, including yourself. It’s always nice to carry a little extra knowledge around– no one can ever take what you learn away from you. Curiosity is merely the starting point for new developments in several areas of yourself. The next time you find your inner voice asking you “Why?” like an aggravating toddler, I encourage you to give it an answer.
by Reilly Jaworski | May 11, 2021 | Advice
The aim for each day is to make it something that you will feel nostalgic for in the future. Days are meant to be lived so well that we will ache to go back to them. This feeling is accomplished when we make the conscious decision to provide ourselves with as many sources of fun possible at each moment that we face.
You are the only force that holds the ability to make your life memorable. No one else can instill within you the urge to make something great out of each day you are given. While present in everyone’s life, obligations will not be the memories we think fondly back to in our old age, and while necessary to complete, responsibilities are no excuse for the abandonment of joy. I started writing this when I got back home the day after taking the ACT, and I still managed to make that day enjoyable, so the implementation of fun within conventionally un-fun days is feasible. If you have something to do on a certain day and it isn’t something you are particularly excited about, the best thing you can do is add things you are excited about to that very day. Ultimately, you must understand that you are the only force that decides how good or bad your day will be. Now that you know this, it’s important to discover ways in which your life can be made more memorable.
An absolutely necessary step to take towards a life of exciting days is to stop taking everything so seriously. This is something I could use a bit of work on too, but worrying over present, past, and future stressors is wildly useless. Looking at minor problems with a passive point of view is not only the healthier decision, but the decision that will be more conducive to your daily happiness. If there’s something that you can not control or make better, then there really is no use lamenting over it. This includes thinking about unfortunate events from the past and about hypothetical situations that will likely not present themselves. This is not to say that you should ignore issues in your life, but more that you should look at issues with an objective perspective without turning to dramatics as a coping mechanism. Limiting the amount of self inflicted stress in your life will unquestionably make your days more enjoyable.
If the level of enjoyment of your day is being diminished by your bad mood, there are a few simple ways to fix this. The first recommendation I have to brighten up your day is to listen to happy music. Music is an instant mood booster, and taking advantage of living in the century that you do and having music at your disposal will boost your mood, guaranteed. Next is to bake something or watch a favorite movie, and if you can, do both simultaneously. What’s more fun than eating brownie batter and watching your favorite story unravel? It’s a combination rarely defeated. Another simple and immensely effective way to improve your spirits is to do something kind for someone else. Watching their mood lift will equate to the brightening of yours, and voila: the days of two people have been made better.
You are in control of your days, and it’s important to remember that life is not just about passing through, forgetting the things you want to do in the midst of the things you have to do. Get your stuff done, but ensure that you have a good time on this vast world that we’re only privileged enough to live on for a short time.
by Reilly Jaworski | Apr 12, 2021 | Advice
So, you just can’t bring yourself to do your work, thus causing a pileup of stress all because of a lack of motivation. I totally understand. This isn’t an inconceivable concept, as we all find ourselves reacquainted with the affliction of idleness on occasion. While both frustrating and familiar, lags in motivation are easily defeated. This article will serve as a tutorial of sorts, in order to get you back on track.
The first thing you can do that will have immense curative effects on your motivation deficiency, is to trick yourself into doing something, by acting like you really want to do it. For example, instead of saying that you “have to do” your math homework, say that you are “going to do” your math homework or that you “want to do your math homework.” This may appear worthless with slight to no noticeable effects, but if you practice this habit, the dreadfulness of work will inevitably lessen. Another important thing to be noted, is that everything you do in your life is a choice. Sure, there are things that we have to do, but do we really have to do them? Or are we choosing to do them. We say that we have to study for math, but nothing is really stopping us from neglecting this responsibility. So, really, saying that you have to do something is a lie. You are choosing to do everything that you do, and that’s exactly what makes what you’re doing so very important.
Now that you know that everything is a choice, it’s the choosing to do what’s good for you that’s difficult. Maybe you really don’t want to do your homework, so, on average, you don’t. The best way to combat this condition is to make boring tasks less boring. There are a few ways to do this that I personally swear by. The first seems almost contradictory to education, and that is watching TV while you work. Though, it’s more listening to TV than watching it. Understand that you won’t always be able to do this when tasks that need more fixed attention present themselves, but sometimes a little background noise is exactly what makes choices that don’t require too much attention less grueling. A couple of these tasks may include doing membean or taking notes. Another thing you could do is listen to a podcast or music in order to provide a little bit of background noise. If something requires more attention, I highly recommend listening to classical music. This works really well when you have to read something or do any sort of work that requires more concentration like math or science. There are loads of immersive playlists on YouTube that have been my frequent source of entertainment and that actually make me want to do my homework. (My favorite YouTube playlist is literally called “you’re studying in a haunted library with ghosts” and if that doesn’t make you want to do your homework, then I deem you a lost cause.) Trust me, this is a hidden gem for making homework less painfully boring. Lastly, sit somewhere comfortable for you. Think desk, bed, couch, bean bag, or even outside when it’s warm. Making tea, eating a snack, and lighting a candle are also a few joy-bearing instruments in making everything better. Overall, anything that will make you happy is something you should try to work into your homework routine.
You have goals, dreams, and current pursuits that only solidify when you work on them. It’s important to stay motivated and understand that lapses in motivation generally stem from a state of boredom that calls for change. Remember that everything you are doing is a choice made by no one other than yourself. There will always be ways to enjoy the choices that you make.
