Life Is Crazy.

Life is happening. It's unreal to me to think where I was a year ago. Even two years ago (getting ready to graduate college.)

I found college to be one of the best things that had ever happened to me. I learned so much. Rather than living at home and taking my time to decide what I wanted to do, I pushed myself to move into an environment of constant change—college. I'm thankful that my family supported me through this...they actually encouraged it. I wouldn't have learned some of the most important lessons that I did had I done otherwise. I stare at the $25,000+ piece of paper I own quite often. Thinking about all of the tests, projects, people I met, professors I had, tears I cried, cut fingers from the X-acto knives, scholarships I worked for, papers I wrote, the many times I questioned why I was putting myself through so much stuff, ect.

I'm currently reading a book. A personal development book called, God's Going To Make You Laugh. Whether you have strong faith, somewhere in the middle, or are unsure...this book nails it on the head. You could almost overlook the faith part if you really wanted to...it relates so much to oneself in so many ways. There has been one paragraph particularly, that I have bookmarked...so far. Here's what it says,

"Experience is not what happens to you. It is about what you do with what happens to you. 

Experience creates a new vocabulary. It's through life's processes that we gather the experience that gives us something to talk about. Take that away and all you have is supposition. Add experience to your life and you have wisdom. Knowledge is power, and that wisdom can only come from experience."

There are plenty of times that I question why I did or do the things I do, or why I didn't. Put myself through certain things or situations, or even other people. There is a reason...there always is. 

What if I had decided to take a semester off from school? What if I wouldn't have stayed up until 4am after I graduated college, looking for jobs, and missed the opportunity to apply for the job I currently have? What if I would have went to bed as soon as I got off work that night? Or went to the bar instead of digging deep into the graphic design positions that were open throughout Iowa? It's so crazy to think about...so many What if  moments that I could think about. But because I made one "small" decision...a snowball or domino effect happened. And I'm ever thankful for that. 

I wouldn't live in Ames. I wouldn't be a group fitness instructor. I wouldn't know my friends here. I wouldn't have ever met my boyfriend. I wouldn't have Beebs. 

Have you ever thought about the slightest decision you made that turned into something great? How seconds or a simple decision could have rerouted the way things turned out?

It's simple. Don't dwell on the negative or bad things that happen to you or that you experience. It's not worth it to do that. You're wasting your time. It's teaching you a lesson...learn from it and gain that knowledge & experience. You will become more successful the more you do that. 

Life is crazy.