Mandala

This blog post is all about me. I think sometimes it is important for us to take a look inside ourselves to understand ourselves, why we do the things we do for instance. I don't mind sharing this personal information with anyone. But if you don't feel comfortable doing the same, make the mandala and keep it for yourself.

Mandala

In my Psychology class we learned different theories on how personalities are formed. One that stuck out to my professor was Carl Jung's Analytical Psychology. This may sound like another language, but I urge you to understand this. A Mandala is a physical representation of self. This description shows our self-archetype/image. It contains symbols that mean something to that person. Above is my mandala. It it all m design and would match no one but myself.

The Artwork

In general, I am slightly more of an introvert. I can keep thoughts and feelings inside as long as I want. Most times, I prefer to be alone rather than with groups of people. But on the other hand, I am very much an extravert. I enjoy being sociable and I have been known to be extremely outgoing. More recently, the outgoingness has become hidden within me. I want it to come back out and I am working on my confidence level. To show these on my mandala, I started in the middle. To me, the middle was more of my introverted ways. It was the easiest design to come up with. It’s the dark part because the part of me that I don’t like (it goes into my shadow). The extroverted part of me became the outside of my mandala because it is the part that I want people to see more of, that is part of the reason why it is the brighter section of my mandala (it goes into my persona).

That Dark Part of my Personality

I took the shadow part of my unconscious literally. I used dark colors to show the part of me that I keep quiet. As a personal rule, I hate people until I get to know them. That way if they do something to hurt me, it doesn’t hurt me emotionally because I have expected it. Not even the strange sexual things that the shadow represents, but even just table manners. I would love to slurp my soup but it is rude in front of people at dinner.

The Persona That Is Me

My persona I displayed in colors as well. Because even though I have dark spots in my thoughts, I am a happy person when the sun is out. Bright colors keep me happy around people so I don’t speak the things I am keeping to myself. It also represents that even though I have these dark spots in my personality that I keep hidden, I keep the bright colors out front to remind people that I am a nice person once you get to know me. 

 Who Has Shaped My Personality?

The four individuals who have most shaped my personality are my mom, my dad, my sister and my brother. I chose to show them through Chinese characters. This is because I believe the Mandarin language is beautiful. The characters they give to words (which themselves are explanations of things we are describing) are beautiful. The top character is the symbol for mother. She is such a hard worker and will do anything to help me out when I need it. The character on the right is the symbol for father. My dad is the smartest person I have ever met and I am just like him. I honestly believe that I am my dad’s favorite child (though he could never admit that). The character on the left is the symbol for brother. He is younger than me and looks up to me. He is definitely the spoiled one, but I’m the one he looks up to, not my sister. The character on the bottom is the symbol for sister. She is on the bottom because she is my backbone. She keeps me in check, morally, because she is a better person than me. She is my built-in best friend. While she looks up to me, I keep her close by my side for advice. I can talk to her about anything and she can talk to me about anything. I can count on her to defend me and she can count on me. It works out for both of us. 

If you have any questions as to what any of these mean, I urge you to check out Carl Jung's Symbolism Definitions. These may take a bit to understand but it was an interesting project for me. 

My Bucket List

I always say to live life to the fullest. Live every day to the fullest. Well the best way to do that is to get the rush of exhilaration from doing something you have always wanted to do. I have my own list going, one that has been growing for a long period of time. I offer it to you all to give you a chance to come up with your own list or add to mine (because I am sure there are many that I have forgotten).

Things I Want to Do:

Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koala

1. Hold a koala in Australia 
2. Get married to the love of my life
3. Go spelunking 
4. Say I have been to the last free territory on the planet - Antarctica
5. Visit the real Parthenon
6. Be the first person in the U.S. to see the new day
7. Have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks
8. Go to the southernmost point in the United States
9. Shake hands with the President of the United States
10. Be an extra in a movie/television show
11. Go on vacation once a year - just for me
12. Get an Awkward Family Photo taken
13. Get a picture with a star of Harry Potter
14. Skydive
15. Bungee Jump
16. Get a meaningful tattoo
17. Have a slice of real pizza - from Italy
18. See Stonehenge in person
19. Become fluent in at least on other language, por favor. 
20. Fill my closet with pink clothing
21. Celebrate Halloween in Salem, Mass
22. Write my own music album - just for me 
23. Land a perfect career
24. Kiss on the Eiffel Tower
25. Make my life a musical - for one day



Courtesy of historylines.net/history/french/

26. Make a hole-in-one

I hope to continue completing and adding more to this list. I mean, hey, you have to live for something. Remember to keep living life to the fullest!

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. - John Lennon

Take a Break from the World

I am big on using StumbleUpon to escape from all the work that I have to do.
Some time ago I came across a website, The Quiet Place, where I could take a second to avoid all the Facebook notifications, tweets and text messages.

Why It Is Great

The Quiet Place takes the audience to a place where forgetting the world is not a bad thing. It was built to remind people of simpler times, when we weren't constantly checking Facebook or tweeting about the funny thing that just happened. It explains to ignore your cell phone during the short running time of the program.

I have used it to help me focus before finals last semester and to keep my focus now.
Sometimes we forget to take a second and mentally stop. In this fast-paced world, we sometimes forget to slow down and enjoy the little things in life that can make us the most happy.

For Example

I take a walk/run (depending on the day) on the Allegheny River Valley Trail. As the Spring brings new life to to the trees and the forest floor, the trail have a different view every day. You meet friendly people who are doing the same as you. On occasion, you can find a person fishing on the banks of the river. Simply taking a walk around campus can help to get your focus back.

Or sometimes there are simple things you can do to take your mind off the world (that don't involve technology). 

1. Yoga: it may seem like the obvious answer, but since you are focusing on your inner balance, you are not worried about anything else.
2. Read a Book: it will take you out of this world entirely, and into a totally new world where people you don't know are taking care of the problems.
3. Origami: it is a great stress reliever. As you are focusing on folding the paper the correct way, you are not worried about the things going on outside.
4. Doing/Folding Laundry: it is extremely relaxing. The aromas after pulling out a batch of freshly laundered clothes stimulate relaxation. Not to mention how warm and soft everything is when it comes out of the dryer.
5. Take a Nap: there's simply nothing simpler. 

Remember that the world's problems aren't yours. You have to remember to enjoy the little things in life or else your problems weigh down on you. Don't stress. 

If you haven't seen the movie Zombieland, I urge you to. It is extremely funny. Just some advice on how to survive a zombie apocalypse (that fits in this case). 

Courtesy of http://www.xpressoreads.com/2012/02/zombie-apocalypse-are-you-ready-guest.html

Life After Athletics

Now What?

I have built up my strength and conditioned for four full years straight. I cant let it go now. I have come up with some ideas to keep myself motivated to keep moving and keep myself happy. 

Mini Marathons

Courtesy of runforyourlives.com/race-day/photos/

 Zombie Run: The premise is to cross the  finish line without being eaten by zombies. (No worries, they are simply other runners in makeup!) There are 13 races to choose from, in 12 different cities/states. It is a 5K obstacle course in a secret location, where zombies chase after you through the entire course. If you know me at all, you know that zombies are my biggest fear; and my biggest obsession. This is perfect for me. 

Courtesy of thecolorrun.com/gallery/

Color Run: This 5K marathon is about the most fun a person can have with color ever. For each different kilometer of the race, there is a different color that will be splashed onto everyone. Volunteers, staff and sponsors will be alongside the designated run area to pelt the oncoming runners with colors. Only stipulation: wear white. It will show how much color you have gathered  throughout the entire course.

Courtesy of toughmudder.com/event-photos/

Tough Mudder: This is a 10-12 mile obstacle course covered in mud. At Tough Mudder, they believe that straight marathons are boring, so they designed courses with the help of British Special Forces. This is a team marathon.  Also, you will be covered from head to toe with mud!

Courtesy of warriordash.com/photovideo.php

Warrior Dash: This obstacle course is very similar to Tough Mudder except that the race is not as long. The distance changes with the location of the race, so racing in Georgia may be a totally different race from one in Pennsylvania. During the race, runners wear a transponder recording the exact time of completion. Warrior Dash offers training packets to potential Dashers, helping to prepare for the course ahead. 

There are many activities to join for a former student-athlete. Personally I plan on doing at least two of these. Definitely the Zombie Run because it looks like so much fun! So keep your head up, there is always something to do!