A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

a view from the stairs at work

It can be hard to write anything cohesive when the hours are scattered (quite unevenly) between work (!!!) and commute and grocery shopping and cooking (just so you have the tiniest something decent to eat), feeling awful from having no time to run, inevitable sleepiness after work (why, I couldn’t say - since sitting all day is so darn exhausting), and the mental guilt for not having made any real friends (yet? ever? I’m so tempted to say that I wish life was easier – though deep down I know that easy is just a trap).

But between observations from U-Bahn train rides, newfound Fr. Mike Schmitz podcasts, ideas from a new book (whoa, I’m actually reading a book?!), overheard conversations at work, the music that often puts me to sleep, a new drone fascination and serious temptation to invest (for the sake of my honors thesis research, naturally), and general thoughts on life that come when a desk job affirms my desire to (somehow, please!) not end up working inside sitting at a desk for eight hours a day. (But don’t be fooled by my honesty - I am learning so much and know there’s a reason for the busy, lonely madness that is my life right now, and I am truly thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given. I do not in any way intend to sound ungrateful. Not in the slightest.) After all, if I were comfortable, living back home, eating nice meals everyday, with a neat and tidy commute to the same old, same old, I would not be learning what I’m about to share.

Anyway, here are some random things I’ve been realizing lately. (Here mostly for my own reminder too)

~ be a giver, not a taker

~ don’t be a grumble (i.e. don’t complain when you have something to be happy about)

~ a burden is an opportunity

~ you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone (ok, ok, super typical to say, but here’s an example to make it more relatable: when you’re sick, it’s almost impossible to remember what good health feels like.)

~ every sin we commit is an attempt to gain pleasure without sacrifice

~ Life’s not meant to be comfortable. Might as well make the most of the discomfort now to avoid that extra time in purgatory.

~ ‘Fitting in’ is so comfortable. But comfort doesn’t give you that post run “high”, or satisfaction after having completed a difficult task.

~ Lucky for us, we don’t have to ‘not fit in’ on our own. That’s already been done for us: we have Someone to follow. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible. It’s already been done, therefore it can be done. Embrace the cross.

~ God does big things with small efforts.

~ 'Expectation is the currency of fools'

~ It’s definitely YANNY. What kind of a name is Laurel even?!

That's all. TTFN. (Someone tell Max to read this, he'll get that reference) :)