You Can't Handle This Boredom

I'm not a very good blogger. Probably because I don't really have a direction...this blog is really just the ramblings of a sometimes bored, sometimes lonely woman. So I apologize to anyone that actually reads this.

Random thought for the day:
I used to be a night owl. This began as a child, when I would stay up as late as possible reading whatever Babysitter's Club book I had on hand. Not even early morning seminary could get me in bed at a reasonable time. Freshman year, I had class at 8 the first semester and work at 8 then next. I missed that class a lot, and my kind teacher would call me and see how I was. I was late to work fairly frequently and, well, my supervisor was a bit less kind about it. I would later blame this on my thyroid, but...even on the meds, I stayed up rather late. Skip ahead to summer, 2012. It's nigh impossible to stay up late every night and wake up on time to get to work by 5:30 to open up and cook breakfast sandwiches. Years later, I still struggle to stay up past 10:30 or so.
Now, I'd like to think that my early-to-bedding helps me get up earlier in the morning. Alas, it does not. Curse getting older and all that jazz.

Since you're still paying attention, here's my discourse for the day:
Happiness is a choice, my friends. I'm sure you've all heard that a lot (I know I have). Easier said than done, you say. Here's the thing: you're not always going to be happy. You'll be sad, angry, frustrated, stress, or just plain down. But if you choose to just be a happy person, you will be.
It takes some effort to stick with this decision. It helps that I'm up close and personal with some gorgeous, majestic mountains. It's easy to see the beauty in this world of ours, and it makes me happy. Seeing happiness in others makes me happy. When I get things done, I'm satisfied and happy. My husband makes me happy.

What makes you happy?

It's been a long time

Over a year now, in fact. Life has taken me away - and yet, it seems less in many ways. I got my highest college GPA this past semester, but at the same time, I went for months without worrying in my journal, days without washing the dishes. I let myself become addicted to my perfect little tablet, wasting endless hours on Facebook, Pinterest, reddit. Sometimes I'll draw a picture or do something else creative, but it's really an empty life. I have found some peace in meditation, but it's hard to clear a mind full of distractions.

Recently, I've felt the old dreams stirring within: dreams of a simple life, devoid of mindless "entertainment" and full of passion for life. It's funny, though, that that mindless entertainment is what really inspired me this time. Earlier I came across a blog post by a woman passionate about homemaking. It inspired me to find joy in creating a clean home, small though it may be. I hope to cultivate that love within myself.

I've spoken of my love of Star Trek before. Well, I just watched the episode in which captain Picard is trapped in another life on a more primitive planet. Captain Picard is the epitome of a renaissance man, with knowledge and interests spanning many fields; he knows a little about everything, and he's passionate about all of those things. In this episode, he uses that knowledge to live a simple life, but a life that involves science experiments and creating music. Picard spend much of his days tramping through the wild. He even learns to love a wife he didn't know, and creates a beautiful life with her.

This episode really inspired me. I cannot spend all my time in the woods of Utah or charting stars through the smog, but I can live more in the moment. I can choose to live the life I'm in to the fullest rather than on the couch on my tablet, or worse, in class on my tablet when I should be learning (although sometimes... A professor is just rambling on a tangent). I wish it were spring, so that I can appreciate nature more fully, but for now I can enjoy the tranquillity of the falling snow, or the sunrise on the white shoes of the mountains.

It's so easy to fall into the habit of monotony with all the distractions available to us - a life of passion takes a conscious effort. Dreams take work. A life well-lived can be a thing of beauty; we just have to search for it.