Hey! I’m Tim (the guy, on the right). I’m a freshman at Georgetown and my interests include sports, especially golf and soccer, and hanging out with friends. I’m on the Men’s golf team here at GU. I’m from Connecticut, but my family just moved to Orlando — no, I don’t visit Disney World every weekend, thanks for asking. I’ve had an amazing semester so far and cannot wait for another 3+ years here at Georgetown.
Everyone loves music — this isn’t news. I am no different than everyone else, apparently. During dark times, I turn to my specific playlists: “Sad,” “Angry,” “Lost.” “Vienna” by Billy Joel has me reflecting on the meaning of life and the great big rush we are always in. “When It Rains It Pours” is the perfect song to snap me out of a somber mood. “Goodbye” always reminds me of the important things in life — namely family, friends, and self-worth. Music definitely anchors me to PERMA. I feel engaged and positive, as well as focused on personal relationships.
I’ll admit it, I was a little nervous about meeting the guys on the golf team. These were the guys I was going to spend the next four years with; what if they didn’t like me?
After a couple of the team van rides, I realized my worries were unfounded. The boys on the team were so casual and welcoming. We talked about music and enjoyed radio hits, discussed how our days and weeks were going, and laughed about anything and everything. I used to hate commuting, but now I don’t mind a little traffic if it’s with the team in our big blue golf van.
While reading Martin Seligman’s Flourish, I took note of many little ways to improve overall well-being. One of which, “The Three Great Things” journal, I am continuing to this day. The activity is simple: at night, just before bed, pencil down three good things that happened to you that day. They don’t have to be groundbreaking or colossal achievements; they can just be little things, like the one joke that made your friends laugh or that great meal you had. We as humans tend to internalize and overthink about the bad things that happen to us — this little activity helps us remember that great things inevitably happen too!
Today’s 3 Great Things:
When I’m angry or sad, there’s one place I love going: the gym. Okay, nobody really enjoys going to the gym, but I’ve learned it’s exactly what my mind needs to get back on track. There’s something about testing your body, pushing your muscles to their absolute limit, and feeling like you’ve gotten a little bit better. Leaving the gym, my body is tired but my brain feels accomplished. Suddenly, the sadness or anger is replaced by a feeling of pride, confidence. So if you see me heading up to Yates, just be careful — I might be in a bad mood!
Being on the Men’s Golf team here at Georgetown, I spend a lot of time on the course. Depicted below are a couple of my favorite holes at home in Orlando, Florida. I love golf because of the challenge. Every shot is a new test, a new mental hurdle. Can I be brave enough to focus on what I want (hitting the green) as opposed to what I don’t want or am afraid of (the water)? Can I be calm enough to pull off the smoothest possible swing in the face of pressure? Can I be disciplined enough to stay in the moment and not worry about past shots or future ones, but only think about this next one?
I won’t lie; it’s been weird living with a roommate. All my life I’ve enjoyed a room of my own — my own little space where nobody can get to me, and I can remove myself from the troubles of my day. At college, sharing that sacred space is not easy. I am lucky, though. My roommate is a great guy (one of my best friends actually). He’s friendly, nice, and reasonable. That doesn’t mean conflicts don’t come up, though. For example, I threw out his food one time (I swear I thought it had gone bad). He was upset, and I felt horrible.
The key, it seems, is talking about the issue at hand. Sure, my roommate was mad at the time being, but we talked through it. I apologized and explained the logic behind my decision, and he forgave me. We also defined clear boundaries for touching each other’s food in the future.
When in doubt, talk about it!
