THE FINISH LINE

This is week thirteen in nursing school and I can't believe how fast time is passing by. There is only three weeks left until summer; I can see the finish line. I want to reflect on my semester and how I want to finish off the next couple of weeks. Being in nursing school is something I never saw in the cards for me. Being here is a blessing in itself. Transitioning I believe was the hardest part for me. In the beginning I was truly struggling with how to balance my time. I couldn't determine how much time I needed to study for the test. Giving up my social life was difficult at first, but then I gained so many new friends that were struggling with me. There have been so many difficult parts in nursing school, however some way God brings me through it.
In nursing school you are constantly comparing yourself to your peers, if they are doing better and how you should be. I realized that we aren't here to compete, but rather to help each other achieve. I have seen the progression I have made in the semester with: better studying skills, working less, and devoting my "free time" to reading more in depth. I want to keep improving, I want to succeed. Of course I am constantly worried if I won't pass, because I can't imagine losing something so great that has happened to me. This constant worrying I hope will motivate me to keep working hard and improving. Seeing the finish line of this semester is astonishing to me. Where did the time go? I have had the greatest opportunity being surrounded by wonderful faculty and my cohort. I am overflowing with blessings and struggle, I know God placed me here for a reason.
The next three weeks I want to strive to complete all the tasks put before me, efficiently and with the best of my ability. I know it is going to be stressful, but I know if I just dedicate my all then I will be satisfied knowing I tried my best. I love my cohort and my wonderful faculty members for their support. I hope I can return the favor and give them the best support I can.

THANK YOU GOD FOR CONSTANTLY BEING SO GRACIOUS TO ME

COMMUNICATION: GOOD VS. BAD

Communication is key in every relationship you endure in life. Whether it be professional, romantically, or friendly. The way you communicate, says a lot about your character. It is essential that everyone is aware of how to provide good communication. To have good communication it is important to first give your full respect to the person you are talking to. The fastest way to turn to having bad communication skills is disrespecting someone you are talking to. Giving respect you are building a foundation of trust with the other person you are communicating with. The second word of advice is to eliminate all distractions. Peoples minds are constantly wandering, they are easily distracted by background noise, objects, etc. Eliminating those distractions help both participants focus on the task at hand.  Lastly, getting to know another persons environment, of culture, background, etc. helps you connect with he or she more efficiently. Connecting with other individuals helps you understand more of their own point of view, rather than your own.
Bad communication is continuous, it is part of our nature to forget or not say something we mean. It is harder to achieve good communication, but recognizing what you do wrong is the first step in the right direction. I know from personal experience I immediately can take a source of information incorrectly and take it personal. However, if I am unsure of the communication I should ask questions to clarify what was said, rather than assume. Another bad communication habit is not addressing the person directly that needs the vital information. Many individuals are too lazy to go look for the person they need so they will just pass on the information, hoping it will eventually reach them. If you need to contact someone directly, take the time to go find that person. Having the individual listen directly will ensure the communication was processed effectively.

Here is just a cute picture of what can happen with BAD communication.

DEALING WITH GRIEF

For this blog post we were given two optional topics to write on. However, we did have a third option if we felt we were being called to write on grief. And well I felt God calling on my heart to write on grief. Writing a blog on this topic will be difficult yet relieving at the same time. Two months ago I lost one of my best friends to suicide. Unexpected and unannounced. He was all around an amazing person. Before I begin writing on how I feel, I believe it is necessary for me to tell you what kind of a person he was. TJ Miller was an all star in everything that he did. He was the star quarterback, varsity baseball, varsity basketball, won homecoming every year, honor student, and involved in student government. Even though he excelled at everything he did, we didn't become friends that way. I fell in love with his personality and love for Jesus. He was such a caring spirit. One of my favorite things about him was that he made sure to make everyone feel important, no matter who you were or where you came from. We would attend church together and when we would do worship he would tell me to singer louder and lift my hands higher.

I have lost loved ones before but never this way. This is one of the hardest deaths I have ever endured. Dealing with this grief is a daily battle. Little things remind me of him everyday, and I do have times where I start crying unexpectedly. The biggest challenge I have realized with my personal grief are the unanswered questions I have with TJ. There are so many questions I wish I could ask him, "If I was a good friend to him? Why? Did you enjoy your life?". None of those questions matter though. All that matters is that God knows the reason and he is at peace with the Lord.

Yesterday TJ would have been 20, I celebrated his birth like I would have any other year. This year myself and many other loved ones of his, went on a walk to Mt. Rubidoux and released balloons with notes to him. It was such a nice way to continue to heal together. Dealing with grief can be just reminiscing on memories with friends, talking about it, working out the frustration, or running to Christ. I will continue to deal with my grief with the help of loved ones and of course running to Christ with my worries and heartache.

Love you Tj Miller. Happy 20th Birthday.

THE END TO MY SOCIAL LIFE

The start of nursing school has been one of the greatest blessings I have been given. However, with this big blessing it doesn't mean I don't have to work for it. For example, this puts an end to my social life. My social life is gone only temporarily though. I know we will meet again someday. Working hard for something you want isn't going to be handed to you. Day by day I am enduring this battle of constantly rejecting my friends for studying or getting assignments completed. During this battle for a social life and succeeding in nursing school I can't fight it alone. I need my army, my nursing friends. Having nursing friends is what makes losing my social life outside of school easier. Being surrounded by people that relate to me and understand what I am going through makes this fight easier. Yes I am saddened I don't regularly get to go to the movies with my friends, check my social medias everyday, and get time to take spontaneous trips with my friends. However, I get to watch nursing YouTube clips, check my nursing apps for practice questions, and take spontaneous trips to the library for a study group which makes easier to let the other stuff go. I know in the end it will be worth this battle.