Tag Archives: work hard

Farewell 2020

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As we bid farewell to this year, I find myself looking back at all that has happened in these last twelve months. Although 2020 certainly wasn’t perfect, I can think of multiple things about this year that are worth noting.

A year ago today, I started this blog site! On this blog I chose to write about a variety of topics that interest me, rather than stick to one specific topic. While I have a certain niche that my lifestyle blog is centered around, I have successfully written about many different topics all the way from fashion to sports. In my first ever blog post, I scribed a manifesto detailing all that I hope for in year 2020. While it’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of this past year, I thought the best way to ring in the new year would be to look back and see what, if anything, did I get correct.

I had highlighted a quote from Viktor Frankel that states “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” I personally live by this quote. This year specifically, I have found that I had to choose how I respond emotionally to our unfortunate circumstances. Through the pandemic I have tried to remain positive and hopeful for better days ahead. I also stated that, whether good or bad, everything happens for a reason. I went on to say that even if we never know such reason, these occurrences are to shape our person. While we may never understand why something as tragic as a global pandemic would strike us this year, I do believe that the time spent in isolation did allow me an abundance of mental clarity. In any given situation, I have started asking myself “what is this trying to teach me?” I believe we’ve all been reminded to appreciate our own lives and value every moment spent with our loved ones.

The most interesting find in my first blog post was the information I learned about the meaning of number 2020. This number is said to mean that you must use wisdom in your decision making. It appears when you need tranquility in your life, especially when facing self-conflict, and tells you to live your life in peace and harmony. Throughout these grim days, besides the obvious suffering through a virus and the great losses we have endured this past year, I’m sure many have also faced internal struggles as they succumb to a sense of loneliness while in isolation. These hardships we have faced in year 2020 perhaps were to remind us to find peace within ourselves and to remain calm even when met with harsh challenges.

I personally made some positive changes in my life to close out this year. I took the mantra “new year, new me” literally and finally chopped my long locks off after years of hesitation!

Something that has remained constant in my life is my support system. I have the best family and friends who continually motivate me in my pursuance of writing.

In my first ever blog post I discussed the power of manifestation. As I did before, I want to share what I wish to manifest for myself in year 2021…

Last year I wrote that I hope to still be happy and be surrounded by positivity, love, and inspiration. In my life I regularly find myself met with love and inspiration that drives me to keep moving “Ever Onward” (see what I did there?). This past year I have received amazing support on my blog from all my closest friends and family. My ultimate goal from the start, and my hope going into this new year, has been to reach a larger following someday. I expressed that I wish to get a taste of success. I will continue to take you all on the journey called my life, through storytelling. This year I will keep working hard to achieve my goals for this site. I vow to never stop writing.

While I used to post on a weekly basis, I quickly found that this was an arduous undertaking. If you were unaware, I now post on a monthly basis. I typically upload a new blog post on the last day of every month, unless there is a particular occasion or topic I wish to write about before the end of the month so be sure to tune in each month!

As for our world as a whole, I hope in this next year we continue to heal from the hardships we have faced together throughout these last intense months.

If this was you on New Year’s Eve, counting down the seconds until the clock struck midnight, you certainly aren’t alone…

The best thing about this New Year’s Eve was getting to celebrate alongside my best friend for the seventh time in a row. Farewell to year 2020, and to year 2021, please take it easy on us!

Here’s to 2021!

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Happy New Year!


Is College the Right Choice for the New Generation?

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Most high school graduates have typically been bombarded with the age-old question, “So, what college are you going to?” The answer was almost always followed by the names of prominent universities. However, with the increasing movement towards online degrees and the outrageous rising tuition costs, the answer is no longer so clear cut. As our economy and world changes, young adults everywhere are having to rethink the question, “Is college the right choice for me?”

Those who decide to go to public college are faced with many challenges. Typically, they are overwhelmed with high costs that they find themselves paying off for many years later in life. Also, many students find that the job they get after school has nothing to do with the degree they pursued, therefore those years of handwork and financial investment were for nothing. So, if you know for certain what you want to pursue in life absolutely requires a college degree, then public college is the right choice for you.

With these increasing tuition fees, some people even question whether going to college is worth it at all. This varies person to person and depends on each circumstance, but this option should not be shunned. Many students after high school graduation get their foot in the door of a company and go straight to work. In the work field, having a college degree typically helps when applying and certainly looks good to an employer, but is not always a requirement and does not determine one’s capabilities and success in certain fields. Therefore, if you are willing to give up the opportunity to have the public setting college experience, and you want to get straight to work in an area that does not require a specific degree, then I say you should go for it.

Another option for incoming college students is online studies. This is the avenue I personally chose and I will say it has its pros and cons. Online schooling is perfect for those who need or want to study in the convenience of their own home. No, with online classes you don’t get a typical classroom setting, but you are still held to the same standard of your average student. You must be disciplined in a schedule that works for you in order to properly study, meet assignment deadlines, and keep up good grades. Online college still offers a variety of degrees and is a good way to study, at the least, your basics. You can receive the same material and ultimately the same opportunity as any public school with courses online. If you know that the career you want doesn’t truly require a college degree, then maybe an online program is the right choice for you.

With the recent events of this pandemic, students across the globe have gotten a taste of online studies and it has brought up the question whether or not virtual learning is the way of the future for schooling at all grade levels. I asked my mother who is a public school teacher her thoughts and she stated, “When I first became a teacher 23 years ago, people would joke that robots would replace teachers in the future. The internet has now stepped in allowing a new platform for teaching that was unfathomable when I began my teaching journey. I am old school and I do prefer face to face instruction. Yet I must appreciate the convenience of online learning and embrace it as the way of the future. We all have to adapt or be left behind.”

So, is traditional college the right choice for the new generation? Is virtual learning the way of the future? We’ll just have to wait and see.