Brand New

The 20s are all about choosing your attitude. There's nothing more powerful than you deciding that you want something or that you're going to make something happen. We're a generation of stubborn ass game-changers. When we commit to something, we see it all the way through and go above and beyond what is asked of us. It's unreal the kinds of things we're capable of when we set our minds to it. We were raised by a generation of dreamers that changed the world (and effectively repopulated it) and it's just about our time. The best thing the baby boomers gave us (other than the benefits of contraception #toomuchshade - *sidenote, newborn babies are literally my favorite so I have no idea why I'm flaming my parents' generation so hard) was the encouragement to chase our dreams and the gumption to achieve them. It's time to make good on that gift and get brand new.
 
*S/O to 5SOS because they're debut album is perfect, shows range, and finally broke a genre onto the mainstream airways #downloadthat

Brand New - adj. - the state of being fresh (s/o to H aka Heather for bring "fresh" into my vocabulary) in regards to other people;  a change in attitude, personality shift, demeanor alteration etc. (Can you use it in a sentence - Uhm, hell yeah) "After Williams received a haircut he came at Cam acting all brand new because he thought was looking good but in reality his edge-game was off." Let it be known that brand new can be used both in a positive and a negative sense but you know me, sarcasm and sincerity get blurred together and my usual mode is unrelentingly facetious. You don't need to know if I like you or not - it's more fun for me to make you work for it and question every interaction we have. But seriously, I like the heck out of people too damn easily and you all know it takes some like Bond villain type of end-of-the-world level ish to get me off the benign mindset. Anyway, the whole reason I'm bringing this lingo to the interwebs is because one of the students I've worked with for the entirety of this month, Warrick, has just made it so catchy (I mean is he my favorite ... that's for me to know and for everyone else to speculate; secretly might be a sociopath but that's whatever). Every time he used the terminology his delivery was just perfectly on-point and it made me think of all the times people I knew started acting some type of way (I'm feeling really youthful today and so the "proper" English is being set aside for today #dealwithit) because something happened to them. I'm thinking of the many times people have like disappeared randomly (*cough the General cough), became like a real life grown-up or whatever (my best friend - favorite man-child JB), built perpetual love forts with their new baes (apparently relationships top me and food #betrayed), or just changed their entire game (or stopped playing "the game" completely). I'm like well damn, look who's coming correct today. Would you like Mr. T to dial collect (wait payphone's don't exist anymore except in Mission Impossible movies for nostaglia's sake) for you or nah? It's taken this summer for me to understand that people's frame of reference, what's important to them, and how they view the world and ultimately what I'm concerned with ... me (hey Narcissus - missed you old friend) changes with time. People can change, but they don't often, they just show a different side of themselves - they act brand new. It only seems like acting because it's coming at us hot off the presses when it's already been in the reserves from the get-go. People have their focuses realigned periodically like that ridiculous eye exam process at the optometrist (1 or 2; doctor they're the damn same). Let the adjustment settle and you let people see what they want to see, if you're in the picture that's fine and if now, you get your eyes checked too. It's all brand new.
 
Sometimes you just have to choose to do something brand new and roll with it. I started off my morning the other day as usual, being upbeat, polite, and just aware. I went to a meeting early in the morning with some university administrators that went well but I was still sleepy so wasn't checked in. I passed through the student union and made quite possibly the most awkward eye-contact of all time (you know when you know who someone is and you know they know who you are but you debate whether to address each other) and so I said "Hi Joe" (his name too BTW). I walked up the stairs and cringed about for a good ten minutes asking myself why I'm so awkward, why I was so weird and socially inept. I then decided that my basic day was going to get an upgrade from then on. I doing what I did once last semester and choosing to have a good day. For me that means, sending encouraging snapchats to all my friends, texting positive messages, updating all my social media about my plans, and then going about my day living by the rules I set (*they're further down). I'm telling you I need to do it more often because my day was absolutely wonderful. I was carefree, energized, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The best part was being able to brighten other people's days. I gave palpable vivacious energy and it was given right back to me. I had lunch, made good conversation with some strangers, went to another meeting and contributed, and even got drenched in the rain. I didn't even care. I was set on being happy with everything about the day and I stuck to it. I saw so many people I knew and when I told them about my goal for the day they all said that's how they see me daily. That notion made sense but still caught me off guard because I would not describe myself personally as cheery at all. I was able to catch up with my orientation boss and play with bae (aka her infant daughter) for a bit. SESP staff ventured out to the campsite we'd be exploring over the weekend and even though I was way out of my element I refused to complain, challenged myself just to do things, and saw some of the beauty of the outdoors. It was a good time just being with them, singing songs in the car, and telling stories. I had dinner, went to a productively insightful community meeting (when the students share > everything), and facilitated a tough conversation. I spent the night catching up with one of my closest friends, Sam, while we grocery shopped. Still after all these years our friendship just works and the fact that it's a reciprocal back and forth means a whole heck of a lot. It was one of the best days I've had ever and it was because I chose it was going to be. I acted brand new and people noticed and it spread. We have move power to affect other people, especially positively, than we think. Sometimes being happy is just as simple as choosing to be so, and it can be become a reality.

Happy Day Challenge Rules:
No complaining or sarcasm!!! (whatever is asked of you or you're tasked with doing gets done without comment and with positive energy) Smile as much and as often as you can (every person, every thing you do, even when you're talking)  Laugh freely (forget restrictions and mean it)  Take time to notice the little things (clouds in the sky, bright bouquets of flowers, giggling babies etc.)  Give people the benefit of the doubt (look for the best of them and trust that they have the best intentions)  Compliment anyone you can genuinely (make someone's day and make them feel good)  Do something you might not usually do (talking to someone new, stopping to pick up a piece of trash, let someone go ahead of you at the grocery store)  Let it go (at least for the day; give forgiveness, let things roll off you, move on and don't let anything or anyone ruin your day)
 
My blog post question for the day is ... what's something that has made you happy today? Simple things - getting to be weird with the students I'm hanging out with and being able to move past surface conversations

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