Week 14 Learning Challenges: Reading Kama Sutra

This adorable graphic was featured on this morning's Learning by Heart post! It's my lucky day! As I tuck into the many, many books I'm using as sources in my capstone paper and honors research paper, I've found myself in quite a few of these hilarious reading positions. Reading truly involves getting 100% in your element so that you can learn from and experience the text. I've been trying to be less mindful of how I read and more mindful of what I feel and think during it.

My friend recently created an instagram collection of images with the joy of reading (in whatever way in whatever place is comfortable!) in mind. I instantly thought of it when I saw this picture! You can keep up with her posts here. P.S. I'm in a few of the photos!

Image Information

Week 13 Learning Challenge: Audiobook Experience

Growing up, I loved listening to audiobooks. Every night before I fell asleep, my grandma would play a cassette tape of The Boxcar Children or a book from the Anne of Green Gables series. I truly believe that listening to these books helped me to learn to read at a young age. I first taught myself to read The Boxcar Children and Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite stories to this day.

Sadly, college has afforded me much opportunity to sit down and read for pleasure, much less just listen. There is a certain peace of mind that comes with listening to an audiobook, and it is hard to allow myself that calm when I feel that I should be doing something else. So, I was so happy to see this as a learning challenge!

I chose to listen to more Russian Folktales at Librivox after really enjoying my reading for the week. It was so powerful to listen to these stories in the way that they were meant to be told (albeit in English) and in the manner that they have been conveyed for generations. However, the reading only got spookier when I heard it, so I admittedly left my lamp on before bed.

I find it relaxing to listen to audiobooks in bed or with my eyes closed on the couch. However, in the past, I have also found that audiobooks are perfect for car rides or doing chores. I cannot, however, listen to one on an airplane.

I think that I'll try listening to more stories next week as well!

Audiobook Cover Art
Image Information

Week 12 Learning Challenges: Post Secret

Post Secret is usually the first website that I go to after the clock strikes midnight on Sunday evenings. However, over the last few weeks, I have let this habit slip through the cracks as I worked on homework and papers. I was so happy to see Post Secret listed an a challenge in empathy.

Everyone has a unique story that may not be evident just by looking at them or even speaking with them briefly. In order to truly create community, it is necessary to foster understanding. However, understanding goes beyond feeling sad, sorry, angry, or happy for someone. Instead, we have to learn to feel each person's experience as an extension of our own. We have to truly value others! Post Secret does a wonderful job of creating this kind of open and accepting community.

Below, I've shared one of the secrets that caught my eye from this week's post.

Image Information

Week 11 Learning Challenges: Mental Health Videos

While I have heard a lot about OUr Mental Health through both my friends and social media, I had not gotten the chance to sit down and watch and learn from the videos the group made until this week.

Each video includes the story of an OU student who has struggled with mental illness. I personally am friends with each student who posted a video. Further, I myself struggle with mental illness.

I cannot convey how much I admire each student's bravery, honestly, and vulnerability. It shows great care to share your own story in order to help others!

So many of those around us are struggling silently with mental illness, and it is important to learn how to best support them. Everyone is different. Every brain has strengths and weaknesses. Mental illness is not a weakness. Rather, it just leads the person to go through life in a different way. However, it is important that while we recognize that each person is different and not abnormal for having a mental illness, their illness is also just as real and serious as a physical illness!

Image Information

Learning Challenges: Time Management

This week for a Learning Challenge, I looked for information about time management. I cannot believe that my final semester of undergrad is almost halfway complete. Earlier, I made a list of everything that has been weighing on my mind that needs to be done before the end of the semester. I have a bad habit of letting the big things make me feel so ill with stress that I have trouble focusing on the little things. Sometimes, that leads to procrastination! That's why I found this image on the Learning Challenges blog so hilarious. When I procrastinate, I like to do what I call "productive procrastination." So, instead of doing the paper that I'm nervous about, I might do my laundry, send important emails, or catch up on current events -- much like the person in the graphic below. While these are all good things to do, time management would say that they could wait until after that important paper is finished. So, this week, I'm going to try my best to challenge myself to get ahead in my courses and extra curricular activities so that I can have a stress free spring break! 

Image Information

Week 3 Learning Challenges, The Happiness Jar

I was so happy to see The Happiness Jar as an option for Learning Challenges!

Last year, I received a very meaningful gift after going through a personally difficult time. A friend of mine put  365 tiny notes, quotes, and happy drawings into a huge jar labeled "2015". Then, I could either pick out a new piece of paper for daily inspiration or go to the jar when I needed a pick-me-up. The jar was absolutely helpful in remembering to be happy and ever-grateful for all of life's ups and downs. So, as 2016 approached, I decided that I wanted to make a jar of my own! However, I chose to write down a happy memory that happened each day, date it, and put it in the jar. I hope to continue this throughout the year and read back over the memories on New Years Eve!

So far, some of the highlights include:
Flying to Las Vegas to reunite with a friend
Making pie with my roommates after returning from winter break
Hearing about my best friend's trip across Southeast Asia
Booking a trip to Australia for Spring Break

I look forward to keeping up with documenting all these happy moments!

Happiness Jar learning challenge