#connections

About six months ago, I got back in touch with a high school classmate. We haven’t seen each other since graduating high school. One of the last photos we have together was taken on grad night. Even in high school, we were never very close (there were very few people I considered close friends), but now we are trying very hard to bridge the years and become a bit closer.

She recently shared some good news with me. It seems so natural to share news with friends, but seeing as we’ve never really been too close, I was impressed that she thought to tell me what’s going on in her life.

It’s nice to connect with someone.

Do you ever wonder when a person enters your life what lesson they have to teach you?

Which song you identify with the most? Which song gives you a tingling feeling? The sense of being understood? Empowered? Special? Loved?

Send me your song and the parts of the lyric you feel the most connected to.

’Cause if I’m notpure I guess that I’m toomuch // And if I’m notloved I guess that I am cursed

If I’ll be somebody I’ll never let myskin decide it for me // I never had the world so why change for it?

Someone out there is trying to find somebody whole who is not dying // But everybody cries

Tagging:

@moonsetlover@smndragon@laissez-fire-oh@prettaeviv@foxxywanderess@sweetwhitechoco

Hi there everyone! I decided to come back with another article, as I have been spiralling a lot these past few days. I find with quarantine, it’s becoming more and more difficult to get out of these spirals. I thought I’d write about my experiences and what helps in case anyone else was feeling the same way.

Imposter syndrome. Many of us have heard this word before. We feel out of place where we are, like we don’t belong, or that we don’t deserve something that has come our way. I am SO guilty of feeling this way; I think about all the times I’ve told people I didn’t deserve the music award I won at the end of high school, for example. It’s especially difficult when we see everything else that other people have accomplished. When we’re stuck at home during quarantine, these feelings can hit even harder, they have for me. I’m only starting my second year of university in September, but there are SO MANY things happening that I feel like I should be involved in or helping out for. Or that I should be coming up with more ideas. This is especially true for someone who is studying social issues. I feel this way as a writer as well-that my writing isn’t deep enough, or that it doesn’t address certain issues.

I’ll tell you the spirals are difficult, especially when they hit during work and I can’t focus. I’ve found a few things have been quite helpful for this. Take a look at your surroundings and name the things you see, smell, feel. This is a technique used by some during an anxiety/panic attack, but it’s something I’ve tried with my spirals to bring me back to the present moment. Another thing that is very helpful is telling myself “you’re doing great, you still have time, opportunities are always coming your way.”

Yes, opportunities are still coming your way. They can build up your resume and give you new experiences. Stop focusing on what you did or didn’t do in the past, and quit feeling like you should know what to do in the future. This is today. And tomorrow is tomorrow. Each day there’s a new opportunity to learn and grow. Don’t waste it by worrying so much.

I’ve also found this difficult when it comes to Linkedin, and I think I may be growing a bit of an addiction to it. As someone whose future career is very much make or break with your connections, I get worried about how my profile looks. Do I have enough experience? Volunteer roles? Certifications? I somehow compare myself to my older peers with many research assistant roles. But I’m only a second year, and I know I will gain those opportunities as well in my internship program.

It’s good to step away from Linkedin sometimes. I think I’ve updated my profile five times in the last couple of days, and it just keeps making me more worried. Yes, it is nice to see all your involvement in one place, but it also just keeps you comparing to others. If you feel like you have the same problem, let’s take some time to be away from Linkedin and spend some more time appreciating each day and each opportunity.

As a final reminder: yes, you belong here! Yes you are amazing! Yes you will get your dream career one day! Never feel like you aren’t supposed to be where you are; you worked so hard to get there, and I am so proud of you.

  Because someone out there is waiting for you to find them! – Guest Submission

(Please don’t add negative comments to these posts.)