Change Happens

"Change is a funny thing, not everyone can handle it. It can sneak up on you. Things aren’t what they use to be. The whole world is transformed. You realize the ground beneath you has shifted. Things are uncertain and there’s no turning back. The world around you is different now. Unrecognizable, and there is nothing you can do about it. You’re stuck and the future is staring you in the face and you’re not sure you like what you see." - Alex Karev, Grey's Anatomy, season nine, episode 14. 

As the spring season is now officially underway, I take a step back and discover there are just a mere six weeks left until the semester is over, until Sine Die, until the suits all go home and new friends become mere acquaintances, and until I'm finished with undergraduate college life. 

This doesn't come as a surprise to me. No one pulled the rug out from underneath my firmly planted feet. No, rather, these feet have been shifting constantly, ready for the chance to break fast and loose. But now, all of a sudden, it feels real. The light at the end of the tunnel that was once just a twinkling, far off star has become a blinding beacon of uncertainty. 

During this time of uncertainty it's important for me to remember that I am in charge of what I see in the mirror and I am responsible for the decisions that I make. I heard the other day, "You may not think you have a choice, but you always have a choice. The trick is to live with the ones you make." While all of this change is occurring rapidly over the next six weeks, it's these words that will ground me through the experience and remind me to step back, take a deep breath and gain some perspective.

Lent, revisited

The Christian Season of Lent is a period of time spent in preparation for Easter and the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent lasts for 40 days, ending on Easter Sunday. During Lent, Christians take time to reflect on Christ's life, suffering and sacrifice. It is common practice within the church to "give up something for Lent" that serves as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice. The purpose is to remind you of Jesus when you want to participate or consume whatever you gave up.

I can remember as a child growing up and giving up chocolate, Diet Coke and fast food, to name a few. If you follow my Twitter feed, you know that this year I chose to give up excuses. I created a motto for myself that was the center of my motivation to give up excuses. The motto is "Be present, be mindful, do good."

This weekend I was submitting an internship application, which asked me to choose a tagline that represents who I am. I immediately thought of my Lenten motto. The exercise allowed me to elaborate on what it means to me and how it defines me. Though I created it to guide me through the Lenten season, I've decided to adopt the philosophy to my life year-round. Below I've included my internship submission so that you can see my rationale for my new life motto.

I've created a personal motto to guide my life decisions: “Be present, be mindful, do good.” This motto is a tagline that represents who I am because it is a constant reminder of the values I hold. Often, I find myself making well thought out plans for the future. Preparedness is of utmost importance to me; however, I find that the phrase “be present” is a reminder that awareness and pro-activity must strike a balance with readiness in order to achieve success. This applies to both the way I approach a public relations campaign and how I live my life. “Be mindful” illustrates the importance of perspective. I try to be cognizant of relationships that may not be clearly identifiable at first glance. “Do good” demonstrates that I should guide myself with a strong moral compass and to be accountable in all that I do. So who am I? I am Morgan L. McCord: present, mindful and doing good.