I'm jumping on the band wagon

A lot of people I know are big fans of The Avett Brothers. Despite multiple blog posts, Facebook posts, tweets, etc., I never really got into their music. I'm not sure if I ever listened to one of their songs all the way through. In my super ADD, easily distracted state, they never managed to hold my attention.
However, tonight when I was watching the latest One Tree Hill episode online instead of doing my homework, the song playing during the final montage caught my attention. I typed a few of the lyrics into Google to see what the song was, and what do ya know?! It was "I and Love and You" by none other than The Avett Brothers.
Needless to say, I am now officially jumping on the band wagon (pun intended).

Don't Settle

I stole this from someone else.
This is Steve Jobs' speech at the 2005 Stanford University Commencement. I feel like in my life, many of the speeches I have heard made by public figures are either cheesy, or just not that interesting. Perhaps it's because I'm such a huge Apple fan, or because everything he said I totally agree with, but I found Jobs' speech to be neither one of these things. I thought it was simple and honest. The three stories he shares are inspiring, and though there is always the "make the most of your life" punch line, I feel like he really means it, and has really lived it.



He hit on everything I have been struggling with lately as far as choosing a major/career path, and all that jazz. And his speech reminded me what I have always believed all along, but may have forgotten for a little while - that you have to do what you love, and you can't settle for anything less. When I get stressed out about the lack of job prospects for a music major, it's so easy to say "I'll just change my major to something that has better prospects." But in saying that, I am doing exactly what I hate to see other people do: I'm settling. That is one of my biggest "fears" in life - settling. Settling, and getting stuck. Which kind of go hand in hand.
I just love what Steve says about how after he got fired from his own company, even thought that was a huge blow, he still knew it was what he loved, and he wasn't going to give up even after such a terrible rejection. I mean, if he can handle being fired from a company he started, the rest of us should be able to handle pretty much anything as far as our careers go.

So I guess the point of this is to make you (and me) think. Are we settling in our lives? Maybe not in some areas, but are we settling in other areas? Think about it. It's an important thing to be aware of.

And, as Steve says: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

The title says it all: EPIC

Aquarium

This is fascinating!

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

What do you want out of life?

This is a question I have been thinking about lately. And what I realized is, even though I have all these dreams for what I want my life to be, in reality, there are only a few simple things I really want out of life: to love God, to have fun, and to be happy. In all reality, I don't really care that much what degree I graduate with, or what job I get after college. I just want to have fun. And be happy. And love God.

I have spent so much time stressing and worrying about what to do with my life, and what major to choose, when none of it really matters! Because chances are I won't even work in a field related to my major. So why am I even worrying about it? Because that's what society tells us to do. They tell us that a college degree is really important, and having job prospects when you graduate is really important. And sure, there is something to be said for not having to live in a cardboard box after you graduate, but at what cost? For me, happiness is key. Because I have been unhappy. And it sucks.

Also, making plans is just plain stupid, because only God knows the plan, and he's in control. In James 4, James warns against making plans. "How do you know what will happen tomorrow?" he writes. He goes on to say "For your life is like the morning fog - it's here a little while, then it's gone." Life is too short to worry about making plans! We need to spend less time planning our lives, and more time living them. Obviously, I'm not good at this. That is why I'm writing this.

So this is my challenge for myself and anyone reading this: stop worrying, stop planning, and just live. Love God, have fun, and be happy! Romans 8:28 says "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him." We need to trust that. I need to trust that. As important as it seems to choose the right major, to get the right job, to do whatever, we just need to realize that God will make everything right. He will make everything okay in the end. Obviously you won't always be happy, and you won't always have fun, but as Betty Smith writes in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: "There had to be dark and muddy waters so that the sun could have something to background it's flashing glory." So have some fun. Enjoy the time you have on this earth, because it won't last forever. Don't worry it away!

Toy Story 3!!!

I haven't watched a Toy Story movie in a long time, and I forgot how much I love them!
Thanks to one of my favorite blogger/vloggers, Eric Striffler, it was brought to my attention that a new trailer for the third movie has been released. Watching it reminded me all over again how great Pixar movies are in general, but especially how great the Toy Story movies are.
I cannot wait for this to come out, and I will definitely be going to see it in theaters!

Here's the trailer: