Jess's Journal: Life Unscripted

Last night when I was surfing the Internet, I discovered a picture of something very poignant. The text of a book excerpt really resonated with me today, so I thought I would share it.  "The world is increasingly designed to depress us. Happiness isn't very good for the economy. If we were happy with what we had, why would we need more? How do you sell an anti-[aging] [moisturizer]? You make someone worry about [aging]. How do you get people to vote for a political party? You make them worry about immigration. How do you get them to buy insurance? By making them worry about everything. How do you get them to have plastic surgery? By highlighting their physical flaws. How do you get them to watch a TV show? By making them worry about missing out. How do you get them to buy a new smartphone? By making them feel like they are left behind.  To be calm becomes a kind of revolutionary act. To be happy with your own non-upgraded existence. To be comfortable with our messy, human...

Senior year is a time where we assume greater financial independence. It is a year where we stress over grad school applications and our futures after college. In my case, it would be to set a budget to be able to live within my means. For three years, I have been overspending on food at school, so my hope is to do things a little bit differently. Living within your means is finding the limit of how much money you have to spend. I have yet to find what the amount in that limit is, but what I do know is that I know what the amount is above it. So it is time to make a change. It is a change that will benefit me in the long run. It's time for me to stop spending money on snacks, food, and drinks, and start spending money on healthier options. That way, school would not be as much of a burden as it is.