A kick in the pants, every now and then

(This is me) 

Hello my name is Zodiak and I'm a procrastinator. I guess acknowledging that you are a procrastinator is the first step towards a successful 12 step system for recovery. But why do I keep doing this to myself? Why leave things for the last minute? I always get this sick idea that if I end up doing a paper at the last minute, I will write the best paper in my life...and get an A or something. But alas, do I ever learn that procrastinating brings me incredible amounts of pressure, stress and the occasional zit? Yes and no. I never really was the person to make outlines for papers, or get a head start; I guess I suffer from chronic procrastination :( However, a part of growing up is learning how to have better time management, and learn how to control habits and vices. Therefore, in my case, I will try to remember how procrastinating has caused me a great deal of stress, and force myself to start my papers early so that I don't have to go through the process of self-torture again. So if you're procrastinating right now, because you're reading this blog...get moving and finish whatever it is you were doing! :) 

Peace & Giggles,
-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 :)