Conscious and Confident | Guest Post by Missy

You are awesome! That is a fact. You were born to change the world. You were born to be yourself. You were born to be awesome. It doesn’t matter who you are, this is true. YOU ARE AWESOME! The question is, are you conscious of that? I’m not asking if you know you are awesome, cause you should know now if you didn’t before. Since you know that you were born to be awesome I’m asking if you are consciously living up to that knowledge?

Everyone has the ability to be awesome in their own way. But I think you’ll agree with me that most of the world today is not living up to that ability. Most people just go through life, living, without really living. Yeah, they might not be dead, but they aren’t living up to the awesomeness inside of them. Why is this? I believe it is because of two things. 1. They aren’t consciously trying to become better and more awesome. And 2. Most people have no self confidence in themselves and in what they are doing.

In order to really become as awesome as you can, you have to make a conscious effort. You have to work hard. Be different, and realize that what you are doing right now will change your life for the better, or for the worse. If you aren’t living consciously everyday, and knowingly try to be a better person, you become a zombie. Yeah, pretty much a zombie. Zombies aren’t conscious of what they are doing, they just live, without living.

Once you know that you are awesome and you are consciously living up to that, you have to not be afraid to be awesome! Being confident in being yourself is really rare. People might judge you, they might label you as “weird.” It’s hard, trust me I know. I’ve been there, done that. But you can’t be afraid to be you. When you are you, when you are confident in the awesomeness you are consciously living every day of your life. You will be, completely awesome. Not just partly awesome, but completely awesome.  

So live a life of conscience awesomeness, and hold your head up high. Be confident in being you, even when you might be mocked as being “weird” because of it. Don’t be a zombie. Be conscience, be confident, be you.

***

Bio blurb:

Missy is a sweet teenage girl who is confident in who she is and consciously lives everyday trying to become a better person. She is passionate about writing and inspiring people to be the best they can be. She loves hot sauce and hates bacon. If you liked this check out more of her writings and such at: http://smilemrn.blogspot.com/

Wave to the World

Hey everyone! With finals in school this week and all the preparation that requires, we've neglected this blog for a little while. But fear not! Today we're going to showcase a cool project that the Williamsburg Intermediate online school is doing. We feel that this is really a meaningful way to reach out to so many people.

The Wave to the World Project: 

"In 1713, a letter traveling under the best conditions from England to America took six weeks to six months to reach its destination. 

In 1963, a letter could travel around the world in that same time.

Today, how long would it take to get a message to every country in the world?

No one knows. No one has tried.

Until now…

On Today, Tuesday, April 23rd, make history with Williamsburg Intermediate by sharing our virtual message with everyone you know. Our goal is to spread a message to every country in the world in 24 hours, using social media (including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.) We hope to inspire the world with the knowledge that our little actions can create a wave so big it will spread throughout the entire world. We have created a video with our message that you can view. 

Help us send a positive message that connects humanity and echoes throughout the world! Be part of the Wave!

Visit our website, view our map, leave a comment with your location and share the message!

           

Don’t just watch history; make it! Spread the wave at www.wavetotheworld.org

Stand up, Stay true, Stand out!

Spread the wave!

Be part of history in the making!"

The 24 hours officially ends at 11:30 AM MST on April 24th, so get to it! If you want to see how many countries have already been reached, visit their Tracking the Wave page!

A New Conviction | Guest Post by Erin Mwanje

“Sadly, in our times, we’ve all become inured and desensitized to death and bloody mayhem unfolding on our TV screens almost nightly.”

– Stephen O’Byrnes

A year ago I was completing my final week of grad school in Cambridge, MA, planning an afternoon subway trip to the Boston Marathon. There I would watch runners struggling up “Heartbreak Hill,” a punishing one-mile climb, that precedes the final six miles of the course. It’s an emotional experience, to see men and women who have given days, months, years training, brought to the verge of despair, crying, stumbling, trembling – but pushing on and through. Such passion is inspiring; such discipline is rare.

Last night, polished newscasters spoke of limbs blown free, of bloodied streets and young death. In between advertisements for deodorant and Mazdas, we learned of bombs, explosions and terror. With ire I noticed that the newscaster concluded the story of the marathon with a plastered smile, moving smoothly onto the next news item, the weather.

To be fair, I know she is not responsible for the stories she reports nor the day’s events that guide those stories. But I have a problem with such glossy news for the same reason that I have a problem with the fact that we can go to McDonalds after a rushed 2-hour tour of the Holocaust Museum. Life is worth more than that.

Thoreau told us sagely that “the effect of good government is to make life more valuable,” and I have often thought on his remark. Do our institutions and our actions make life more or less valuable? Do our educations, our jobs and our entertainment make us value life (our own, and others), more or less?

While the acts of perhaps one person changed the lives of hundreds for the worse in many ways at the marathon, do we believe that we can have the same level of impact – but for good? Do we deeply believe that our purposeful actions can have the same degree of consequence, but in the opposite direction?

It is more likely that the days and months ahead will reveal a cohort of evil-minded terrorists behind this latest attack; but that too should increase our conviction that together we can be an immense power for healing and helping. Our united efforts have incredible power to uplift, encourage and strengthen. Equal to, and greater, than those who destroyed so many lives and limbs that day should be our purpose to give our best, to heal, to free. Are we driven with a thirst to share, uplift, and unite with those around us for good?

Let’s make the anniversary of this event one where we can look back and say, “That was the beginning of a new conviction and a new intention; that was the start of stronger ties and kinder words. The world is better and more whole because I am here.” Answer the injuries of the world with an equal measure of passion and discipline. It’s what got the marathoners to the end of the race; and it is what will get us to the end of our lives with purpose and victory.

***

Bio blurb:

Erin Mwanje is the director of Williamsburg Intermediate, a project-based online school. In an effort to spread the message to the world that together we can have world-wide impact for good, the Intermediate Students will attempt the unprecedented – to send a virtual, uplifting wave to the world in 24 hours, on Tuesday April 23. Please join us by visiting wavetotheworld.org to see how you can help!

This Week's Stories

Hey everyone! We've got a couple more stories of how people from all over are taking their very own paths to awesome. 

Fearlesslystaystrong said:
I went and auditioned for my high school choir today! I haven't done a public school choir ever, and I want to get some more experience with singing. A year ago I was really against doing anything public schooled, but now I'm more open to it. I'm really excited, and have been called to call backs. :) Yay!

Abigail Allen said:
One time, I was visiting my friends who lived in Honduras (now they live in Ecuador), and I went to a class to learn Spanish. All the people there spoke Spanish as their first language, and they were not allowed to speak English (by rule of the class), except for the teacher. The idea was that I would pick up the Spanish language by being immersed in a classroom of middle-schoolers speaking nothing but Spanish. Needless to say, I learned the Spanish language perfectly during the 3 weeks I attended class...NOT! I would have flunked if they gave a grade...but I had fun! (now this is the part that relates to making others smile) One day, I noticed that the entire classroom atmosphere was sad, so I decided that I was going to cheer everyone up. I gave myself a challenge, make at least 5 people in my class of 10 (including me) smile, before the hour-long class was up. The first thing I did was I started to smile. Just smiling makes people feel happy, and it worked! I smiled at the girl who was giving a presentation (she looked scared and nervous), and she started to smile! Then, one of the kids started to smile when he saw her smile. Then, other kids began to simultaneously smile! It was the most awesomest thing ever! By the end of the class, I got all 10 people to smile! I far exceeded my goal, and I felt totally invigorated and happy. 

You guys are so inspiring! Stepping out of your comfort zone and sharing smiles are both fantastic ways to live a better story. Keep it up!

Drops of Awesome

Have you ever had one of those weeks when you're so tired of doing school or work (or both) you don't really care whether it's 4 in the morning or 6 in the evening as long as you can find a comfy spot of floor and sleep? Yeah, that was me this week. Finals are coming up and I'm just a little stressed. *cough*

Last Friday I remembered it was Friday...sounds silly, but Friday means it's time to write about what I did to live a better story this week. I thought about it for a few minutes. And a few minutes more. You see, there's this thing called school and it's taking over my life. I couldn't think of any real specific incidences in which I made a conscious effort to live a better story. Blogging can be really dry and boring when you don't have anything to write, so I decided not to write.

Today I thought better of it. Good news is I made a bigger effort over the weekend to live a better story. Sunday night before bed I spent some quality time with my little sister. We did her hair and hung out for a while and talked about anything. It was so simple, but it was a huge deposit on our emotional bank account (for those of you who have read Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

So I didn't live the story I wanted to and was even planning to this week. The fact that I couldn't even really think of anything I did to reach out or serve or bring a smile to somebody's face testifies to that. But you know what? There's always today. I took advantage of that great blessing and took a couple more steps down my path to awesome.

Think about it--you're living in an amazing moment right now--amazing because you have the power to choose who you are in that moment. Have you ever read Drops of Awesome from the Daring Young Mom blog? It illustrates this idea of taking each moment as it comes so well! You know, guys, I'm coming to see that there's not really any good reason to be down on ourselves all the time. There's always today.

Guest Post | The Psychological Effects of Implementing Your Very Self Into Your Life: A Discussion

Hi, I’m Nando/Dallin. This is a very awkward post for me to write. I don’t take things seriously. Your pet cockatoo may have been murdered in cold blood and I will have no sympathy. *Shrugs* That’s just how I am. Accurately describing “Being Yourself” is pretty difficult unless you take things seriously. So as you read my words, just keep that in mind.

And this is where I, Simmy/Kimberly, come in. *touching music starts to play* I’m pretty much the complete opposite of dear Nando, so this isn’t quite as awkward for me to write. And if your cockatoo dies, I’ll come to the funeral. Just don’t get me wet with your tears. And for heaven’s sakes go blow your nose on someone else’s shirt. But we’re getting side-tracked. I’m here to keep Nando in line and add some thoughts of my own. Let us continue...  

So...what does it mean to be “yourself?” Well, first we’ve got to define that idea. At first, you might assume that being yourself might imply that you don’t take in any outside influences, that you are not tainted by other sources. This thinking is flawed, however. For instance, at my school I’m well known for many things, but almost all of my major characteristics were taken from elsewhere. For example, my sombrero was stolen from Kid History, Pookie - my wooden spoon sidekick - was an taken straight out of an Internet meme, and my characteristic introductions of my teachers when I turn the time over to them was an idea purely from Scout Camp. But...I’m pretty good at being myself. So what’s up with that? Maybe I’m just a psychopath (he is....) and I want to kill you (he won’t...) so I can steal all your homemade chocolate chip cookies and your precious broccoli oreos...

......I would hide all your cookies and oreos, if I were you.  Jussayin’.  But, I do have to agree with Nando even if he is a psychopath. Being yourself doesn’t mean to hide in a random dark cave like a hermit and shun any and all societal influences.

Hey...don’t dis my social life...

Ah, shut up, kid. Nobody cares where you live. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, these societal influences actually help shape who we are. Once upon a time, I read “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?” by Mark Edmundson. In this essay, he addressed why we even want an education anyway. Why do we read “Blake and Dickinson and Freud and Dickens? ...The best reason to read them is to see if they may know you better than you know yourself.” <---Important right there. He’s saying that if we immerse ourselves in gaining an education, we start to find who we really are. We are shaped by what we let in, either for good or bad. We become our own person. But I really can’t tell you how to “be yourself.” I’m not you. I’m me. I love llamas and dislike facial hair. You may hate llamas and love a scruffy man. I don’t have your brain, your heart or your soul. And you don’t wear a sombrero. What drives me could be completely different than what drives you. So in essence, you have to figure out what makes you tick, what makes run and what....makes you, you.

*Looks up from scarfing down some blackberry pie and hurriedly reads the above paragraph* So...*swallows*...apparently Simmy here has come to a conclusion that the only way to be yourself is to...be what you are. Sound logic. So here’s the deal. In order to be yourself, you need to figure out what you are. So I have a few suggestions to help you.

• If you listen to Justin Bieber in any way: SHUN THE BIEBS. (This goes for any idiotic pop culture singer.) <---- This is where you are allowed to hibernate in previously mentioned creepy hermit cave.
• Take a few really close friends that you know will judge you for who you are - not for what you wear or what music (unless it’s JB) you listen to. Go up into the wilderness. I don’t care if it’s the desert, the mountains, the forest, or the bushes in your backyard. Get away from technology and culture, and just be with your friends. Nature’s legit and apparently magical. Just wait for results. But to accelerate the results...
• Get an education. I don’t mean formal education, although that can assist. I mean education in the sense that you get a knowledge of facts and then formulate opinions about them. That’ll help you, like Simmy said, in your quest to find yourself.
• If you don’t have the friends mentioned above: Toss your current “friends” and get new ones. I’ve learned how important good friends are over the course of my 17 years. (Yes, I’m ancient. No need to stare at the drool pooling in the corner of my mouth.) But seriously, listen up. I’ve had friends that pretended to be best buddies with me, pulled me down, and then tossed me to the side like a smelly left sock. It’s happened too many times for me to count. Because of this, I put up emotional walls. However, I’ve finally found some people who love me for who I am and who motivate me to be a better person. Who cares if I don’t fit the mold? There is no mold to fit. Choose your friends wisely.  In addition to your friends, go talk to your familia! They’re (probably) really awesome - even your parents. Yes, your parents. I know that’s difficult to get into your tiny juvenile brain, but accept it regardless of your personal opinion because you’re WRONG!
• Eat some cookies before I get to ‘em. And hide your pie. ;)

Sometimes, it’s helpful to have a personal motto...or um...battle cry. Basically, it’s something short and sweet...something you can remember...that packs what makes you or who you are into twenty-five words or less. (Mine is, “For Waffles!”) What is my motto? Be prepared for awesomeness: “Be happy. Be you. Be llama.”  See? Short, sweet, to the point and easily memorable. What does it mean?

Be happy-- Well duh. Who doesn’t want to be happy in life? The Grinch doesn’t... Actually, the story ended with his heart growing into a big huge teddy-bear-full-of-joy heart. So there. It wasn’t an improvement. Continue. Anywho...being happy involves smiling. And smiling makes other people happy. (I’m talking about the genuine long-lasting happiness, not the happiness that comes from worldly stuff like buying a new pair of shoes....)

Be you-- This is pretty self-explanatory. It’s what this whole blog post is about. But having this in here reminds me that I don’t have to fit a “mold” other people set for me. I definitely want to take their ideas to help shape me into a better person, but they can’t force me to be who they want me to be.

Be llama-- This ties in with being me. If I didn’t have an obsession with llamas, I wouldn’t be me. It’s like trying to imagine Nando without his sombrero.

In conclusion...should we bring this to a close? This has kinda been droning on and on and on and on and on...

SO. Our thesis:

Be Happy. Be You. Be Llama. Get good friends. Trust your family. Get an education. In other words, if you’re not yourself, become yourself.

Actually, the rest of this post kind of drones on and on and on and doesn’t really say anything. In fact, you should definitely stop reading it right now. I mean it, stop reading. If you read this last sentence, I hate you. Ah, get a life, Nando. If they even make it to the end, then I applaud them. You have a point.

NOW BEGONE AND DO GOOD WORKS! And embrace your inner llama.

~Fernando the Zombie Slayer

Simmy and llama <3

***

Bio Blurb

Fernando the Zombie Slayer is the stuff of legend. When he’s not slaying zombies and cackling like a madman while dancing on their remains, he enjoys polishing his Civil War Confederate cavalry sword, crooning lullabies to Pookie, stalking his fellow classmates and taking advantage of Simmy’s gullibility. Nando currently resides in a hermit cave in northern California where he is making plans to take over the universe and force everyone to worship waffles.  Otherwise, he is a darling child who will sweep off his sombrero and dance to a Spanish love song on request.

Simmy is famous for not keeping her mouth shut when she should. Known as “The Master of Llamas,” she would willingly participate in any sort of activity that regards the fuzzy beast from Peru as holy - including dancing like a complete nincompoop. She abhors facial hair, considering it the bane of her existence. She considers it her life work to embarrass herself and all she is acquainted with, which gives her aura of llamaness an interesting twist. She lives in Utah - without a llama, unfortunately. Her hobby is getting involved in silly teenage romantic relationships.

Do you want my email at this point? Sorry, you creepy stalkers.  Get a life or go die. .

Or else...we’ll return the generous favor and find you. :)

If you really want to contact them, leave a comment below and they'll get back to you. :) 

ACTing with compliments

This week I accepted the challenge to ACT (remember from our challenge post last Tuesday?) and it turned out quite differently than I expected. Here's what happened.

I found this blog post on social acceptance earlier this week. (Just a note--the first video has some ads with immodest women, but you can skip it and still get the message.) That was my inspiration for my service this week.

What I read in that post woke me up big time. Beauty, or at least our perceptions of it, have such a profound impact on the way that people in general (but girls especially) view themselves and live their lives. Growing up in a society where ads with picture-perfect women are the norm, you get used to "ignoring" it. You accept it as a fact of life and move on. I don't think that we always think about how much on an impact this has on us. I highly doubt that anybody can see these ads and pictures and still remain unaffected. What we repeatedly view shapes our thoughts which shapes our actions and perceptions of life.

Like I said, that blog post was a wake-up call. When I realized that I wasn't doing all I can or should to help others see themselves as amazing people (which they are) I made a plan. My goal was to compliment three different people every day. It's that simple. But through doing something that small, my mind and eyes are open throughout the day, looking for people who need a confidence boost.

My first compliment was to a friend of mine who is facing some struggles of her own that have to do with this idea of beauty and acceptance. Writing her an e-mail took only a few minutes, but I know that it'll bring a smile to her face. It sure brought one to mine.

I'm certain that we can help those around us see their worth and potential rather than dwelling on what they are not. The small things we do can have a huge influence on those around us. I hope that my three compliments will turn into a life-long habit that will shape not only myself, but those around me.


So enough about me, what did you guys do this week? How have you served? I'd love to hear it!

This is Life, People! | Guest Post by Tim Erickson

"This is life, people! You've got air coming through your nose! A heart beatin! That means it's time to DO something!"- Kid President  

I realized not too long ago that life may seem pretty complicated, but really- it's simple. Open your eyes. Here's the deal: you're a person. you get a max of 100 years to live in this beautiful reality. We live on a tiny yet enormous hunk of rock hurtling through space, a miniscule oasis amid the beautiful cosmos. (if you have a moment, check out this link and try to wrap your head around the size of this wonderful place: http://scaleofuniverse.com/ ) My friends, we live in a beautiful place. A place called the universe. This place, this place is flippin awesome. Open your eyes and see everything around you as if you were seeing it for the first time. Look at the clouds, at the sky, at the trees, at the dirt. Life is a miracle, people. Life is AWESOME. And you know what is the most awesome part about it? People. People like you and me. Members of a giant human family. People are awesome. And you know why? Cause we can choose to be awesome. 

Time. Take a moment and reflect on it. The past, it's gone. Let it go. It's gone. Let it go. But learn from it. In it lie the beginnings of most of what happens in this moment. The future. It hasn't happened yet. We can't control it. It's out of our control. There are too many unknown factors affecting it- the only thing we can do is plan prudently and work as hard as we can for a better tomorrow- a better life. All we can do is act in the now. Now. This moment. Every moment is a new one, a fresh start. Like a new day, but smaller and deeper. Act now to do what you need to do. Tomorrow could be one day too late. 

Life, it's a collection of those moments. Those nows. What you do in this now, the choices you make right now. The choices you make RIGHT NOW, from the infinitude of the available choices, those choices will affect the rest of your minute, the rest of your hour, the rest of your day, the rest of your life. 

Helen Keller wrote, "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." Have an adventure, don't just sit in nothingness. Every moment you decide whether you're gonna be awesome or whether you're gonna just float in mediocrity. Mediocrity is easy. Not being awesome is easy, you just sit there. It might even be fun to be mediocre, to just relax. But being awesome and great, it takes work. It hurts. So why do it? Cause, the goodness outweighs the cost. Being awesome is worth it. Don't just sit there in thoughtless stupor on your computer. Be awesome, it's better than a "like" on facebook- I guarantee it. Do awesome things. Think Different. You've got a life, you've got choices. Make a difference. Impossible? Impossible, it's nothing. Learn something new. Meet someone new. Try looking at things from another person's point of view. Encourage someone to be awesome. Try harder to be great than you've ever tried before, why not? Help other people. Pay it forward. Every moment is a new chance to be better. Be awesome. 

***

Bio blurb: 

Tim is a dreamer, a swimmer, a slackline-addict, and a doer. He has awesome friends, likes astronomy, and loves life--and lives it to the fullest. His passion for life, making every day count, and being great has lead him far down the path of being the awesome adventurer he was born to become. Contact Tim by emailing him at timothyedwintee@gmail.com. 

Challenge: YOUR time to be great

This is the time. There are so many opportunities for us to do great things, and there's no better time to start than now.

Our good friend and fellow writer, Nathan, summed in up perfectly in a blog post of his. Check it out!

This week we're issuing a super exciting challenge for every one of you amazing followers. This challenge will only take you a few minutes, but it will make your day and week much more meaningful if you take it to heart. Ready for this?

We are challenging you to:
A-allow the thoughts, ideas and inspiration that tells you to serve others
C-create a plan and commit to doing it (this can be super simple)
T-take action!

This can be as simple as seeing a need in your home, such as doing the dishes, deciding to complete that chore as service, and getting to it.

Doing random acts of kindness can completely turn somebody's day around, as we've seen from the stories that have been shared already. Are you up to the challenge? Tell us how you fulfilled it!

Gathering Pebbles

This week I learned so much about living a better story. Living a great story has many sides, sides that you come to see only after you search for them. In my eyes, that's because living a story means living a great life. Living a great life involves so many individual choices, thoughts and actions. Each of these seemingly small and inconsequential decisions shapes who we are.

I heard a story a while back that goes something like this:

One night several travellers were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they found themselves in the presence of an aged nomad. They stood in confusion, wondering why he had come. 

Finally, the nomad spoke.Gather as many pebbles as you can. Put them in your saddle bags. Travel a day’s journey and tomorrow night will find you both glad and sad. 

With that, he departed. The travellers discussed the meaning of this cryptic message. The nomad had been known to deliver important messages to other travellers, but they did not understand why they would be both glad and sad. Either way, each traveller gathered a few pebbles and deposited them in their saddle bags. They travelled a day’s journey and that night while making camp, the reached into their saddle bags and discovered every pebble they had gathered had become a glittering jewel. They were glad at their new wealth but sad they had not gathered more.

This idea is what I learned this week. It is so easy to get busy and forget to do little things, isn't it? This week I discovered that although big things make a difference, it's the little things that make more of a difference. When I skip out on things like keeping a gratitude journal or serving others, my day is noticeably different. Epiphany! If I want to ensure that the days, months, years that will inevitably come will be amazing, I must develop habits now that help me live up to my potential. 

In conclusion, here is a quote from Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer (a fantastic book, by the way): "Whether I work hard at something or play around...the time will still pass by and I'll either be using the time well, intensely, or just waiting for something to happen." This is our time. All along the path we're on, the path to awesome, there are pebbles that will one day be valuable gems. Are we gathering them?