To continue, or not?

I recently started another blog similar to this on WordPress.com.  NOT because I prefer it over Blogger, but because there is a free app I can install on my Blackberry to more easily post to it.  I just realized I really miss this blog, though.  I love the layout, and writing my thoughts on it.  So far, the other blog is officially private, so it's more like a journal than something to display.  I might change that soon, though, because I rather like my thoughts being out there for everyone to see...  Even if they happen to be straight from the heart!  Cheesy, right?  But still.

Anyway, I might work on figuring out the best way to incorporate the two blogs, perhaps copy some posts from one to the other, or something.

Update:  I have now made the WordPress blog public, and since it's more convenient and that's what I need right now, I'll probably be posting to it much more often than this blog.  Here's the link! : Lauren's Thoughts

I sit here listening to Staind, and I feel that I'm meant for something bigger than right now. When I get touched by the smallest, simplest things in life, I can just feel my potential, and I feel like I need to... get out there and reach others... How, I am still not sure, but I'm getting closer to knowing. I want to touch others with my writing, and I want to help others with my kindness and my resources. And I want John right there beside me. And I want to be able to talk to him about this, and make a plan of action, and bring back that fire in him that fueled mine. I know for a fact that If I hadn't met him, I wouldn't view the less fortunate quite how I do now. He has opened my eyes, and by doing that, he's helped me realize my potential and connect it with my dreams.

I'm ready to start heading toward these dreams. I've decided to become a "Giving Heart" for the Bridge of Lubbock non-profit organization that provides food and hope for the disadvantaged and/or homeless people and children of East Lubbock. I did some research on their site and I was touched by their mission and their involvement in the community. As soon as I'm near a computer to print out the application form, I'm pledging to donate $25 a month of this organization, to provide for the families. I've provided a link below to their site if anyone reading this is interested or in the Lubbock area. Their goal is to get 300 "Giving Hearts", and they currently only have 14; so, they could obviously use more help!

I'm really excited about where this start will take me, and can't wait to get started.

The Bridge of Lubbock site.

Giving

The book I'm reading right now - The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All by Azim Jamal & Harvey McKinnon - has really been opening up my eyes about a person's role in this world. As a college student, I've had opportunities in my classes to really think a lot about my future and begin to look at my options. Because of this book, I've been thinking not only about how I will make a living for myself, but also how I want to impact others along the way, and give as much as I'm able to.

I don't feel like right now I'm using all of my potential in this area. I give to my friends, my family, and John, but I can do even more than that. The question I've been thinking lately is: how do I get started? I'd like to do some volunteer work and have been looking for opportunities to do this, but haven't had a lot of luck yet. But I feel like I'm just wasting time when I could be making a difference in the world.



In my Professional Report Writing class I'm taking this semester, I was given an assignment to conduct three informational interviews who have jobs I'm interested in and then right a research report over those. I was really inspired by how each person I talked to not only loves their job, but also uses it to better others. And they all seem pretty dang happy. That's the kind of life I want.

Fulfillment

I've always thought that true friends were forever. But what do you do when you start to find yourself growing up more than those friends? Or at least growing a different perspective on many things in life. I miss enjoying the simple things, like laughing and being stupid, and going to the park, running outside and feeling the wind on my face, feeling God's presence, actually feeling it. I believe those of some of the most important moments in life, and I feel like right now I'm the only one around who has the desire to take time to appreciate those things. My my wonderful boyfriend John and I used to always share those kind of moments, but it seems lately that everything around us has been getting in the way. Yesterday, I asked John to go for a walk with me outside (my apartment is next to small lake, and the weather was started finally getting warm enough to walk outside in). We went, and I thought it was an absolutely beautiful day and the view was amazing to me, but it felt like there were too many distractions to even enjoy it, like we always used to do.



It may not sound like that should be too extreme, but for some reason, it hurts down to the core. I mean, shouldn't that be something that, as humans, we all share? It's just not as fulfilling otherwise. But I feel like everyone around me - minus John - is so wrapped up in drinking and smoking, and taking, taking, taking what they can get from life.

Why not give? Give your talents by using them to better something, or someone. Give your time to talk with someone about their dreams, or give some of your extra money (even if it's just a little) to someone who doesn't even have enough to survive. I myself cannot say that I have tried my best at this in the past, but I really do want to start... NOW. I already have a wonderful life, but I want to make an impression on others as well. I want to be fully rounded, fulfilled. I want to learn as much as I can, and be knowledgeable and well-read. I want to get out there and experience all types of viewpoints and conditions in the world.

The question now is... where to start?

Starting off...

A friend of mine posted something on her Facebook about how she has started blogging, and it inspired me to start up my own blogging once again. There were two main reasons for this: (1) I miss blogging, and (2) I think a significant amount of things have changed in my life since I last maintained my own blog.

Basically, I'm not in high school anymore, meaning: the majority of my time is not spent thinking about the last boy who didn't like me enough, or how I feel about prom, how I'm ready to get out of my hometown, etc. Lately, my mind's been turning more and more towards my future and what I'm doing now, as I get there. And I love it. And although my thoughts may not be much different than anyone else's my age, I thought it would be interesting to be them out there. (Plus, I also now have an iPhone - I have always wanted to blog from my phone!)

So, a little about me (I will keep it short):

I'm 20 years old and a sophomore undergraduate student at Texas Tech University, and I love it here. I'm majoring in technical communications with a minor in nutrition. I'm finally starting to realize that this just might be the perfect choice for me.

The most important things in my life are: my family, my friends, and my boyfriend; writing to express myself; keeping myself healthy; having a relationship with God; and giving what I can to others. The first three are my everything, and will probably be mentioned on here endless times.

Now that I've gotten the first post out, there's not turning back :) Whether anyone ends up reading this or not, at least I'll have the satisfaction of being able to write on it.