the art of being furiously happy.

a MUST WATCH. so funny yet so inspiring.. i want to a have the positive and passionate mindset that she has.

don't be insecure if your heart is pure.

love this, LOVE her.. everyone watch.

and i'll find strength in pain.

“The keys to patience are acceptance and faith. Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you. Have faith in yourself and in the direction you have chosen.”

I know that I've talked about this before in a earlier post, but in my life patience can get really challenging at times.  When my mom is out of town, I end up having to take control of what's going on that day, which includes giving my dad his medicines, reminding him multiple times what he has planned, and making sure there's rides for everyone.  It can get very frustrating and it doesn't make it better when I show my frustration and get angry or have attitude.  I sometimes tend to put too much pressure on myself to be the best person I can at every moment and to not make any mistakes.  I need to remember that there's a difference between trying your hardest and being perfect.  Being perfect is impossible to grasp and so sometimes I need to give myself some credit for at least trying and I need to remind myself that it is okay to lose your patience and get angry sometimes.  Everyone is allowed to feel whatever they are feeling- there's no way to control it.  Of course one shouldn't act on their feelings every single time because that's not good, but allow yourself some leeway to get angry or get frustrated-- it's okay to not be perfect.  Those who love you will forgive you and understand.  In my life specifically, my dad may not truly understand why it is so frustrating sometimes because he doesn't know that I'm repeating what I said five minutes before.  As long as I change my attitude and apologize, though, he gets over it.  Of course I'm going to try to keep my patience, but that's all I can do.  As long as I take one moment at a time and go into it with refreshed patience, right there I'm doing my best.  That can apply to any obstacle in one's life.  Never expect yourself to be perfect and handle everything right every single time- you're bound to just get discouraged and angry at yourself.  Take one day, one second, at a time and you'll get through anything. 

“Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing:God alone suffices.”

what song are you listening to?

don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

With college coming up soon, I've been getting more and more excited and ready to go. I look at it as a new challenge and an opportunity to start over and truly be myself and meet more people like me who will introduce me to new experiences and will help me grow into a better person. Of course as it gets closer, I'll get nervous about leaving my family and friends and living apart from them, but I find it best to embrace the nerves and think of it as excitement and motivation. The whole unknown of the future leaves me inspired for what's to come.


So, for all of you who are going to college in the fall, like me, take this as a new chapter of our lives. Have the time of your life. Do one thing every day that scares you. Challenge yourself to be the absolute best person you can be. The day you get out of your comfort zone is the day you start living so go out there and show them all what you’re made of!

There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life.

just sometimes.

Just sometimes. I have the impulse to stand outside and just stare upwards, stare into space for a while until everything about me becomes a sea of calm.

Just sometimes. I like to walk, for no reason, in any direction. Slow walks heading to somewhere new, somewhere i can experience new sights, sounds and smells. A place where exploring isn’t something old.

Just sometimes. I sit down with a pen and paper and make my imagination come to life, scrawl down all the random thoughts i have and make a vast story of craziness, just because i can.

Just sometimes. I’ll sing in the middle of the night, sing songs of happiness with lyrics of joy.

I don’t do these things because I’m insane.

I do them because life isn’t about complaining about details, it’s about enjoying those details, life is for living.

So live it.

letters i'll never send. 

i will be rising from the ground.

Skies are crying
I am watching
Catching teardrops in my hands
Only silence as it's ending, like we never had a chance
Do you have to, make me feel like there is nothing left of me?

[Chorus]You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like i'm made of glass
Like i'm made of paperGo on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper!
Like a skyscraper!

As the smoke clears
I awaken, and untangle you from me
Would it make you, feel better to watch me while I bleed?
All my windows, still are broken
But I'm standing on my feet

[Chorus]
You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am

Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper!
Like a skyscraper!

[Bridge]
Go run, run, run
I'm gonna stay right here
Watch you disappear, yeah
Go run, run, runYeah it's a long way down
But I am closer to the clouds up here

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass
Like I'm made of paper, Oh
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground

Like a skyscraper!

I think that Demi Lovato is so inspirational and I love this new song of hers.  She has gone through so much, but she has handled it with true strength and has been able to own up to her mistakes and provide them to the public so that others who are going through the same struggles don't feel alone.  I think that everyone could learn from her and feel inspired and motivated to live a better, healthier, more fulfilled life.  

i am perfect just the way i am.

Myth 1) Weight gain or issues = BAD

If you are anything like me, you view excess weight (or perceived excess weight) as a problem. It’s bad, it’s disgusting and it’s an issue. We want to remove it, burn it, attack it and kick its ass. The problem is that this is a very negative and one-sided way of looking at weight and body image. Issues around weight are no more than your body getting your attention; an entryway into showing you something that you need, whether it be compassion, self love, a less stressed lifestyle or a better relationship with food. If you are looking at your current body weight as something that you need to fix or something that you despise, the weight isn’t the actual issue. It is your reaction to the issue that can lead you to healing and growth. Looking for the larger meaning to your weight issues can bring you deeper into yourself and offer you the most beautiful journey into healing, leading us to far more gifts than just getting rid of some fat cells.

Myth 2) Weight loss is as simple as calories in, calories out.

Weight loss, unlike many health professionals tell us, is about a lot more than just calories in, calories out. The human body, as we are finally starting to learn and apply to all forms of medicine and healing, is much more complex than just the physical parts: thoughts and other things that we can’t physically identify have a huge impact on our bodies. Negative thoughts can greatly affect our body’s ability to metabolize food and run efficiently. Self-judgments such as “I’m not good enough,” “Life is hard and cruel,” and “I’m all alone in this world,” negatively affect the body’s ability to function. Negative thoughts act as stressors and actually cause levels of cortisol and insulin (hormones released when stressed) to rise. Continuous raised levels of stress hormones cause the body to perform much less efficiently and at a lower performance level. SO, and here’s the real kicker, any weight loss strategy that is not fun, is depriving, or you have to push yourself to do, is ultimately causing you more stress!!! Yes, you might lose some weight because of a drastic diet change, but in the long run, it’s just putting more emotional stress on you.

Myth 3) Moving away from weight gain and issues is the goal.

Doing any weight loss process that is inherently negative, i.e. restricting, low pleasure diets (have you ever been excited to eat a rice cake??), excess exercise or negative reinforcement to lose the weight, is really just causing more stress to the body. It’s the energy that we do things on that matters the most, not what we do: moving AWAY from weight gain and feeling fat is a negative vibration, yet moving towards feeling healthier, freer, lighter and more vibrant is very positive. Do you see the difference? Moving away from your real or perceived excess weight also is really you saying, “the way I am right now is bad.” (see Myth #1). In other words, losing weight isn’t about running from the weight and losing the “enemy,” it is about loving your body and coming into who you are authentically; lightening up on an emotional level, not only on a physical level.

Myth 4) The main reason we want to lose weight is to fit better into our clothes.

While this is certainly one aspect of it, most people, including myself, think that if we lose weight, life will get better. We want more confidence, more beauty, more love, more fun; we want to feel lighter and freer, etc. Well, weight has nothing to do with those things. It seems like it does, but truly it doesn’t. Really what I think most of us are saying is that we want to be more involved in life; we want to live more fully. Somehow, we think that weight loss is a doorway into this. But I don’t think this is true! We can get to the state that we want to be in without losing the weight, and losing the weight is usually a lovely addition to being in that state. Or, when we are happier, we won’t feel the need to lose weight because it won’t be what we are focused on! Either way, it is a win-win situation.

Myth 5) We can love ourselves fully, once we lose the weight; then life will be great.

Going along with Myth 4, a common thought is that “if only I were a little slimmer, I would absolutely think I was beautiful and worthy of having a full life.” But until we get into the present moment, and really sink into it and accept it, how are we going to get into future moments? If we can’t truly accept and appreciate what we have now, we are always going to strive for “better.” How many people do you know who are, in your eyes, slim and beautiful, and actually prize their bodies and themselves? I don’t know many people like that- and I think it’s because there is always something better, something more and something more beautiful that we can strive to achieve. All of this really means that we are throwing away the present and the life in each moment. We aren’t letting ourselves truly live because we think there is something wrong with us. Well, I challenge myself and you to start loving and accepting what we have NOW. We are beautiful, worthy, deserving whole creatures RIGHT NOW. I might not have the body I want or be at the weight I would like to be, but that is OK, because I am a lovable being. I have compassion and love for myself in this moment. I am perfect just the way I am.

a spiritual approach to weight loss. 

dare to dream.

Let nothing hold you back from

exploring your wildest fantasies,

wishes, and aspirations.

Don't be afraid to dream big

and to follow your dreams

wherever they may lead you.

Open your eyes to their beauty;

open your mind to their magic;

open your heart to their possibilities.

Dare to dream.

Whether they are in color 

or in black and white,

whether they are big or small,

easily attainable or almost impossible,

look to your dreams,

and make them become reality.

Wishes and hopes are nothing

until you take the first step

towards making them something!

Dare to dream,

Because only by dreaming,

will you ever discover

who you are, what you want,

and what you can do.

Don't be afraid to take risks,

to become involved,

to make commitment.

Do whatever it takes to make

your dreams come true.

Always believe in miracles,

and always believe in you!

positive thoughts. 

how to craft an exceptional life.

1. Exercise daily.
2. Get serious about gratitude.
3. See your work as a craft.
4. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
5. Keep a journal.
6. Plan a schedule for your week.
7. Know the 5 highest priorities of your life.
8. Say no to distractions.
9. Drink a lot of water.
10. Improve your work every single day.
11. Get a mentor.
12. Hire a coach.
13. Get up at 5 am each day.
14. Eat less food.
15. Find more heroes.
16. Be a hero to someone.
17. Smile at strangers.
18. Be the most ethical person you know.
19. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
20. Savor life’s simplest pleasures.
21. Save 10% of your income each month.
22. Spend time at art galleries.
23. Walk in the woods.
24. Write thank you letters to those who’ve helped you.
25. Forgive those who’ve wronged you.
26. Remember that leadership is about influence and impact, not title and accolades.
27. Create unforgettable moments with those you love.
28. Have 5 great friends.
29. Become stunningly polite.
30. Unplug your TV.
31. Read daily.
32. Avoid the news.
33. Be content with what you have.
34. Pursue your dreams.
35. Be authentic.
36. Be passionate.
37. Say sorry when you know you should.
38. Never miss a moment to celebrate another.
39. Have a vision for your life.
40. Know your strengths.
41. Focus your mind on the good versus the lack.
42. Be patient.
43. Don’t give up.
44. Clean up your messes.
45. Use impeccable words.
46. Travel more.
47. Honor your parents.
48. Tip taxi drivers well.
49. Be a great teammate.
50. Give no energy to critics.
51. Spent time in the mountains.
52. Know your top 5 values.
53. Shift from being busy to achieving results.
54. Innovate and iterate.
55. Speak less. Listen more.
56. Be the best person you know.
57. Make your life matter.  

positive thoughts.

do you ever?

Do you ever feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t have another? The one who’s the “ugly friend”, “fat friend”, “side-kick”, or just there to fill space? No one really wants to talk to you, you know it. Some people are polite and make small talk, but the attention is always on someone else, usually your friend who brought you along with the best intentions, that you would have some fun, meet new people, get out and live, but what really happens is that you smile through it then go home and cry your heart out because of all the comparing and wishing and just unhappiness.

You’ll never be thought of the pretty one. You’ll never be the one that will find happiness with someone else, because no one else will be there. It’s just done and through. You have to face it, it’s just not going to happen. You’ll never be the pretty one, skinny one, cute one, hot one, anyone.

It’s really difficult, because I think that everyone out there is someone. No matter what. Whether you’re the deep one, funny one, smart one, kick-ass one, tough one, caring one, just someone. I need everyone to know that they’re worth more than they will ever know. That they don’t need to change themselves for someone else or society or anything because who they are makes them beautiful and unique.

I want everyone to know that. I hope that whoever takes the time to reads this will tell someone else that they care about them and are worth so much, because that’s sometimes all it takes. Just a few words can save a life. Even if you say it to yourself to save yourself from the darkest things, it’s true. I believe it, so can you.

letters i'll never send. 

lyrics to live by.

lyrics 2 live by.

don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. you don't have to live forever, you just have to live.

bota kebato, okayyy?

One of my best friends, Marykate, is leaving for summer school on Monday for basically the rest of the summer. I'm going to miss her so much, but I know that she'll have the best time ever and do amazing there. I'm so lucky and happy to have her as one of my friends. She's always there for me and I can always have the greatest time with her even if we're just watching tv at her house. She knows how to make me feel better and she always thinks of everyone else before herself. I know that I'll be friends with her forever even through ups and downs and through the distance of going to different colleges. 

I love you, Marykate!