When Life Gives You Lemons...

Life, it's great, right? I think that a good majority of the people that I know could point out an issue or a flaw that is happening within their own lives but what about you? Yeah, you, the one reading this right now. What is something in your life that you can point out that's bad?

Let's think on that for a moment.

What about the things in your life that are good. Does the good outweigh the bad? I would honestly hope so.

For me, what is the bad?

I've stressed beyond believe because of finals, just like other high school and college student out there.

What's the good, you ask?

Well, as of yesterday, December 19th, I became a graduate from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

On top of that?

I graduated with my best friend, my other half, my partner in crime, and my person.

The past four and a half years have probably been some of the most difficult years of my life. I had to take the time to figure out who I am as an individual and when I didn't like who I was, I changed to be the person that 5 year old me would be proud of. I took risks and they were all worth it. They all helped me to become the woman that I am today.

Life isn't easy and I think anybody would be lying to you if they told you that it was.
Life is full of twists and turns. It isn't easy and it sure as heck is far from being fair.

When life gives you lemons, turn around and do something great like cut them up and put a wedge in your iced tea. Don't forget to find the positive in every situation.

Life has a funny way of working out just when you believe that it never will.

A Letter to My Pre-College Self: Things I Wish I Knew Then That I Know Now

Dear Young, Scared, and Afraid of Change,

         I want to start off by saying how much fun you are going to have in college. It really is true what they say about college being the best years of your life and finding your forever friends. I know right now joining a sorority also seems like a bit much considering you’ll have to get used to the campus first, but trust me it’s extremely worth it (you’ll thank me later). You’ll regret it if you wait any later to join since it will be the most fun, and exciting part of college since you’ll make so many amazing friendships through it. You’ll also get so much more involved on campus and you’ll feel great while doing philanthropic work. 

        Don’t be afraid of living in a dorm, and roommates. You’ll be just fine and everything will work out. Every one you meet that you live with will teach you something different, whether it be how to get along with others no matter how different you may be, or how to laugh at yourself and create amazing memories with the person who will always be waiting for you on the other side of that dorm room door. You will also have amazing venting sessions with them so don’t fret, it’ll all work out.

        As far as boys go, don’t be too concerned about finding one, the right one will come along I promise. Maybe it won’t be in college, but at some point it will happen for you and don’t try to force it. Also, you will have many fraternity boy crushes but be warned, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be. Just go out and have fun and don’t worry about that at all, it will come in due time.

        For friendships, time will be your friend, and show you who is truly there for you and who isn’t but they will all teach you something extremely important even if it doesn’t seem obvious at the time. Those who do become your greatest friends though will be those who will be forever friends undoubtedly.

       Don’t be afraid of change little one, I know change is a scary thing for you and gives you extreme anxiety but college is a good one trust me. I know you have life planned out, but it will change and it will be scary at times but don’t let it get to you, sometimes there are bigger things out there for you other than what you initially thought, especially when it comes to your career path. I know it may seem scary that you can change your mind, but in the middle of that time you’ll figure out what you truly want to do in life.

       You won’t be going home as often as you will be during freshman year, and you’ll have so much fun at school you’ll forget all about being homesick. When you finally start spending so much of your time at school it will make going home to spend time with family that much more amazing and cherished. But most importantly, don’t worry about your friendships with those in high school changing, even though you will be going down different paths, they will always continue to intertwine and cross at various points throughout the year and in life; those who you know were great friends for you then will always stay great friends for you even throughout college.

      Lastly, don’t lose who you are, always stay true to yourself and don’t let anyone intimidate or frighten you out of what you want to achieve or be. You are destined for greatness and your future looks extremely bright, keep having a positive, go-getter, and open-minded attitude and life will endure for you some pretty amazing things.

  Aim High! (Don’t worry you’ll learn what this means eventually! ☺)

    Sincerely,

   Your future self.

Being on the Right Side of the Worlds Perceptions

Being in Greek Life comes with a plethora of benefits; leadership experiences, indescribable bonds, and a lifetime of memories. However, being a member of a Greek lettered organizations also comes with a lot of opinions and perceptions of what we are.

Generally speaking, people will always speculate about things that are secretive and that people don’t completely understand, including sororities and fraternities.

That being said, it is our duty, to or chapters, to our organizations, to our councils, to Greek Life in general, to help others look pass the misconceptions of Greek Life to see what it really means to be “Greek”.

This responsibility thus requires us to look at the way we portray ourselves and to ensure that we aim to always show ourselves and our organizations in the best and most accurate light. 

To do this, we need to be more approachable and willing to discuss what their organization generally stands for. Individually, each Greek member needs to be aware of what they post for the world to see on the web and, more importantly, Greeks across the globe need to remember that their actions are not only personal but also a representation of the chapter and organization they are apart of as a whole.

At the end of the day, people will always have theories about Greek Life, people will always stereotype and have notions  of what being Greek means, but ultimately it is the responsibility of each brother or sister to fight the misconceptions of Greek Life with the truth.

Falling Back in Love with Your Sorority

        There's a dirty little secret that no one tells you during recruitment, and that is that you will not always be in love with your sorority.  The secret goes something like this: you will not always be excited to go to retreats and mixers, and there may come a time where you dread giving up part of your Sunday to go to chapter. It is a possibility that at some point you will get burnt out on sorority life. That's okay, everyone goes through periods where other things take priority to staying active in the chapter, especially as graduation gets closer. 
       It's a part of growing up, however it doesn't mean that it's okay to just give up and go inactive or early alum, after all you did make a commitment to your organization. In the case that you find yourself feeling "meh" about your sorority for any number of reasons such as, friends graduating, harder classes/internships, or maybe your on some type of probation with your chapter, you should think to yourself "Why did I join, and why have I chosen to stay this long?" 
       The answer is most likely to be a part of something, to make lifetime connections, to have friends whose values are in line with your own. You joined because you knew that there is nothing like being in a sorority. If you're willing to start actively participating in your chapter again you might be surprised at how quickly you fall back in love.

Love Being in a Sorority? There's a Way You Can Do It Professionally!

Sisterhood events, semi-formals, recruitment, philanthropy work. Sororities really offer some of the best experiences in college. But why let the fun end there? There are many ways to keep the exciting memories coming after the first four years. You can join the local alumnae chapter or volunteer as a chapter advisor or chaperone your chapter's dances. These opportunities can be very rewarding, but there is a way to have all of this AND get paid!

Have you ever had a consultant visit your chapter? Those positions are typically contracted full time jobs for recent graduates. I graduated this past May, and received a job right out of college as a Leadership Development Consultant for Phi Sigma Sigma. As I was spending my last semester going to my internship in New York City, attending all of my classes, participating in sorority events, and doing my homework full of reading, writing papers, and preparing for exams, I frantically searched for full time jobs. I started hearing about an opportunity to be a traveling consultant for Phi Sigma Sigma after I had already applied to countless jobs. Even though working for my sorority was not my plan for after graduation, I decided to apply and see what could happen. So far, being a consultant has been a unique and exhilarating experience!

For Phi Sigma Sigma and many other Greek organizations, qualifications include being a graduate in good standing with the fraternity, having strong written and oral communication skills, and having the ability to foster and demonstrate teamwork and cooperation. Being a consultant means motivating and inspiring others to make the most of their collegiate experience while fostering leadership and positive growth. 

In return for the hard work advising and educating members on chapter operations and recruitment, this position sharpens many professional skills such as project and budget management, conflict resolution, event planning, and public speaking. This temporary position is a great stepping stone into any field because of these invaluable skills. 

OK, now for the real perks of the job. Like the title states, this is an opportunity to be a professional sorority woman! Even though I am a representative from Headquarters, I get all the perks of sorority life. I attend fun events for various chapters like a Zumba class with froyo for a health and wellness event, and Make a Wish parties for philanthropy work, and even recruitment video shoots. Not to mention all of the great conferences and training sessions with the headquarters staff! Plus, I am always getting countless free Phi Sig swag. Most of all, I get to see the positive change I make on these chapters. I develop a bond with the sisters who look up to me.

If you are looking for an exciting adventure like this, now is the time to apply for next year. Ask your advisor or headquarters staff about work opportunities, and see what you can do to continue your sorority experience!

How to Break Winter Vacation Boredom?

         What do you do on your winter break? Especially if most of your friends have jobs, babysit, doing homework, or just always busy. This first week I have been home and I am slowly starting to lose my mind while my friends are finishing up school. Needless to say being the first one back to my hometown is a blessing and a curse.
          There are somethings I have decided this break I am going to try and work on, instead of sitting in front of a television or computer screen every free moment I have from being free from work or not being with friends. There are so many things that you could do to benefit yourself, and even others!

1.  Organize! Clean through everything you own. Get rid or donate the things that you don't want. You can even make a little cash if you go to stores like Plato's Closet.
2. Read a good book. There are so many books, journeys, and adventures out there that can absorb you into their world. You can fall head over heals in love with a story within a book. 
3. Hangout with family. I know whenever I get a chance I spend time with my Nana. She is an amazing, strong, and patient woman who I can't get enough time to spend with her. I want to learn everything about her before I lose the chance to. Who knows, you may even have found a best friend like I did. 
   
4. Prepare. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE GRADUATING! Start job hunting, start looking for potential. Find out where you may be in a years time. Without the research or time to do the research will you really know? I know this break I am taking the time to fill out teaching applications.
5. Workout! Who needs New Years to start the "healthy living" spree? Start today and work on your fitness and being a better you. If you don't know how to use the weights or you always wanted to lift ask someone for help. What is the worst they are going to say? No? That is nothing to be afraid of.
   

Work hard this break, to benefit yourself. It is ok to be a little selfish every now and then. Just make sure you aren't sitting behind your computer 24/7 or a television. Get out there and do.

XOXO

Things to Consider when Buying Holday Gifts for Bigs and Littles

It is that time a year again. The air is cold, snow is sticking to the ground, holiday decor is everywhere, so what time is it? It is shopping time!

In my personal opinion, my favorite part of the holiday season is gift buying, I enjoy the challenge of finding the perfect gift for someone, including my big and littles.

Here is what I learned while shopping for my sorority "family"

1. Always aim to get something that fits their personality: Gifts should always make sense to who they are as person.

2. Practical isn't aways boring: sometimes the best gifts are the ones you know they will use.

3. DIY gifts are always fun: I usually buy something and make something, sometimes the hand made things are worth the most because of the time, dedication, and love that went into making it.

4. Consider the things you know they like: For example, one of my littles love to paint, so new watercolors or canvases would make a great gift.

5. Always be equal: One thing that was alway important to me was making sure everything was equal between my three littles. From initiation, to birthdays, to holidays my goal was always to get separate gifts for their personalities but of equal value.

6. Always check Pintrest, sometimes if you have an idea of what you want to make or get Pintrest is a great tool.

So with the holidays approaching, hopefully you will consider these things while shopping for you "Sorority Family".