How to: Be an American

Heylo, and welcome to another blog from "This Guy Over Here." Today's topic is how to: Be an American. I thought this was particularly fitting because, as I hope everyone has realized, today marks the 9th anniversary of September 11th, 2001. It is absolutely mind-boggling to think about how just nine short years ago, we watched in shock and awe as our homeland was attacked. The community and togetherness that resulted from those attacks showed the true spirit of the United States; a spirit that is inside each and every individual that calls these 50 states our home. We mourn the losses that were suffered on that day, and we remember the courage and bravery that was shown in efforts to rescue all who were inside. On that day, a new found respect was born for the soldiers of our country. It was not because we suddenly awoke and noted the importance of our troops; but rather, we once again knew that we were fighting for something. We felt the pain of some body attacking our freedom, and it is this pain that drove us to draw together and bond as Americans.

So today, in honor of all of the people that were involved in some way with the attacks on 9/11 ( which technically is every American), the blog is going to be about how to be an American; how to bleed red, white, and blue, and how to be proud of the country that you live in, because it is truly the best in the entire world.

1) A New Idea: Tradition

As Americans, we pride ourselves on our traditions. Not as much as other countries perhaps, but then again, we haven't been around as long. However, on the other hand, we take pride in being a country of new ideas, of new lifestyles, and of new goals. So saying this, we relish the new and the old. As an American, you must be able to keep tradition strong, when at the same time thinking about new and exciting ways to do things.

2) Remember

Sometimes we are too focused on the future to remember to think about the past and be proud of our heritage. We like to say that we support our troops, and some of us do; but honestly, when is the last time that the everyday person has done something for a soldier. How many of us can actually remember the history of the United States? Most of us have taken some class that tells us the events, but how many of us actually take pride in our origin, the founding of a country that has risen through more ranks, toppled more dictators, and revolutionized life in more ways in the first 200 years of existence than any other country. We have defined our own way of life. We have made English the world language. We have changed technology, revolutionized medicine and science. and created the era of modern sports. We have things to be proud of, but we act as if being an American is supposed to be given to us, not something that we represent.

This is a relatively short blog because I am running low on time; however, I just wanted to express my patriotism and write a quick blurb about remembering September 11th. Have a great day, and I will be writing more on Monday!

Closing thought for the day, " A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle" ~George William Curtis

Signing off,

JD

How to: Be Amazingly Awesome

Bienvenidos! Today is Thursday, September 9th, and I am sitting in the Purdue Humanities and Societies Library. People are giving me weird looks because I am furiously typing away at my keyboard. Ya, I guess you could call me a little weird. But hey, isn't everybody? Today's topic is how to: be amazingly awesome. At first, it may seem a bit conceited, but in actuality, everyone has the potential to be awesome; we just don't take advantage of it. One of my good friends gave me this idea, so this installment is a shout-out to Mary Hidde! And for everyone else out there, when you have brilliant ideas that I could use, let me know and you will get your own shout-out. Everyone knows how important those are. Throughout this blog, I will be referring to myself and others as 'awesome.' This is not a sign of my egotism, nor am I showing favoritism. It's just the blog topic.

So, let us begin.

The number one false conception that stops people from being amazingly awesome is the idea that this sense of awesomeness is relative to how others view you. You could be the most popular person in the world, but if your character and personality are crappy, then you are not truly awesome. You do not need a name like Voltron to be awesome. You do not need a mansion, a heated swimming pool, fifteen cars, or your own private jet. Those are all very cool items; but by themselves, they do not make a person awesome. So how do unlock our inner awesome, and what are some qualities of an awesome person? Well, let me tell you.

1) Confidence.

There is a huge difference between a confident person, and an egotistical person, although it is honestly hard to tell that difference sometimes. A confident person does not boast about what they have or can accomplish, rather they let their actions do the speaking. An egotist will tell you how important they are, while a confident person will allow you to see for yourself. The first and most important step in being an amazingly awesome person is to be confident. This is also the step that most people fall victim to. They cannot seem to find that inner self-confidence and so they turn to egotism, which is really the mask that covers up a very immature person. No one should be able to tell us what we can and do (within moderation of course. Still listen to your parents). But, we have the ability to be or do whatever awesome things we set our mind to. Be confident in yourself and your abilities. When you exude confidence, you exude pure awesomeness.

2)Be a thinker, tinker, and blinker.

This a lot to cover in one subpoint, but I liked the rhyme structure so lets's go with it. Be a thinker. Pretty obvious right? Not exactly. Think random, and what comes to your mind? Think funny, and what pops up? An amazingly awesome person is knowledgeable, and is able to take that knowledge and apply it to all areas of life. This does not mean that you should go home and begin to memorize the dictionary in attempts of being more knowledgeable. The human brain has so much potential, so use it! Never stop learning. You don't have to be a genius at everything, just experience life, and by doing so, become knowledgeable about a lot of things. I am not saying that in order to be amazingly awesome you have to be smart, because that is not true. But you do have to be knowledgeable. Big difference. Secondly, be a tinker. Don't live life afraid to make mistakes, it just ends up taking away from your experience in the end. Make the most of what you are given. Try new things. Mess up, get the wrong answer. The truly awesome person is not afraid to make mistakes, they relish it, because they know they will get stronger from those experiences. Finally, be a blinker. Soak up life, and don't forget to take everything in. When we really start to live life and we get going, it is easy to get focus so heavily on one task or thing that we miss opportunities. The amazingly awesome person is open to each and every new opportunity. And they capitalize on those chances. That's what makes them awesome.

3) "Happy" Gilmore

This is a fun subpoint. The amazingly awesome person is one that is happy with what they are doing in life. Last night, I sat out on this giant hill with one of my good friends and relaxed and looked at the stars. Some people might call me crazy, but in that moment, when I could see Jupiter in the sky, I was happy. Live life in ways that you enjoy. In the end, even if you have the best possible lifestyle, if you do not enjoy it, you will be the most miserable person in the entire world. Being happy is a funny thing too. It is almost as if happiness is an infectious disease, except not a disease at all. When one person in a group is genuinely happy, the group can't help but feel that positive vibe, and they themselves will start feeling happy. Try this: "The next time that you are in a big group, radiate happiness. See what effects your personal joy has on other." Always choose joy.

The second part of this subpoint is that like Happy Gilmore, always take a "big swing" on life. Some people say that it is the little things that matter most in life. I agree to a certain degree. But then again, whenever I hear that, I reference a giant puzzle. Every little activity, detail, or moment that we take advantage of is like another puzzle piece. When we are putting the puzzle together, the pieces are the most important part because we cannot see the end result in the chaos of colors. But, when we get to that point when our puzzle is complete, we look at the overall picture, and even though we don't like the spots where some pieces are missing, we are more concerned that we can make out what the final picture is supposed to look like. So my advice would be two-fold. Definitely be concerned with the little things in life, they are essentially what makes us who we are. However, always remember that they are in fact little things, and that in the end, the big picture is what is most important. SO, take a big swing. Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss, you can tell everyone that you were really shooting for mars. ( you thought I was going to say that you'll land among the stars. That's silly. If you land next to a star you burn to death.)

There are only three points of advice today, but I think that they are packed with useful information on how to be amazingly awesome. Remember that the awesome people are confident. They are knowledgeable, not afraid to try new things and fail, and they enjoy life. They are happy, they take advantage of opportunities, and they swing big on life. So once again thanks Mary Hidde for the great idea. Hope you liked it!

Closing thought for the day, "You will have to excuse me, I am way too busy being awesome." ~some random t-shirt

Throwing up 333 NW and throwing down The Rock,

Captain's Log.

Signing off,

JD

How to: Stay Organized

Welcome back to the newest installment of "This Guy Over Here." In today's society, we are at one point, "this guy/girl," but hey let's look on the bright side at least we don't have to also be "that guy/girl." That would be terribly hard, not to mention confusing. But anyways, after that little rant, today's topic is how to: Stay Organized. This will apply not only to schoolwork, but also to life in general because believe it or not, organization is a skill that you will need for the rest of your life. The term organization is derived from the Greek word organon, which was itself derived from the root word ergon. What does all this mean and why is it important to today's topic? Well, I won't be like the annoying flight attendant with the fake cheesy smile, demonstrating and telling you to fasten your seat belts. But, nevertheless, it would be a good idea.

The term organon and ergon both trace roots to Aristotle. Simply because the root words can be traced back to Aristotle does not mean that he invented the concept of organization. He merely put it in words. As previously stated, organization is a skill. It is not a hobby, an activity, an exercise. Organization is something that you are bad or good at. It is something that you have or you lack. It can be addicting (hence people who vacuum the couch right after you stand up), but it is one of the easiest things in the world to lack because it takes individual effort to maintain an organized lifestyle, and most people run from things that take effort like Forrest Gump ran from the bullies. Only we don't see our lives break free in a marvelous display of happiness, rather we see the crumble and disarray that accompanies an unorganized lifestyle.

I hope that by now, you realize just how big organization is. It can make or break you and because of that, here are some common tips on how to stay organized.

(1) Date it!

Get a calendar. Get one that is big enough that you can put on your door, wall, fridge, table, etc. Basically any place that you will constantly see it is good enough. So you go out and buy a calendar. Congratulations but you are only halfway there. Use it! Write down important dates, things that you need to do, deadlines that need to be met. Many people will take it one step further and carry around a miniature version of their calendar on their person at all times. I am all for this. I have programmed my calendar to correspond with my iPhone, and so at all times, I know what I have going on on which days. Others will carry around a planner or other device that allows them to stay on top of things. Either way, one of if not the most important tips on how to stay organized is to get a calendar and to date it!

(2) No more Piles

I truly do not understand why people get into the habit of walking into their houses, apartments, or dorms, and just throwing their stuff everywhere. I cannot belittle on this topic, because I was once one of those people and probably still am as my parents would be quick to tell you. This is one of the worst things that a person looking to be organized can do. It becomes almost impossible to keep track of things, and as time goes on, we start to form little piles of things here and there. They look so innocent, but really, they can be your downfall. These piles of crap (yes, although it may hurt to admit for some, most of the material in these piles is junk) may seem to be a relatively decent way to organize things, but it is not! These piles come from our fear of throwing things away. We do not need to hold on to anything and everything, and so make a decision and stick with it. If you decide that you really can't throw some things out, do not make a pile of things that you really can't throw out; rather put them in a box/container and label them: trash in a month or whatever time frame. Then when that time frame arrives, go back through the contents of that container and re-evaluate their importance.

3)To-Do, To-Do

One of the best ways to stay organized is via the To-Do list. These simple and efficient lists will save you a lot more time and effort than you would think. By making a list, you are reasserting to yourself the things that are important for you to accomplish. I would even take your To-Do list a step farther and prioritize the tasks on your list. By ranking your items on a basis of importance or necessity for completion, you now have a strategy for how you want to spend your time accomplishing your tasks. Like all good advice though, To-Do lists can be a negative thing is used incorrectly. Try to stray away from making too many lists, or making them too often. Spiderman's dad once told him, "With great power comes great responsibility." Well, I like my own version and how it applies to a To-Do list. With great numbers, come too many responsibilities. If you make five lists, each with ten items, you will not know where to start and chances are you will end up forgetting something along the way. Make your lists simple and concise, and when you finish one list, you can move and make another.

4)Mail Time!

Basically put, open your mail everyday! Whether that's actual postage mail, or e-mail, you will find that you are so much more organized when you open your mail every day. We start getting into problems when we let mail sit, or we don't check our emails on a daily basis. We begin missing opportunities, being late on deadlines, and we feel like we are always rushing. So stay ahead of the clock. Make a set time each and every day that you check your email, or open the mail after it has been delivered. For college students, email is the primary form of communication, and once you miss something, there is no getting it back.

5) The Avalanche

Do not get overwhelmed when the going gets tough. Organization is something that is done best in small amounts. People start to get stressed when they try and take on tasks that are way too big to take on at one time. Pick one thing that needs to be organized and start from there. After that is done, move on to the next. This method is similar to the To-Do list method. If you take the time to organize things in increments, you will find that little by little, your entire life will begin to run a bit more smoothly. When people "bite off more than they can chew," that is when they see The Avalanche of stress and pressure coming down on them. They being to question why they are even trying to organize something so big, and they soon begin to feel the heavy weight of realizing how unorganized they really are. So please, for my sake and yours, take small bites and chew, chew, chew. You know, we are supposed to chew each individual bite of food 20-30 times before swallowing. If only everyone took this method to organization..

As stated previously, organization is a skill that you will use for the rest of your life, and so why not get a head start while you can. Not only is organization important in school, but in almost every single facet of our lives. So even if you are swimming in a mound of junk and debris, just keep swimming and start working on things from the inside out. We cannot expect someone to come in and organize our lives for us. So step up, grab your calendar, your color coordinated sticky notes, and get at it.

I know that for the observant ones, you would have enjoyed how I color coordinated my five main topics today. For those of you who didn't notice, it's okay, but you may want to go back up to the beginning and read this again. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them, and I will get back to you.

Closing thought for the day, "The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious." ~Marcus Aurelius

Shout-out to NW 333 and the Rock

Signing off,

JD

How To: Be a Superhero

Hello all, and welcome to the become your own superhero blog! I have taken a liking to blogging and have been spouting out random information every other day for about the past two weeks now. Anyways! Today is Saturday, Labor Day Weekend, and it is a wonderful day to be alive, although Purdue is like a ghost town. This new blog topic was inspired by one of my very good friends, Carly Lewis. She wrote an English paper last year about how to be a superhero, and I liked it so much that I am going to make my own rendition of it. So thank you very much Carly for the idea and lets start making our secret identities!

The first and most important thing about becoming a superhero is defining your cause or what you are fighting for. Whether you are protecting a city, or your local neighborhood, if you don't stand for anything then you aren't a real superhero. And it would be convenient if you are a male superhero to think about choosing a girl that you would like to be your "damsel in distress" because only the cool superheroes can save the world and get the girl at the same time!

The next important step to becoming a superhero is to make up your secret identity. I would not recommend having your superhero identity be the same as your normal identity. Hence the "secret identity" part. I don't get how Ironman does it. There would be way too much fan mail. So, making a secret identity is actually a lot harder than it sounds; you simply cannot put on a mask and think that no one will ever recognize you like the movies. That is unless the mask completely covers your entire head, but seriously that would be way too hot (sorry Spiderman). You have to take into consideration the fact that people recognize your voice, certain ways you move your hands, or even your body language. There is a lot more that goes into making your secret identity then simply putting on a mask that covers up your eyes/face. But once you get that figured out, it's time to move onto the riding solo decision.

Every great superhero, whether he or she would like to admit it or not, has some help from either a partner or a very trusted friend. Bruce Wayne has that awesome old guy, Lucius Fox, played by Morgan Freeman. Many superheroes prefer working alone in the field, but they can't do everything by themselves. There are people behind the scenes that always help out. So after you make your secret identity and define your cause, it is necessary to find someone or some people that are willing and able to help you in your adventure of hero/heroine actions.

When you are finished with all of these exhausting steps, the fun begins. The next important step to becoming a superhero is to find, define, and or build your secret "lair." Now this may sound villianesq, but even the good guys have to have some where to hide and go back to other than their house when the paparazzi start becoming too much (I would not recommend that you make your secret lair in your house. Unless it is somewhere so hidden that no one would find it snooping. Also, there must be another entrance somewhere. You cannot go into your secret lair via your front door.) But once you have determined exactly where your secret lair is, you can start decking it out with high-tech computers and walkie-talkies, both of which can be purchased at Radio Shack.

Finally, with your cause defined, secret identity made up, helping hand chosen, and secret lair built, you are ready to go out and kick some bad guy butt! However, I would strongly recommend going out and getting some serious training first, or else your first fight may end up looking a bit like one of these guys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REtLsBBeQb4&feature=fvst) ,and even though it is funny, there is a big line between funny and dead in the real world. So please get some training.

Well that’s all I have for today. I take no responsibility for the kids that will put on tights and go run around claiming to be superheroes, because if you re-read this entire blog, I never said the word tights once, except for two lines ago. This blog is supposed to be helping produce the city-saving superheroes, not the confused little boys in tights. But that's not really fair is it. The true definition of a superhero isn't in their acts of service, but in their hearts and their lifestyles. We see superheroes every day, we just don't take the time to stop and realize the amazing qualities of people.

Talk to the elderly man who overcame cancer, and mourn for the men and women who fought by his side only to not come out as fortune. Give respect to our soldiers, as they are the real superheroes in the battlefield. Smile and remember when you see a woman do an act of kindness for another, and maybe, you can pass that act of kindness on. Take time to thank the fire fighters, police officers, and other city workers. Make an effort each and every day to show your superhero qualities, and always give back to the people that have give you so much.

Closing thought for the day: "You just have to appreciate who you are and hopefully they can see what a superhero is about." ~Lucy Lui

Signing Off,

JD

How to: Stay Up Late Studying

Hello and welcome. This is the next section in the "how to:" series. Right now, it is raining outside, and so it seems as if it is a perfect time for a blog. Today's topic was actually inspired by the ridiculous time that I went to bed last night, so I decided to advise all of you the top 6 ways to stay up late and study. Purdue is dandy today, and I'm just living the college dream. Before we start, I have a quick story about something that happened on my dorm floor a couple of days ago that I would like to share.

It would seem appropriate that from time-to-time, I write about the adventures that my roommate and I are apart of; just to give you an insight to our college experience. The story I am about to paraphrase took place about three or four days ago. Anyways, we live in Meredith 333 NW, and right down the hall from us, is this kid named Adam. He is perpetually thirsty, and therefore he walks up and down the halls at least ten times a day. So my roommate decides to be funny, and while this kid goes to the bathroom, he sneaks in his room and puts a rotten banana on his pillow. Sick right? What's even worse is that my roommate didn't even do it, I just told everyone that he did, and for some reason they believed me. He now has a reputation as a class "A" prankster, and we always have to lock our door in fear of revenge. But anyways, on to the good stuff.

1. Be uncomfortable.
As awkward as this sounds, it is actually one of the best ways to physically make your body stay awake. Everyone knows that if we are comfortable. We are more prone to falling asleep; however, we are not willing to see the opposite end of that spectrum and make ourselves uncomfortable to stay awake. Some examples of this are:

-When you are in a cold room, do not bundle up with a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Being cold is a good thing because this makes your body alert and not comfortable.


-Sit on an unnaturally uncomfortable chair/table. Sitting on a relaxing, inviting couch is a most dangerous way of studying.

It is important to note that your body has the keen ability to become comfortable in almost any situation after a given amount of time. Because of this, never stay in one position for long amounts of time. Shift, wiggle, stretch, shake. Do anything to re-awaken your body.

2. Caffeine
This option can be left up to a personal preference. Some people don't want or need to drink caffeine to stay up. Others are simply addicted, and can't function without it. Regardless of whatever group you fall into, caffeine is proven to stimulate the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and therefore, it is a good option to help you stay awake and continue studying. My only advice regarding caffeine is to not drink too much too quickly. It is not smart to down two entire cans of pop and then sit down and attempt to do homework until three in the morning. Caffeine does wear off over time, so one major consumption isn't the smartest of ideas.

3. Music
Music can either make or break you. It is also, once again, a personal preference. Many students hate to have music on while studying or doing homework, and yet others can listen to their iPods on full blast and be fine. The main key about music as a stay-awake tool is your music selection. Playing soft, instrumental music is probably not the smartest idea at 2 a.m. I would also not recommend death metal, screamo, or any other type of music that makes you want to kill yourself. A happy medium is very reasonable, and if used correctly, music can be a great studying tool.

4. Light it up
A fairly obvious way to stay up, but it needs to be said. Study in an area that is well-lit. Do not study in the basement that has flickering lights. Do not study in your dorm room when your roommate is asleep and the only light on is your desk lamp. You will not be as productive and the odds are very high that you will end up falling asleep earlier than you would have had you studied in a well-lit room. So light it up. (I do not support drugs in any way)

5. Hide that Clock
This is a little game I like to call "Hide that Clock." You already know that it is late, but why in the world do we need to see what the time is every 5 minutes? We have some uncanny need to prove to ourselves that it really is as late as we know it is. Stop it! Continually checking the clock only makes us realize that it is way too late, and then we begin setting stopping points instead of just ending when we finish our work. We say: "I know it's late, but I am stopping at 1:30 a.m." etc. Putting limits on our study time puts caps on the amount of homework or studying that we can accomplish. We start to focus on this time, and even begin to countdown until we are finished. With this mindset, we begin to rush through whatever homework or studying we have left, often jeopardizing the quality of our work. So, before you start studying, hide all of your clocks. Those extra 10 minutes can be the difference from an A and a B.


6. Study Buddies
A great way to study is with a partner, friend, or classmate. If you can find someone that is working on the same material as you, and doesn't mind the lack of sleep, you have found the ultimate way to stay up late and study. Study Buddies provide someone to talk to, to interact with, and not to mention, if you are both working on the same material, it might not take as long. Like most seemingly "too good to be true" deals, there are some catches. While some partners make excellent stay-awake helpers, everyone has those friends that are amazing people; however, they are simply the most distracting individuals in the world. So pick your partners wisely. Find someone who has a similar level of desire towards academics as you do, and you have a perfect way to stay awake.


For some people, this blog has no meaning because you do not even know what the concept of studying is. But for others, I hope that this helps, either by reinforcing concepts you already know, or providing the methods to make you the best student. Remember, school isn't necessarily about what we learn, as much as it is about how we learn it, and what we do with this knowledge.


Closing thought for the day: “Some men grow mad by studying much to know, But who grows mad by studying good to grow.” ~Benjamin Franklin


Signing off,


JD

How to: Do all Kinds of Right

So it's Monday here at the beautiful campus of Purdue University. My last blog was a bit more on the serious side so just consider this it's counterpart. As I was sitting at lunch between my classes, I was thinking about the movie "Date Night" with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey (both of whom are fantastic actors), and there is a line during the movie where Tina Fey says, "I bet you do all kinds of right." I found this quite humorous, and I am sure you would agree if you have seen the movie. Anyways, based off of that quote, today's blog is going to be about how to "do all kinds of right." Below will be six ways to make sure you are living life, along with descriptions of how to do each of these. So, lets go:

1. Travel, travel, travel

Not everyone will agree with this statement, but I believe that to live life, you have to experience new cultures. Get out, whether it's to the city or town closest to you or to a city in a country that is halfway across the world. Traveling gives us an amazing appreciation of other lifestyles. There are so many lessons that can only be learned via travel. So take those road trips, flights, or train rides. Experience the world, one new place at a time and watch as your life becomes so much more vivid and exuberant.

2. Dump the stress ball

Life is way too short to be stressed out all of the time. This is so much easier said than done, but the sooner we realize the basic reality that life goes on regardless of what we do, the sooner we can start to live life to the full potential. Time never stops, and although it may feel like it slows down or speeds up, it always keeps ticking away. So, the only thing we are doing when we stress out about life is wasting seconds that we can never get back. Someone somewhere once said, "We will never have as much time as we have now." As scary as it is, the average life expectancy in the United States is 78.43902 years according to google. Sounds like a long time, but look at it this way. That is only around 942 months, but 318 of those months are taken away due to sleeping, because the average person sleeps for 1/3 of their life. All of these numbers are probably driving some of you crazy but that gives us a grand total of 624 months to live. That may seem like a long time, but with such a limited time as that, we better make the most of the valuable time we have left.

3. Fear Face-off

To really live, we must confront our fears. Those who hide behind their fears are cowards. We are all different and thus we are all afraid of different things, but it is only by standing up to those fears that we become stronger. Don't be afraid to try new things. When you are old, it will be the things that you didn't do that disappoint you more than the things that you did do. Make sure that you have no regrets when you get to end of your journey. Those opportunities that you missed will fester and eat you alive. So stand up and fight fear with confidence. Never let fear control your life.

4. Routines are for people with OCD

DO NOT get into the lifestyle of living one giant routine. Keep things fresh. Be you. We are not living if we do the same thing every day. We are simply walking zombies and that is definitely not good. Go to a different restaurant. Walk a different pathway. Who knows what you may find when you decide to live life spontaneously. Life is so diverse, with so many possibilities, and we only tap into a very slight amount of that infinite design. Talk to anyone and everyone. Ride the bus to work. Put yourself in other's shoes, if only to understand that life can be lived other ways than your little box you have limited yourself to. Go outside the lines, go around the lines, go through lines. Simply put, do all kinds of right. That is, your definition of right. So do it.

5. Learn New Skills

Although not all of us are trained with numchucks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-15hTA8O7c) , we all have certain skills that separate us from others. Also, we all have things that we wish we could do or want to be better at. Well, personally I'm done waiting for my shooting star to fall. Go out and learn what you want, become better or master a certain skill just for the fact of being able to say you did it. Take pride in what makes you different. Continually improve yourself. Never be content with what you currently are, because we can all be so much more if we put our minds to it. Always be a student, not necessarily a school student, but a student of life.

6. Laugh, love, dance, sing

Laugh until you cry. Laughter is the world's best known medicine. When you laugh, it is impossible not to smile. Find joy in life, and be excited about the little things. Watch a sunset. Fly a kite. Get lost in life; in all of it's quirks and peculiarities. Be a romantic. Let love overtake your life and be overwhelmed by it. This doesn't necessarily have to be with a spouse as you can experience this love with your family, pet, or even with religion. Dance when nobody is watching and dance even harder when people are watching. For some of us, flail when people are watching. So what if you can't dance. That just makes it even funnier and more enjoyable. Same goes with singing. Sing in the rain. Sing in the shower, in the car, your dorm room, because singing is a great way to better a day and make life more enjoyable.

Basically, when summing up this advice, we should all arrive at the coup de grace that in order to "do all kinds of right," you must first and most importantly "do you." Life is a wild ride, enjoy it.

Closing thought for the day: "Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it. "

Signing off,

JD

Seven Seconds to Change a Life, How to: Make an Impact

Hello and welcome back. It has been a very eventful last two days, and as I was thinking about what should be the next blog topic, I got to thinking about everything that has been going on at Purdue since I moved in on August 14th. Looking back on these last two weeks, one question keeps popping into my mind: Have I made an impact? This blog is going to lay out the steps one can take to make an impact.

We usually view the people who make the biggest impact as the people with the highest positions of power, but many of us fail to realize the monumentous impact of the people behind the scenes, or the "everyday people." It only takes one person to make an impact on someone or something that can last a lifetime. That is an amazing idea to think about. Your one action today could change and mold the future of another without you even knowing it. Because of this, we all have potential to be life-changers, and you would be surprised at how small the difference is that separates the impacters and the impactees. These are four simple ways to make sure that you are making a positive impact.

1. Always Smile.
If a picture can be worth a thousand words, a smile can be worth a trillion paragraphs. On a day-to-day basis, we fail to realize just how important smiling is. A smile has the potential to completely change one's mood in a matter of seconds. A smile is reassuring, comforting, and highly contagious. Everyone always says that life is too short, so make the most out of it. A smile is a silent form of communication, but its impacts are far from quiet. It is single-handedly the easiest yet hardest thing to do in the entire world. It is human nature to worry and linger on things that bring us down. Smile more, and see how the world lights up around you.

2. Be Vocal
Probably the most important way to make an impact on those around you is to be vocal. This is by far the hardest area of focus, because there are some people who have absolutely no problem being the loudest, most talkative person in the state of Indiana. Yet there are others who enjoy peace and quiet, and you could spend an entire day with them and hear 25 words total. So being vocal, although difficult at times, is imperative. However, I must note that just because you talk loud or often, you are not necessarily being vocal, at least not by the standards of making an impact. The vocal person is the person that the group looks to, the person that you ask for advice, or that the person who is talks to anyone and everyone. The last of these is the greatest quality of an impacter. You cannot simply hope to impact people by your lifestyle. This only works to a certain extent. The person that is friends with everyone; that can strike up a conversation with the business associate or the worker at the local restaurant is the person that will make the most impact on others.

3. Be Polite
You don't need to have the best manners in the world, but do the small polite things. If someone asks you "how are you," respond by explaining how you are then asking them how they are back. Hold the door for a stranger. Listen to others. People want someone that they can talk to and tell their problems to. Be active in looking for ways to help people out. In the end, people are far less likely to remember your name, major, or where you are from as they are to remember how you were kind enough to help them.

4. Give Life Your "Best" Effort
People have a genuine appreciation for hard work. The people with the biggest impacts in life are the ones that put all of their efforts into every aspect of their lives. They live life to enjoy it, but they also realize the wonderful opportunity that they have been given, and they are sure not to waste it. If you really stopped and thought about it, how many daily tasks or activities do we kind-of just go through the motions with. If this continues, it will soon come to a point where we are drowning in a sea of "sameness." I made up a quote that I think of when I feel as if I'm slipping into a lifestyle of normality. It goes, "The tide cannot claim the standing as drowned." For some of us, we slip into a lifestyle of the same things over and over, and we get so good at living in this routine that we can practically do it asleep. If we walk through life sleeping, if we lay down and let the tide claim us, we have made no impact. Be spontaneous. Marvel at the impact each and every one of us can experience if we stand up against the tide.

Studies have recently shown that when meeting someone for the first time, the first impression of that person can be made in the first seven seconds. SEVEN SECONDS. By the time that it will have taken you to read this one short sentence, your time to make a first impression and to be an impacter has come and gone. When we break life down, it no longer becomes about how old you live, how much money you make, where you live, or what car you drive. It is about what connections you have, who your friends are, and what kind of impact did you make when you had the chance.

I recently went to one of my long time friend’s birthday parties. He turned 20 years old. There must have been over 100 people at that party, and it got me thinking. Right now, if I were to throw a birthday party, how many people would come to it? How many of my friends would find that I had impacted them in such a fashion that they would show up to my birthday party. I know this may be a silly example, but do some self-reflecting and ask yourself. How many people would come to your birthday party? Ten? Fifty? Maybe one hundred? What kind of impact are we having on the lives of the people around us?

Closing thought for the day: "Count to seven. That's how long it takes to change the world."

Signing off,

JD