Here We Go

HAPPY 2015 EVERYONE! A new year means a perfect time for new beginnings, so hello - why not start a blog? 

First, the motive behind this blog… To begin, my name is Maddy. You should know that because 1) I shared this on Facebook and you are my friend and 2) this would be weird if I was using a stranger's name. Secondly, “oh my gosh,” “oh my word,” and other “oh my” phrases are all used to express surprise. THAT IS MY LIFE: A whirlwind of awkward, strange, hilarious, wonderful surprises! Also, 2015 is going to be a big year in my life. I'm graduating, starting college, getting a dog (just kidding but that would be awesome if my parents would get me one *wink wink*), meeting new people, and having all new experiences - and I am here to share them with you. That is, if I don’t change my mind about this whole “blog” thing (read guideline 8 to understand what I just meant).

Second, the basics... I loveeeee Jesus, I'm currently a senior in high school, I live in a small town, I am a HUGE Disney lover, I'm a theatre person, I love to talk, I don't like tea (I know, "BUT YOU'RE FROM THE SOUTH!" (slap me, shun me, stone me, whatever), I'm really fond of polka dots, I am a fuzzy sock enthusiast, I super love taking pictures, the sound of styrofoam gives me the willies, I love kids, I can juggle, I love looking up synonyms for words, I love Harry Potter more than people would expect, I LOVE fun facts, and I have a ukulele named Walt! So that's basically my life summed up in 18(ish) phrases.

Third, the important people in my life... My family means the world to me, and they are the happiest, most hilarious people you will ever meet! My mom, dad, and brother (Jack, he's 20) are always there for mental, physical, spiritual support. And comedic relief of course. I also have the sweetest boyfriend I have ever imagined. Well, he's better than I could have imagined, actually. His name is Jared, and together we are: MARED! .......cheesy, yes. But really, it's pretty great when your boyfriend is also your best friend. Speaking of best friends, I also have two more! Abby, who is the smartest person I know (she's our valedictorian for our class), and Kait, who is the most talented person I know (she writes songs and sings like nobody's business). I can always count on both of them to be there for me whenever I need them.

And finally... the method to this madness I call “life!” I have 10 guidelines I try to follow (notice I said TRY… I am far from accomplishing all of these) to live the happiest life I can.

1. Love others like Christ loved you. God commanded us to love each other like He loved us. He literally sacrificed His son to save us. P.S., it wasn’t because we deserved it. It’s because He just LOVED us, and He IS love, and He wants US to love! Everyone we come across, love them. The richest man in the world: love. The poorest man in the world: love. The most popular person at your school: love. The person that no one talks to at your school: love. LOVE EVERYONE. That’s what we’ve been obligated to do: love love love love love love love!

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

-1 Corinthians 13:13

2. Be honest with yourself. Really. Don't lie to yourself! Evaluate your strengths. Don't feel selfish when you think you are good at something, be confident - but not boastful. God gave you gifts to use to glorify him, but how are you supposed to do that if you continuously deny your awesome talents?! You are so full of worth, and you should never put yourself down. But also, evaluate your weaknesses. WITHOUT DISCOURAGING YOURSELF. Just recognize what areas in your life you aren't as strong in, and work to improve them! This will make you a better person, and you will be happier knowing that you have improved yourself in this way. Also, be honest with yourself when your conscious is telling you that you've done something wrong. Let your conscious be your guide (thank you Jiminy Cricket). Own up to what you have done, do everything needed to clear your conscious, and forget about it when it has all passed! A clear conscious frees you.

3. Do what you love. I've learned in the high school that it's always best to be myself, because if you're doing what makes you happy without worrying what people are thinking about you, you will truly be happy. So what if you're a drama geek and you quit dance to be fully involved? If it makes you happy, DO IT! Life is too short to be miserable!

4. Be positive! This is an obvious, but some people really forget about this little gem. Always look for the bright side. If you're a naturally negative person, work on making a POINT to look on the bright side of every situation until it becomes a habit. Is someone making fun of you because you are a super tall girl? Don't cry about it - look them in the eye, agree, and reach over their head to grab a book on the top shelf. Lighten up your life, it could always be worse!

5. Stay organized. Before I expand upon this, I’m going to let you know that I am an EXTREME organizer! I have a weird passion for organizing things, so I don't actually know if this applies to everyone's life or just mine. Yet I find that the more organized I am, the easier my life flows along. Put things in specific places, keep things separated that need to be separated, make lists, do not hoard things you no longer use, and once you get organized, keep it that way! In the long run, it will save you a whole lot of stress and time. There's something relieving about knowing where all of your stuff is, and it makes life a whole lot simpler. A simple life is a happy life!

6. Keep your personal issues off of social media. I'm just not a fan of the whole  “subtweeting” thing. I also do not enjoy having beef with people. If you feel the urge to post your drama on Twitter, Facebook, whatever… Keep it in your brain for your own self to enjoy, not the 60492850913851985 billion users on Twitter. It's always best not to stir up drama, especially not behind a computer screen. If you have a problem with someone, confront them face-to-face (civilly, respectfully, and classy, of course) and work it out between the two of you. I also believe in keeping your relationship off of social network. With that said, I'm not telling you I don't put pictures up of Jared and I... I definitely do. I love pictures! But I feel like it's a bit much when couples proclaim their love and never-ending affection for their boyfriend/girlfriend daily, for all the world to see, to assure THEMSELVES that they will be together forever and ever and ever. Relationships are between you and your significant other. Relationships are NOT between you, your significant other, and all of your Instagram followers. If everyone knows all of your business, problems will arise - which doesn't add up to a happy life at all!

7. Smile at strangers. 99% of strangers will smile back to you (there are more affable people out there than you think). The other 1% are party poopers. There's just something lovely about forming a silent connection with someone you don't know in the shampoo aisle at Target! Who knows? Maybe they will take that as a cue to talk to you, and you may learn that they’re directing a new movie and they want you to star in it… or they just tell you about how they’ve been out of shampoo and haven’t washed their hair in two weeks, either one.

8. Find a hobby. This is a guideline on my list that I'm not quite following through with yet! Hobbies are great, and they are great to use as a getaway from the stress of everyday life! I've tried painting, drawing, instruments... nothing quite clicked with me (except the ukulele, it has four strings so I can throw down on that). I thought about buying a nice camera soon, because I felt like photography would be a great hobby for me because of my love for pictures! But I can’t make a decision, so I don’t think it’s a good investment with my ever-changing mind right now. So, the new hobby I’m trying out… blogging! Let’s see how long this lasts… Anyway, even when I am just trying out different hobbies, it makes my life so happy because I know I can look forward to that activity once I finish all of my “stressful” activities, like school work, my job, college planning, deciding a career, or trying to beat my record at how many mini marshmallows I can fit in my mouth… which is 62, just saying.

9. Create small goals for yourself. It’s always a fantastic thing to have life goals, but I believe having many small goals that you can complete in the PRESENT time really motivates a person to work hard. I have a love/hate relationship with “bucket lists” though... I feel that whenever someone makes a bucket list, they miss out on all of the small adventures life throws at you because they are too focused on those "bucket list goals." They are living life just to check off a box. But what if they don't check off the box by the time they kick their bucket?! Then you die feeling like you didn’t live your life to the fullest! I think it's fantastic to have big expectations of yourself, but also remember to stay open minded when living your life. That's why I believe in a list of small goals. You can have a list of tiny goals for the present time, for instance: run a mile every week, take one picture a day for a month, wake up by 6:30 every school morning, etc. You can complete these goals, still feel accomplished, and always be able to be spontaneous in your life! Spontaneity rocks.

10. Laugh at yourself. All in all, I'm a pretty awkward person. Therefore, not a day goes by where I don't get stuck in a very uncomfortable situation in which I cannot get myself out of smoothly. So at the end of the day, I have two choices. I can either relive my awkward situations over and over until I feel awful and hold it over myself forever... or I can forgive myself, forget, and laugh about it. Which is ALWAYS the best way! Stop taking yourself so seriously and I guarantee your problems will significantly decrease! This goes for anything in your life. If I'm stuck in a bad situation, I can make it seem 10x worse by complaining and feeling sorry for myself, or I can throw my head back, laugh, and deal with the problem. I've always been told that I laugh a lot, and I take that as a HUGE compliment! Sure, I may laugh at inappropriate times every once in a while (while getting in trouble, when someone’s venting to me, funerals), but hey - that's okay! It also shows that I don't take myself so seriously that I can't just sit back, relax, and enjoy myself. That's what life is about, right? Enjoying yourself, making memories, and having a blast in this thing called “life.”

So, here we go...