Friday Five: TED Talks

I apologize for my absence last week. It was a hectic week with moving home and going back to the upstate to move my brother out of his apartment. However, I’m back and getting into a nice summer routine. This week I have become obsessed with watching TED Talks. Not kidding, I watched 10 on Tuesday night alone. I’ve also seen or heard about them everywhere this week. These are my 5 favorite talks I’ve listened to this week.

1. How To Find and Do Work You Love by Scott Dinsmore

Scott Dinsmore spoke at a TEDxTalk in San Francisco. He is the founder of Live Your Legend and I found his speech so inspirational that I joined his site right away. This was an especially wonderful find because of the personal struggle I’m feeling with figuring out what I want to be doing this time next year.

2. Why 30 is Not the New 20 by Meg Jay

Meg Jay spoke at the TED Conference in Long Beach, California this past February. She is a clinical psychologist specializing 20 year olds. This talk has popped up on many blogs that I follow on a daily basis. It’s incredible inspiration for those graduating college!

3. Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career by Larry Smith

This incredible TEDxTalk from the University of Waterloo is economist Larry Smith’s insight into why people of our generation are not going to have a great career. His argument style reminds me of my macroeconomics professor from this past semester. It’s important to remember that now, more than ever before jobs can easily be outsourced and it’s our job to go after what we want.

4. Why You Have to Fail to Have a Great Career by Michael Litt

This was a follow-up to the last video also held at the University of Waterloo. Michael Litt was a college student that was not going to let anything get his way from being successful, even failure. He ends the talk with a powerful statement that sums up the two videos together, “You will fail to have a great career unless you fail to have a great career.”

5. Why We Procrastinate by Vik Nithy

This TEDxTalk from Scots College features Vik Nithy, who had started 3 companies by the time he was 20 years old. His scientific approach to the reasons for procrastination and tips for how to prevent procrastinating could have been useful earlier in the year. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed with your responsibilities to the point of not being able to accomplish anything.

Of course, I can’t mention all of these TED Talks without mentioning the talk by Dr. Dunlap about Sandor Teszler. Dr. Dunlap was the 10th president of Wofford College and this weekend marks the start of his retirement. He’s an incredible man, with a laundry list of accomplishments ranging from ballet dancer (my favorite) to renowned scholar from Sewanee, Harvard, and Oxford.

Do you have any favorite TED Talks? I’m looking for some more inspiration. If I like it I’ll add it to my playlist of my favorite talks!

Keep Dancing,

Cayla

 

Friday Five: End of the Year

 

Today marks the start of graduation weekend, luckily not for me yet. It also means that on Sunday I will be headed back home to the island! So here’s to the class of 2013 and new adventures!

1. Is there a no rain-rain dance? If so, that needs to happen because the forecast is calling for rain on Sunday, which is not good for a usually outdoor graduation and moving out.

2. Graduation Celebrations-or rather End-of-the-Year Celebrations-These include the last Wednesday night of the year at Main Street. My first trip to RJ Rockers Tour & Appreciation on Thursdays. $5 gets you a pint glass, 4 drink tickets, and a good time. I’m not much a beer drinker, but the company and music were worth it!

3. Plastic Boxes are covering my room. My brother is coming to help pack me up tomorrow and I move out on Sunday. I hate packing so they’re looming over me currently.

4. I never announced my good news, but I was selected to be co-chair of Wofford’s Relay for Life next year. I’m really excited about this opportunity and the chance to make the event even better than it has been the past two years!

5. The greatest song ever recorded. It’s not a party with me, unless this song is played!

Have a wonderful weekend, whether you’re celebrating the next phase in life or simply helping others celebrate!

Keep Dancing,

Cayla

Warby Parker Home Try-On

The most exciting 5 days for my face! That’s right I ordered and have tried out my Warby Parker home try-on glasses! I absolutely loved it! It was so fun to wear glasses around campus and see which ones people liked the best. This also let me spread the word about what the amazing company. I mean, they make glasses for dogs, what can be cooler? I am sadly having to ship the glasses back today, but I can’t wait to order my actual glasses!

So when the glasses arrived, they were shipped in this super neat box!

Once I had finished my lunch I immediately got to trying on pairs! I love a good pair of glasses.

Mallory in Gimlet Tortoise

Begley in Whisky Tortoise

Ainsworth in Walnut Tortoise

Downing in Walnut Tortoise

Percey in Striped Sassafras

The Perceys are my favorite! I thought I was going to like the Mallory the best, but I think that style looks better as sunglasses on me. The Percey is the best combination of something different without having too much of my cheek using the glasses.

Which ones are your favorites? What glasses would you order from their website? Would you order a pair for your dog?

Keep Dancing,

Cayla

 

“Don’t ask your…

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” –Howard Thurman

I found this quote while scrolling around on the Warby Parker website. I’m literally obsessed with this entire company right now!

Friday Five: Final Weekend

So this weekend is the last hoorah weekend of the year! Wait, what? This year has absolutely flown by. It feels like I just moved in early with the dance team. It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been a lot of fun.

But just because it’s the last weekend doesn’t mean that Wofford slows down. This weekend is going to be amazing! Between Formal, Spring Concert, and Pansy Brunch (a special luncheon for our seniors) it’s going to be a great weekend.

So this weekend’s Friday Five is dedicated to these events:

1. Great Gatsby themed YouTube playlist. Ok so honestly I’ve been listening to it all week, but there are some great songs on there that will help set the mood for a wonderful Formal tonight. 

2. Taco Dog. This is literally my favorite restaurant in Spartanburg, the girl at the cash register recognizes me when I come in. It also makes the perfect Friday afternoon dinner with friends before the night begins.

3. The perfect spring afternoon concert outfit. This year’s Spring Concert is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, which I’m super excited about. However, there are sure to be a lot of pictures meaning you need the perfect outfit. Unfortunately, the weather is not really cooperating this weekend so I’m thinking white jeans.

4. A surprise gift for my lovely big! I can’t say what it is because I don’t want to ruin it. I can’t believe it’s almost time for her to graduate! These past 3 years have flown by too fast and I couldn’t have asked for a better big!

5. Unfortunately, there will be some studying mixed in this weekend. With only one week class and four exams to go until the end there has to be some serious studying going on, or else it won’t all get done.

It’s unbelievable how fast this year is going and that I’m about to be classified as a senior in college! But cheers to the weekend!

Keep Dancing,

Cayla

Closing Doors Open New Ones

Lately, life has been an uphill battle. Classes are harder than usual this semester, I’ve felt like a lot of opportunities have slipped away from me, and everyone seems to be obsessed with “what do you want to do after graduation.” Not knowing the answer to that last question has made things particularly uneasy. It’s been a stressful week. I’ve had this feeling of not being important. I want to leave a legacy wherever I go, but I feel like I have not found my way to do this and my senior year is quickly approaching.

However, suddenly today things have been looking up. I’ve had several professors say things to me that they will never understand how much those words meant. Their words of encouragement were exactly what I needed to hear at a time when I’m feeling so small.

An opportunity (not saying what, yet) also presented itself this afternoon. I have never leapt so quickly at something in my life. I don’t want to jinx it and I don’t know exactly what it will entail yet, but I feel like it might give me a sense of direction. I’m very excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to see where this takes my journey. More to come once I know!

Keep Dancing,

Cayla