Loving With Your Whole Heart

Unrequited Love: (noun) love that is not openly reciprocated, returned, or understood as such.

I'm not just talking about that boy that didn't really like you back, either… 

What about the friend that, no matter how nice you were, never seemed to like you quite as much? Or the grandma that always seemed to like your cousins better than you, no matter how sweet you were to her? Some unlucky people might have even had a parent that just didn't have time to "do the parent thing"…  

Yep, that's all considered unrequited love, too, and it's certainly not fun. 

What are you supposed to do when no matter how hard you love someone, he/she just doesn't return it? 

Love. Them. Anyway. 

I mean, basically this is what the bible teaches, but I read this article and it really got me thinking about it. Even though it was probably meant to be a fluff piece, it's about love advice Taylor Swift gave to a fan recently and it blew me away. 

It's pretty short, and you really should read the whole thing, but in a nutshell, she said this: loving someone without expecting something in return is selfless, beautiful, and kind. She added that you should "Feel good about being the kind of person who loves selflessly."

That really hit home for me. As a girl who's never had a boyfriend, most of my relationships have been built on unrequited love… Taylor worded this so beautifully, too. She said, "I think unrequited love is just as valid as any other kind. It's just as crushing and just as thrilling."

So the next time you're feeling down on yourself for being twenty years old and still being single, (First, let me know I'm not alone), then think of Taylor's advice: Just keep loving everyone with your whole heart, and someday you'll find someone who loves you in the same way. 

Also, if you're feeling a little discouraged on this Monday morning, try reading this…

image source

I hope your week is off to a good start! 

Banish Negativity

Don't you just hate when you don't feel like yourself?

It's such a funny thing to think about, really. I mean, you're still you. Same name and eye color and everything, yet somehow it seems like you're watching yourself from someone else's point of view. An out-of-body experience, if you will.

I've been in a bit of a funk for the past few days. Stressed from school, the newspaper, sorority stuff, and a few other things that are piling up.

Last night, I was presented with what I thought would be the perfect opportunity to calm down and hang out with some friends at a party (the fact that it was a Tuesday night and so unusually spontaneous should've put me on my guard). It was supposed to be fun.

Instead, I found myself in a really bad place (Very unlike the good place I bragged about two weeks ago). I was feeling so anxious, extremely self-conscious, and very confused.

My new computer background. 

I've really gotten better about not comparing myself to others since last year. I'm typically the kind of girl who takes special note of the background in "the big picture." I try to keep mantras like "everyone is different and everyone is beautiful" or "No one is worthless" going in my head.

All of a sudden, though, in that moment, all of my friends were prettier than me. They were skinnier than me, and just more fun to be around than I was. They could dance better and didn't care about any of the other eyes in the room. In that moment, I desperately wanted to just be like them, but all I could see were our differences. I kept thinking, "This was a mistake. I shouldn't be here. I don't belong. Certainly, they don't want me here. Look how much fun they're having, and look at me, one step shy of a breakdown over here by the pool table."

Our own minds can be our biggest enemies and our dreariest jail cells.

And at times like these when all that is just the tip of the iceberg, one of the only ways I know how to deal with these situations are heart-to-hearts with my best friends.

In my opinion, one of the best qualities in a person is "good listener." In the this touch screen digital age, sometimes we forget about the power in face-to-face communication. There's definitely a healing power in company and conversation.

I was able to talk with one of my best friends after the party, and she gave me some advice that really worked for me. She told me to go to night prayer at my church and pray about it.

I did just that and heard exactly what I needed to hear from the Lord.

Matthew 6:25-34 

How do you deal with anxiety and worries?