I got to thinking about karma. What goes around comes around, right? If we do the right thing, will we be led to better things? That doesn’t always seem to be the case. Just because we’re the victim sometimes doesn’t mean we’ll experience justice. Even if we act accordingly, karma doesn’t always seem to act in our favor. Why is this? Shouldn’t we have good karma if we do the right thing the majority of the time? Honestly, I find this to be completely unfair. And I know, I know: life isn’t fair. But sometimes, it should be. What goes around should come around. I’ve been baffled by this lately. Hopefully, someday, I will understand why things turn out the way they do. And that’s simply all I need. Karma will come around.

I got to thinking about true happiness. What exactly does it mean to be happy? Does it mean you get everything you ask for? Does it mean wealth and stability? Does it mean true love and family? I don’t really think you can put a general definition on the word happy. Everyone defines happiness differently. We spend so much effort trying to make ourselves happy. We eat at fancy restaurants, buy the pair of shoes we have been eyeing for months, and force ourselves into situations we think will make us feel better. So the question I ask myself is: what do I define as happy? Is that what I feel? Usually I’ll say yes to my definition of happiness, and that is all I can ask for. That is all any of us can ask for.

I got to thinking about the mind of a writer. It’s a crazy thing, you know. Writers, for the most part, are generally quieter types. Writers are too busy noticing things and watching people to make conversations. After all, the best writing comes from things we know, things we notice. Most people just see what’s in front of them. Writers don’t. Writers analyze, over-analyze, explore the possibilities. And that whole thing about creative people being tortured? It’s true. Writers are tortured. Writers get out their aggression and angst simply in writing. We don’t hit punching bags, we don’t pick fights, we write about those things that make us hurt or hostile. Am I tortured? Of course; I’m a writer. And you know what? That’s what makes for the best stories. So I’m okay with that.

I got to thinking about consideration. What does it take to be considerate? How do we know if we’re being considerate? At what point do we put the needs of others above our own? I find consideration to be a simple matter of understanding. When someone asks you not to do something that annoys them, you don’t do it anymore. But why is this not such a simple concept to most people? Where do we learn to be considerate? Is this innate? Or this consideration something we learn from our parents?

However we learn the basic principles of consideration, we must remember that it isn’t all about us. That would be much easier, but it wouldn’t be a learning process. We cannot always put our needs first. When practicing consideration, remember that someone else may need something greater than you; remember to be understanding. After all, understanding is all consideration really takes. Well, that, and an awareness of other people.  If you’re considerate, the favor will be returned.

I got to thinking about fairy tales. Why do we wish that our lives were as perfect as a fairy tale? Is it because the girl always gets the guy in the end? Is it because we wish our lives were just as uncomplicated? I think we do. But the next time you wish to be in a fairy tale, remember this: fairy tales end. What happened to Cinderella and the Prince after the movie ended? Who knows? The fairy tale ended. And maybe, you argue, the movie ended and that was that, but what goes on after the fairy tale is the most important. Relationships aren’t a fairy tale every day. Relationships are hard work. But when they’re right, they’re everlasting. Real love stories never have endings. Real, complicated love stories are what we should yearn for, what we should fight for.

I got to thinking about having faith. There is nothing stronger than faith. There is nothing wiser than faith. There is nothing more important than faith. So why do we not have faith in things? In ourselves? In God? We must have faith. Life without faith is like life without fresh air. We cannot carry on without faith. Eventually, we will lose our way in this world, and possibly not know how to come back. So put your faith into something. With that, you must believe in yourself. You must believe in the world’s possibilities. Faith will soothe us, comfort us, and make us strong. If you have faith, if you believe that all things are possible, then you’ll live a full and happy life. And isn’t that what we all want?

I got to thinking about “The Bachelor.” Yeah, that reality television show. I love it. But I didn’t love this season’s finale. I have to rant about it, you see; I’m quite unimpressed. Ben Flajnik, first of all, was one of the most boring bachelors in the show’s history. His personality is about as developed as a stuffed animal. My personal favorite bachelor? Andrew Firestone. But enough about the attractiveness of Andrew Firestone.

In last night’s finale, Ben did the unthinkable. He chose Courtney Robertson as his final pick. Courtney is crazy. She was hostile to the girls throughout the show, stripped down to her skivvies twice, and touched her hair more often than she spoke… which was too much. Ben knew that Courtney was rude and had two distinct personalities, yet he still chose her as his final pick. And he proposed! I guess Ben got what he deserved. He’s a moron. Here’s to hoping that Emily Maynard, the next bachelorette, isn’t so moronic.

I got to thinking about homesickness. Leaving home at any age is difficult. And I don’t think it gets any easier. You grow used to your environment at home, and then you’re taken out of it, and everything seems so out of sorts, so odd. There are days when I don’t think I have fully adjusted to life away from my home. That’s a scary thought. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who gets homesick. Being so far from home, I tend to get sad some days. And even though I feel like I’m the only one… it’s totally normal. In fact, it’s a good thing. I’ve come to realize that I have an amazing life back home. But that doesn’t mean I cannot have an amazing life in Los Angeles. Home is where the heart is, but Los Angeles is where the sun is. I have the best of both worlds.

I got to thinking about finding friends. Sometimes we find friends quickly; sometimes it takes years for a friendship to develop. We search for a commonality in our friends, something we can relate to. And when that happens, that’s truly magical. There’s this quote by C.S. Lewis that I love: “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’” I remember meeting one friend who changed my life forever. We have so many similarities. But, we also have differences. And our differences make it interesting. We found each other through a commonality of writing, which is obviously my favorite thing! This friendship was instant, but friendships that begin over time are just as amazing. Remember: our friends make us feel like we aren’t alone in this big world. And what more could you ask for?

I got to thinking about tact. Being tactful. So I’m going to rant about something that happened to me recently. Isn’t tact something you’re supposed to know once you hit a certain age, say twenty? Honesty is good. But being tactful when presenting something is even better. You can frame something awful in the best way possible. You can always bring out the good in the bad. And if you can’t? Well, that’s what constructive criticism is for. No one needs to be told something hurtful without a constructive way to fix it. So this is what I suggest: be tactful. Say what you mean, but in a constructive and kind manner. Why is that so difficult for some people to understand?