Challenges

Everyone faces challenges in life. To me, to be challenged in my life is to remind me that life isn't easy and also that I'm going through this to prepare me for something else in my life. That isn't always easy to swallow, depending on the situation. There have been times when I couldn't see anything but down where the phrase "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" or "God doesn't put you through anything you can't handle" would actually put me in a fit of rage. I know that's hard for some people to understand but when you are way above your personal limit for what you can deal with at a particular time that's what it feels like. And for that reason I try not to say those things to people because you never really truly know what someone is going through. Fortunately I'm way past that point in my life, that was a long time ago, and I hope I won't ever be at that point again.

Right now I know the most important thing for me to do is to keep believing in myself. Sometimes when your goal is so close to you it feels like you're looking at it from very very far away. What's interesting about seeing what's going on with my project right now, I feel like I can take it. Regardless of the result, no matter how I have to write it up to get published (as in altering my hypothesis to fit the model, not alter the data), I can do it. I will be successful. And then I'll have earned it. And even in if the whole project goes down the toilet, I'll still have done something worth doing by working on this project.

So with that said, can I just fast forward 6 months? :-)

All I Want for Christmas

Dear Santa,

I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but here's my Christmas wish list.

1)   Peace on earth.

2)  Obtain a good job or good chance at a job for my life as I leave grad school

3)  Finish all (or as much as possible) experiments required to write my paper and the thesis

4)  Have positive progress on building our house

5)  Help me to relax and enjoy the holidays so I don't stress out my husband

6)  Keep as many people safe this holiday season.  No one likes to hear bad news during the holidays.

I'm sure there's something else important but can't think of it right now.  I'm in the midst of Christmas shopping. :-)