Q&A

Last night on Instagram I asked people to give me some questions to answer on my blog and I received a few so it's time to answer them!  If there are any other questions you want me to answer, please feel free to leave them in the comments section or send me an email.  Please note that I am not a professional counselor or by any means do you have to follow exactly what I think, this is just for fun! (:

"Me and my girlfriend have been together for 3 years and I think she's getting tired of me but she's scared to tell me... how can I get her to be honest?"  Communication in a relationship is really important, as cliche as that sounds.  I would suggest opening up a conversation with her where you tell her how you feel about her and the relationship and then ask for her input.  You can gently let her know that it feels as though she may be tired of the relationship and give her examples as to why you feel that way.  See if she opens up then, and if you both want to remain in the relationship maybe you can discuss ways to better display your effort and desire to be with one another.

"What's the best and worst part about working with children?"  This is a great question.  I would say the most rewarding part of working with children is watching their growth - in school, their personalities, and seeing them learn new skills.  I also love how innocent, fun, and loving children are.  They simply want to have a good time and if you pay attention, they will teach you as you teach them.  The most challenging part of working with children, for me at least, is seeing them go through something that you are unable to help them with.  Sometimes kids have challenges in school or in their personal lives and you aren't able to help them through it whether it's because it's against work rules or you simply don't have the expertise in that area.  Another difficult thing about working with children is seeing them leave your school, program, etc.  Sometimes you have a special bond with a child that you may never see again.

"Why are you so extra?"  Lol I know exactly who this came from... I have a friend who lives overseas near London and he's always critiquing American culture and how "extra" and dramatic we are.  Extra is a way of life lol.

"Do you play basketball?"  I did in high school but haven't picked up a ball since.  This person also asked "how's the weather up there" and "how long does it take for you to hit the ground when you fall?"  Okay, can we leave the tall people jokes behind? Lol y'all act like we're giants.

"You've mentioned before that you deal with anxiety when it comes to school... Any tips on how you handle it?"  This question is difficult to answer because it honestly depends on the day, why I'm feeling anxious, etc.  For me (again, I'm not a professional, this is just how I handle it), sometimes I talk to myself out loud or silently and repeat "you're okay, you're okay, you're okay".  I do this until I calm down or until I've tricked myself into being calm, fake it till you make it sometimes.  Other days, I try to identify what is giving me anxiety and a lot of times it's the "what if" of certain scenarios.  When that happens I recreate the narrative, meaning I come up with an alternative ending or solution to my worries.  "What if I fail this test and then I can't graduate and I'll be held back from accomplishing my goals" and on and on... becomes "what if I get an A on this test" and "I will graduate from college and achieve my goals".  Like I said, even if I don't completely believe it I repeat it until I feel comfortable again.  Sometimes I have to take a break from school/studying and resume my work when I am calm able to function effectively.  Trying to do homework when I'm anxious is unproductive for me.  Another thing I do, as weird as it sounds, is the Superman pose.  Stand up, put your chest out, put your hands on your hips, and take deep breaths in and out.  There's actually some research that suggests doing this helps you feel confident and empowered, especially if you do it before a big task or stressful situation.

"What was your least favorite subject in school?"  Anything math related, keep it away from me!

"How did you become so confident in being so tall?"  I'm 5'10", sometimes people act like I'm 6'4" lol.  I began to embrace it when I came to terms with the fact that my height is something I can't change.  It didn't come overnight and it's something I still struggle with from time to time.  I also remind myself of the advantages of being tall.  It's not my problem if people are intimidated by my height because there's nothing I can do about it.  As far as dating goes, the right person will appreciate my height (shout out to Sam).  If you want to wear heels, wear heels.  If you want to wear flats, wear flats.  Be comfortable in being you.

"Best Netflix recommendations?"  Grey's Anatomy, duh!!!  I love that show and I also catch up on Scandal when the new seasons come out.  I, for some odd reason, like watching prison documentaries like Lock Up and I'll watch random movies I find.  I honestly just pick whatever movie and watch it because I'm not too picky.  I like Scandal, Flint Town, Seven Pounds (all-time favorite movie), Jane the Virgin, Being Mary Jane, Breaking Bad, Mustang, Ozark, and I've heard Boyhood is really good.

If you'd like to chime in to some of these questions or have any topics you'd like to see me write about be sure to leave a comment and I'll see you in my next post!

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV

All My Love, 

Tyler
 

Photo Credit: Dark City Visuals