Monster's {YOU}niversity

Twelve years ago, I was sitting in a big red chair with a small bag of popcorn on my lap, my feet barely touching the ground of the movie theater, and my legs swinging in impatient anticipation.  Let me tell you, this movie was the talk of the summer.  Humor, monsters, Disney and Pixar combined...  My ten year old mind almost burst with excitement as family and friends waited for the lights to dim and the previews to start.  Monsters, Inc. was going to be awesome! 

I remember as the opening credits came on all the way until the closing credits came on feeling and looking something like this:

 I. Loved. That. Movie.

So, naturally after going through twelve years of life -- all the way through junior high, high school and college -- when I found out there was a Monsters, Inc. II coming out, my ten-year-old heart jumped in excitement and joy.  Finally!  Get out of the way kids, I've been waiting twelve years for this!  You better believe I was first in line; these kids just wouldn't understand.

Being one of the oldest in the theater without a child as my excuse of paying to see a G rated movie, my 22-year-old mind digested the movie a bit differently than my 10-year-old mind did.  This movie was awesome!  Because life had thrown me some minor curve balls during those 12 years in between movies, I was able to watch the movie with an objective mind and relate to it quite well. 

You see, I just graduated from college.  It was only three years ago that I had the same feelings that Mike Wazowski and James Sullivan felt during the movie. 

Will I fit in?

What if I fail?

I have to prove myself to everyone I encounter!

Et cetera . Et cetera. Et cetera.

I left the theater feeling so motivated and inspired to follow my dreams.  There have been plenty of people who have told me that I can't do something, leaving me feeling even more stubborn and determined to prove them wrong.  But even though I put on that facade in front of the nay-sayers and scooby-don'ts, it's still discouraging to hear someone tell me to my face that I can't accomplish a certain dream of mine.

Granted, there are only three people (four including God) in this whole world who know what I truly wish to accomplish with my life.  I've been blessed, or cursed... depends on how you look at it, with a dreamer-like personality.  I can literally sit in my room and dream and scheme for HOURS about what I'm going to do with my life, how it's going to look and all the in between stuff.  It's a blessing because when I'm bored (which happens a lot), I find something new to do.  It's a curse because I sometimes overwhelm myself with my imagination --- I don't know where to start!!  I can do anything I want, which results in me telling people that I have no idea what I want.  It's because I want it ALL!  

*Spoiler Alert* Mike Wazowski faced failure and rejection at almost every point in his life.  He wasn't scary, he was forgotten and destined to be anything BUT a "scarer".  Even the Dean of the Scare School told Mike he wasn't cut out to be a "scarer", that he didn't belong at Monsters University.  How devastating. But that just pushed him to work harder and prove to himself and everyone else that he could do what he always dreamed of, what he was passionate about.  He always stood up for himself and the underdog, because he understood what it meant to be an underdog.  James Sullivan was popular, scary and outgoing.  People expected him to be a great "scarer" --- he didn't even have to try. 

Throughout the whole movie, Sully learns what it's like to stand up for other people and to do the right thing.  He got kicked out of the fraternity he was in because Mike out (book) smarted him during his final.  Although Mike and Sully are enemies for a good portion of the movie --- always competing and never working together --- they learn to work as a team, accomplishing the same goal: to get back into the scare program. 

It just warmed my heart to see a solid movie with valuable life lessons being shown.  Even this 22-year-old college graduate learned something from this movie: Never back down.  Never give up.  Believe in yourself.  Believe in others.  Do good.  Live life to the fullest.  Be you.

So folks, I don't know about you, but I'm going to start RIGHT NOW pursuing and living my dream.  Those three people in my life will just have to keep me accountable.  Who knows, maybe you all will know what my dream is soon!

Following my dream,

Kate
 

When I grow up, I wanna be...

Lately there have been many days where I find myself sitting on the couch staring at the wall thinking about life.  Totally lost in thought, I spend hours just rabbit-trailing down paths and imagining scenarios that may never even happen.  Let me give you a glimpse into my mind: I'm in the middle of a book titled 48 Days To The Work You Love.  This book is good for many reasons, but the main reason why I love it is because it forces me to think about what I'm good at.  While I'm reading this, I'm imagining myself being a famous author, wealthy businesswoman, heck, even a dentist.  (Have I gone to med school? NO.  Did I pass any of my science classes? BARELY.)  But I still imagine it, because I like to give things a try, and I believe that I can do anything.

Ironically, the last post I made was all about my college experience and how graduating was simply awesome.  But now I'm thinking that I just want to do what I'm good at, not what I learned in a classroom.  Yes, I have quite a bit of unforgettable knowledge thanks to my professors, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm suppossed to be doing more with my life than just making ends meet and living a so-so life.  I want to do more!  But the question now is, "What?!'  What is it that I'm supossed to do?  I have no idea.

Remember in middle school when your teacher would have you take out a piece of paper and have you write down at least five things you thought you were good at --- five talents you believed you possessed?  For me that was always hard.  I would turn to my best friend and ask her what talents I had.  I couldn't see what she saw.  It was always easier for me to write down what talents other people had.

Now, 15 some years later, this book is forcing me to look objectively at myself and pick out what talents I have.  This is awesome, because the more I do it, the more I learn about what I like to do and what I'm good at!  I have learned that I can create a career out of things that I love to do and be happy.  I don't have to be a part of a cookie-cutter society and follow everyone else.  I've never been one to follow the crowd.  The thought of having to join a corporation because it's the predictable thing to do makes me not want to do it.  (But that just may be the ignorance speaking...)

Talking with six or seven year-olds, they all know what they want to do with their lives.  (Or at least have an idea).  Cashier, hairstylist, grocery bagger.  These are all occupations that I hear little ones say they want to be.  When asked why they say, "Because I like scanning items", "Because I like counting money" "Because I like making people look good" "Because I like organizing" --- responses that tell of what talents they have.  They pick these professions because it's all they know at that stage in life.  It's what they like... what they are interested in.

Why can't I be more like a seven year old?  They don't care about the societal position of their job; they claim their position with pride because they want to do what they like.  I don't want to hate my job.  I want to wake up excited to go to work.  I want to enjoy the life that God gave me.  That's why it's taken me so long to figure out what I'm going to do now.  I may not have all of the answers, but one I thing I know for sure:

When I grow up...

I don't want to be what other people expect me to be.

I don't want to be living another person's dream.

I want to live my dream and use the talents God gave me for His purpose.

Whether that be running my own business, working for a small company or even a big one.  Who knows?!  It's all a question mark right now, but at least I know one thing.  Nobody can tell me what or who I'm suppossed to be anymore.

When I grow up, I wanna be me.

A Moment In Time

Graduation.  

For me that word holds many meanings: accomplishment, hard-work, investments, CELEBRATION, good-byes, tears, happiness, sadness...

The list could go on for quite some time, but I would rather not bore you right away.  April 27, 2013 will be a day I will always remember.  I had two goals that day: to walk across that stage without tripping OR crying.  

That morning could have started off extremely bad.  I must have forgotten to set my alarm because it never went off.  I was to meet my family at 8am for breakfast in our Student Center, and I woke up at 7:15.  This was a problem.  You see, me being a girl, I cherish my time getting ready in the mornings.  I'm what you call a dawdler.  There was no time for dawdling that morning.

Jumping out of bed in sheer panic, I took the fastest shower of my entire life, ran blindly into a few doors, burned my ear curling my hair and stubbed some toes going back and forth between my bedroom and bathroom trying to get ready for this once in a lifetime day.  While my housemates thought there was a circus going on, I simply proved to the whole world that it is possible for a woman to get fully ready in 45 minutes. 

The Ladies of 510

Phew.  I'm already exhausted remembering that morning.  Needless to say, I left looking like a princess while my room looked like a tornado passed through it right before lightening struck and destroyed the evidence.  My mother would have been appalled.

Despite the quite eventful 45 minute morning, I was determined to make the most of my special day.  I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.  I jumped everywhere I went.  I needed a thousand pictures, and every one I saw I hugged like there was no tomorrow.  I didn't want to let go.  I wasn't ready to say good-bye.  As I registered my name and received my placement number in line, I was talking a million miles an hour.  I was so excited to take part in this day and to have my 3 seconds of fame with every eye on ME! (I'm not ashamed to admit that I like the attention).

My loving parents

My favorite brother

I walked through my favorite place on campus, McConn Coffee, for the last time as a student.  That shop will always have a special place in my heart along with the people I met there.  I needed to leave my fingerprint before I left, so I did the only thing I knew to do: I had one last product placement opportunity: 

Prime advertising from the stage!

I felt like my emotions were lost in a country where they didn't know the native language.  I was happy one minute, then bursting into tears the next.  I was so confused and conflicted.  The worst part was I couldn't help myself.  Some of my favorite years of my life were about to end and the unknown future was staring me down like some scary monster in my closet.  I wanted to drag out the happiness and safety I felt at IWU for as long as I could.  

But I couldn't hold it off for very long.  When the usher came to my row to usher us out of the auditorium to enter the backstage door, my imagination was running wild.  I felt like that was the longest walk of my life, yet at the same time, the quickest.  I got my picture taken in a snap and then before I knew it I was onstage and the next one to be called.  

Getting ready to cross!

I can't express to you the extreme pride I felt as I walked across that stage toward President Smith to shake his hand and take my diploma.  My whole body was shaking with excitement and wonder at how all of my hard work for years and years had finally paid off in this one single moment in time.  

And just like that it was all over.  

I walked back to my seat and twenty minutes later my class of 900 or so acted as one body as we flipped our tassels from the right to the left, signaling that our time as a student at Indiana Wesleyan University was officially over.  

"Look, Ma! I did it!!"

Wow.  Just like that.  In one single moment in time, all of my goals and dreams, fears and aspirations were all over.  I felt like I was in the middle of reading the most interesting tale of my life with mysteries and adventures still to come and someone just spat out the ending of the book out of nowhere.  It was so sudden that I felt empty inside.  The question, "Now what am I supposed to do?" kept running circles around my brain.  I had no idea what was next.  Everything I knew was school and it was now over.  

Real life slapped me hard on the face.  Can you now see the constant change in emotions I had that day?  One minute excited, the very next terrified, then sad, then giddy and it would start all over again!  Such a vicious cycle.

Now that I've had a month to reflect on the craziness I call my life, I am so excited and terrified at the same time for the next chapter in life.  It's only natural to move forward.  So onward I go, head held high, chin up and confidence in place.  I am so thankful for my time at IWU, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  God brought me friends when I was in a dire need of them, He taught me things about myself that I never knew, and I was put in situations that broke my heart but ended up strengthening me.

I will be forever grateful for this wonderful establishment and the unashamedly Christ-centeredness of it.  The memory of walking across that stage NOT tripping OR crying is permanently embeded in my brain until the day I die.  I've heard the best years are yet to come, but these past four years will always be the ones that defined who I am as a student, Christian, business person and woman.  

IWU, from the bottom of my heart, I say, "Thank you" for helping me be who I am today.

Best friends since high school!

Friends since McConn, sweet April

Best ToHo mates in the entire world!

Loving Grandparents

One special lady

Family.  Can you tell? :)