Be A Girl Who Knows What She Wants

On New Year's Eve, we were having dinner with some family friends at California Pizza Kitchen. My mom and I decided that we were going to share something, we just weren't sure what we were going to share. My mom was reading things off of the menu, and I'd say "No." I'm not sure what I wanted, but I knew what I didn't want. Which is exactly what my mom pointed out. That's when my friend, Mandy, said something along the lines of, "We need to figure out what you want. You need to be a girl who knows what she wants." She was totally kidding, of course. It wasn't meant to be philosophical, but I like to read deeper into things sometimes to make it more interesting and learn a life lesson any chance I get.

Every once in awhile, that line will pop back into my mind and it really stops me in my tracks. I want to know what I want.  I always thought I was that kind of girl, but the further I get into the "real world", I start to question if I really know what I want, especially when there are so many influences in the media and pop culture telling girls what they should want, including myself at times. I want to be one to break the barrier and to do things a little differently than what the norm of the industry is, because I feel like I'm here to shake things up a bit. That's why God has given me such a passion for all of the things that He has.

I decided I will make a list of things I know that I want right now, at least for in the future, not necessarily what I want at this moment: 

• I want to get my license
• Now that I'm going to graduate at my community college, I still want to finish school and get my BA in communications.
• I want to get an internship with E! News or Warner Brothers entertainment.
• I want to get a tweet from John Krasinski. This is probably the biggest "shallow" thing I want at the moment.
• I want God to use me for His purposes this year, starting in my own church. I'm praying for big opportunities to help lead and help out in our Young Adults ministry, especially. But, you never know where God is going to lead...Maybe I'll end up in some bigger places. God has a great sense of humor like that, but I'm ready for it.
•  I want to volunteer more, whether it's through a walk with an organization or raising money or just giving of my time, by helping out at an ASPCA shelter, etc. I want to find a cause and to get my hands dirty, doing what I can to help out. 
• I want to get married and have a family; being the best mom and wife I can possibly be.
• I want to interview celebrities on the red carpet for a living! But, I want to do it in a different way than the rest of the media. I want to tell their story; their passions, their voice, and how they make this world different, rather than just focusing on where they eat and shop, as much as I love finding those things out too.
• I want to make a documentary! I'd like to make a random one about my life and another about girls in general...I have a more specific idea, but I won't go into detail on here.
• I want to work for a magazine, like Zooey!
• I want to write a column in the Los Angeles Times, as well as write articles here and there for Hello Giggles. 
• I decided that the top 10 people I want to interview when I start working at E! will be: Taylor Swift, Zooey Deschanel, Sophia Bush, John Krasinski, Ian Somerhalder, Keith Urban, Bethany Joy Lenz, Carrie Underwood, Hilary Duff, and Amy Sherman-Palladino .
• 10 People I have to meet before I die: John Krasinski, Steve Carell, Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, Ian Somerhalder, Sophia Bush, Keith Urban (picture), Lady Antebellum,
• I want to own a house in Nashville, South Carolina and California someday. Or...Just one of the three would be nice. I live in Cali now, but it's not like I own the house myself. I've never had a job, soooo....
• I want to write a book. 

I could probably come up with more of these, and maybe they aren't the things that I can exactly just make happen...But, it's a start. I want to be a girl who knows what she wants and works hard to get it. I want to be the kind of girl that doesn't need others to get her to where she needs to go; it pays to have connections, but if you can do it by just having talent and working hard, that's the route I'd rather take. I'm still finding out everyday what it takes to be a strong girl this day in age, but I'm loving the journey.

That's all for now,
Shelby