15 Phrases Every Girl Should Hear

Life is a struggle.  That’s why you have to surround yourself with the right people.  These are phrases that you should regularly hear, tell others, and tell yourself. 

 

1.  “You’re smart”—Regardless of your GPA or how people treat you, you’re smart.  Everyone has her own way of proving it.  Never let others make you feel dumb.

2.  “You’re pretty”—Everyone likes to hear that they’re pretty.  This doesn’t mean it’s the only thing we value.  It just makes you feel good. 

3.  “That looks great on you”—It’s the confidence boost you need.  Instead of complimenting the clothes, it compliments you in those clothes.

4.  “Thank you”—Girls need to feel like we’re appreciated.  If our actions and feelings go unnoticed, we don’t feel valued.  Every relationship should be based on communication and mutual respect.  A simple “thank you” on both ends is always a good thing. 

5.  “You’re a good friend/girlfriend/family member”—Sometimes you need a little reassurance.  Everyone makes mistakes in their relationships.  It’s easy to beat yourself up about it.  It’s important to be reminded that you’re good.  Its also important to be reminded when you’re not.  

6.  “I believe in you”—At times, the world may seem to be against you.  It’s good to be reminded that there is hope.  Surround yourself with people who believe that you can succeed.  Most importantly, that you believe in yourself.

7.  “I’m proud of you”—People in your life expect things from you.  As long as these expectations are rational, you owe it to them to follow through.  You owe it to yourself as well.  The gratification you feel when these actions are accomplished makes it all worth it.

8.  “You’re beautiful”—This phrase not only has the ability to compliment you’re physical looks, but what is within you as well.  It admires your personality, intelligence, and aspirations.  To be beautiful is to have depth. 

9.  “Screw them”—No matter who you are, there will always be people who don’t want you to succeed.  These are usually the people who are intimidated or scared of you.  Don’t listen to them.  Never stoop down to their level.  Because screw them.

10.  “It’s going to be okay”—Life doesn’t have a pause button.   Sometimes it can seem like you’re whole world is out of control.  We worry about so much that isn’t worth worrying about.  You need to hear that things are going to be fine. 

11.  “No”—Girls can be irrational.  We can be crazy and get crazy ideas into our heads.  It’s not a female condition, but a human one.  We need a voice to tell us “no” when we’re about to do something stupid.  It can be a hard pill to swallow, but it’s good for you. 

12.  “You deserve it”—Why is it so easy for us to be hard on ourselves?  It’s good to be humble, but don’t underestimate your accomplishments.  You deserve this life.  You deserve to be happy. 

13.  “I love you”—Loving someone can seem so complicated.  The truth is, it’s the easiest thing you can ever do.  Love is the foundation of family, friendship, and romance.  Love happens without telling you.  Hearing that you are loved is a fulfilling sound. 

14.  “You’re amazing just the way you are”—Bruno Mars said it first, ladies.  Sometimes it seems the grass is always greener on the other side.  The problem is that we’re so busy comparing ourselves to others that we forget to enjoy ourselves.  We forget that we all offer something beautiful to the world.  We’re all unique.  The sooner you realize how truly awesome you are, the happier you’ll be. 

15.  “I support you”—There are times we feel alone in our decisions.  It’s so easy to second-guess ourselves.  Having someone there to tell you they are on board with you can make all the difference.  Most importantly, you must always support yourself.  There could be a time when you don’t have someone behind you.  You can’t always wait for other people to reassure you.  You should be the strongest person in your own life. 

What Type of Hangover do you Have?

In light of the New Year and this upcoming weekend, we all might experience the aftermath of a night out.  Just remember, drinking responsibly is the smartest option to avoid a hangover.  Funny thing about people: sometimes we’re dumb. 

 Here are the 9 types of hangovers you could end up with tomorrow morning: 

 

1.  Still Partying—Wait a minute, you were up late drinking late night but now you feel great?  Hey, you’re still drunk!  All you really want to do is grab some breakfast celebrate how awesome you are.  Just remember: you’re going to sober up sooner or later.  Be prepared for the 2pm hangover. 

2.  The Bottle Flu—It’s Sunday morning, but the only praying you’re doing is to the porcelain god. The meaning of a “flu shot” had changed dramatically. 

3.  Head banger—Did you repeatedly slam your head against the wall last night, or was that the Vodka? Honestly, it could be both. Sadly, there’s no cure for this except better decisions and Advil. 

4.  Emotionally Sick—So things got out of hand last night, huh?  You made out with a not-so-hot stranger.  Maybe you fought with you significant other.  Whatever you did, guilt and regret are way worse than any physical damage.  The tequila can leave your system, but you can’t throw up your feelings. 

5.  The Hunger Games—Waffles, eggs, sausage, pop tarts, bacon, literally anything sounds delicious right now.  The only problem: you can’t eat any of it.  Your brain is starving, but your stomach just isn’t having it.  

6.  The Thirst that can’t be quenched—It’s like you’re lost in the desert and think you see an oasis in the distance.  No matter how hard to try, you can never reach it.  You should have drunk that water before bed when it mattered, you thirsty idiot.

7.  The party continues—You’re a bit hung over.  But that’s nothing a beer or Bloody Mary can’t fix.  A common college saying: “You can’t get hung over if you don’t stop drinking.”  It’s unhealthy, irresponsible, and totally worth trying a few times.

8.  The miracle—The universe works in mysterious ways.  Why it’s in your favor is a mystery.  Just be thankful you survived the explosion of last night without a scratch. 

9.  Near Death—On the other hand, the universe can also turn on you.  This type of hangover includes symptoms in numbers 2 through 6, and creates a storm of death.  Wait- is that the light at the end of the tunnel?  No stupid, it’s just the sun shining in through your bedroom window.  You might feel sick and have some regrets, but chances are, you’re going out again tonight.  Because a rough morning beats a boring night. 

10 Reasons to have an extra glass of wine at Christmas

The holidays are officially here and it’s off to Grandmother’s house we go.  We all love our families but sometimes you need a little help coping with their extra…characteristics.  Here are some excuses to pour yourself an extra glass (or ten) at your next get-together:

 

1.  Jesus drank wine—Apparently, that dude loved the stuff…what better way to celebrate Christmas than by pouring yourself some?

2.  You’re at your in-laws/significant other—Maybe you love spending time with them and maybe you don’t.  Either way, it can be a bit nerve-racking at times.  Especially if you’re meeting the whole family for the first time

3.  “When are you and _____ getting engaged?”—If this doesn’t apply to you, you might have some different questions to deal with.  Are you seeing anyone?  Why are you still single?  Do you think you’ll die alone?  Okay, I’m kidding about the last one, but it can get to be a real problem.  It’s hard to answer these questions for them when you’re asking yourself the same ones. 

4.  You’ve been asked, “How’s work/school?” for the hundredth time—It’s hard to tell the difference between a pleasantry and true interest.  Either way, respond nicely.  They just care about you. 

5.  Religion is being discussed—Many people might be the same denomination, but it can get a bit uncomfortable when there are disagreements.  This is the time of year to get along with one another…It’s probably best to keep controversial topics to a minimum.

6.  Someone is on a political rant—Peace has a kryptonite.  It’s called getting in a political argument with your drunk uncle.  As tempting as it might be, never ever fall into that trap.  You’ll always walk away clawed-up and pissed off. 

7.  There are children everywhere—There is so much crying, whining, and fighting going on, you can hardly hear yourself think…and that’s just at the adult table.  On top of that, there are screaming kids running around.  The plus side: they can be hilarious.  They also draw the attention away from you so you can drink peacefully in the corner. 

8.  Your uncle is telling inappropriate jokes—I don’t know if I’m grossed out, or loving every minute of it.  Either way, I’m going to need a refill.

9.  Your cousin is an overachiever—We all have that cousin who is smart, accomplished, and makes the rest of us look like blind, drooling cavemen.  

10.  The slow realization that they’re all nuts—As the years go by, this inevitable fact dawns on you.  There’s not a single normal person in the family, and I’ll drink to that. 

 

Cheers & Happy Holidays 

 

 

 

The 14 Rudest Things to do in 2014

With 2014 just around the corner, it’s time to re-evaluate our lives in order to be the best we can be.  Most likely, we’re all guilty of doing some of these.  Our goal is to make sure we don’t carry these annoying habits into the new year.  It’s time to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves, people!

1.  Overusing the cellphone at restaurants—Whether it’s a date or just an outing with friends, someone took time out of their day to spend it with you.  If you use that time to text other people on your cell phone, then go hang out with them.  Not to mention, you’re probably pissing your server off too.  We all deserve to be paid attention to.

2.  Texting and driving—It’s been proven that texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving.  Not only are you putting yourself in danger, but also everyone else on the road

3.  Ignoring Facebook messages—I can see that you viewed it at 2:53 today.  It’s now 4:00. Let’s get real.

4.  Avoiding face-to-face conversation—Ironically, our technology is making us anti-social.  Most people would rather text than call and would rather call than meet up to chat.  For being the “social media generation” we lack the ability to communicate on the most basic level.

5.  Ignoring me Monday morning—we got drunk together on Saturday and became best friends and now it’s like we never met.

6.  Leaving unnecessary voicemails—You just wasted a minute of my life that I will never get back.

7.  Adding Strangers—It’s called a “friends” list, not a “random strangers” list.  Stop freaking everybody out.

8.  Sending pointless mass snapchats—If there’s anything more annoying than snapchats of your lunch, it’s getting a mass snapchat of your lunch.  It’s not only annoying, but also super impersonal.  Stop it.

9.  Make fun of someone for reading a book—Stop laughing.  I suggest you put down your iPhone and pick up a book too, ya filthy animal.

10.  Inviting me to play games on Facebook—Are you really that desperate to get to the next level?

11.  Tweeting your conversation- Stop clogging everyone’s Twitter feed with your stupid back-and-forth conversations.  Text each other.  Nobody cares.

12.  Using social media as your diary—Step one: drive to store, step two: purchase notebook, step three: write about feelings.  The vague, passive-aggressive bitching needs hide where no one will ever find it.

13.  Excessive selfies—A couple funny or cute ones are okay, but if you post them every week, you have a problem.  We need to realize that we’re creating a generation of self-centered attention seekers, and “liking” their post only promotes that mindset.

14.  Not holding the door open for someone—This should be a no-brainer.  And if someone holds it open for you, say thank you.  Kindness will never go out of style.

21 Reasons Age 21 is the Best (and worst) Year of Your Life

Welcome to paradise—sort of.  You’re at a pivotal time where tough decisions, sleepless nights, and relationships can seem like the end of the world.  But for many, 21 can be the best year of your life if you let it.  Here’s why:

1. You’re parents see you as an adult (kind of)–You might have noticed this once you moved out of their house.  This will only be more obvious as the years go on.  The important thing is that if they treat you like an adult, act like one.  Just remember that even though you’re not a kid anymore, you’re still their kid.

2. True Friends become clearer–You can’t be friends with everyone.  Nor should you want to be.  Quality is always better than quantity when it comes to friendships.

3. You don’t have to hang out with people you don’t want to–You really don’t.  I don’t care what your excuse is.  You always have the choice of who to surround yourself with.

4. It seems like everyone is getting engaged, married, and/or pregnant–You’re innocently scrolling through Facebook, and what do you see? BAM! So-and-So is pregnant or engaged.  And they’re younger than you? Didn’t you used to tease them on the bus? WHAT’S HAPPENING?  Calm down.  Although it might seem like everyone our age is partaking in a big life event, they’re just a small percentage.  Take a deep breath.  You’re not behind.  People are going to do what they want.  And you should do the same.

5. Wedding Season!–One advantage of your peers getting hitched is the celebration…And who doesn’t like weddings?  Free food, free drinks, and passing out under the head table because you’re single and you can.

6. Mature relationships–It’s time to get over the immature relationships.  Sending a timid text when you’re 21 is the same as slipping a note into someone’s locker when you’re 10.  Grow up.  Talk to each other.

7. Being in Love–I remember learning about a poem in English class explaining love as “being in a cage you don’t want to escape.”  Whether you believe any of that or not, it’s something we should all experience at least once in our lives.  Fall in love. Get hurt. Repeat…because one day, the cycle will stop after the falling in love part.

8. You’re Young and Wild and Free–This is your time to shine.  Everyone deserves to let off some steam and be a little crazy…Just don’t let that take over your goals.

9. You’re probably in college–While not everyone chooses a four-year university, chances are, many of you have.  Whatever level of education you’ve received, be thankful.  Not everyone in this world is as lucky as you are.

10.  You have a more focused career plan than freshman year (maybe)–This can be a tricky one since many of us come to college “starry-eyed” and delusional about the real world.  Sometimes we realize that the things we once wanted to do aren’t a priority or realistic anymore—and that’s okay.  You’re job right now is to figure out what you’re good at and enjoy doing.  Maybe you have an idea of what you’re going to do after graduation…and maybe you don’t.  The important thing is to do what’s going to make you happy.

11.  Maybe you’ve traveled–Now that you’re older you’ve probably been a few places.  Whether it’s around your region, country, or the world, it’s important.  Life is about learning, and the best way to learn is through experience.  Embrace different cultures, try new foods, and do things outside your comfort zone.  More often than not, you won’t miss the extra cash in your pocket if it means you explored somewhere new.

12.  You’re broke–Let’s face it, unless you’re dad owns Apple, you probably don’t have a whole lot of money to shuffle around.  Student loans, rent, books, travel, and bar tabs can really drain a person.  Just remember it will all be worth it someday…I hope.

13.  You can drink (legally)–Congratulations.  You’ve overcome underage drinking.

14.  Hello casinos–If you’re into that sort of thing, go for it.  Just make sure to watch Rain Man before hitting the blackjack tables.

15.  The quarter-life crisis–Assuming you’re lucky enough to live a full, healthy life, you’re a quarter of the way through it.  Let that soak in.  How you choose to let it affect you will determine the kind of person you will be.

16.  Middle school seems like a long time ago– There’s a good chance that only about 1% of the population actually enjoyed middle school.  The good news is that it’s been so long ago that we can remember the happy memories and let the humiliating ones fade away.

17.  1992 was in a different century–Bill Clinton was elected president that year.   The Internet was just becoming a thing.  CD’s just surpassed cassette tapes in sales.

18.  You were 16 five years ago–In a way, this one seems to be the most shocking.  I’ve been driving a car for five years?  The real kicker is that I felt so old at that age.   I can only assume that in five more years I’ll look back at 21 and laugh at myself like I’m laughing now.

19.  Optimism is still alive–No matter if you generally see the glass half empty or full, you can still be optimistic.  So much of your story is yet to be written.

20.  Slowly realizing who you are–At holiday events growing up, my relatives used to tell me how much I’d grown since last seeing them.  I could never notice until they told me or when I didn’t fit into my shoes anymore.   This same idea still applies.  We don’t notice our personal growth unless we’re told or realize we no longer fit into a certain mold any more.  No one wakes up a new person.  It’s a gradual process.

21.  You know what you’re doing with your life….Just Kidding!–I’m convinced that no one really has it all together, and those who do are either lying to themselves or not aiming high enough.  I’ve heard a lot of people in 40s and 50s still don’t know what their doing and that’s okay.  You can’t plan for everything.  Enjoy life as it comes and every year will be the best year of your life.

(Not a) Rant About Cellphones

I’m going to try really hard not to make this a rant, but this is something that I’ve been noticing with my friends, in particular.

It’s time to get real people-Yep! I’m talking about texting…more specifically, texting while having a face-to-face conversation with someone else.

This has always been one of my biggest pet peeves because personally, I love having conversations.  I love hearing emotion, laugher, and mistakes in people’s words, and their emotion in their face.  It makes me feel connected to them in a way that texting could never do for me.  So I always wonder why people are stuck staring at their screens when they could be experiencing the people with them at the moment.

I’ve always noticed this, even when my friends and I just started to get phones when we were younger, but it was really brought to my attention this Thanksgiving break.  I was reunited with a group of my friends from high school, and at one point, I realized that they were all on their phones.  Every. Single. One.  It just doesn’t make sense.  We had been excited to see each other for months, and then when the time came, everyone was absorbed in other people who were a hundred miles away.

Another reason this bothers me is that although I know it is not always their intention, I take offense it.  I’ve had countless experiences where I’m trying to have a serious or intimate conversation with someone who kept looking down at their phone.  If you make time for me in your day/life, don’t waste it by being absorbed in a tiny, metal box.

Thoughts on the drinking age…

With my 20^th birthday coming up tomorrow, I can’t help but with it was my 21^st.   I know that it’s a bit like beating a dead horse, but I think it’s really annoying that I’ll be 20 years old and I can’t buy my own alcohol.  In a few short hours I won’t be a teenager anymore.  I can vote, gamble, smoke, fight wars, and pay taxes, but I can’t order a beer at the bar. 

Although this would be ideal, the society we live in wouldn’t allow it because of the taboo we put on underage drinking.  From a small age it seems like they brainwash you into thinking that if you do drugs or alcohol you’ll die. 

I find it interesting that the drinking age in Europe and Canada is much lower and yet, they don’t have the problems with binge drinking like the United States.  I think that’s because they grow up in a society that doesn’t put such a stigma on alcohol.  Kids grow up around moderate drinking and learn the “correct” way to drink.  Then, when they are of legal drinking age, its not such a big deal as it is here. 

 Even though I’m not happy about the laws here, I think I can wait another year to see what alcohol tastes like…haha just kidding; I’m getting drunk tomorrow. Happy Birthday to me.

Why I’m voting for Obama

With the election coming up (Tomorrow!) I find it really hard not to blog about it.   I’m not really sure how appropriate it is to blatantly say who I’m voting for, but I’m just putting it out there.  Here’s a list of why I’m voting for Obama tomorrow.

1. His stance on the protection of women and their rights to their own bodies.  I know it may be an uncomfortable topic, but I support a woman’s choice to abort a fetus after they have been raped or if the pregnancy will endanger her or the baby.  No one is pro-abortion, but I believe that with certain rules, a version of pro-choice healthcare is attainable.
2. Gay rights, gay rights, gay rights.  What else can I say? Everyone should have the opportunity to marry their soul mate.
3. Getting our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.  I may be a bit of an idealist, but if we can avoid war, we should.  Sadly, we will always need the military to defend and protect our rights, but its time to leave.  War is expensive.
4. Healthcare plan.  I’ll admit, this is where I run into a bit of a problem.  Although I support all Americans receiving healthcare, there must be attainable conditions to receive it to avoid freeloaders.  Ethically, everyone should be taken care of medically, however I’m a bit skeptical because lazy citizens who were spoiled by government aid caused the fall of Rome.
5. If Mitt Romney is voted President, I’m terrified that it will set us back in the progression of social rights.  We would have to wait another 4 to 8 years until women and homosexuals can gain rights.

Well that’s the end of that.  Just my simple opinion, and I know that a lot of people have opposing views-and that’s okay! Just get out there and VOTE!!!

What’s your Dream?

Today in class, we had a realistic conversation about the future of our major and talked about how we aren’t always going to love our jobs, and that perhaps we are too optimistic.  I think what we need to take from this, is that yes, we should be prepared for some shit jobs, but we can’t ever lose sight of our goals and dreams that we have for ourselves.

I know it may seem far-fetched to some people, the dream that I have for myself is to become a best-selling author.  Ever since I was little, I knew that’s what I wanted to do, and back then I didn’t even question it for a second.  That’s just what I was going to do.  Before I moved to college last year, I went through my room and found a bunch of stories that I had written throughout the years and some of them were actually hilarious.  However, there were some that showed real promise, and gave me confidence because I realized that being a good writer wasn’t something that I learned; rather a natural trait.  

In high school, I started writing a book and worked on it all the time.  For four years, the thing has put me through hell, but I think that with a lot of work, it has potential.  What I’ve realized though, is that once I came to college, I haven’t put very much effort into it.  It seems like the only writing I do now, is assigned to me.  When I think about this, it actually makes me really sad, and in a weird way, I feel like I owe it to the characters I have created, as well as myself to finish it. 

I think that its incredibly important to constantly remind ourselves of why we’re here.  Not only at Stout, but what you feel your true purpose is.  What’s your dream? 

Is YouTube in our Future?

In this digital age of information sharing, our future in the field of communications has endless possibilities when it comes to what we will be doing in the years to come.  Where we get our news is ever changing, and in order to be successful, we must constantly be available to whatever medium is being used.  I personally get all of my news online, and most of it comes from YouTube “Vloggers” who post daily videos about what is going on in the world.  My favorite YouTube channel is SXEPHIL, which was started and is hosted by Philip DeFranco.  He takes the typical role of a news anchor, and adds a creative spin on it, making it faster, more interesting, and more accessible to young viewers, in particular.  What I love is that since he is his own boss and doesn’t need his content approved, he can basically say whatever he wants.  By making the news subjective, I find it more interesting and sometimes easier to understand.

Phil has been a part of the YouTube community for about six years now, and delivering news in this style for most of that time.  The reason why is so popular and successful today is because he invested in YouTube before it was cool.  (Hey, I guess it pays to be a hipster.)  By attracting so much traffic to his channel, Phil makes his money from the advertisements, endorsements, meet-and-greets, along with a steady salary from Google.  This all adds up to a very comfortable annual salary.  The fact that this could one day be us is what makes the Professional Communications and Emerging Media program so exciting.  Could this be the future of Journalism?