Wake up calls...

It's always good to get reminders that make you pause and "chin up." 

I thought I'd share a few videos, articles, etc... that inspire me.  It's easy as a young adult to see potential and think it should equal results.  But physics teaches us that to convert potential energy into kinetic energy (heat, light, motion), it requires a force applied or work done.

An article that Kati wrote today catalyzed this post.  You should go read it.  Here's a great bit:  "The world doesn't need any more amateur world changers - it needs disciplined young adults, with fires that have burned so long that they aren't flames on wicks, but coals, steady, hot and hard to blow out."  SO good!


Some of you may have seen the TED Talk called "30 is not the new 20."  Incredible!  Meg Jay is a psychologist who specializes in 20-somethings.  Here she articulates the physiological and neurological changes that make the decades of the 20's one of the most pivotal of your life.  I.e. Make the most of it!

The late David Foster Wallace (author, professor) delivered a commencement address to Kenyon College in 2005 entitled "This is Water."  The attached video is a portion of the speech set to some great videography.  He argues beautifully that the true value of education is awareness and empathy.

This year, author John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, half of the Vlog-Brothers) delivered the commencement address for Butler University.  Read or watch the speech for some  My favorite bit:  "Try not to worry so much about what you are going to do with your life.  You are already doing what you are going to do with your life."  He talks also about the fact that his job description didn't even exist when he graduated college - so don't give up hope quite yet :)

Some of these writer or speakers may seem to contradict one another.  But contradiction is also part of navigating the 20's (and life in general).  Hope you get a chance to be inspired by one of these.

What has encouraged you lately?

I'm working on a response paper for my physics class and really needed a mental break from it, so here I am. I need 700 words for this open ended response to nuclear physics, and I have 504. I'm afraid the next 200 words may be quite a bit of "bs" but that's what they get for not even giving a prompt. Juuuust kidding. No, I try not to do that, even though English majors are notorious for being able to create bs. But I really don't know what to say about it. Nuclear energy is a good thing if we can use it safely... how many times can i say that to equal 700 words. hmmmm

Well, in happier news...

I am pleased to announce that yesterday I finished my quest to read all 6 of Jane Austen's superb novels. My final one, Mansfield Park, was a beautiful read. The Lord showed me quite a bit through that book actually... and best of all, yesterday, during all my excitement about having finished the books, I could hear the Lord say, "I'm so proud of you." I've been thinking about Chariots of Fire, and for the most part, i'm beginning to think that, "When I read, I feel God's pleasure..." and that is a glorious feeling.
This is the first quarter--the first time ever, really--that i've been in school but not in a literature class. But instead of getting sorry for myself, I decided that since that means my reading load is relatively light, I would take the quarter to read a few of the books I hear Him telling me to read. And as I've read, I can hear the power behind some of the words He is highlighting. I can hear His voice calling me deeper into understand His nature so that I can understand language. He cares about language and the more I learn about literature or communication--I see that so clearly. It's exhilarating. This is divine purpose. This is my destiny. And it is for now.

The only other thing I can think to share is that, thank goodness, today is my last day as a teenager.
This last decade (well, all of my life), but especially the last decade holds some very, very dark places for me. There are points that I don't even care to remember... times that He has cast into the sea of forgetfulness and that's where they can stay.
But tomorrow begins something entirely new! I fully expect the 20's to be the very best years of my life (just as I expect the 30's, 40's, etc... to be as well :) But I am so excited! I know Father has good plans! I know He has more good things for me this decade than I know what to do with. I have no idea where I may be 10 years from now, but just look at the possibilities:
- Marriage
- Kids
- BA
- MA
- (Ph.D. =)
- Teaching
- London
- Laughing
- Nieces and Nephews =)
- Sisters in law ???
- New friends
- Amazing times with Old Friends
- Weddings
- Travel
- Working
- Sunsets
- Walks
- Surprises
- And Physics Response Papers =|

Haha... speaking of, I should probably finish mine... But I hope you can take a minute to reflect on all the glorious things 10 more years of precious life may afford you =)

Bon soir!