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| Source: Isaac Chua; unsplash.com |
I've learned a lot. I mean, I did go to school for seventeen years, after all! But even outside of the classroom, I've realized that there are things in life that don't matter, things that do matter, and things that don't matter at all but we stress ourselves out about them because we still believe that they really do matter.
Let me also preface this list by saying that some of the things on my list are likely going to be superficial, or things that maybe not everyone would think to be something that matters.
But it's something that matters to me. And this is my blog after all.
1. Jesus.
This list is in no particular order. After this point, that is. Man, I wouldn't be where I am or who I am today without Jesus. He has changed my life and is still changing my life every day.
2. Pizza.
People who know me well know that I really have a thing for pizza. It's just so versatile! Like, I feel like I could eat it all the time and not get tired because there are so many different toppings you can put on it, so many different ways to do it. Yummm. 🤤🍕
3. The first half of a mug of coffee in the morning.
Coffee is good all the time, but what really matters is coffee in the morning. Especially the first half of the mug because you're really in NEED of the caffeine at that point.
4. Deep friendships.
It's fun and great to have friendships that are just goofy and fun and light, but my favourite thing is the friendships that are deep and meaningful. The friends you know you can say absolutely anything to and they won't judge you or think differently of you. And if you can be goofy and fun with those friends in addition to the seriousness, that's even better.
5. Honesty.
It's so much easier in the long run if you choose to be honest with the people around you. That's not to say you tell everyone about what a horrible day you're having, but you don't want to hide that from the people who are closest to you and who may be affected by your bad attitude if you're having tough time.
6. Helping people.
I recently chatted with a friend who shared about helping a couple from the church move on his birthday. He talked about the fact that we often think our birthday is all about us and should serve us, but that it brought him greater joy in the long run to serve others on his birthday. This is a mindset that we should have every day - not just on our day of birth.
7. Having a good sleep schedule.
Maaan, I can't ever stress enough how important it is for me to get eight hours of sleep every night in order to be a functioning human being each day. I'm serious - if I sleep for less than seven and a half hours (I can't quite always get eight), I can tell a difference in my attitude, my attention span, my level of focus.
8. Getting out of your comfort zone.
I've written a whole blog post on this one before, and I have other posts from last year - the fourth year of my undergrad - where I wrote a lot about experiences that took me out of my comfort zone but ultimately were the most foundational in terms of shaping who I am, aka my internship and my graduation recital. This is applicable still today with my current internship in Montréal.
9. Music.
Music matters. Maybe you're thinking 'that's easy for someone who graduated with a BMus to say...' but I've often heard numerous people share that music calms them down in times of stress, depression, anxiety, and so on. It's also a great way to worship God - but not the only way *goes into rant about music being called "worship" 🙄*.
10. Going for walks.
I'm definitely not someone who's a gym junkie, or even overly enjoys working out at all. But I DO enjoy walking, and it's a good form of cardio. I love going on walks with people, and I've had some solid deep conversations while on walks with friends. There's something less intimidating about talking with someone while walking in nature, as opposed to sitting face to face with someone in a public cafe or restaurant surrounded by other random people.
11. Cafés.
Going off what I just said about public cafes and restaurants, I LOVE cafes, and I'd say they matter. And considering all the people who stand in line in front of me at Starbucks, I don't think I'm the only person who would say that. Cafes are great for meeting up with someone, getting work done, trying a new espresso, supporting local cafe owners, or just chilling out.
12. Taking care of yourself #selfcare.
Self care has started to have a self-centered connotation connected to it, and I'm not stoked about that. Because self care is such a necessary thing, and sometimes you need to prioritize yourself in order to effectively serve others. Self care can be as simple as taking fifteen minutes to do a face mask, journalling, getting your nails done, and learning how to take a Sabbath each week (I've also written a blog post on that).
13. Going out for breakfast.
I don't know man, there's just something about going out for breakfast. Maybe it's because it's less commonly done than going out for lunch or supper. Or maybe because it's the prime time to consume BREAKFAST SANDWICHES, which are my ultimate comfort food. They also matter.
14. Sunny days after a week and a half of rain.
This one seems oddly specific, because it just recently happened here in Montréal, and my heart got so excited when I woke up to sun one morning. ☀️
15. Gratitude.
I wrote a blog post about this about a year ago, talking about a quote that I read saying, "Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy". One of my friends reminded me the other day though, that gratitude is what shapes a theology of trust in the Lord. That's super true, and it's so easy to get caught up in the daily frustrations of life, but it's important to have an attitude of gratitude towards life and the things that God provides us with.
16. Getting off your phone.
This isn't a command. It's not something I excel at, anyway. But it's so important. A really cool quote I saw last week said, "Do more things that make you forget to check your phone." We're so attached to our phones at all times, and it really shouldn't be that way. I want my 2019 New Years Resolution to be for me to use my phone less. Which I suppose is something I could start right now; I don't need to wait for the new year. But I think being in my internship makes that hard because I need to be contactable for the people I work with.
17. Taking a flight by yourself.
I flew alone for the first time two months ago, and it was the best thing. A few days before I left, one of my friends told me that flying by herself is her favourite, and I thought she was CRAZY, but I realize that I agree with her. You experience such a sense of maturity, responsibility, and freedom from navigating an airport by yourself. I didn't even care that I was there at 5am; I was just living for and loving the whole thing.
18. Documenting things.
I love journalling and taking pictures. From the first day of my internship in Montréal on September 9th, I've made a bullet point journal entry of what I've done each day. Granted, I've gotten behind and had to go back and document a whole week, but nonetheless, it's gotten done. I also love to take pictures. I'm not even CLOSE to being a photographer, but even if I just take a selfie with the friends I was with at an event, or a picture of the cute aesthetic of the cafe I was in. Just something that brings my mind back to a certain day or time.
19. Coconut milk hot chocolate.
I've tried so hard to keep the food-related things that matter to a minimum, but we're BACK. Because approximately a year ago, I found out that I'm lactose intolerant. It was winter, and although I'm a coffee person through and through, I love love love hot chocolate in the winter. And hot chocolate with coconut milk is DIVINE. It doesn't taste like coconut at all; it just adds a deeper richness to the hot chocolate. 😍
20. Effective communication.
I was on Student Council in my second and third years of college, and during training week we had to listen to a number of seminars. Listening to them in my second year was fine, but I thought it would be so boring to listen to the same seminars AGAIN in my third year. But that was the year that the Effective Communication seminar really impacted me, and I've been such an advocate for it ever since then. It's so important to really know what people mean by what they said, and taking the time to clarify things if you're confused or they don't make sense to you.
21. Putting on comfy clothes after being at work all day.
It's nice to wear cute clothes and really be feelin your outfit, but there's nothing better than coming home at the end of the day and changing into leggings or sweatpants and an ol' faithful comfy sweater. Ughhhh. 😌👌🏼
22. Family.
I've talked about Jesus, flights, pizza, music, and more. But of course, family matters too. They're your first friends, your first supporters, the first ones to teach you lessons. And they'll also be your last friends - the ones who have no choice but to love you, be there for you, and teach you more lessons. Always remember where you came from and who loved you first.
So that's that. I'm twenty-two. Life's good. It's crazy, uncertain, and scary too. But God's always good, there are definitely more than twenty-two things that matter. And I'm excited to keep discovering more things that matter, and journeying through each and every day with and by the grace of God.
Let me also preface this list by saying that some of the things on my list are likely going to be superficial, or things that maybe not everyone would think to be something that matters.
But it's something that matters to me. And this is my blog after all.
1. Jesus.
This list is in no particular order. After this point, that is. Man, I wouldn't be where I am or who I am today without Jesus. He has changed my life and is still changing my life every day.
2. Pizza.
People who know me well know that I really have a thing for pizza. It's just so versatile! Like, I feel like I could eat it all the time and not get tired because there are so many different toppings you can put on it, so many different ways to do it. Yummm. 🤤🍕
3. The first half of a mug of coffee in the morning.
Coffee is good all the time, but what really matters is coffee in the morning. Especially the first half of the mug because you're really in NEED of the caffeine at that point.
4. Deep friendships.
It's fun and great to have friendships that are just goofy and fun and light, but my favourite thing is the friendships that are deep and meaningful. The friends you know you can say absolutely anything to and they won't judge you or think differently of you. And if you can be goofy and fun with those friends in addition to the seriousness, that's even better.
5. Honesty.
It's so much easier in the long run if you choose to be honest with the people around you. That's not to say you tell everyone about what a horrible day you're having, but you don't want to hide that from the people who are closest to you and who may be affected by your bad attitude if you're having tough time.
6. Helping people.
I recently chatted with a friend who shared about helping a couple from the church move on his birthday. He talked about the fact that we often think our birthday is all about us and should serve us, but that it brought him greater joy in the long run to serve others on his birthday. This is a mindset that we should have every day - not just on our day of birth.
7. Having a good sleep schedule.
Maaan, I can't ever stress enough how important it is for me to get eight hours of sleep every night in order to be a functioning human being each day. I'm serious - if I sleep for less than seven and a half hours (I can't quite always get eight), I can tell a difference in my attitude, my attention span, my level of focus.
8. Getting out of your comfort zone.
I've written a whole blog post on this one before, and I have other posts from last year - the fourth year of my undergrad - where I wrote a lot about experiences that took me out of my comfort zone but ultimately were the most foundational in terms of shaping who I am, aka my internship and my graduation recital. This is applicable still today with my current internship in Montréal.
9. Music.
Music matters. Maybe you're thinking 'that's easy for someone who graduated with a BMus to say...' but I've often heard numerous people share that music calms them down in times of stress, depression, anxiety, and so on. It's also a great way to worship God - but not the only way *goes into rant about music being called "worship" 🙄*.
10. Going for walks.
I'm definitely not someone who's a gym junkie, or even overly enjoys working out at all. But I DO enjoy walking, and it's a good form of cardio. I love going on walks with people, and I've had some solid deep conversations while on walks with friends. There's something less intimidating about talking with someone while walking in nature, as opposed to sitting face to face with someone in a public cafe or restaurant surrounded by other random people.
11. Cafés.
Going off what I just said about public cafes and restaurants, I LOVE cafes, and I'd say they matter. And considering all the people who stand in line in front of me at Starbucks, I don't think I'm the only person who would say that. Cafes are great for meeting up with someone, getting work done, trying a new espresso, supporting local cafe owners, or just chilling out.
12. Taking care of yourself #selfcare.
Self care has started to have a self-centered connotation connected to it, and I'm not stoked about that. Because self care is such a necessary thing, and sometimes you need to prioritize yourself in order to effectively serve others. Self care can be as simple as taking fifteen minutes to do a face mask, journalling, getting your nails done, and learning how to take a Sabbath each week (I've also written a blog post on that).
13. Going out for breakfast.
I don't know man, there's just something about going out for breakfast. Maybe it's because it's less commonly done than going out for lunch or supper. Or maybe because it's the prime time to consume BREAKFAST SANDWICHES, which are my ultimate comfort food. They also matter.
14. Sunny days after a week and a half of rain.
This one seems oddly specific, because it just recently happened here in Montréal, and my heart got so excited when I woke up to sun one morning. ☀️
15. Gratitude.
I wrote a blog post about this about a year ago, talking about a quote that I read saying, "Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy". One of my friends reminded me the other day though, that gratitude is what shapes a theology of trust in the Lord. That's super true, and it's so easy to get caught up in the daily frustrations of life, but it's important to have an attitude of gratitude towards life and the things that God provides us with.
16. Getting off your phone.
This isn't a command. It's not something I excel at, anyway. But it's so important. A really cool quote I saw last week said, "Do more things that make you forget to check your phone." We're so attached to our phones at all times, and it really shouldn't be that way. I want my 2019 New Years Resolution to be for me to use my phone less. Which I suppose is something I could start right now; I don't need to wait for the new year. But I think being in my internship makes that hard because I need to be contactable for the people I work with.
17. Taking a flight by yourself.
I flew alone for the first time two months ago, and it was the best thing. A few days before I left, one of my friends told me that flying by herself is her favourite, and I thought she was CRAZY, but I realize that I agree with her. You experience such a sense of maturity, responsibility, and freedom from navigating an airport by yourself. I didn't even care that I was there at 5am; I was just living for and loving the whole thing.
18. Documenting things.
I love journalling and taking pictures. From the first day of my internship in Montréal on September 9th, I've made a bullet point journal entry of what I've done each day. Granted, I've gotten behind and had to go back and document a whole week, but nonetheless, it's gotten done. I also love to take pictures. I'm not even CLOSE to being a photographer, but even if I just take a selfie with the friends I was with at an event, or a picture of the cute aesthetic of the cafe I was in. Just something that brings my mind back to a certain day or time.
19. Coconut milk hot chocolate.
I've tried so hard to keep the food-related things that matter to a minimum, but we're BACK. Because approximately a year ago, I found out that I'm lactose intolerant. It was winter, and although I'm a coffee person through and through, I love love love hot chocolate in the winter. And hot chocolate with coconut milk is DIVINE. It doesn't taste like coconut at all; it just adds a deeper richness to the hot chocolate. 😍
20. Effective communication.
I was on Student Council in my second and third years of college, and during training week we had to listen to a number of seminars. Listening to them in my second year was fine, but I thought it would be so boring to listen to the same seminars AGAIN in my third year. But that was the year that the Effective Communication seminar really impacted me, and I've been such an advocate for it ever since then. It's so important to really know what people mean by what they said, and taking the time to clarify things if you're confused or they don't make sense to you.
21. Putting on comfy clothes after being at work all day.
It's nice to wear cute clothes and really be feelin your outfit, but there's nothing better than coming home at the end of the day and changing into leggings or sweatpants and an ol' faithful comfy sweater. Ughhhh. 😌👌🏼
22. Family.
I've talked about Jesus, flights, pizza, music, and more. But of course, family matters too. They're your first friends, your first supporters, the first ones to teach you lessons. And they'll also be your last friends - the ones who have no choice but to love you, be there for you, and teach you more lessons. Always remember where you came from and who loved you first.
So that's that. I'm twenty-two. Life's good. It's crazy, uncertain, and scary too. But God's always good, there are definitely more than twenty-two things that matter. And I'm excited to keep discovering more things that matter, and journeying through each and every day with and by the grace of God.
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