About five or so years ago (realistically, it could have been anywhere between 2 and 9 years ago because I have no concept of time), my dad said something to me that stuck.

We were in Florida waiting for a shuttle to take us to Disney World. At this point, I was single and ready to mingle. By "single and ready to mingle", I really mean "single and this kinda stinks because who really wants to try to meet people and go on crummy dates?" Blugh.

Anyways, my dad said "Hey, you might meet the love of your life today."

For some reason, it stuck with me for all of these years. Why?

The coolest thing about this statement is the positivity that floats all around it. Today, I might meet the person who I will love for the rest of my life. And hey, if it doesn't happen today, tomorrow presents another "today" for the opportunity to happen all over again. Well, I'm blessed in that I met my man love and so I'm no longer on the hunt for this person. But can't this simple phrase be extended into so much more?

Today, you might get a job.
Today, you might meet a new friend.
Today, you might have an awesome workout.
Today, you might change someone's life.
Today, you might learn something new.
Today, you might inspire someone.

From time to time, I remember this little sentence my dad said to me years ago. I remember it, I think about it, and I apply it to whatever that day might hold for me. Once we all start looking at "today" as a time for great opportunities to happen, we will be golden. With this slight change of a mindset, just imagine what we're capable of.

Describe your perfect boy. Why do you love him so much? Think about it.

Did you do it? I know you didn't.

Seriously, think about it.

Okay, read on...

So often, people answer this with "he loves me so much", "he makes me laugh", "he makes me feel beautiful", "he puts up with me", etc. In each of these responses (and beyond) there is a word in common: ME. Though I agree that all of these things should be true in any relationship, should these be the first answers that come to mind?

The way I see it, when someone is in love, they should be in love with the other person, not just with the way that person makes them feel. When someone is in love with a person, they respect them, are inspired by them, are challenged by them, trust them, etc. However, when someone is in love with how this person makes them feel, they are more tempted to look for things that this person does (or doesn't do). Is he buying me flowers "just because"? He should be thinking of me constantly, right? Wrong. Isn't love a selfless thing, anyway? Love is an emotion that makes us want to do things for others; to put them before ourselves; to think of them first.

Maybe this emphasis came from movies or songs or hearing those wonderfully random stories from our friend's sister's cousin whose boyfriend sent her 2,000 roses and a Cupid to surprise her during work. Maybe women have been "trained" by society and social media to believe that men should be more like prince charming, bending over backwards to do things and get things for women (aka the damsels in distress). Last time I checked, it's 2014 and women are no longer in distress.

So, sure, flowers once in a while are nice, but is this really what it means to be in love? Love is about the person; not what the person buys or does or gets.

I don't know a ton about dating. I've always been a boyfriend kind of person instead of a "meet-a-guy-at-a-bar-go-on-a-date-find-out-he's-nuts-and-onto-the-next-one" kind of person. But, from what I hear about dating, interviewing seems like it's pretty much the same deal.

I've been obsessively applying to teaching jobs every single day, multiple times a day. I've been researching job fairs. I've been gallivanting around New Jersey in my new suit from Express, and I've gotten three interviews from the whole process so far. Not too shabby, if I don't say so myself. From my experience, I've come to one major conclusion: Interviewing and dating are basically the same...exact...thing. Here's why.

Before The Interview:
Candidate (single person) obsesses over finding a job (a mate). Every day, we look online and talk to friends to see if they know of an opening (have a nice, single friend).

At The First Interview:
Day 1. Candidate (single person) meets the interview-er (prospective spouse). Candidate practices the perfect hand shake (flirtatiously twirls hair), highlights all of his/her best features, maintains great eye contact, and is the best person they can be. Interview (first date) ends feeling pretty good and candidate wonders where it's headed.

The Waiting Game
Interview (first date) is over. Candidate (single person) obsesses over each answer and wonders if there was something better that could have been sent. Candidate (single person) dissects the follow-up email (text message) for clues to see if interview-er (prospective spouse) actually thought it went well. And at the same time, candidate (single person) has to think if this company (prospective spouse) is the right match. If this continues, this could be a very big commitment.

The Call Back
The interview-er (prospective spouse) likes candidate (single person) and calls him/her back for another interview (second date) or to teach a demonstration lesson. This time, candidate (single person) is a little more comfortable. This time, candidate (single person) doesn't wear a suit. They're a little more fun and show off their personality a little more.

Hire
If the call back interview (second date) goes well, candidate (single person) is offered a job (becomes Facebook official) and it's all history from there.

And there you have it. Interviewing and dating are basically the same thing. Happy job hunting

If you've been on Facebook, you've seen the shared article Treat Yourself: An open letter to the Class of 2014. Of course I read it, liked it, and before I knew it, I read every post by that blogger, Meaghan. I quickly learned that Meaghan has quite a way with words, is 22 years old, likes Fireball, recently moved out, and lost her parents very recently. Some posts were funny; others were about her parents and I had to stop myself from tearing up.

Something as natural to me as calling Mom isn't natural to others. Some people don't have Daddy to talk to on a Saturday morning. What would I do without my parents? I wouldn't know what to do when my car wouldn't start last Sunday. I wouldn't know that using a coaster prevents those rings on furniture (not that I always actually use a coaster). I definitely wouldn't know which container is microwaveable. But there's so much more.

Mom,
I wouldn't know how to be a strong woman. Without you, I wouldn't have my #1 role model teaching me how to be independent every day. From you, I know how to hold my head high and to believe in myself. You've taught me how to have goals and how to work towards them. Without you, I wouldn't be able braid my hair or pick the right eyeshadow color.

Dad,
Without you, I wouldn't have any idea of how a man should treat a woman. From watching you, I know not to settle and to marry a man who treats me how you treat Mom. Without you, I wouldn't have a sense of humor or know how to talk with any bizarre accents. You've taught me support and you've taught me hard work. You've taught me the importance of having a good character. Without you, I wouldn't be able to catch a grape with my mouth and I definitely wouldn't be able to pitch a ball.

Parents teach us so much. The older I get, the more I realize it. I see my students who do not all have Mommy and Daddy at home. Every day, I am reminded how lucky I am to have such incredible parents.

Everybody loves good days. Good days are easy. What's there to complain about when you get a promotion, your boss applauds you in front of your co-workers, your students all behave, or you <insert "element of a good day" as applicable to your career here>? After a good day of work, we come home and probably have a good night...and it's easy.

Bad days aren't always easy. What happens when you forget an assignment or your boss yells at you or you get lost going to an interview you or your students make you want to lose your mind or you <insert "element of a bad day" as applicable to your career here>? This time, you're probably going to get in the car angry, get home angry, talk about your crappy day, and go to bed bothered.

It's easy to be positive on good days. It's hard to be positive on bad days.

So I'm making a promise to myself today, on a bad day. Anytime I have another "bad day" moving forward and I ask myself "Why do I keep putting myself through this?", I'll have my promise.

I promise to never let my career negatively affect relationships. I work with kids. Kids can be kind of bratty sometimes. It's fine to talk (vent) to friends and family about it, but I will not let it negatively affect my relationships.

I promise to begin each day with positivity. Every day is a new day. Every day, regardless of the day before, has potential. I will not let the grunt of yesterday get to me and I will begin today with a blank slate.

I promise to keep my body healthy. When crummy days happen, I will not turn to a gallon of ice cream. Instead, I will turn to healthy solutions. Exercise naturally makes people feel better. Ice cream  makes us feel fat.

I promise to remember that work is work. If I've learned anything in the last few months, it's that I cannot always lose sleep over some of my students. I can't bring all the "baggage" from the school day home with me, allowing it to haunt me. There will always be struggles and frustrations, but work is work and there needs to be a separation between work and my life.

I'm the type of person who takes promises very seriously, and today I'm promising myself these four things. Here's to some better days ahead, and when a rocky one comes along, here's to promises.