If you ask anyone who knows Josie to describe her, you’ll learn that she is commonly known as “that beautiful 20-year- old whom everyone loves for her charm and jokes.” And while that is true, what makes her such a special person in my life is the way she treats herself.
Josie knows how to put herself first when she needs to. She allows herself a certain amount of mental health days so she can avoid getting too overwhelmed and catch up on work that needs to be done. She doesn’t worry about what her friends want her to do when they’re all going out if she wants to stay in, and she’ll cancel meetings if she knows she won’t give her all. The reason she does this is to make sure to allow for enough rest and relaxation between her 15-hour schedule, being a Theta Chi sweetheart, and being an officer of a demanding club.
“Sleep is really important to me, without enough of it, I can’t get anything done,” Josie stated. “And sometimes just a 20-minute power nap is enough to give you a kickstart to finish the day.” Take it from Josie, knowing when to give yourself time and give yourself a break can make all the difference.
In addition to letting herself breathe, Josie is also a loud voice for what she believes in. Her social media platforms all spread positivity and speak out for human rights. But she doesn’t just use social media as a platform and stop there, she attended the Rally Against Trump in Nacogdoches and regularly attends diversity forums at SFA for women, the LGBTQ+ community, and multicultural affairs.
She isn’t afraid to call out ignorant comments from the people around her if they’re being degrading, racist, homophobic, or sexist in the kindest way she can either. This semester, she didn’t hesitate to tell her professor that he was being sexist, and continues to write essays in his class about the harmful effects of a patriarchal society, the importance of intersectional feminism, and speak against the stigmatization of mental health.
By standing up for what she believes in rather than just retweeting political memes, she’s a true activist. And through activists, an impact can be made. Finally, Josie is thoughtful. She thinks through every move before she makes it, plans every hour of the day, and packs with every scenario in mind. When asked why she does this, she asked in return, “life is scary so why wouldn’t you control what you can?”
Forward thinking sets up her day for every possibility so she’s ready for it all. Being prepared reduces a lot of anxiety and allows her to be calm, cool, and collected before any event.
Living like Josie may not be the most dramatic life, but it’s a good one and learning from her might make your life better too.