it's all worth it

i'm a major proponent of public education.

i've actually decided to devote my life and career to figuring out ways to fix it.

the most effective way i've found thus far to ease the troubles our public education system faces is by working with kids one-on-one. i participate in a mentorship program through my university, and so for the past year i've been mentoring a little girl named monica.

monica attends a school in a very rough area of oakland. the school is surrounded by dilapidated houses and dangerous looking people in the streets. but the school is incredible. the teachers and administrators put so much effort into changing the lives of their students. it inspires me to challenge myself to be better and put forth more of myself to help.

monica is so fun and i absolutely love working with her. she was very shy at first but after a few visits she warmed up to me. in the beginning i would help her with her reading (because english is not her first language) and math, but now she's acing tests and doing incredibly well.

this afternoon, i was swinging on the swingset with monica and she turns to me and says

"jordan, now i wanna go to college!"

that's what it's all about. that's why i devote the hours i do

and that's why i can't stop smiling now.

it only takes a spark.

reflections on happiness.

Yesterday I woke up to an email from dear ol' dad. He knows how much I swoon over a good quote, and I smiled so much when I read the following:

“A person will be just about as happy as they make up their mind to be."

-Abe Lincoln

Taking accountability for my own happiness is something I've been working on lately. I used to get so worked up over little things and never owned up to the responsibility of making things better for myself. If someone made me mad or sad, it was their fault, not mine. I never took charge of fixing my own mood.

Nowadays, I'm challenging myself to be the boss of being happy.

And it's working.

I am taking ownership of doin' me and making myself happy.

Have a very happy day

:)

On the Healthy Living Soapbox

The other day my best friend demanded that I teach her my healthy living ways. Now, I’m the first to admit I wasn’t always so healthy. Up until around January, working out was something I had to do because it was necessary if I wanted to lose weight. That’s the mindset that I began my fitness journey with. Jordan, don’t have that cookie! You’re never gonna lose weight if you have it. Jordan, get your booty to the gym! How do you ever expect to lose weight if you’re this lazy?!

But then something happened. Some inner working I had been longing for finally clicked, and exercise and healthy eating became something I got to do, rather than had to do. And that’s when the weight finally started coming off. I exercised everyday because it made me feel good, and I ate healthy because I needed powerful fuel to get me through my work outs.

And I’ve continued this healthy lifestyle. People comment on my weight loss a lot, and while I am excited about fitting into old clothes and looking in the mirror and thinking “Damn girl!,” I’m mostly excited that I’ve become fully committed to making healthy life choices. And I figure if I can inspire one person to do the same, my purpose is fulfilled.

So, that’s what brings me to this blog post: what is it specifically that I love about exercise and healthy eating? This was a question I hadn’t really pondered, aside from the broad “I like the way it makes me feel.” In true Happy List fashion, I’ve compiled a list of the reasons why I have become nearly obsessive with health and wellness:

1. I love getting creative about my meals. My mom always keeps the kitchen stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, and I love being able to put them together. Last week I had egg whites with avocado, spinach, and tomatoes, and last night I made myself tomato and carrot juice. Eating only fresh foods allows me to make colorful and healthy combinations.
2. That feeling when you think your heart might pound out of your chest? I live for it. I love challenging my body and finding out it is capable of doing things I never would have guessed. If someone told me 6 months ago that I would be running regularly (and loving it), I would have laughed in their faces. But now I am addicted to the adrenaline rush. Runner’s high is such a true thing.
3. It helps me sleep. My mom has terrible insomnia, and in the fall I was getting early hints of it—not being able to sleep longer than an hour, sleeping the whole night but waking up exhausted—but when I’m jammin’ on my exercise and eating healthy routine, I sleep soundly through the night.
4. “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” Enough said.
5. I feel good about myself.

So there you have it. I'm so happy with the changes I've made, and I definitely wouldn't have been able to make them without the inspiration of the blogging community. :)

Time for some exercise!

It's sunny and I'm happy

This will just be a quick little post because I have a midterm to study for (barf! number 6 of the semester.) but I really just wanted to come on and say how frickin' happy I am today!

This is going to sound cheesy but every spring since I can remember I get this hopeful little feeling. I think it's the promise of summer ahead, of sunshine, tanlines, and endless days spent with loved ones. Needless to say, I got that little feeling today and it felt wonderful.

Today proves to me that I am well on my way to being myself again. Two weeks ago I would have regarded today has horrific: I almost literally didn't sleep last night, had my awful 8 am, had one meeting and am going to another in about 10 minutes, and I will probably spend the whole night studying. But none of it matters. I am so grateful to be alive, healthy, and happy.

I hope you're all having wonderful spring days! Let's hope this sunshine lasts forever.

be well.