Welcome to Weekly Inspiration #6 and #7! Sadly, I had to skip WI #6 last week since I had too many things going on. ? However, life has gotten (mostly) back to normal now. ?
My week started out terribly, but got a bit better as the days passed by. I had more on my plate than usual, and my poor brain/body was suffering from trying to keep up with it all. To keep my spirits up, I tried spending some time working on things I enjoy, but I still fell into burnout anyways.
Winter Plans
Although it’s only halfway through the semester, I’m already starting to plan out what I want to do in December and January, the two months between my college’s fall and spring semesters.
I think I have enough plans to cover more time than I have! Basically, I plan to work on my web development, UI/UX, design, and content writing skills. I might dabble a bit in marketing as well. I would also like to up my sites’ SEO.
Maybe I’ll try to write a book!
Project-wise, I would like to spend more time on Pinguni, my educational website that is currently just a skeleton now, and Masa HaChaim, which is in the same state as Pinguni but is focused on Messianic youth.
EXTRA NOTE: This is not winter, but in November I plan to try my hand at NaNoWriMo again. Will it work? I have no idea.
Math Woes (and more)
Math was my best subject until I got sick of it and decided to take a break. After taking Intro to Linear Algebra with Differential Equations in Spring 2019, I stopped math for over a year.
This semester, I am back in the world of numbers with Multivariable Calculus. However, things are different.
- I don’t like math anymore. (I never ever thought this would be possible, but apparently it is.)
- I don’t like school anymore. (Actually, I’ve started to dislike school since the spring 2020 semester.)
- I don’t know what my future plans are anymore. (I thought I would be in computer science, but it no longer seems like something I am going to choose. What should I do?)
My future decisions are a mess right now — people plan but G-d directs — and I am learning the hard way that G-d is the only One who knows anything about what my future may look like. I have plans, yes, but they are only mine.
The National Bible Bee
For some reason I cannot figure out to this day, I end up participating again and again in the one event that has messed with my nerves more than any other. Every year, I face a similar pressure and nervousness, yet I have not been able to stay away from this competition since 2013.
Introducing the National Bible Bee.
I hope to write a post about my experience in the Preliminary Rounds of the Bible Bee this year, so I’m not going to divulge too many of the details here. ? If you would like to check this year’s competition status, though, head over to the competition page!
Bearable
This beautiful little app is not only user-friendly; it is an extremely valuable tool as well! I started using Bearable after spending weeks digging around Google Play for the perfect mood tracking app. I tried out around 5-10 apps, never finding “the” one — that is, until I stumbled across Bearable.
Bearable isn’t just for tracking your mood throughout the day. With it, you can also keep track of your stress levels, medication, activity and exercise levels, meal plans, and more. You can even write short notes of gratitude on Bearable.
The flexibility and features of the app ultimately keep me using it every day, to this day. Every now and then, I take a look at the graphs depicting my mood and sleep times over the weeks. Oof, I should be spending more time in bed!
Character Backstories
The art of acting crosses worlds with the art of writing.
This week in my Intro to Theater class, I was asked to write a backstory on one of the lead characters in the play The Boys Next Door.
I chose Jack Palmer. While writing his 800-word backstory (in the first person, I may add), I realized this specific part of acting is something every novel writer would find helpful.
An actor has to get into his character’s mind and make it his own. He needs to understand where the character came from, his personality, and the reasons behind his actions. Like my theater professor would say, “Be specific. There are no generalities in acting.”
It’s the same with fiction writers. To truly develop three-dimensional people, an author needs to know his characters’ personalities well. Why are they arguing? Fighting? Do they prefer peace and quiet, and why? Writing a backstory for each main character is a strategy an author cannot go wrong with.
I love it when two worlds cross.
Summary
My Week in Ten Words: Frustrating. Stressful. Depressing. Exciting. Full of nerve-wracking events. Very interesting.
Question of the Week: When am I ever going to be able to have time to do the things I want to do?
October 4-16, 2020