"Even though I'll never know whats up ahead..."

*...I'm never letting go*

If you haven't guessed by now, I am obsessed with Shooting Stars

Now onto the words

I think some if not most of us live in fear of the future.  The dream isn't to never be afraid, it is to not let fear control you.

If life shoots at you, whether it be bullets or stars, don't ever lose sight of who you are.  I encourage you all to listen to Owl City's album "All Things Bright and Beautiful".  A pretty sweet fusion of strong beats, galactic feel, electricity, and who can forget to mention the dynamic vocals of Adam.

It truly is once every blue moon where you can come across an album that not only do you enjoy EVERY song on the album, but it also seems to fit a soundtrack to your current place in life.  

To be honest, this album has been helping me cope with a lot of uncertainty in my life. There is just something about it that is so optimistic.  It has been helping me keep my head high with my uncertainty of college, taking classes,  trying to make my life better all around whether its working out, prioritizing my time, helping my girlfriend, my parents with their troubles, upcoming auditions, seeing my friends, or simply being worthwhile in this lifetime.  

There it is, pretty much all my stress in a nutshell.  Not that it should concern you but I would like to use it as an example in that it is very easy for us to make what seems a never ending list of things that are stressful.  I would just like to say that the best way, and I hope I even take my own words to mind, to deal with 'the list' is to simply focus the best you can on one thing at a time.  

Step 1.    Lay it all out!

 - and I don't just mean have a endless flow of task streaming in your head, I mean write it down, no order necessary.  

EX.

 - colleges, taking classes, working out, prioritizing my time, helping my girlfriend, my parents with their troubles, upcoming auditions, seeing my friends, or simply being worthwhile in this lifetime.  

Step 2.  Condense it into a list.

 -  I think bullets are the best.  Simplify your troubles into task so it can seem just as easy as a grocery list.

EX.

   'The List'

 - Colleges

 - Classes

 - Working out

 - Prioritize time

 - Girlfriend

 - Parents

 - Auditions

 - Friends

 - Making a difference

Your list may seem long or just as never ending but in this way it is definitely a lot easier to concentrate on each one at a time.  Easier to develop a plan for them.

Step 3.  Working out the details

 - I like to think of each task like a chapter to your story, each of them is a title, now tell the story or what is the conflict and happy ending to the problem or task.

EX. 

   - College

I need to apply to colleges for Music Education, and Music Theatre.  Colleges that I am interested in are NKU, CCM, BGSU, and Otterbein.  To accomplish this I should create a college binder to keep all important information in and have a section for each college.  I will go to each college's website to see their requirements to apply and attend there.  

  - Prioritize time

I have a lot to manage.  I have school, work, voice lesson, and I teach dance for fun on the side

I can keep all of my dates, schedules, and specific times all in one place like a calendar or planner.  I can write down my class schedules in a calendar from monday-friday.  After that I will know when I am available for work.  Work availability and school are done, now I can choose a free day to be able to do my voice lesson.  Three down,  now I know that the other free time if I have it by now, I can now teach dance and now have a full schedule.

or for those who like to SUPER CONDENSE follow this

 -  College

    *College binder to keep info in

    *CCM

    *NKU

    *BGSU

    *Otterbein

    

I will not sit here and offer you a million different ways but those are two and I am still learning myself.  

To make all of this simple, I'm trying to put all of your problems or what may seem like never ending into perspective.  Into little achievable task that you can see and focus on one at a time.  

I can assure you that if you do something that is to better you, or what you love then you will easily accomplish the last task I mentioned...

  - Making a difference

What this world needs is people who are doing what THEY LOVE for their life.  We are too full of people who are compromising their happiness for an easy way out.  The ones who inspire are those who do what they do full heartedly. 

"oh, but it's too hard"

SO WHAT!!!  Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING in this life is worth having without having to work hard or try with everything in you to have it.  Wake up each day knowing that you deserve what you love the most.  Whether it is a job, a possession, a loved one, a child, a friend, your talent, whatever it is.  

for me, it is music.  I will never be able to fully reciprocate and explain what music is in my life.  All I know among many other things is that it has had the power to make me sing above my parents arguing about divorce, it has lead me to sing for a thousand people for a memorial day parade, it has brought some of the most amazing people in my life now to me, it has lead me to my amazing girlfriend of two years now who I am going to marry without a doubt in the future,  it has taught me to dance and sing my way through life every day and chance I can, it has been my escape from every day life, it is lifelong teacher for me to follow and teach me all I need to know for life and that is unconditional love and grace for everything in my life.  That's not even an ounce of what it means to me.  

To tie back to the beginning. I said that Owl City's album is helping me cope with my life because it is a gift from music that is always there for me and always has my back.  It isn't any specific lyric, or beat, or melody, but rather a combination of them that is letting me close my eyes and float away from the stress and helping me take each step with ease.  

Find that for you.  What let's you close your eyes and say "I am home" where nobody can take you from.

Let that guide you 

Hopefully Worthwhile,

Ryhutch