Before today I was, of course, thinking more on the stressful part of my senior year. ‘Work now play later’ kind of thing. And why is that? Hmm let me think. Oh…COLLEGE. The stressful thought has been lingering above me for months now. College applications, making good marks, getting good teacher recommendations, and the dreaded SATs. These stressful times coming up were making me forget about all the good and exciting times to come. The scary thoughts would sometimes make me toss and turn at night. Is this unnecessary? I’m starting to think so.

Abraham Lincoln said something back in the day that has really changed by point of view. He said: “Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”  I read that a few days ago and it has really stuck in my mind. This man was President of the United States during the Civil War–a really hard time for our country. He was leading our country through this very stressful time and he was still happy. Wait, he wasn’t overly stressed and concerned all the time? I don’t know about you, but stress can sometimes make me go a little crazy. But after reading Mr. Abe’s quote, the thought sparked in my head. All the things that have been stressing me out do not even compare to the stress that Abraham Lincoln had to face. If he can do it, why not me?

The little things that I stress in my life will certainly not determine how my future will turn out. Of course, there are some people who will allow that to happen to themselves. Some people take negativity and let it control their life. But, not me. I’ve decided to take Abe’s advice. If I want to be happy then I will be happy. Simply as that.

I think that we all should stop and think about what really matters in our lives. What are the things that you should stress about and what are the things that simply do not matter? Remove the bad stuff and replace it with new and refreshing things…and yes they can be little. Stop and smell those roses. Take your dog for a walk in the afternoon. Bake cookies with you mom. And so on and so forth. Or you could take it to a whole new level. You could make one of those “bucket lists.” Fill it with crazy dreams like traveling to a different country, sky diving even. Anything to make you think about your future in a positive way.

Dont’ sweat it. Everything in life will fall into place. For now, just enjoy life along with everything it has to offer. And if you are ever feeling overwhelmed, just keep good ol’ Abe in mind.

Walking into the “Red Group” meeting room for the first time Sunday night, I was skeptical. I felt like an inexperienced athlete trying out for the varsity team. As we went around saying our name, where we were from, and what type of journalism we were interested in, I was nervous. “Hi I’m Catherine Schmitt, I am from Elon, and I am interested in print,” were the words that people would base their first impressions off of. “There,” I thought. “My try-out is over.” By the end of the night, I was done showing people what I was like and their impressions of me where already made. But, little did I know, these people

were all in the same boat as I was. They were trying out for the same team…and felt just like me. The fact that we were all strangers gave us the courage to be ourselves and made everything so much easier.

On that first night, I didn’t know that in just a few days I would feel so close to all the people sitting around me. I had no idea that we would resemble the happy, rejoicing team on that Nike commercial.

All throughout the busy and exciting week at WJMC, we grew as a team. Our goals in journalism varied, but our goals in life were all the same. In just hours, I began to trust the people around me and began to grow as a journalist and as a person. My confidence grew every minute I was there and when it was time to leave I was more than ready to start my career as a journalist.

On the last day, the Red Team had our last group meeting ever. From  museums, to walking the streets of DC in the pouring rain, to simply  taking silly pictures of our group mates on the bus (possibly in their  sleep), we had grown to love each other. We spent every moment  together from sunrise to sunset, developed friendships that will last a  lifetime, and created memories that will last even longer. I realized, that  we had become the team from the Nike commercial. We each had a  special talent or trait that completed our team, making it perfect. Even though our teammates live in over 35 states, we as individuals would still strive to be successful. And even though we would be apart we would still have the same bond that we had during that special week.With my team behind me, I was confident that my dreams would come true someday. Knowing this, I feel that I became that excited athlete who just won the trophy and that we became the team that won the championships.

Seeing this commercial made me realize that those three little words can guide you through your life.“Just do it.” These simple words guided me throughout my amazing week in Washington and will guide me through many experiences to come. Conquer your fears. Follow your dreams. Meet new people and  try new things. You will be amazing on how much you can accomplish. It all starts with getting off the bench and trying out for the varsity team that I call success. And who knows….you might just score the winning goal.

It was a very eventful day today and I will never forget these amazing experiences. Thank you WJMC!

-Catherine

first day here at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference and i have already had so much fun! Our schedules are jam packed and exciting activities are planned for us all through out the week. I am looking forward to everything! I am exhausted and about to get some rest. Tomorrow we are going to downtown DC cannot wait  

goodnight!

-catherine

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