Today was the first session of my 1-unit Happiness class, and I'm feeling so smart right now for choosing that to be the one non-academic class this quarter. It's a class that's aware of itself within an environment of academics and the competition it has to face within that environment. It feels incredible to be able to think critically about the unhappy elements in my life right now, and even more wonderful to recognize that it's there. Because of this, I am determined to implement change.
I want to start thinking more positively about myself, and about my future. We actually spend a huge chunk of our time dreading the future, and doing so releases biochemicals in our bodies that makes us lethargic. For me, I think it makes me more sensitive to the cold. I know I've been feeling very chilly and wearing lots of layers lately, but after class - right now - I'm absolutely humid. If we practice unhappiness enough, after a while it becomes the expected norm. Inversely, if we practiced happiness enough, that because the norm, and wouldn't a happy life be better than an unhappy one?
What scares me is that people in my intended profession - the sciences - don't ever seem to care about their happiness on their path to success. I fear that those who have taken the time to think about their happiness found that fulfillment lies in a different career, like Jennifer and teaching chemistry.
One thing I'm truly grateful and proud of is my disregard for money as a source of happiness now. The teachers really emphasized how many people still think that money is a source of happiness (and someone in the audience observed that we don't normally expect happy people to be rich). I felt my ultimate goal in life is to build a greener, healthier world in which I can live out the rest of my life, solving small problems and creating new art and crafts. We also need to be aware of how different our every day activities are from our passions, and make the changes necessary to steer our every day actions towards fulfilling goals.
Tomorrow I have another interview with Stanford's Housing Staff, for a full-time summer position. Speaking with Emily Dansereau, an RA for Loro, I gathered that the position might actually be pretty easy to fill, and now I know for sure that I am qualified for the position. I just need to get that point across, and some of the tips she offered was:
- prep yourself before the interview; really go in there with a list of points you want to get across no matter what questions they ask
- make yourself entirely available and offer your full service, as though you might already be entertaining conference guests
- let them know that you understand how the conference works and what you might be expected to do, since you've done your research in preparation for the interview
Tomorrow, I need to go in there with a win-win attitude, be confident about myself, and grab the job. I know I can do this :) And a good night's sleep will also help.
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