Cord Organization

I hate going to charge my electronics only to discover the cord has fallen behind my desk.  Anyone who has run into this problem knows exactly what I'm talking about.  Having to squeeze my hand between the desk and wall in an attempt to steal the charger back from the dust bunny bandits is on my list of #firstworldproblems.  To save time (and unnecessary stress), I decided to try a cord organizing system using binder clips.  I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back.  Honestly, I don't know why I didn't do this sooner.  It is seriously the easiest, most useful thing ever!

Any other good desk organizing tips out there?

Happy Valentine's Eve

One of the redeeming things about February is my favorite should-be-a-national-no-school-holiday: Valentines's Day. From dozens of long-stemmed red roses to heart-shaped boxes of expensive chocolate, February 14th incites endless cliches of love and romance. Whether you have found your Prince Charming or are tired of kissing one too many frogs, Valentine's Day is an excuse to celebrate! Use Valentine's Eve to get in the loving spirit with these fun suggestions...

Ride by Lana Del Rey

Maybe it's the thought of graduating, maybe it's the cold weather, or maybe it's reading novels about the "lost generation" in modern lit.  Whatever it is, I've been feeling ...weird lately.  Hmmm, I don't know if weird is the right word; I guess a more thorough description would be "introspective".. "introverted"..  maybe even "lost."

...Or on second thought, maybe those aren't the right words either.  They have such a depressing tone to them, and that's not the image I want to portray.  I have plenty of aspiration; One may even argue that I have so much aspiration that it is impossible to fit it all into a single lifetime.  That's it! ...That's my problem: I can't decide what I want, so I want it ALL.  Hopefully you can piece together what I'm trying to say better than I can.  If not, I apologize.

Anyway, my current wanderlust state is somewhat reflective of this poem/song hybrid by Lana Del Rey.  Once you get past the ridiculously long intro, it's happy and sad at the same time with the perfect amount of conviction.

Ugh, it's getting late.  I'm going to get some sleep before I start philosophizing the true meaning of life ....or sell all my belongings so I can book a one-way ticket to Europe ;)

Motivational Monday: Be Present

SOURCE: SHRIMP AND SALAD CIRCUS

BEING PRESENT

I was browsing Pinterest (surprise, surprise) and came across this motivational quote by Jim Elliot: "Wherever you are, be all there."  It seems deceptively simple.  I mean if I'm here, how can I be somewhere else at the same time?  The true meaning behind this quote stems from a concept many of us aren't fully comfortable with (or at least I'm not)... the concept of being in the now.  Being physically engaged in a situation is much different than being mentally engaged in a situation.

FROM EXPERIENCE...

Personally, my mind constantly wanders to thoughts of the past or future.  I'm always criticizing myself for what I should have done differently or looking ahead to "once I ___, then I'll ___."  My mind has become a dumping ground of never ending to-do lists, catchy lyrics, and overly critical analyses of EVERYTHING.

THOUGHT BEHIND THE THEORY

A therapist once explained the importance of "being present." This idea really resonated with me.  She referenced me to some scholarly papers, but of course I can't find them right now.  Anyway, here are some of the benefits I can recall:

• You are able to achieve a higher level of success by more effectively accomplishing your goals
• Less depression (backwards thinking) and/or anxiety (forward looking)... translates to increased general happiness
• Recent studies show that being present helps lower your chances of developing alzheimers later in life.  Although it is a relatively new study, scientific evidence suggests that being self-aware prolongs the onset of dementia.
• You can recognize your needs better, and then more effectively address those needs (i.e. helps reduce mindless eating)

THEORY TO REALITY

So sure, being present is beneficial, but how do we put it into practice?  The answer: by consciously being aware of yourself and your surroundings.  Pshh easier said than done.  However, it's not impossible.  Every day take a few seconds to be aware of what's around you; Not just recognizing it, but engaging in it to be really aware.  Notice the feeling of the keyboard on your fingers as you type, the breeze against your skin as you walk, and the taste of your food as you eat.  As you engage your senses, you will naturally become more self-aware.  Eventually, it will become habit (or at least that's what they say....)

Now it's time for me to practice what I preach... Wish me luck!

P.S. I'm excited to announce that I've linked up with Amber from Living in the Moment for this post.  Hopefully my first link up of many!

App Spotlight: Vine

Sorry I've been M.I.A. for the past couple weeks.  Between moving into my new apartment and starting my last semester of college, I haven't had the time or energy to post.  Now that I've managed to create some form of routine, I should be back to updating regularly.

Today's post is about an iPhone app called Vine.  It's been around for a little while, but I just discovered it this morning.  Basically it's an app that let's you take and share 7-seconds of looping video.  Some people get really creative with their videos.  I've been playing around with it all day.  It is very user-friendly and makes even the most amateur of movie makers feel like the next Spielberg.  Here are some screenshots I snapped to show how easy it is to use!

   

{SEARCH HASHTAGS & PEOPLE; SHARE ON FB & TWITTER}

Not convinced yet? Download it and try it out for yourself.  The best part: it's free

Here are a couple videos I made earlier today:





Does anyone else have a Vine account?  Are you as addicted as I am?