2/19/2018 0 Comments NO MORE SNAPCHAT!?!?That's right! No more Snapchat! This past week, I made the decision to remove all my social media apps from my phone and iPad. I had been contemplating this for quite a while but never wanted to go through with this since most of my groups I talked to could only talk on these apps. Akshata Shanbhag, an author on the technology based website, Made Use Of, wrote about her similar experience with her social media accounts. Like me, there was no momentous event that led her to give up her accounts, but felt she just needed a break. Here are a few reasons why I, similar to Shanbhag, got rid of social media:
1) It's Distracting I have a ton of homework. But when I get home, I scroll through Instagram and other apps until, all of a sudden, two hours had gone by! I had wasted precious time that I could have been productive during, and would make my night exponentially easier and less stressful. I could have spent all that time playing a board game with the family or getting extra sleep! 2) It's Addicting I found myself picking up my phone almost every free second just to check Snapchat stories or scrolling through Instagram. I didn't even pay any attention to half the stories there! At times, I didn't even mean to get on my phone, but it was just a natural reaction. Shanbhag talks about how she felt directionless online without her Facebook to aimlessly scroll through, but instead, she found a new hobby and better way to manage her time! 3) It's Usually Pretty Pointless What do people ever look at on social media? We see other's lives through a screen. It takes away conversation topics, it causes drama and starts fights, promotes self-consciousness and is rarely used beneficially. Shanbhag defends against the argument of "being out of the loop", but if it truly is important, your friends will talk to you and spend more time with you in person. I have noticed how much time I have saved and made better use of already this week! I do not plan on going back to social media for a very long time, if ever! Not all social media is bad, and certainly not if you use it for positive reasons with self-control, but you should definitely take a close look at the impacts and reasons behind the use of social media.
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2/7/2018 4 Comments Immeasurable Love![]() I am beyond loved! I know this and see it everyday, but lately, it has been overwhelming! One of my best friends recently mailed me a letter. I love getting mail, but who doesn't?! The envelope contained a watercolor painting and a piece of notebook paper filled with her gorgeous handwriting. The watercolor was made for me and is the waterfront of one of my favorite places, Camp Lutherhaven. She is so talented! The letter was her thoughts recently on how blessed we are and how thankful we should be. It included a bible verses, and will be used as my new favorite devotion. Thank you Sparky for reminding me to praise God for every little thing! Everyday at school, I see so many friends I love! They make me extremely happy! They constantly make my long days fly by and add extra pep into my life. Thank you all for being my supporters, laughing at my joke, and being such amazing beautiful people! Today, another one of my best friends gave me a bracelet in between classes. It is a prayer bracelet. As she made it, she prayed for me over each knot forming the bracelet. Not only that, but she remembered my three favorite colors to make the bracelet with! This may seem normal, but I have a terrible memory and find this incredible! I cannot wait to wear this love on my wrist everyday! (CHECK OUT HER BLOG HERE) My 31-day devotion plan lead me to read 1 Corinthians 13 this week. This is the love chapter, and I highly recommend it!! I was reminded of how powerful love can be! If I live my life and do amazing things, but I do it without love, I have done nothing. I must do everything in love! this chapter also provides guidelines for what love looks like and doubles for some fantastic relationship guidelines! Last but definitely not least, my family reminds me of how loved I am. They always make sure I know I'm loved, but this week a few things stood out to me. I came home from a busy day and my dad had cleaned my room! A busy environment stresses me out and he had helped me to be more calm and productive! Such a small action showed so much love! Then grandma sneakily slipped into my house and did my laundry! My Mom also just brought me home a biscuit from Red Lobster, which are the best biscuits ever! YUM! Also, Valentines Day is in one week, so I don't see the love stopping anytime soon! 2/2/2018 0 Comments My First Photo shoot
1/26/2018 0 Comments need a laugh?This post is dedicated to making people laugh. Comment links to add to the list! Enjoy!
Click HERE to go to my vine playlist! 1/24/2018 5 Comments Shutter speed
1/15/2018 5 Comments Liberty pups
1/9/2018 2 Comments Focusing on Aperture
1/7/2018 1 Comment new year, new me?This year I am the same person I was in 2017, but better. My New Years resolution is to be the best version of Hayley. Some people try to do this slowly with a few goals at a time, but this year I went all or nothing. In every way possible, and in everything I do, I want to do it better.
Every morning I have decided to get my favorite devotion book back out, and read that days devotion. I want to start my day with God. I love my devotion book! It is written like God is talking to me. If time allows, I also want to read from the bible every morning. It has always been a goal to read the entire Bible, but I haven't even gotten close yet. I started a chronological plan and I am so proud of myself for 7 days already! 359 more to go! Another way that I am being a better me is by taking better care of myself. I tend to procrastinate and stay up late only to wake up late and be rushed and without breakfast. I am making an extra effort to get things done, go to bed early or at a reasonable time, and wake up with enough time to get ready and eat breakfast without being rushed in the morning. I am eating healthier food options, packing my lunch for school every days, and making sure I get enough to eat. Drinking lots of water is another goal of mine. I have a new water bottle. It has a Camp Lutherhaven vibe and I absolutely love it! It boosts my mood and helps me drink more. Its been a week and I can already tell a difference. Oh, and I am trying not to "forget" to put my retainer in as much haha. Before bed I am writing down at least three things I feel blessed with or am thankful for in my Bullet Journal. I also answer a question in "A Question A Day" planner that I got for Christmas. Last but not least, I write down a memory or something I want to remember from that day on a strip of paper and put it in my 2018 memory jar. I am excited to look back at the memories at the end of the year! 2018 is going to be the best yet! I am so excited! 11/23/2017 11 Comments Here goes nothing!Hooray! I am super excited to launch this blog! I have wanted to start a blog for years and I finally got to it. My English teacher explained that my AP English class would soon start a blogging project in a few weeks, but I was too excited to wait.
I hope to use this website as an output for my creativity and thoughts. That may include ideas, rants, stories, or pretty much anything else you could think of. Not only is this website a blog, but I wanted to add a section for me to keep track of my life and for me to help and interact with others. My goal is to grow my website into a place where I can give advice and get feedback. I want people to enjoy and love this website, but if they don't, that's okay, because I do. I also hope to improve my writing and thought process by writing as many times as possible. Here goes nothing! |
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June 2018
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