Last semester was a busy one. Between work, classes, and my senior honors project it felt like I had very little time to relax and do the things I liked. I realized very early in the semester that it would be that way, and I remember asking myself a question: "Who do I want to be this semester?" I've never been a planner, but I've also never been a stress-er. I've always been good at thinking to myself, "this is life, I'm gonna take it one day at a time and enjoy it." This has always served me well, but as of September 2016, it felt like the impossible.

The business of life, and the mental wear and tear that comes from being on your fourth year of college were too much to handle, so I decided to handle my stress another way. I thought back to the people I knew in high school who were always busy. They went from one place to the next doing the things they had to do and pleasing the people they needed to please. I was never that person, I always did what I needed to do, while making sure I also did what I wanted to do. Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with those people, and I'm also not trying to say that I was lazy or anything. It just wasn't my lifestyle.

Then, that morning in September, I decided I would try to be one of those people. I thought that maybe the best way to handle my busy schedule was to embrace it head on, and put my list of things to do at the forefront of my life. Well, let me just say, last semester was a blur. It was both one of the worst and one of the best semesters of my college career (I only say one of the best because I learned some valuable life lessons throughout the process).

Here are the top 3 things I learned when I chose to let my schedule determine my attitude:

1. Changing the way you interact with the world, in a way that is contrary to your personality, way-of-life, or mindset is a surefire way to feel real lonely, real fast.

Yes, of course there are times when changing the way you interact with the world could be good--like decreasing negativity or quitting smoking, but when you try to go against the you you've always known, just to please people, get by, or just survive, you're isolating yourself. Maybe not in a literal sense, but really, your putting yourself in a box. Look at it like this: the "you" you've always been will still be there, but you never let her out. You lock her up in a room where she has no choice but to get lonely and restless. Then, you put on this facade, a mask of someone else, and that new, unrealistic person is too scared to interact with the locked up girl, so she's left all alone.

Now, in my case, I was choosing a people-pleasing, assignment-oriented life over my friends even. This left me not only figuratively lonely, but literally as well. When I was with my friends, all I could think about was my list of things that had to get done. I was letting the stress eat me alive.

2. When you let a busy schedule become your day and night preoccupation, sleep sucks.

I was stressed every day. Instead of finding ways to cope with my stress, I warped it and turned it into a kind of distorted means of success--like if I was busy and stressed, that meant I was doing something right. This is a really hard thing to face, and I encourage anyone with that kind of intense, corrupted view of stress to talk to someone about it. Anyway, this constant state of stressed out really does a number on the quality of your sleep. Do yourself a favor--stop letting stress rule your life, and you will instantly be more well-rested (and that's always a good thing).

3. Letting stress take over doesn't allow time to appreciate the beauty of life.

I am a photographer. I am a musician. I have a genuine love for beautiful things, and I have always been someone who can fine the beauty in everything. However, when I chose to walk away from that kind of life and embrace a life of busyness, I found myself having a hard time finding beauty in the world around me. I was suddenly finding myself full of pessimism and a negative outlook rather than firmly believing that life, even in its heartaches and chaos, is beautiful.

Life is beautiful. Life is something that will always throw unexpected things my way and yours, but my challenge to you today is to literally take time to smell the roses. No busy schedule is worth locking the real you in a closet, and missing out on all of the beauty life has to offer. This semester I have a lot going on, but that's okay. That chaos is just another beautiful example of how blessed I am to have this life.