So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things.

It really bugs me when I ask someone how they are, and they respond, "I'm so busy." It really, really irritates me when people use, "I can't. I'm so busy," as an excuse not to do something. Look around you: everyone is busy. That busy-ness you're feeling? It's called life. And just because someone else's busy doesn't look like your busy doesn't mean they aren't busy.

College is a busy time: we're going to class, doing homework, writing papers, studying for tests, staying involved in student organizations, maintaining our social lives, working, eating, sleeping, surviving. Yes, college is a busy time, but that's part of what makes it so fun. It's such an amazing opportunity to try new things and meet new people and create who we want to be.

There's no such thing as being too busy. First of all, if you want something, you'll make time for it. Second of all, it's all about priorities.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

"It will all work out in the end."

This, I think, is my life motto. While I love reading and finding quotes and pinning beautiful words on Pinterest, I think these words may be some of the most important to me. Whenever I'm worried about something, I whisper these words to myself. Whenever something doesn't go quite right, I say these words in my head.

And I think they're absolutely true! We may have to go through some rough and perhaps unpleasant experiences, but things will always turn out the way they are supposed to. They may not end up how we want or expect them to, but they'll always work out and work out for the best. You know I believe in fate and destiny and serendipity (sarahndipity), so I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, which means that everything happens and turns out exactly as it's supposed to. Truly, it will all work out in the end, and it will be amazing.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!

Christmastime is probably my favorite time of the year. I love everything about the holiday season: time with family, giving gifts, the music, the mood, the food. People are so joyful and kind during the holidays, and while I wish everyone could be this way year-round, it makes me so happy to see others so happy and excited during this time. I also think there's something just so magical about this time of year. As children, we believe in the magic of Santa and winter break and just the whole season. It can be difficult to hold onto that magic as we grow older, but there are ways to recognize that magic and spread it around as we grow up.

While it's fun and exciting to receive presents during the holidays, there's something almost more magical about giving. Taking the time to pick out a gift for someone special that you just know they will love creates so much love and happiness in our hearts. Volunteering to give others a better holiday than they might have had spreads the joy of the season. Spending time with family reminds us of the love we've always known. Traditions show us where we come from and remind us what's important to us during this most wonderful time of the year.

I've put together a list of some of my favorite parts of the holiday season. These are things that help me rediscover the magic I felt as a child during Christmas year after year, even though I'm grown up now. We don't have to lose that magic that we felt as children. Sometimes we just have to be reminded how to find it again.

Your deeds are your monuments.

Recently Starbucks changed their sleeves to reflect their new Upstanders series. The sleeves show a definition of the word upstander {as shown above} as "a person who acts to make positive change." I absolutely love this. Needless to say, when I first saw the new sleeves, I freaked.

I didn't know much about the Upstander series, so I decided to do a little research. The following is written on the Starbucks Upstander website:

"Upstanders is an original collection of short stories, films and podcasts sharing the experiences of Upstanders – ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities. Produced by Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, the Upstanders series helps inspire us to be better citizens."

Be a little kinder than you have to.

Happy September 1! The beginning of a new month means lot of things. First of all, the first of September means the Hogwarts Express leaves today! Yay for another year at Hogwarts. But the start of a new month always means new beginnings and a fresh start. I can't think of a better way to start fresh than to be kind. And kindness is so easy! It's probably one of the easiest things in the whole world because kindness is free. To prove that to you, I've compiled a list of random acts of kindness that don't cost a thing. I dare you to try one out today!

Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together.

I've always loved being at home. I love hanging out with my family and just being together.

Coming to school last year was really hard. I remember the day I moved in, and honestly, it was probably one of the worst days of my life. To me moving away to school meant that I was leaving home for good, that I would never live at home again. To some this probably sounds amazing, but to me, it was devastating.

After a few days, especially once classes started, I got into a schedule and started to feel better. But I still longed to be at home and with my family.

I still get homesick sometimes. This week, even, I've been missing home a little more than usual.

After almost two years of school under my belt, I've come up with a few things that help me when I'm missing home a little extra.

Call home
Whenever I'm feeling homesick, I make a phonemail home. I usually talk to my mom a lot throughout the week, but when I'm missing home, I give her an extra call. And she always knows just what to say. After talking things through with Mom, I always seem to feel a little better.

Do something familiar
I find that when I'm missing home, doing something that reminds me of home helps. Whether it's watching one of my family's favorite shows on Netflix or reading one of my favorite books, doing something that brings back those homey feelings helps me work my way out of my funk.

Stay busy
Like I said before, once I got into a schedule with classes and student orgs, I didn't really have time to dwell on my feelings of homesickness. By getting involved, you also open yourself up to meet more people and make more friends. Plus, getting involved helps you to get excited about something, so that excitement helps take the focus off of sad feelings.