"You were born with the ability to change someone's life. Dont ever waste it."

So I was scrolling away through pinterest looking at quotes, because if you know me at all, you will know at least one thing about me; I am a bit of a quote w-.... addict. The cheesy, inspirational kind. And so I came across this one, and it is so simple yet so powerful to me. It relates to what I aspire to do in my life as a psychologist.

"You were born with the ability to change someone's life. Dont ever waste it."

I'm not seeking a career in psychology/therapy so that I can be a life-changer. I am seeking it because I want to be a life helper. The quote says that you were born with the ability to change someones life. Well I was born with a few difficulties (as was everyone). I had Selective Mutism (here is where a scientific definition would be, but I'm not feeling it. If anyone is actually reading this, google is your friend!) Basically, it's when you're a kid and you have so much anxiety that it culminates into you not speaking in social situations. So long story short, I didn't talk at school or in public or to anyone other than 10 people for twelve years. And once I was a bit older, I developed panic disorder where I had panic attacks on a semi-frequent basis. Throughout high school I considered my panic attacks and my past with SM as a large, pointless burden. I cried to my counselor that it "just wasn't fair" and asked "why does this have to happen to ME?" (Can you tell I was 14 at the time?) I was frustrated with the world or whatever had thrust this seemingly unnecessary suffering onto me, but I tried to ignore it and live a normal, happy, high-schooler life.

Then high school ended and the summer before college was halfway gone, and my anxiety went berserk. To the point where I could not leave the house, where I could not go six hours without seriously thinking I was going to die due to my latest horrible panic attack. Low points included holding the phone for an hour with my thumb resting on the 9 when I was home alone, and having my parents pick me up from my dorm because I was in such a terrified state.

And then it got better. I continued to live in my dorm, I pushed through the panic and went to my classes. I made a best friend and therefore lifeline out of my room mate. And by christmas break, I came to a revelation of sorts. I had always wanted to go into psychology because I was sensitive and I liked helping people and giving them advice. But I came to a realization that this burden I had complained about to my high school counselor, this "unnecessary suffering" could have a purpose after all. It gave me insight. Insight to help other kids with SM, a problem few people really understand, let alone know about. Insight to where I could tell others with anxiety that I had been to hell and back with panic attacks, and that you.will.be.alright. Maybe I can change someones life, who knows. But really all I want to do is help. And the struggles in my life have given me the ability to. So I will not put to waste the crappy things I had to go through. I will not waste my ability to help someone. I will not.

Wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I, number one oh my me my.

My name is Sarah.

That is the most uninventive, predictable, ordinary way to start a blog.

Oh well.

Here are the basics. I am just another college kid with a google plus blog typing out whatever I feel because I'm bored and I'm alright at writing, and I apparently think I'm funny and clever seeing as I named my blog "sarahnadingyou." (I'm not going to lie that I was pretty excited when I found that that domain wasn't taken.) I'm an introvert. I'm a psychology nerd. I have red hair (somehow I find this important.) I apparently like parenthesis. I tend to read instead of go to raging college parties, though I have been to a few. I like football. I am a hopeless romantic who can go on rants about how brilliant certain Taylor Swift lyrics are. Don't write me off just for loving a good lyric! I am quiet and reserved to the outside world, but at the same time will often be the one to keep a conversation going in a group of people that may not know each other well. I have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, which I will address at a later time. I give a lot of advice, probably too much. I let myself feel things full heartedly, which is a good and a bad thing. I am a deep thinker but at the same time very silly and I make ridiculously stupid jokes. I am self absorbed because I just realized no one is going to want to read all about my personality unless they read something else I wrote first and decided they wanted to know more about me. Whoops.

I titled my blog "I'm Just Saying" because I tend to word-vomit (mean girls anyone?) quite a lot, or at least I always say what's on my mind. Justifying saying it by adding "I'm just saying" to the end.

So that's me. This is my blog. I might end up ditching it, this is kind of an experiment. But until then I hope to fill it with random thoughts, rants, and reviews. If you read this and you don't already know me....you're a saint. Or you're really really bored.

You have just been sarahnaded.