Quotes of the Month: October 2019

I'm really enjoying finding these little quotes each day. Being a really analytical person, they really make me think about things in a new perspective. Also, you seem to like them to, so here's the second round!

We have all had phrases of not feeling quite right and being seemingly unaware for the reasons behind why. It is so frustrating. We all also push things at the back of our minds, get told to "ignore" how we feel, and convince ourselves that we "don't care" about things that really do bother us. The thing is, that suppression bubble is going to burst eventually, whether that be any moment now or years down the line. It's such an uncomfortable process to open up about those thoughts and it doesn't come easy either. That day that you finally let it all out will break the ice. Other people find themselves slowly cracking the surface over time. At that moment in time you may feel the worst you have ever felt, but it will enable you to accept and acknowledge that question of why. Then you can tackle it all from a new perspective and begin the process of building yourself back up. Honesty will open the door and let you out of that room that you have been trapped inside of for so long.




 
Since coming to university, I've gotten a lot more sentimental about everything. My friends take the mick out of me because of how easily amused I get at random things and how easy it is for something to emotionally touch me. However, I'm so grateful that this is something I am able to experience. Amongst the chaos of life, it's lovely to get those few seconds of detachment from everything else that's going on. In the first of my QOTM, I mentioned the joy of seeing little toddlers and children running around and just being kids. Another example is that seeing squirrels running past and the geese swimming or waddling around on campus seems to light a flicker or spark in me. Those odd random conversations with a friendly local will make my day. Take in and cherish those moments, because they are the moments that will stick with you.

I now have a completely new perspective of the process of learning. At school, we are given a tight specification we have to learn from and there's no point learning anything outside of it because it won't help you. It feels like you're constantly regurgitating words from a textbook. At university, your course will open your eyes to all these intriguing areas of the field that you had no idea even existed. It will blow your mind. Especially in a field like psychology, one concept can be explored from so many different angles and you're free to research and delve into it in a way that interests you rather than being set specific texts which don't appeal to you. Sure, there have been topics that I wasn't initially drawn into but because of that freedom you have with the material that you're given, you can always turn that around. I can truly say that a lot of the material that I have covered has stuck with me as a results and learning is much more of a positive experience now.







Reading it says it all. I find that sometimes the harder you try to get rid of anxious thoughts, the more vigorously the chair rocks. Sometimes you may feel like you're strapped into the chair and can't escape. Then there are the avoidance behaviours - knowing you need to do something but avoiding it only to extend that worry. I don't know why we do it to ourselves when we could just do it and get it over and done with but that's the mystery of human behaviour for you! Anyways, point is, you can't just wish worry away. You have to actually do something, even if it's just taking baby steps to calm the rocking down or simply acknowledging that you're worried about something even if you don't quite know what that something is. Of course, sometimes a little bit of rocking can do some good as long as you can maintain control.

Finally, to end on a positive note here's one from Wicked! Obviously, there's a line between when you should and should not follow rules, but if there's one thing I have learned from my transition between school and university it's to not let other people dictate what you can or can't do. You'll be surprised at what you can do when you break the standards that everyone else has put upon you. Chances are, these people who are putting up these barriers aren't going to be relevant to you much longer so why let them control you? Remind yourself about all the things you have accomplished that other people had told you that you couldn't. Where would you be now if you had allowed that to turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy? Remember that opinions are just opinions, and they don't provide a reliable or valid measure of your capabilities whatsoever.

I'll be back with another one from this current month soon!

If you enjoyed this, check out my QOTM from this September! 😊