The dreaded 'f' word: finals

So it's finally finals week. I'd like to take a moment to tell everyone DON'T PANIC.

And don't worry, for those of you paranoid students with serious insomnia like me, here's Gandalf to provide you some study motivation: YOU SHALL NOT PASS.

But in all seriousness (or non-seriousness, as it be), take a moment to put things in perspective. Your life does not hinge on whether or not you pass a class. If the worst thing that ever happens in your life is having to repeat a class, you have a pretty durn awesome life.

Everything happens for a reason! Trust that. If you're trying to do the best you know how, things will work out. Not maybe how you want, but always how they need to be. Don't be afraid to fail. To take chances. To jump when you need to. and hold back when you need to as well. Trust that there's a higher power driving things. Call it what you will.

And don't stop believing!

Pet Peeve

I don't ever talk about things like pet peeves much. In fact, I really try not to have pet peeves at all. But recently, I came to the conclusion that I do, in fact, have one pet peeve that drives me crazy, and that is people who are "nice guys" and "nice girls".

Let me explain. Being a nice guy isn't nice at all. In fact, it's usually downright fakery. A charade. A masquerade. A hoax. A sham. KaBLaM! (It rhymed...I had to do it!)

For example, people who shrug off compliments by criticizing their own work, e.g.,

"Hey, you did a great job on that painting."

"Thanks. I kinda feel like it's a bit dull though."

TAKE THE DURN COMPLIMENT AND MOVE ON. Don't take it as an excuse to degrade yourself, which really indicates low self-esteem, and you could even just look at it as fishing for compliments, even if that's not what you mean to do.

Life's hard enough without you beating yourself up over your own mistakes. Feel free to tell that obnoxious voice in the back of your mind that it can shut up and go jump off a cliff. After all, it's just an annoying voice. If has no feelings. You're the one with the feelings, and quite frankly, you have the right to be as happy as you choose to, and Mr. Stupidface McDegrading can go fly a kite. On the moon.

So choose to be happy and stop being a nice guy. Be yourself. Be the best you you can. Be the kind of person that makes everyone else want to be a better them. That's all anyone really wants from you.

Being "nice" isn't nice. It's frustrating. Why does this frustrate me so much? Because I do it. So if you catch me being an obnoxious nice guy, go ahead and call me out on it. I really won't mind. And everyone - you, me, Mr. Rogers, Mr. T, Mr. Mister, and even your imaginary pet cat Mr. Fluffycuddlekins - will be happier.

So please, do everyone involved a favor. Choose to be yourself. Stop beating yourself up. You've got enough problems as it is without becoming your own worst enemy.

Instead, read this. No, really, read it. It inspired this post, to some extent.