Challenges for Young Adults

I was recently asked...what the hardest thing was about being a young adult.

Oh, boy did I have a list!

I'm 17 years old (almost 18...give me a month!!) and a freshman in college.

One of the hardest things for me is...

the transition period from childhood and adulthood.

For example, in many areas of my life I am treated like an adult, given my age. While I make my own decisions, work, and go to college, etc...I still am under my parent's authority and must listen when they tell me to do something.

That transition time is extremely awkward and very confusing! You are being treated like and adult one minute and then treated like a child the next!



While this transition is necessary, it can be very hard and annoying.

Another challenging thing...

Insecurity...

Insecurity is rampant among children and teens, but I think it is just as bad in young adults because of this awkward crossroads stage. They don't really know what they want to do, where they fit in, etc.




I can totally sympathize and relate to that!

Lastly, balancing all aspect of life....meaning, balancing social, academic, work, hobbies, etc....all those things are important, but trying to balance it all is the real problem. You only have so many hours, minutes, and seconds in a day to fit family, friends, homework, hobbies, and work!! It can be pretty stressful!!!!



Those are just a few things that I personally think are the hardest for young adults!! Of course, those aren't the only hard things that we go through, but they were the first ones to come to mind and I think some of the biggest!!

~Cait

Listening to Understand

I LOVE to talk! Trust me! It's one of my best qualities!! I rarely am at a loss of what to talk about! Rarely!!

While my strong point is talking, my weak point is listening! During a conversation I have noticed that I tend to tune the other person out and start thinking about what I'm going to say next.

I saw this quote yesterday and thought it worded this problem perfectly!!

Here it is....

"The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply."
-Gabriel Garcia Marquiz



I so often listen to reply and don't take the time to really hear what that other person is saying. It makes me wonder, am I really caring and loving that person by tuning them out and selfishly trying to determine what I'm going to say next? No, of course not!!! What I'm doing is completely selfish and unloving!!

Now, having thought out replies is a good thing and is a wise move, however, focusing on what the other person is ACTUALLY saying can help in having an intelligent comeback and lead to a very thoughtful conversation.



You can learn a lot about people when you actually listen to them and hear what they have to say!

Now, the hardest part is actually listening to understand not to just reply.

The action part is way harder than just recognizing the problem!!
This is the part that I still struggle with!

So I think that once you recognize that you struggle with listening, you can move onto spending time in prayer, asking God to help you overcome this struggle, because we obviously can't do it by ourselves! I think we also need to start changing our thinking- it's not about how many words we can get into a conversation, it's about what you can learn from a conversation or how you can encourage this other person!

Some people just want a listening ear! They don't always want someone to try to insert their opinions or solutions, but someone who will encourage them and just hear and understand them! So start thinking about it that way! Start telling yourself that this person really needs someone to just listen not talk!!


Not to mention, your relationships are guaranteed to be strengthened just by listening to understand, because...

1) You are putting someone else's needs above your own.

and.....

2) You are actually hearing their likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, struggles, etc!

You can learn a lot about someone just by talking to them!

I know I didn't have an actual solution for you guys, I'm still trying to figure it out myself! But I hope, f nothing else you can know that you aren't the only one who struggles with this!

Praying for you guys!!

Love,
Cait

All About Me...Round 2

So I did an 'All About Me' post when I first started blogging, but that has been quite a few months ago!! Not that I, personally, have changed...it's just that I have new people viewing my blog and well....in all honesty...who doesn't like talking about themselves?

Ahem...I just said that...whoops...

Okay...moving on!

Actually...I don't really have anything big right now to share with you all so I had to do something!! Anything!!

So, I thought I would find some questions...like 'get to know you' questions and answer them! I just picked these questions randomly so I'm not really sure what all I got!!

Okay so first things first..Some important and random things about me...

I'm 17 and 9 months and my favorite color is blue (really random, I know...I just feel like that is one of the first things that people ask you!) ....I just graduated High School and am continuing my education in Nursing...ummm, even though I'm going into Nursing my dream job would to probably be a stunt driver...I LOVE the thrill! (I'm a safe driver though...don't worry!!)

Now to the questions!
1) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Hmmmmm, such a hard question...I want to go everywhere!! I guess if I had to pick one place it would probably be India!

 

Look at that!! Who wouldn't want to go there! I think their culture is so fascinating! So if I had to pick ONE place...India it would be! 

2) Who, in the United States do you think has the coolest job? Why? 

Okay, so I guess I have two answers...one totally serious the other...more fun

I think the coolest job that someone could possibly have would be our missionaries! Day in and day out they are doing the Lord's work, bringing people to Christ! To me...that is the coolest thing ever!! So I guess we are all missionaries in a sense...sharing the gospel with everyone we come into contact with! At least, that's how it should be! ;)

The second answer to that question I think would be our special ops (Seals, Delta, etc)...with my brother wanting to go into that kind of field I hear about the kind of stuff they do ALL THE TIME!!! Super cool! 

3) What do you think is the most dangerous thing for a teenager and why? 

 

Woah...this question is going deep!! I think one of the most dangerous things for a teenager would be our lack of confidence in both our abilities and ourselves! I think so many problems would be solved if we weren't so scared to show or act on our God given abilities! 

4) What qualities do you look for in a friend? 

 

-Loyalty

-honesty

-someone who puts in as much in for the friendship as I do!

-someone who has the same morals

-someone who has about the same goals in life

5) Where do I see myself in 10 years? 

Let's see...I would be 27....

I guess I could see myself working in a Shock Trauma or ER setting at a local hospital. God-willing I would be married and have a couple kids! 

6) What are the top 5 things you like to do?

-Hang out with friends doing pretty much anything! As long as I am with people...I don't care!

-Reading

-Writing...obviously!!

-Pretty much anything active, hiking, exercising, sports (I'm REALLY bad at all of them though)

-and taking pictures

7) One favorite quote

Seriously?!?! Just one!! I have a whole book of my favorite quotes!! 

If I have to pick just one...it would be ....

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway. What you spend years building someone can destroy overnight. Build anyway. If you are hones people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous, Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."- Mother Theresa

She was an amazing woman and did amazing work in India! 

8) What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

 Ugg I always got into trouble! I probably got into the most trouble for my back-talking...I was and still am a sassy one! 

9) What do you miss most abut being a kid? 

 

I miss not being worried or stressed about anything and having quite the imagination!  I mean I still do...but if I played the same things that I did when I was 8 I would probably be put into a mental institution!

Last Question!!

10) What has been your biggest success so far? 

I think those words that Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12

¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

have really rung true in my life! Learning to do hard things and not let the cliche...teenagers are incapable of doing anything ring true for my life has been a big thing! 

I went to a conference a long time ago (like 7 years ago)...the conference was called Do Hard Things and it was all about rebelling against the low expectations that society has for us teens! It was a life changer! That was when God pushed me outside of my comfort zone by raising money/running a 5K, going on multiple mission trips and planning a benefit concert for orphan awareness! 

So I would say, God pushing me out of my comfort zone has created some of the best memories and my greatest successes!!

Well that's it friends! Hopefully you got to know me a little better!! If you have any questions for me comment below, shoot me a message or post on my facebook page! 

Love you all! 

Cait

Neverland

 This afternoon I was helping my younger brother clean up and tidy our woods garden, aka the large open space in our woods that butts right up against our yard...don't ask me why it's called garden...nothing grows in there- hence the large open space!

There is a large tree house right in the middle of it with a collection of old broken toys and furniture that has all been used for a multitude of things; pirate ship, house, farm, hospital, etc! Things, meaning toys and furniture, had gotten a little out of hand recently, and since my graduation party is this weekend, I decided that the stuff must get cleaned up!

Now, I'm 17 years old and have not played out there for several years.

As we were cleaning things up I would pick up an old toy and old memories would flood into my mind. I remembered the carefree, and somewhat child I was, up in that tree house being whoever I wanted to be!

I stood there for a moment letting the sweet memories sweep over me.

I suddenly felt a longing to be 10 again pretending to be a nurse. Not having to think about the grades or long years of studying it would take for me to become one!

I wanted to be young, innocent, and without all the stress that life has bogged me down with.  I don't want to have to worry about school, grades, money, relationships, time, etc!

Why, oh why did I wish those years away to get to where I am now? There is nothing glorious about it!

And then I realized...I didn't wish those years away...it happened naturally and over time. I was bound to turn 17-18 eventually! And I had a fun childhood! I wouldn't really change it at all!

And being a teenager has many blessings that as a child, I didn't have!

Like having more freedom, being able to drive ( that's a big one!), having more responsibility, having more say over your life, making decisions YOU want to make, being old enough to be in relationships, and so many more things!

So, I guess my main point in this is...be content in the stage of life you are in! They all have their pro's and con's! It's just what you choose to focus on! 

Well that's it folks!! I'm working on a big post right now...I've been struggling with it, but hope to have it out soon! 

Love, 

Cait