A new quarter, a new beginning!

I'm excited! I'm super excited for starting a new quarter, with new classes, new faces, and most of all for getting to have a fresh start all over again. Last quarter was an amazing quarter, in the sense that I got to learn a lot about myself and the new friends I've acquired. However, soul-searching wasn't enough to keep my winter quarter from becoming a tedious routine. Work, school, house, and the cycle was only bound to be repeated. I blame that 'routine' feel to the fact that I wasn't really involved in much at school to distract me from the usual life of academia. Therefore, this spring quarter I'm determined to make the most out of this last quarter before school is out for the summer.
Since the beginning of this new quarter I've told myself that I'm going to volunteer more, become involved in my community, become part of a student board organization and enjoy all of my classes. Clearly then, shifting my perspective has helped me immensely to view everything in a more positive light, regardless of what it might be. I've learned that only I have the real power to change the way I think, and view things. As well as, how others percieve me, which believe it or not, is very important.
Throughout my experiences in college so far, I've learned the many qualities, good and bad, that are part of me. And in light of turning a new leaf (or school quarter) I am determined to further develop my good qualities, and curb or abolish my bad qualities. Because in the end, all I really want to be is the best ME I can be, in regards to every realm and dimension  in my life.
Therefore, what will your goal be for this new quarter? And what are your plans to achieve it?
P.S. - As you can tell, I'm no English major....so another goal for this quarter is to write more blogs, and hone in on my writing skills! :p
Peace & Smarties
Zodiak

The Quarter-Life Crisis Blues

(Quater-life crisis sucks!) 

     So all this year I've been having long debates in my head about what I'm going to do with my life after I graduate from college. All my friends are talking about being worried about life, and questioning their existence on whether they have accomplished anything worthy of exploiting on Facebook. And quite honestly, all this talk has fueled my self-questioning as well. In a desperate attempt for answers, I scoured the internet for a self-diagnosis and was relived that even Wikipedia had an extensive article about it...lol Moreover, a quarter-life crisis can sometimes hit you like a ton of bricks. Thoughts become endless ruminations, and strings and strings of mental fights that just do not cease to exist. I think that coming of age in "post-hope" America doesn't help either, because are we really guaranteed jobs and security after we graduate college? Maybe we are, and maybe we're not.  There has been countless times when I have sought advice from some of my closest friends just to feel some reassurance that that my life will be fine, and that I'm still completely sane. 

     Yet, even in the times when my thoughts seem to take over my life, I suddenly come to the realization that at 20 years old, I should not be thinking about all these things.  I need to enjoy life, enjoy my youth and take life one day at a time.  Now I'm not saying that one should not be worried about life, or be nervous about the future...someone once told me that being nervous about something meant that you cared about something; so being nervous is not completely irrational. I guess that we are all going to be experiencing self-doubts no matter at what stage we are in our lives; and we have to accept that they're normal.  We have to cultivate our virtues, so that we may become the best individuals we can be in order to use every experience, good or bad, as a lesson.  Having a quarter-life crisis sucks, but looking at the moments that doubting thoughts about my future seemed impossible to erase, I think about the virtue of fortitude, and how much one can learn about oneself during difficult times. So let's stay motivated in 2012, let's embrace our mistakes and learn from them, but most of all let's live fully, love greatly, and laugh and enjoy the great moments life gives us. @(^.^)@

Peace & Giggles, 

-Zodiak 

My Full Introduction

My name is Zodiak.  No, not the serial killer, or the zodiac signs...just Zodiak with a K.  Anyway, I always find it difficult to introduce myself in "1200 characters"...how can I do that, when I have lived 20 years?  In a world that values efficiency and brevity, I guess I shall concede.  Ok here it goes..."Once upon a time"...no, my life is not a fairytale, right.  Alright, I'm a student at a university in Chicago, studying Political Science and Sociology.   I've had this blog for a while now, but I never had the motivation to write anything on it...I guess I thought my life wasn't interesting.  But alas, after getting tired of reading people's Facebook entries aka "Twittering" in disguise, I decided to write my own stuff. Moreover, I decided to write, because I feel that blogging gets the mental gears going.  It also gives me a purpose to recognize the little things that happened in my day, and reflect.  Now I am not saying that I'm a good writer at all...no siree!  Nevertheless, I don't think writing blogs should be monopolized by the good writers, after all everyone has an opinion right?  Besides, if people can have blogs about "what color socks the President wore today" and "how to communicate more effectively with your teacup pig"...then I can write too.  I am most interested in sharing experiences, poems, music, art and anything that moves me, and imho seems worthy of sharing.   I just hope to grow as a writer, and become a more creative individual that can really live life.  I feel that my "old soul" sometimes gets the best of me.  I often joke around with friends and say that I'm green, and that I'm an immature recycled soul...it always makes them smile.  Furthermore, I have always been compelled to know who I was in a past life, or if I ever had one for that matter.  Maybe I was a lobster (images of lobster lady from Dinner for Schmucks flood my mind lol) or a necromancer, or a Nascar racer; the possibilities are endless.

In brief, I just want to be creative again, like I was once in my angstier years.  I want to embrace creativity, and really grab life by the horns...and paint them :)