How to Have Fun Even During Challenging Experiences

November 10, 2014 by Priyanka 2 Comments

Everyone goes through challenging experiences. It’s a natural part of life. But how you deal with it is what sets you apart from other people.

How do you have fun while you’re undergoing a challenging experience? Here are some suggestions!

Having Fun During Challenging Experiences

Go for a Movie Alone

This one may be unusual, but I can vouch for this. I have gone to the movies several times by myself. I was petrified to go alone when I went the first time. I kept trying to hide my face and afraid I would run into someone I knew who would ask me who I was with.

Now that I think about it, even if someone did ask me that question, what’s the big deal about answering I went by myself! When you go alone, you can watch the movie you want and laugh at the cheesy, dorky jokes or get scared at the most random things!

Take a Nice, Sweet Nap

A long nap is perfect when you’re going through challenging experiences. It refreshes you and you feel more energy afterwards.

Spend Time With Your Friends and Laugh the Night Away

Pick up the phone and call up a friend or two. Go out for drinks or a meal or a bowling game. Or just hang out at one of your own places and laugh the night away.

Play With Kids or Pets

One of my favorite things to do when I’m down is to play with my pet dog Raja. Or when I was in India, I played with my little nephews and nieces. Time just flew by and I didn’t even realize I was smiling!

How do you have fun during challenging experiences? Please share with me in the comments.

When I told a Guy I Liked Him in College – My Experience

November 10, 2014 by Priyanka 3 Comments

I don’t think I have ever talked about this experience so openly and fully. But I feel it is the perfect time to reveal this experience. It happened seven years ago in college, yet it remains imprinted in my mind.

Liking a Guy

A Guy I was in Love With

I was a Resident Advisor in my last year of college. The guy I liked was a resident, though not part of my building! He was a resident of my team member’s building and a part of the transfer student building specifically.

He was tall, rugged looking, dirty blond, and had the most gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes.

Sigh! Even Today, I can Feel that Electrifying Feeling

He wasn’t the most good looking guy, but there was something very striking about him. He definitely had an aura.

Immediately, I fell for him. At the time, I was working out like crazy and trying to shed off the pounds I had piled on in high school. That was the year I was regaining my confidence and feeling good about myself.

I Couldn’t Stop Thinking About Him and Confessed My Feelings to Him…

All I could think about was him. I genuinely liked him a lot, but was incredibly shy around him. But as the school year wrapped up and I knew I was graduating and would move on, I felt compelled to tell him my feelings.

At first, I couldn’t do it. I waved it off. But I couldn’t sleep and that thought just kept swirling in my head. One day, I ran into him in the night as as I was walking to another resident building. There was no around him and no one was with me. This was my moment.

It was the Perfect Time

With a shaky voice and an extremely red face, I told him that I had a major crush on him and liked him with all my heart. He grinned and also turned red. Then, in a low voice, he told me he had a girlfriend!

My Heart Sank

It was the most exhilarating and intense experience in my life up until that point. I felt free to express my feelings to him, but as soon as he told me he had a girlfriend, my heart sank.

Later, perhaps due to immaturity with us both being young, he started to avoid me and I could tell the way his friends looked at me at the dining commons and chuckled, I knew that they knew about my confession. I felt embarrassed. He even blocked me on Facebook and I became confused and sad because I never said anything to him after our run in. I had decided to leave him alone considering he had a girlfriend.

I wanted to complete my last year of college with my dignity intact. One early morning after a rigorous gym workout, I saw him with his girlfriend sharing breakfast and being loving. My heart broke into many pieces.

Today, I realized How Much Courage it Took Me

This experience cracked my heart open. It was my very first time dipping my foot in the love and romance water. I took a chance even though it didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I put myself on the spot. It took me a year to get over that experience. But looking back, I realize how much I grew as a person since then. Today, I could share this experience, but if I hadn’t done it, I would have kept wondering what would have happened… Sometimes, it’s better to know 🙂

What are your thoughts on this post? Please share with me in the comments.

Do You Run Away from Your Fears?

November 9, 2014 by Priyanka Leave a Comment

How do you deal with a challenging situation? Do you confront your fears or run away? This is a good question to ask yourself. In fact, I highly recommend to pull out your journal and write this question down. Jot down your fears along with your responses to them.

Running Away from Fears

See if you can figure out a pattern in your reactions.

Running Away is Not the Solution

Running away is never the solution.

If you run away from your fears, then do something about it. This is important because there will be ups and downs in life. That is a part of life and the earlier you learn to stop running away from what scares you, the better.

It Only Causes A Never Ending Cycle

In fact, you will be faced with the same experiences over and over until you learn the life lesson you are meant to learn.

Here are some ways for you to deal with your fears:

Take Time Off to Be With Yourself

Take a weekend off and spend it with yourself. Do anything you like to do. You can go fishing or go away on a retreat. Whatever it is, make sure you take the time to be alone with your thoughts.

Acknowledge Your Fears and Vulnerabilities

Embrace your fears and vulnerabilities. By accepting them, you are telling yourself it’s alright to have them. The only way to deal with them is to acknowledge their existence.

Appreciate that You are Only Human

Remember you a human being. You aren’t perfect and part of the human experience is having fears. It’s completely normal. But running away from them is not the answer. Instead, take the time to acknowledge and deal with them so you can evolve into your highest self.

How do you deal with your fears? Please share with me in the comments.

Gerard Butler Quote – How Much Pain is Sitting in You?

November 9, 2014 by Priyanka Leave a Comment

“That emotion showed me how much pain can sit in this body of yours; pain and sorrow that you don’t know you have until it is unleashed.” – Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler’s parents had divorced when he was very young. He never heard or saw his father for a long time. Until when he was sixteen years old, he met his father again at a restaurant in Scotland. After the meeting, he said how the tears wouldn’t stop and he came to the profound realization about how much pain can be inside us and we may not even realize it until something triggers it.

Gerard Butler: Losing his Father

Releasing Your Pain and Fears

I have been very fortunate in many areas of my life. But even I sometimes have realized how much hurt has been inside me until some situation or moment triggered the pain in me. I had a moment like this recently and I couldn’t stop crying.

I have seen this in people close to me as well. One particular experience comes to mind. I remember dating a guy and never knowing he had a twin brother. Until his birthday came and I wanted to celebrate the day in a fun and grand way with him.

I Noticed He Became Sad and Lost

He kept avoiding celebrating his day. I thought maybe it was something to do with work or another normal matter. We went to the restaurant and ordered our drinks, he then told me with a shaky voice about his twin brother being no more due to an electrical incident in India decade ago.

I comforted him the best I could and then I instantly understood why he spoke very little of his family and seemed to be emotionally distant. He was holding so much within. For reasons best known to us, we don’t date anymore, but I did tell him to deal with the pain buried deep inside his heart. We all have some pain or fear deep inside us and it’s important to confront it so we can be happy and have peace of mind. This allows you to feel real intimacy with yourself and with someone else.

Have you felt this way? What are your thoughts on this experience? Please share with me in the comments.

Accept Things as They are UnFolding Instead of Resisting

November 8, 2014 by Priyanka Leave a Comment

Evens and situations unfold in your life exactly as they are meant to. Sometimes, they come across as gifts and you immediately see them as positive. But challenging situations also enter your life and they may not seem like gifts, but they are enriching experiences meant for your growth.

Accept Events Unfolding

View Challenging Experiences as Opportunities Instead

Opportunity is everywhere, even in challenging experiences. You may not see them as opportunities for growth at first, but they come at the right time in your life to teach you a lesson.

Grow into Your Highest Self

I was left confused and angry after certain experiences in my life. But when I look back, I realize it was all for my ultimate good. These experiences taught me valuable lessons. I don’t look at life the same way anymore.

I had to stop in my tracks and accept what was happening, whether I liked it or not.

Stop Resisting and Instead Start ACCEPTING!

The best way to deal with what life is handing you whether it is good or not, is to start accepting. Don’t question why the experience is happening. If you’re going through the experience, then it’s the Universe’s way of letting you grow and a part of your life’s plan.

It’s not easy to do this, I would resist and react with resentment and anger. But this doesn’t do me any good. By accepting and letting things unfold, you allow yourself to live your best life and are more open to receive with gratitude.

What is your biggest takeaway from this post? Please share with me in the comments.

Priyanka Yadvendu

Answers to Joy, Intimacy, Security, Family & Romantic Relationships for 20-Something Women