I am so excited to have had the opportunity to interview one of my newest friends here at Emmanuel. From his fierce everyday strut to his “extraordinary” charisma, I have loved getting to know him and his positive ways. Learn more about Ean, his happy mindset, and some personal thoughts he shared with me below!
Grade: Class of 2019
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Favorite spot in Boston: Boston Public Garden
Positions at EC: RA in Loretto Hall; Student Aide, and ARC
Her Campus Emmanuel: What would you say motivates you daily?
Ean Anderson: The crippling fear of being unsuccessful. Kidding. But also not. I’m motivated by my hopes for the future. I’m motivated by the job I want to have and the house I want to buy. I’m motivated by food, and friends, and the need for a good GPA.
My biggest motivation would probably be music. From the first moment I wake up, I’m listening to music. I dance in the shower, I dance as I get dressed. Even when I’m not actually listening to music, I’m strutting through the caf to whatever song is playing in my head. Life would be so dull without music, I would never get out of bed.
HCE: Aside from your unique dance skills, how do you embody positivity each day?
EA: If I can make one person’s day better, I’ve had a successful day. When I see others laugh and smile, when I get compliments, when I see people do nice things for others, things like that make me happy. So I smile at others; I try to make people laugh. I laugh at everything. And I’m so big on complimenting people. If I see something that I like, a cute shirt, a great personality, a fabulous blinding highlight, I have to tell them. I think so many of us are nervous to talk to people we don’t know. So we just think compliments [about others] to ourselves, or whisper them to our friends. But, who doesn’t like compliments? Whenever I get a compliment my day is so much better; I feel so good about myself, I feel on top of the world. I hope other people feel that way when I compliment them. That, to me, is positivity.
HCE: What are some ways you think others could learn to be more positive?
EA: I’m a firm believer that there is a silver lining in *almost* every dark cloud. I try to find that and focus on that as much as I can. Too often, I think we can be consumed by any negativity in our lives. There can be so much good in your day, but when the slightest thing goes wrong, your day could be ruined. I try to not let my days be ruined. I’ve made a habit of listing all the great things that have happened to me each day. Being grateful for what you have and the beautiful, happy moments you have each day can do wonders for being positive and happy in your life.
HCE: Everyone has off days. We want to be happy always, but sometimes it’s not possible. What are some ways you cope with off days or get yourself back on track to a positive mindset?
EA: You have to face emotion head on. I don’t try to be happy all the time. I am able to feel happiness because I let myself feel sadness and anger and fear. Being sad is so taboo, and I think that’s a shame because I feel so good after a raw, hard sobbing. I love the rain. There’s something cleansing about it. The day after a rain is so fresh, the flowers are full and happy, the air smells so pure. Sometimes, you need to rain.
Once I get there, the put-on-sad-music-messy-scream-cry phase, I let it all out, and I take a deep breath and whisper “okay.” Then I look in the mirror and laugh at the hot mess looking back at me. After that, I watch things that make me laugh so hard I pee myself – Modern Family, Jenna Marbles videos, my favorite drag queens, memes. Then I surround myself with my friends, the people who can always make me laugh. Whoever said laughter is the best medicine was definitely onto something. Soon after that, I’m like “Sadness who? I don’t know her.”
HCE: I love that mindset. It is truly important to feel all emotions when necessary. With that, do you think living life as your authentic self helps make you a happier person?
EA: Oh, absolutely. You know what’s tiring? Trying to be someone you’re not. My mom has always instilled in me the importance of staying true to yourself. That hasn’t always been easy. I’m a people pleaser, and I once thought that whoever said “you can’t please everybody” just wasn’t trying hard enough. I was wrong; you can’t please everybody. And that’s all the more reason to be unapologetically you.
I have friends who love me for who I am, not who I pretend to be. I live life as an open book, and that leads to stronger, more meaningful connections with others, and that’s such an extreme validation: People liking you for you. And it’s so cliche, but there really only is one you. Be the best ‘you’ you can be, because no one else is going to. Don’t try to be someone else because you’re not going to be a better someone else than they are, and that makes you always second best, and in the words of the great Abby Lee Miller, “Second place is just the first loser.” So be a first place you; that’s the first step to self love and happiness.
HCE: And we believe college is the perfect time to truly begin to live your authentic life, no matter who that may be. Does anyone in particular inspire you? In what ways?
EA: Beyoncé. Everyone who knows me just rolled their eyes. But Beyoncé is without a doubt my biggest inspiration. I think it’s absolutely amazing the things she’s done with her life. I think her contributions to the Black Lives Matter movement are amazing. I think what she’s doing for feminism is amazing. Everything about her is so amazing. Even as one of the most famous and actually worshipped performers of all time, her humility is second to none. She has a genuine love for others and is not afraid to be herself. She’s everything I want to be and more.
HCE: And I’m sure plenty of our readers will agree with you on that. Thank you for taking the time to interview with us, Ean. You are an inspirational person and I hope others will learn to be more positive after reading this.
Here’s one more smiling pic for the fans…