The most recent issue of my favorite fashion magazine is promising me this will be my “Sexiest Summer Ever!” The one where I will have the PERFECT summer fling and my BEST beach body. Ha! Only if sexy means lounging in my extra-large t-shirt all day, watching reruns of Gossip Girl and eating a bag of Cheetos (á la Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30).
If you’re like me, summer is fun for the first couple of days, but then your parents begin to get on your nerves and boredom sets in. Having had issues with food in the past, this leads me to focus more on “eating healthy” and exercising too much (everything in moderation).
Magazines emphasize the importance of rocking a tanned and toned beach body, offering advice about expensive remedies to banish stretch marks and smooth cellulite.
Blogger, Jes Baker offers her own rendition of “How to Get a Sexy Swimsuit Body in Less than 5 Minutes”.
Following Baker’s advice, I opted to purchase a one-piece bathing suit this summer, and what a great decision that was. I wasn’t self-conscious in a bikini, but I’m not one of those girls who likes to pretend I’m too cool to have fun in the waves, so it’s nice to know everything has full coverage.
Instead of focusing on sexy I have decided to focus on passion. Not the romantic kind, but the kind where you discover what is really important to you, and then dedicate your time and energy into that passion.
Inspired by two great books I have read this summer (Kjerstin Gruys’ Mirror, Mirror… Off the Wall and Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project), I decided to make a list of the top five things I want to make sure do this summer. So crank up your favorite summer playlist and make yourself a list of the top five (or ten!) things you want to be sure to do this summer.
My Passionate Pursuits:
1. Volunteer with an organization I’m passionate about (I volunteer at a respite center to help people with physical and mental disabilities).
2. Read (I love to read and there is never any time in college).
3. Actually do some of the projects I pinned on Pinterest (it’s rewarding to actually complete a project by yourself).
4. Work (not very fun, but college is expensive).
5. Go on a road trip with my sister (she is beginning to look at colleges!).
It’s summer, so kick back, relax, and ignore those negative media messages!
Sarah Liming is currently a junior at the University of Dayton. She is a psychology major and is involved with an organization on campus called Active Minds, which focuses on reducing the negative stigma associated with mental health and mental illness. After she finishes her undergrad education, Sarah plans to work at a clinic helping people recover from eating disorders.
This is awesome Sarah!! Can not wait for more to come!