I begin every blog post with this thought in mind, "Shannon, don't make it long. Short and sweet sister, short and sweet." And, every time I am successful in doing the opposite of what I set out to do (at least I'm consistent). Anyways, I just graduated from James Madison University 2 weeks ago and turned 22 years old today. Here is a list of tidbits I have learned over the past 4 years....
It takes awkward to get to normal. It's
crazy to think I came to JMU a bubbly Michigan girl who said "pop"
instead of "soda," I also didn't know a single person. Then, 4 years later
I left with an amazing group of friends, and I even have converted to using the
word "soda" (sorry, Michigan friends). Sometimes I feel like "freshman Shannon" was so much braver than "post-grad Shannon." I need constant reminding that forming new relationships
between humans will almost always have some degree of awkward. All we can do to
overcome is to embrace. Embrace the awkward-it usually makes for a funny story
later on, and everyone loves a great story.
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| First day of school as a JMU Duke! |
Listen to understand. My
natural inclination is to listen with the intent to respond instead of to
understand. When we listen to understand, we begin to actually listen opposed
to just thinking about what our next statement will be. Try it, I can guarantee
you will notice a difference in the way you process during your conversations.
Play. Get goofy. Build a fort in your living room, make pancakes, although don't just make pancakes-dye them a different color and eat them at some odd hour of the day (West View tradition). Find the people who accept you for your quirks and let yourself laugh. laugh a lot.
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| Piling way too many girls on a sled is also another great way to play. |
Gratitude. A thankful heart is a
content heart. Developing a pattern of thinking that revolves around gratitude
is a discipline and often a fight. I easily get blinded by my unmet desires or
by all of the things in my life that are not going the way I want them to.
Focusing on the negative squelches my thankfulness and I end up missing out on
all of the good going on around me. (If you're looking for a good read on the
topic, pick up 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp).
Intentional questions & the art of
conversation. I learned how to have a conversation that
goes below the surface. The quality of your questions will always reflect the
kind of answers you receive. Generating a quality conversation, that goes
beyond the weather, is an art and a skill to be mastered only through
practice.
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| Many a great conversation with sweet Blair :] |
Hope. Metaphorically speaking,
doors were constantly opening and closing in college. Opportunities would
present themselves and sometimes they would be long term, and other times they
would come quick and leave even quicker. Elisabeth Elliot says, "God's
no's are always full of mercy." A closed door is always for our
benefit-even when it doesn't seem like it. It isn't in God's character to
withhold good from His kiddos. We can "still dare to hope"
(Lamentations 3: 20-25) even when we face discouragement and a lack of
understanding regarding our life circumstances.
Lifelong learner. Graduation
isn't the end of learning, it is only just the beginning! Invest time in
learning about topics that interest you. Yes-just for fun! Foster curiosity and
take time to wonder.
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| Graduation Day---let the learning continue! (p.s. My robe gives me a tail) |
Commonalities with everyone. It's
possible to find a common thread with any and every individual. Relationships
are formed when people realize that they aren't so different after all. Start
friendships with people-classmates, coworkers, professors etc. by finding
similarities.
Fail forward. See
mistakes as opportunities for improvement. You're never going to be perfect, so
use your shortcomings to move you forward instead of backward.
Everyone has a back story & no one has it
all together. Every individual has a past that helps to explain
why they are the way they are. Everyone has a collection of life experiences
that make up their past. Take time to discover a person's past, and don't be
afraid to explore your own. Nobody's perfect either-even the most confident
individual has insecurities. You're believing a lie if you think someone has it
all together. We all have our flaws and that's why there is grace.
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| I loved getting to know these women's back stories and their inner goofball-ness! |
People matter-even the "small"
ones. Get to know the characters in your life story.
Everyone you meet has the opportunity to teach you something you never knew
before. Everyone from your barista, to your mailman, to your neighbors and your
housemates. These are the people who make your life what it is, and they
matter, so get to know them. I loved knowing our mailman on West View St., our
neighbors John & Eloise, and Jeremiah the man from Alaska who owns Court
Square Coffee-I'll never forget his friendly smile and wave every time I
passed his shop on Main St.
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| Court Square Coffee. |
Be reflective. Value
self reflection and introspection. Take time to be quiet, or reflect by having
a deep talk with a close friend. It is easy to just let life pass you by
without really thinking about it or verbalizing it.
Life is not an emergency. Slow
down and relax. Find humor in the little things and don't take yourself too
seriously.
Inspiration. Figure
out what brings you life. Areas of inspiration for me include music, art,
people who have overcome impossible odds, cities, and writing that really makes
me think. Find out what in life intrigues you-there is too much awesomeness in
this life for boredom to take hold. Allow yourself to be easily amused &
excitable, life is just more fun that way.
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| Inspire me Richmond! |
Jesus. In college I moved from thinking Christianity was just a set of ideas among many other theories and I began to "own" my faith-I really put my name to it. Meeting Jesus in a real way, beginning an actual relationship with Him, allowed me to see myself and the world around me in a totally different light. My relationship with God is the most important thing about me. I am thankful to know that even though I am broken in many different ways, God is putting the pieces back together through a beautiful process.
I'll be taking my own advice as I continue to learn these lessons (over and over again) as I venture into this new chapter of life!
