#TBT High School Graduation

#tbt High School Graduation | Hannah & Husband

Yep, that’s us! 11 years ago and a year into our relationship. How crazy is that?

As high school graduation time rolls around and all the related activities that go with it, I’ve been thinking a lot about the things I’ve learned since high school.

I was telling someone just the other day that this ten year span has been weird because it went a little something like this:

2004: Hannah graduates from high school and can’t believe how many classes there are to choose from in the freshman catalog. She’s going to learn everything! 

2005: 3 semesters and 14 majors later, Hannah settles on graphic design. She has found her true calling, and she will be an artist! 

2009: Hannah graduates from college. She is completely convinced that she does, in fact, know everything.

Fall, 2009: Hannah starts making her way in the real world; finds she was sorely mistaken. 

Which really brings us to present day, 2015: Below are a few things I’ve named when talking to young ladies and gents about their next steps. It borders on slightly sentimental & gets terrifyingly close to that “Dance like nobody’s watching” malarkey. Please let this slide for posterity’s sake.

Make the effort to be an active learner. This expands your worldview, but also really helps the way you approach encounters with others. Every person and situation can teach you something, but it helps to be actively looking for these moments.

Listen with discernment. Lots of people will tell you lots of things. It’s your job to discern what you actually take to heart. Kick the rest to the curb!

Be willing to say when you don’t know. With knowledge comes the discernment to know your limitations. This doesn’t mean you can’t learn it. It just means you’re being honest with yourself and respectful of the people asking something of you.

Be confident when do know. Yesterday, I posted this on Facebook:

Ladies (& ‪#‎notetoself‬): Stop preceding statements with “I feel like…” Just say your opinion with confidence and trust your own know-how. Then, stop talking.

It’s not that I think this is a exclusively female issue, but I do believe it’s a predominantly female issue. Why are we raising girls to feel the need to qualify every statement they make?! Be confident in your own abilities! Be proud of your gifts and recognize your achievements.

The people in my life that I believe are #killingitasagrownup (my lady Lish’s phraseology) make time for killer hobbies. Challenge yourself to try new things, stretch your brain, and blow off steam.

What’s one thing you wish you’d been told at 18?

 

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What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?

Do you remember when grown-ups were constantly asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I remember getting this question for the first time when I was five years old from a Sunday School teacher. I replied “cartoonist” to which the (bitter) lady said, “You should probably think of something more practical.”

Anyway, this question crossed my mind the other day when I was digging through a box in the basement and found these notebooks. When I was in middle school and high school, I spent hours drawing rooms in these notebooks.

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? | Hannah & Husband

I’d make up elaborate back stories about families that had come to me wanting design services. Then, I’d design houses with decor that would fit all their personalities and meet their needs perfectly. I may not have partied in high school, but I could recount every detail from last week’s Trading Spaces (#TeamGenevieve).

A dozen years, 14 college majors, and 1 very uncomfortable conversation with my dad about his honor student going to art school later: I basically do this for a living. And I think I’m an anomaly.

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? | Hannah & Husband

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? | Hannah & Husband

I’ve talked to several people lately who ended up in their field by chance–maybe they didn’t even know the job existed in college.

Some people work in a field that in no way represents their hobbies, and they like it that way. It offers a clear distinction between work and play.

I’ve also found that, in this job market, asking someone what they do for a living can be a touchy question. In fact, I try to avoid it.

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? | Hannah & Husband

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? | Hannah & Husband

So here’s my idea: The next time you’re at a dinner party, ask your new drinking buddy what they wanted to be when they grew up. It’s such a fun question! People love talking about wanting to be a cowboy or a fire fighter or Genevieve Gorder.

Maybe it informs what they do now or maybe it’s the furthest thing from it. Maybe it’s still a totally valid question because they haven’t found that thing that clicks yet. But, I guarantee, it will tell you a lot about the person! So…

What did you want to be when you grew up? Is it what you do now?

Tell us in the comments below.

 

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Surviving a Stressful Day at Work

Last week, I hung the November cover of Real Simple above my desk because food and pretty pictures make me smile.

Last week, I hung the November cover of Real Simple above my desk because food and pretty pictures make me smile.

How do you know if you need tips for surviving a stressful day at work? Well, if you’re not a trust fund baby and you’re not reading this blog post from your yacht, I’m guessing you may have had a stressful day on the job at some point. Maybe your co-workers are driving you insane. Maybe you just launched a huge project and everyone around you is short on sleep. Maybe the guy that keeps blowing his nose 2 cubicles down is making you a little sick to your stomach.

Or maybe all your creativity is zapped and you are considering giving it all up for a career as a mall manikin for the holiday season so you can just stand there quietly all day as people point and stare.

Whatever your case may be, here are a few tricks that have calmed my addled brain lately.

Focus on your breath. You don’t have to be “Oprah’s favorite spirit junkie” to “get your om on.” (Although, this article on The Coveteur is pretty great.) Taking a minute to quiet yourself and focus on your breathing can immediately calm you down. If you’re having trouble calming a racing mind, try taking one minute and repeating a phrase. I often recite a short scripture and, as I repeat it, the scripture becomes my point of concentration.

Clear your mind.

Carry some peppermint oil in your purse. I am a recent essential oil convert and while I don’t want to smell like a hippie any more than you do, peppermint oil is pretty magical. Inhale for a quick calm. Likewise, a single drop rubbed on your temples and/or the nape of your neck, can relieve some headaches.

Take a 5 minute walk. Get your blood flowing. Walk off some energy. Swing your arms. Dance a jig. Enjoy a change of scenery.

Starbucks at Scripps

Find a small daily ritual that’s just for you. Me? I indulge in a 2 o’clock cappuccino. There’s something about spending a little extra cash on a fancy, hot beverage made by someone else in a noisy machine that really elevates my afternoon. It’s the little things.

Bookmark a little pick-me-up. This is usually mine.

One last thing: Your granny was right when she told you to “Hush!” Try to get quiet on your way home. If you’ve had a hard day, the last thing you need to do is come home and spew your crazy all over your loved ones. Drive home without the radio on. Put white noise through your earbuds on the subway. (This is my favorite white noise app.) Be quiet until you’re thinking clearly, and then arrive home with joy.