HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

(Top Three Lessons From Sophomore Year)

Happy 1-Year Anniversary! (Top Three Lessons From Sophomore Year)

WOAH! IT’S BEEN A YEAR!!! 

It’s incredible to consider the progress made over the past 365 days alone - I am beyond grateful for how much the Lord has done since writing Lessons From A Freshman. 

God has been good, and in celebrating a year of this newsletter’s existence, here are my TOP THREE (Really Cool Instagram Video Here) lessons from Sophomore year at the University of Notre Dame. (Not quite what you might “expect”)

1. There is a difference between “I don’t have time” and “I don’t have time for you”.

2. NEVER fall in Love with the product. Love can make you blind.

3. If you keep kicking your cans down the road, then you’ll get to the end of your road, and all you will have to show for it is a lot of cans.

Let’s get into it.

1. There is a difference between “I don’t have time” and “I don’t have time for you”.

We make time for what matters; stop telling yourself otherwise.

If spending time with “so and so” is important to you, then you will. If learning an instrument, getting to know someone, going ot the gym, or reading a book is important, then you will find the time. Notice this is only if something is actually of significance to you. If not, then it won’t be prioritized. Sometimes there are seasons of temporary refusal, but generally, in the overarching scheme of our lives, we make time for what matters. (This includes making time for ourselves as well.)

Prioritize properly and make time for what is of value.

2.  NEVER Fall in Love with the Product.

We are like a deer stuck in the headlights of love. Frozen. Paralyzed by our enamorations for our creation. 

It’s because Love tends to make us go blind, and when that happens, we can’t see the reasons why something is wrong or the ways it can be better,

I bet whatever it is is wonderful, yes, but it’s also not perfect. I'm not saying things should be, and it's important to remember that there is always a healthy place to stop, rest, reaccess, or leave it be. 

Sometimes, you do have to “just” hit publish, send, or post. But other times, you have to get over yourself and wonder where the flaws lie. Where are the cracks in this suit of armor? What are the ways this “could” be better? Maybe it doesn't have to be, but what if it were?

We have all heard it before, but not all that glitters is gold.

When your love for something or someone makes your vision blur, realise that this will not allow you to see the faults and think critically.

So if you do fall in love, get your vision checked. Please make sure you haven't gone blind.

3. If you keep kicking your cans down the road, you’ll get to the end of your road and realize that all you will have to show for it is a lot of cans.

Procrastination “seems like” a human default setting, but it’s not. It's a byproduct of temporary comfort seeking. It's an exchange of future peace for a present getting by. The thing is that when we do this, we dig ourselves deeper into the holes we could have avoided.

Good News… Action is the antidote to anxiety.

If you do the hard things now, you will build up a body of work and an ethic that you will be proud of.

Reality is that “you” choose your hard, and many of life's beauties are found in the difficult and its overcoming. So do the hard thing, take action, and stop kicking your cans down the road.

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While this past year has been academically enriching, socially eye-opening, and spiritually uplifting, these three lessons have consciously been reverberating in my mind, and I firmly believe they apply to every area of life.

Take these into your daily routine this week and catch yourself when you say, “It's because I don't have time,” or notice who says, “Oh, it's because I'm busy.” Don’t take it personally, but remember that there is a difference between “I don’t have time” and “I don’t have time for you.” And that's okay.

When working, be diligent not to fall in love with your creation. We can be so proud at times that we ourselves don’t realize the insufficiencies and end up calling the crayon outside the lines an “artistic choice”. Don’t be your worst enemy, but also don’t allow your “love” for something to blind you to its real state. The worst lie you can tell is the one you tell yourself, and love has the ability to make us all lose focus and lie to ourselves.

Finally, take a look at your to-do list, and I mean a hard, good look at it. Stare it down and don't be the one to blink first. Action is the antidote to Anxiety, so stop kicking your cans and start doing the hard things. Start small if you have to, put on some music or a show. Invite a friend over to work on meaningful tasks together, but whatever you do, ensure you stop leaving things for later because when you get to the end of it all I bet what you want to see is not a piled-up junkyard of cans but a testament to a good life.

Cheers.

- Making The Most Of Being Curious

Daniel J. Cuesta

P.S (A Sentiment of Gratitude)

“The more you practice the art of thankfulness the more you have to be thankful for.”

-Norman Vincent Peale

By the Grace of God, this year has been a beauty, and my gratitude for it is beyond the capacity that words carry to convey meaning.

I am truly grateful to each one of you, my readers, for joining me on this curiosity journey. 

Thank you for believing. Thank you for coming along for the ride. Thank you for being curious.

Much Love and God Bless. Here’s to what’s to come. 🥂