New Summer Blog!

I created this blog to be an overflow-of-my-thoughts blog, through which I promised myself that everything I did on this blog would be for me and myself alone. I wouldn't stress about the blog's appearance compared to other blogs, or worry about whether or not the few people who stumble across my blog actually like what I'm writing. This blog was created primarily as an outlet for me to express my daily, weekly or monthly thoughts and opinions (more thoughts than opinions).

So, when I accepted my summer internship, I decided to create a more professional blog to coincide with my journey as an intern. I am inviting you, anyone who may follow me on Kind and Merciful, to follow me on my intern blog: http://allthingsallison.wordpress.com/

I will continue to post on this blog, but will probably most more often on my new intern-focused blog.

In the meantime, I am the proud daughter of my dad, who is running for McKinney City Council At-Large.



I am also the proud sister of my brothers, Steven and John, who are about to graduate on June 3rd!



More posts to come!

Excited,

Allison

Are you Proud of your Past?

For my Race, Gender and Media class, which has led to a lot of contemplative thinking, we were required to research our family history, or genealogy. One of the questions we were asked to answer has remained on my mind since completing the project: are you proud of your past?

My recent past: yes. Being a strategic person, I feel accomplished that I have stayed on track with my career path. I have built and maintained important relationships in my life and work to make a positive impact on the communities around me.

My ancestral past: kind of. I'm related to the Mather family, some of the earliest political and religious English leaders to come to what is now the United States. Their work in government, establishing democratic laws while incorporating Chrisitan faith, and as journalists, printing news and political thought, makes me proud. Their involvement in persecution of "witches" involved in "witchcraft", however, does not make me proud.

And now my History of Journalism class is making me question the past of my journalism predecessors (obviously college has been very thought-provoking for me).

I am reading about how the work of Pulitzer and Hearst, two of journalism's most highly-acclaimed journalists, led to the start of the Spanish-American War. They both printed inaccurate information about what was happening in Cuba through their newspapers, the New York Journal and New York World.



Hearst, with his mounds of money from his father, reportedly paid people to get engaged in a hot air balloon or to capture a grizzly bear with cameras nearby so that his newspaper would have the most sensational coverage. Their competitive relationship led to a race to see who could initiate the most public fury over what would become the Spanish-American War to receive the highest newspaper circulation numbers.

When the war was over, Pulitzer is recorded as saying that he didn't even believe in the war, or have evidence as to what he was reporting, but he printed misinformation to compete with Hearst's paper.

This is just one example of how journalism has not held up to its ethical obligations. There are other aspects of the industry that are more recent that also make me concerned: the focus on opinion journalism and sensationalism that confuses viewers with hard news.

Journalism, altogether, makes a positive impact on society. It is, after all, the fourth estate of our democratic society. However, learning about my past, both as an individual, and as a future professional journalist, makes me even more passionate about maintaining my ethical values and upholding the standards of the journalism industry in my future career.

Evaluating where you came from and where your profession evolved from is positive and enlightening, and I recommend it for everyone.

Lilly

DROOLING over these prints and the Lilly Pulitzer blog! Check it out!!

http://blog.lillypulitzer.com/

It's Obviously Springtime,

Allison

Beautiful Simplicity

Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time. When something comes to your attention, ask Me whether or not it is part of today's agenda. If it isn't, release it into My care & go on about today's duties. When you follow this practice, there will be a beautiful simplicity about your life; a time for everything, & everything in its time. - Jesus Calling


Look at this great photo my friend, Jillian, took of me as a favor! I needed a good picture for some resume stuff!

What I Want To Be When I Grow Up.

There are three consistent, overarching values that are important in my life that I work to exemplify every day – contributing to the betterment of the world, educating others and encouraging others to act.

During my senior year in high school, through my involvement in both speech and debate and broadcast journalism, I learned that through public speaking and the venue of mass media, I am able to achieve my priorities in life.

I will never forget watching Diane Sawyer’s mini documentary, “A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains,” and realizing that I, too, could educate people on tragedies that are overlooked, and could tell evoking stories that are formerly unheard.

I also am a huge proponent of communities and “keeping it local,” as my hometown’s Chamber of Commerce calls it. There is nothing that I would love more than to serve a community as a television anchor for a local news station. I am passionate about camaraderie in communities and I think that local news stations reinforce that concept on a daily basis.

I am also extremely patriotic and realize that truthful, credible information to the public is vital for a healthy democracy.

I feel fortunate that, at a considerably young age, I have recognized what I want to devote my talents, energy and time to, and am glad that I am already fervent to begin working in the broadcast journalism industry.

My goal as a broadcast journalist is to serve others through my work; that may seem simple, but I think that as long as I pursue that goal, I will not veer off track from being an exceptional journalist. I plan to pursue this goal through a career as a TV news reporter, anchor or producer.

Balancing Values.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers

I'm sharing this quote with you this morning, because I just happened to stumble upon it and recognized its relevance.

This is, essentially, what my college adviser was trying to tell me the other day.

I have great momentum right now: I just won a national award and two scholarships, but I have to take the next step and do some great internships to turn that momentum into what will eventually become a career.

That's the dreaded word: INTERNSHIPS.

I think that word is what is most hated by college students. It's the word that keeps you up at night and makes your brain pound against your skull during the day.

Internships.

So, as you know if you have read earlier posts, I am obviously a first born child (I'm very into birth-order psychology). One of the main things about first born children is that they are constantly working to find balance in their lives.

My question today: when do you have balance in your life, and when should you strive for balance?

Questions always running through my head: is it better to be a little miserable and work your bum off? Is it better to always enjoy life and be carefree, hoping a great career will knock on your door?

I feel like this is turmoil between American and European culture. America is so work-oriented.

Maybe in a past life I was Parisian and left work hours early to sit and eat pastries... strawberry tarts... Seriously, though, I've mentioned moving to Paris to my boyfriend and family more than once!

Pictures of me in Paris.

So... I googled what it means to be 'balanced' and how to get that into your life.

This answer drove me crazy...

To achieve balance, SWEEP: sleep, work, eat, emotionally express yourself and play.

I liked this one more: Life management is setting and achieving personal growth and relationship goals.

That's the beauty of life. I think everyone should define what personal growth is for them and what types of relationships are important for their happiness. If you know what you value, you know what to focus on.

For me, I value a career. I value working toward a greater cause for the betterment of society. I value a lifelong romance. I value family. I value camaraderie in sisterhood, which I express through involvement in my sorority. I value Christianity. I value leadership.

Once you exercise your heart and mind and choose what you value, you can decide in what ways you would like to personally grow and develop relationships. As long as you are always centralizing on those values and focusing on personal growth equally as much as you focus on developing important relationships, I believe that you will succeed in balancing your life.

And once you learn exactly what you value...

Stand strong in your convictions.

Lastly, you may have to go against the grain. Almost anytime you stand up for your values, there is negativity and opposition.

This quote from my hero, Winston Churchill, has gotten me through a lot:

Me with Winston Churchill at his museum in London.

"Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong."

Au revoir!

Have Faith and Don't Lose Heart.

I received some BEAUTIFUL flowers for my birthday!







I didn't go to church today, but I did go last week. I loved the sermon - it was about having faith.

I never thought of it before, but the pastor said that the opposite of faith is anxiety. I was glad that he gave an explanation of what faith is, because it's really something I don't fully understand, or at least it's difficult to wrap your head around.

I've always believed that God has a specific plan for my life and that He will provide for me, but I don't think that I have fully trusted him in that and have given my worries completely to God, until recently.

I used to suffer extreme stress and had migraines often. I'm a very strategic person, so it's especially difficult for me to NOT think about making specific plans for my life, including decisions about career, second-guessing my performance in school and worrying about if I am devoting myself enough to the community around me. It's hard for me to not be in full control.

One day, I realized that worrying and stressing was getting me nowhere... except I spent a lot of money on Excedrine Migraine.

One of my favorite quotes that hangs on a decorative plaque in my room is, "The future comes one day at a time."

I was always (am sometimes still) so concerned about where I'm going and if I am doing the right things to be on the right path for my life. I am constantly reminding myself that, as long as I am continuously being myself and developing my leadership skills and strengthening my abilities, and seeking God, it will all work out! God has a plan for me. It is not my job to make life plans for myself.

When I am faithful that God has a remarkable plan for my life, my anxiety diminishes. I had one of those ah-ha moments in church when the pastor explained this.

A close friend of mine came to me tonight who is struggling with something similar. We talked about the importance of giving your stress up to God and trusting that, as long as you are developing yourself and working to be a better person, he will make your paths straight.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Can any of you by worrying add a single hour of span to your life? If then you are not able to do so simple a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?" Luke 12:25-26

No stressing!!