“The Library Is Inhabited By Spirits That Come Out Of The Pages At Night.”

This is the first article under the 3 part series of Taking Control Of Your Life. To view the other articles under this is series head here!

Ever had that weird feeling when you’re sitting (or peeing) and suddenly it’s like you’re losing everything? (I mean, ok, you’re losing your pee, lol). Everything just becomes too much, and you either prepare to cry, (bonus points if you curl up in a fetal position, ‘cause on the toilet seat that’s practically gymnastics) or grab a bag of popcorn, your midnight bathroom snack, not caring that you’re going bonkers (I respect that, you da hood). Except for the buttered popcorn, nothing about it is fun, yet it’s happened to every single one of us.

To cut short this intro, here’s how NOT to lose your shit. It’s time to take complete ownership of your life (someone cue the dramatic music, I don’t have a stereo. #BROKE-AF).

Someone amazing once said “your brain is your most valuable tool.” That’s true. Once you learn how to control your mind, you will start to see that we, being the dumb idiots that we are, over-complicate the simplest of things. You’re not losing your shit (but finish that popcorn anyway). Your mind just convinced you that you are. My wise friend once said that it’s either you directing your mind or it’s the other way around. Show your mind who’s boss and conquer it. Here’s how:

Don’t make excuses. Not only does it piss off Miss Honey and your dog (your dog has better things to eat, my dude), but it robs you of the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. As I always say, life is not a report card. It’s never perfect, and it’s the little flaws that push you to aim higher. In the end, life is just growth as a human being (or as a basic hoe, like me). Here’s an example of taking full responsibility for your actions:

 Action: You didn’t submit your essay on time.

 Normal response:  “I didn’t know about the essay.”

                               “My dog ate up my entire computer.”

                               “I was saving the world from zombies.”

Conqueror talk: “I didn’t get in my essay, for that no excuse is valid. I have learned from this and you can expect better next time.”

Miss Honey will be pleased.

I’m a firm believer that emotions hinder productivity. Now, don’t get me wrong, emotions are great. There are many things to shed tears on. Tris from Divergent died. Trump became President. You just got friend-zoned. It’s great to have emotions in cases like these. But when it comes down to getting work done, it’s better to have a firm control over them.

Imagine finishing that crappy essay 3 mins before your deadline when Sophia from book club comes up all like “Did you hear what Archie just said to me? He’s such a jerk.” That’s torture. Honestly, it’s a miracle we get team assignments done because there is always that one friend who’s either crying over her ex or dying over how cute puppies are.

When working, choose productivity over pride. The reason being, it not only affects your quality of work by distracting you but also makes you the 90 year old grannie shouting from behind in the supermarket line. People legit fly away in the other direction when they see you.

But of course, in other cases, go ahead and release the waterworks. I’m still crying over Mufasa’s death anyway.

(I’m about to get deep, wearing that diving suit, alright). Conquering is hard. There’ll be days when you’ll feel like doing anything but that boring report Miss Honey assigned. Like, who cares whether the Nile or the Amazon is longer?

However, the mindset of a conqueror is so strong that the little demon called procrastination doesn’t stand a chance. You’ll see us partying the whole weekend because we already slayed ‘em rivers and hunted down those fishies Friday. Wanna join in? Here are some aspects of the conqueror mindset: 

Procrastination isn’t allowed. We understand that procrastination not only wastes precious time but basically means partying on a guilty mind. We would rather be that person drinking all them shots than be Abby sitting in the corner, worrying about her calc HW.

Discipline. Every conqueror knows that things need to be done at the right time (and in the right way, of course). Playing slither.io is great, but if you’re hooked for 7 hours and your poor report on rivers has turned into a dust bunny, then mate, you are not conquering. Get up and get the job done already.

Time management. It’s 11:58 pm. Your report (lol, get a grip mate) has finally been wiped of all that dust, and you’re settling to start on it. You open the first page of the assignment and have a mini heart attack. It says: Bring in by 12 am, xx Feb ‘18). To become a conqueror, hence, you must learn to travel back in time. JK. To become a conqueror, it’s important to value time because it’s priceless. A year from now, those hours you spent eating all that snake kill in slither.io won’t mean shit, but if you grind, if you choose to work hard, then every single moment will be memorable and pay off.

So, how do you do it? Ok, grab your notebook, grab your cauldron, and jot down. Let’s see what we got here… ‘Add a horn of bicorn’ and just a little bit of -what’s that- salamander blood?” *Potion explodes* Um, sorry for that mess. *Waves wand to clean*

Point is, there’s no secret spell to becoming disciplined and focused. Put down that wand, please. I’ll explain.

If you truly want to take control of your life, you must know your why. Why do you want to? Maybe you’re sick of procrastinating and letting yourself down? Maybe you’re tired of being a couch potato and want to get that ass to the gym? Maybe Abby wants to drink them tequila shots too? Because unless you really want it, you won’t get it. It’s important to know your why and let it lead you into battle as your motivation.

In short, you have to be a superhero (I choose to be Superwoman!) and learn to conquer your life before you save Kim from the fire. Your life is truly valuable, and here’s a secret: If you want to get results you have never gotten before, you’re going to have to do things you’ve never done before. Everyone gets the same 24 hours in a day, the same opportunities, and the same chances to follow their dreams. They just make different choices. If you choose to re-watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. for the 58th time while balancing chips in one hand and popcorn in the other, our world will lose one of its heroes.

But if you do decide to put on that superhero cape, I’m with you. Kim, hang on. We’re coming for you.

want to read more? view the other masterposts in the series “get your shit together, you are here to conquer.” :-

general tips for getting your shit together

loving yourself and letting go of negativity

understanding the meaning of your life

Well, it’s a wrap! I post new articles every week (the schedule’s up on my blog’s front page) so you can follow me if you are interested in killing the game & conquering life bc I’ll do my best to help you in the tough yet amazing journey called life.

If you want to go thru my blog, I would rec picking your choice of post from my masterpost list! Or, if you want to read something insightful on your cozy Sunday afternoon while chilling under blankets, I would recommend reading one of my interviews. + You can also request a blog post! For that, leave your question in my ask box!

I hope you are well, stay strong and conquer life, you conqueror.

- nandini (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

PLEASE don’t hesitate to reblog other people’s study posts even if: •they don’t have a shit ton of notes (yet) •they are low quality •the lighting isn’t perfect •the setup isn’t perfectly aesthetic •the desk is messy •the subject of study isn’t your subject •the handwriting isn’t perfectly neat •the notes aren’t colorful •the stationery isn’t muji or staedtler or stabilo or any other popular brand

studying is studying no matter what it looks like and I think it’s important to encourage other students even if all we can do is just reblog their pictures.

I think it’s important to make people feel appreciated in the community even if they can’t afford expensive stationery or don’t have a perfect handwriting.

You’re all great and you can do whatever you’ve set your mind on💜

12/12 // I’m very proud of myself today. Woke up early and went to uni and studied for seven hours! Pretty much a record this school year.

you know, life doesn’t have to be competitive. you don’t have to get in the very best university; you don’t have to get the highest paying career there is. you don’t need to compare and compete with everyone else in the world. you need to do what’s right for you. you need to relax, take a breath, and say ‘what do i want, for myself, to live as i want to’. and, if that involves high ambitions, then that’s fine. because you chose those ambitions on what you desire as an individual, and not on what is expected in order to succeed. let’s be ourselves this year.

Hard to argue with that logic.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

(Thank you to the MANY lovely people that recommended this scene from Deathly Hallows!)

Mapping out my goals for the year now that semester 1 is over! The best method for me is to be specific with what I want to achieve and work out every step to get there! I’ll upload the different coloured versions of each goal setting PDF to google drive if anyone else would like to use these! x

100 days of productivity

hey guys! some of you may have noticed that lately I have been posting daily pictures with a concept called 100 days of productivity. at first, this was just a method I was using to keep myself on track, but after receiving multiple messages either asking permission to use the idea or asking to explain the idea, I’ve decided to make a post to explain this and hopefully get other blogs in on it!

what is it about?

the general idea of 100 days of productivity is to make sure that everyday you do something- anything productive. it embraces the concept that by chipping away at least a little bit of that big pile of work we all have every day, we can make huge changes for the future.

how can I join?

its simple! just post a picture everyday with which day it is out of 100 (ex: 3/100 days of productivity) and tag it as 100 days of productivity. keep this going for 100 days straight and see how much you’ve accomplished!! 

help get the word out!!

reblog this post to help let other studyblrs know about this idea!! as I really would like this to get out there, I will be following many of the people I see using this tag!!

disclaimer: I am not claiming to be the first person to use this concept. I did not steal this idea from anyone and did come up with it on my own, but I have also been made aware that others have used this idea before!!

happy studying everyone!!

feel better masterpost

Have you been feeling upset or stressed lately? Well, make some tea and cuddle yourself up in bed. Here’s a few things that can help you brighten up your mood or keep your mind occupied: BASICS - in need of a compliment? here and here.  - feel like everything is going wrong? hover here and here and here and here.  - have a cute dog lick your screen - want a hug? - make a comfort box - a site designed to help talk you down from a stressful experience - the thoughts room - sort through something that’s been troubling you - self harm alternatives + here - reasons to stay alive - 28 tips to relax - 21 tips to keep yourself together when depressed - want to be inspired? watch this - When is the last time time you did absolutely nothing for 10 minutes? - 100 things to do when you’re upset - the only 7 things you can control in life - make everything OK - the dawn room - how to get motivated when you don’t feel like it - six ways to combat boredom - stress relief techniques - anxiety masterpost

SCHOOL - stressing over an exam? here’s a few tips - need help with focusing? here’s a few tips. - free online courses - study tips masterpost

GAMING - watch livestreams on twitch  - psychological games - cute games calming games: • music catch 2 • fishing girl • take a walk • flow other: • draw a stickman and go on adventures! • tetris

MOVIES and TV Shows that’ll definitely cheer you up (hover title for description) - police academy (1984) & police academy 2 (1985)  - ghostbusters (1984) - home alone (1990) -  dumb and dumber (1994) - john tucker must die (2006) - the blind side (2009) - lots of disney movies - movies with queer ladies, woo! - all marvel movies - movies with great cinematography

- Bob’s burger - Drake & Josh  - Adventure time

  READING & STUFF - read any book + here - random wikipedia article + different wikipedia articles - random wikihow article - mythical/supernatural creatures  - nice comics - best of craigslist - amazing fact generator + quizzes! - what is the best type of chocolate for baking? - like mythology and want to read a new book? recommendations here! - survive nature MUSIC & SOUNDS - rainymood - kinda like rainymood but let’s you mix different sounds - listen to wikipedia - orchestral reworks (8tracks playlist) - the nostalgia machine (pick a year and listen to your favourite childhood jams) COMFORT FOOD - easy & delicious nutella cookies (video) - other nutella recipes (masterpost) - macaroni and cheese in a cup  - fruit salad (simple but yummy!)  - chocolate chip cookie in a cup - american pancakes - regular pancakes or this recipe  - the easiest chocolate cupcakes (also vegan!)  - chocolate corn flakes (trust me- it tastes better than how it looks!) - jam drops - don’t know what to cook? DRINKS - 10 refreshing non-alcoholic drinks - fandom drinks (w/ alcohol) - 14 fruit-infused waters to drink instead of soda - simple nutella hot chocolate - the ultimate in seasonal drinking: how to make hot cocoa mix - what tea should you be drinking?

RANDOM - look at the galaxy - watch a dream - make sand designs - create your own forest - take personality test (MBTI) - watch some fun and interesting science videos - make your own scrapbook  - splatter paint - pop bubblewrap - move your mouse to manipulate a line, like building a roller coaster while you ride it. - video of an adorable bulldog puppy  - touching video   - what kind of hungry are you? - send and recieve a postcard from a random spot in the world - give rice to people in need by answering some trivia - tone deaf test - football players singing  - what colour is it? POSITIVITY BLOGS/SITES - positivedoodles - cheeerupbuttercup - emotionalbaggagecheck (a site where you write what troubles you anonymously, and people who choose to “carry your baggage” eventually send you a song and a personal note!)

The choreography in “Rewrite the Stars” is honestly genius.

The whole scene is staged in such a way that for the first half of the song, Phillip is continuously trying to pull Anne back to him each time she tries to pull away. He’s trying to hold her in place at his level, on the ground. Even when she soars up into the air, he keeps trying to literally pull her back down: grabbing on to her hand, her waist, the rope, her hoop. Anything to keep her in place with him. 

But for the second half of the song, Phillip stops trying to hold her down and instead follows after her into the air, basically saying through the choreography, “If we can’t be together in my world, can we be together in yours?”

And only once they’re both in the air - the space that reflects the freedom the circus gives them - does Anne allow herself to consider the idea that they could actually be together. Phillip stops waiting for her to stay on the ground with him and puts in the work to be with her, literally scaling the walls of the theater to reach her. In more ways than one, they end up finding a balance and supporting each other’s weight for the rest of the song.

What I’m trying to say is that the choreography in The Greatest Showman is not only absolutely gorgeous, it’s also incredibly deliberate and tells a story through movement and I love it so much. 

Working hard at my paper. This is how my weekend went. #studygram #studyblr #studymotivation #college https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqmqg0aFXEf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1n2938k3n5tkf