Get real. Right here, right now.

‎"Life comes with no guarantees, no timeouts, no second chances, you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you, tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be kind and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to fall in love, don’t be afraid to fall and most of all, live in the moment, every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back."

We need to live in the moment, be present, be here. We spend a lot of time worrying about tomorrow or the things we said today or yesterday and how we wish we could change the past. But the thing is, we can’t. We can’t change the things that have happened and for the most part, we can’t control the things that happen to us. What we can control? Is how we react and act in this moment, right here, right now. We need to make the active decision to make the best out of everything. To find the best in everything that life throws at us. We control our actions, our thoughts. We have the power to make things good, even when things aren't going our way.

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person on how they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights."

We all look forward to big occasions, big moments, accomplishing big goals…but what it comes down to at the end of it all, are the little moments. The ones that build up the big ones. So stop focusing so much on finishing and actually realize what you are going through. The journey, what you're doing, moving forward, moving backwards, every bit of it. Enjoy what you are going through. Don't make it bad, don't make it anything. Just realize where you are and appreciate the fact that you've come this far. Feel happiness, feel pain. Stop and smell the flowers, stop rushing and take your time to understand where you are and really see and feel things. People these days are so afraid to feel, show emotion, be caring and kind. It's like anger and unhappiness are powerful, but they aren't. They hold you down, hold you back. You will never grow if you continue to carry around your baggage everywhere you go. People will see it on you, feel it. So let it go, be real, be appreciative, be emotional. Feel this moment right now, right here. Maybe you fail a few times before you succeed, that makes it all so much more worthwhile.

So be present to right here, right now, these words. They are the truth and I want you to realize this is real. Your life, your love, your failures and accomplishments, they make up the big picture. It isn’t always about the big things that matter, it’s the little steps, little leaps and little falls we take along the way. They are so important to remember. The little things are the most important. The small memories are always my favorite. The smallest of gestures tend to be the ones I remember the most. 


So feel alive, feel the moment, it’s here and it’s leaving quickly. So be real to your people, be true to yourself and always, always, always, listen before you speak. Get in your life and realize it's happening. Don't rush it, don't weigh it down. Just realize you're living it and it's beautiful.

Success.

"Success often comes to those who dare to act. It seldom goes to the timid, who are ever afraid of the consequences."

Do not fear failure. Do not fear falling down. Do not fear success. And do not fear getting back up again.

For life has it's up and downs, and we all go through them. Some days are good, while others aren't. We have daily struggles that slow us down, and make it harder to finish the day. But we do, we finish, and most of the time we finish with a smile on our face and love in our hearts. So do not fear failure, do not be afraid of falling down, of messing up, making a mistake. For this is where we learn, we grow, we understand life through the eyes of experience. We need these experience to grow, to relate, to understand, to really accept success with compassion and happiness. 

So do not be afrad to succeed, to do well at something. When someone says you can't? Show them you can. If you're telling yourself you can't, that's all you're ever going to do. We are generally our own worst critic. Stop this act, stop putting yourself down and start bringing yourself up. We need to start being our own biggest fan. To start the day of right, loving ourself, filled with hope and ready soar. For most of the time, we might fall, but that experience is worth the risk. For when we succeed, hit a goal, experience something we truly want, we win. 

So choose to succeed, to go after what you want. You deserve it. Don't be afraid what others might think or say, for they forever will be saying things. Don't be afraid to shine, in fear others might not like it. Do not worry about others, for their time to shine is coming near.

We all shine, in our own ways, all at different times. It's life. We each deserve happiness and love and success. For we cannot reach success, understand success, appreciate success, without failure.

So what?

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

Most of our days are spent wasted, dreaming, hoping, wishing...never actually doing. We spend most of our days regretting not putting ourselves out there, trying something new, pushing ourselves, and for what? What are we losing by not simply 'going for it'? Everything. And what can we gain by just simply 'going for it'? Everything.

So the answer is simple. Stop living life in fear, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of not being acceptable, applauded, appreciated. What you did was bigger and better than what half the people are doing today, you actually did something, you actually got out there. So you fell down, so you didn't win, or you didn't come 1st, or 2nd, or 3rd, you came last...who cares? So you fail once, doesn't mean you're going to fail every time. It's through our triumphs and our failures that we learn the most about ourselves. It takes a big man to win, but it also takes a big man to lose.

"If you are not big enough to lose...you are too small to win."

So what if you fail? What if you don't win? What if you fall flat on your face? So what? Does it define you? Absolutely not. 


This is a lesson, a test of who you are and what you are capable of. The fact that you stepped foot into something different, something challenging, something new, something you wanted to go for..is an accomplishment in itself. What you did is great and powerful. You should be proud, holding your head up high. 


Life is about learning. It is about winning and about failing. It's about understanding and experiences.

So what? What do you really have to lose?

Absolutely nothing. 

Happiness.

"Ask most people what they want out of life and the answer is simple – to be happy. Maybe it’s this expectation, though, the wanting to be happy that just keeps us from ever getting there. Maybe the more we try and will ourselves to states of bliss, the more confused we get to the point where we don’t recognize ourselves. Instead, we just keep smiling trying like hell to be the happy people we wish we were until, eventually, it hits us. It’s been there all along. Not in our dreams or hopes, but in the known, the comfortable, the familiar."

Sometimes our goals are to be successful, to pass a test, to run a marathon, to do something big and huge and different. We want to change our lives, advance them, evolve in this ever changing world. But sometimes, the simplest of things and the most difficult, is to choose the goal to be happy. To advance into our situation with ease and positivity. To walk into a room, with your head held high and a smile beaming from ear to ear.

Sometimes, happiness can change everything. We don't realize the impact our happiness and our lives has on others. A negative comment, a negative action, can in turn put someone else down. This world isn't full of a million YOU's or a million ME's, this world is filled with a million, billion, different people. And our actions don't just affect us, they affect everyone.

Be aware of your actions and the power you have over others. The way you think, feel, love...doesn't just affect you. Take responsibility for your actions and choose to take the high road.

Choose to be positive, to love deeply and forgive quickly. Life is far too short to wait for things to happen. To wait for the right moment, right person...stop waiting. Stop searching. Things are right here, right in front of you. Happiness is a decision, it's an easy one to make.

So take a moment, let your negative thoughts flow, mumble to yourself - then let everything go. Be strong, be positive. You got this. 

This is your life, your world. Paint it with happiness and people and things that you love. People and things and hobbies that make you happy. If you are doing things you love, the things that make you happy and laugh. To surround yourself with people who do nothing more than fill your heart with warm and fuzzies, YOU HAVE WON the battle. That is the main goal of life, to be happy with everything you have.

Not happy? Things aren't enough? Stop complaining and change something. This world is yours and the power you posses is endless. Surround yourself with all the things you please. The people who matter, won't mind, and the people who mind, don't matter. So stop listening to the negative people, to the negative voice inside your head. Surround yourself with love. And happiness is soon to follow.

Those cards you've been dealt, they are enough.

55 Flavors...and then some.

"Happy girls are the prettiest girls."

I want to know whoever told you can't.

I want to know who it was that sat you down and told you you weren't good enough, or smart enough, or strong enough. I want to know where all these stories came from..all the bad thoughts that flood our minds, and our confidence, and create a blurry and fuzzy and horrible misconception of who and what we are.

I want to know where all those bad feelings started from, and I want you to know the truth. That you are perfect, just as you are. Most of our days, it feels like we are fighting to survive. Not just fighting against our lives, our relationships, our families, our work and sometimes even strangers...a lot of the time were fighting with ourselves.

The way we feel about ourselves isn't because of what other people think, it's because of what we think. And I want to know when you started thinking this way. That you can't, you won't, and you never, ever will make it. That you don't deserve happiness.

Because you do.

So when did this start? When did you let all the little thoughts, stories and beliefs take control of your presence and ultimately control your future. You let them control your life, your decisions, your relationships - But no longer.

Whoever told you you aren't good enough, is full of crap. Half the time, other people put us down in order to rise themselves up. We all have bad days, fat days, sad days. Days that are ultimately harder than the one before, to make it from beginning to end. This is life. It is tough, but it is beautiful. And so are you.

We are all different, built not identically, but completely different. One moment I just realized: every body is built their own way, has their own strengths, own flaws, own beauty. We are meant to be different.

Just because you aren't tall and thin, doesn't mean you're not perfect.

Just because she is beautiful, doesn't make you not beautiful.

Maybe you're curvy, shorter than others, or more muscular, or more thin...don't make it bad, make it good. We are meant to be different. The world works this way. We are all attracted to different things and different people. We all have our own tastes. If we didn't, we all would want the same things, go for the same people and the world would have no originality. We need our differences to keep the world fresh, full of flavor, ever changing, constant, and independent.

So those stories, those bad thoughts, stop believing in them. Stop letting them tell you how you should feel. Don't make it bad, make it good. You have that power to shut it out. To let go of the baggage you've been holding onto. To realize exactly as you are, is perfect. There is no 'ideal' beauty, no matter what society, or pop culture or magazines will say. You are fabulous and perfect and flawed. It is those flaws that make us original.

And we shouldn't want it any other way.

Your Plans.

****

You need to always have faith. We spend our days and our lives planning. Planning for the next best thing, the next big event, where we will want to go next week and what we want to do in the next 10 years. We plan out our lives and we hope everything works smoothly like clock work.

Unfortunately, half the time, things don't go according to our plans. Our ideas sometimes don't work out, we don't reach our goals, we don't go where we wanted to go. Sometimes people turn our differently then how we thought they 'should' be. Things are exactly as they are meant to be. Just because we had this perfect idea for our lives, doesn't mean the way things work out, isn't perfect. Just because your relationship ended, or your job isn't right, or your life isn't going according to plan, that isn't ample enough of an excuse to give up. You keep trying, you keep pushing, you have faith that things are going to work out, exactly as they should.

Because they always, always, always do.

Your life may be falling apart, you may have bit off way more than you can chew, but sit tight, things will be ok. You might have this big intention and big expectations for your life. Maybe things don't work out like how you'd like them to. So what? Who say's what's in store for you won't be a million times better, more fulfilling, and rewarding.

So maybe you've been defeated, do you give up? Absolutely not. We meet people for the right reason, and we lose some for the wrong. We go places we shouldn't go, and sometimes we are held in place, no longer moving forward in life. This is life, it happens. Keep planning, keep dreaming, keep pushing. Just because something might not have worked out once, or twice, or three times...Do you give up? Never.

Life happens, it unfolds exactly as it should. So have faith, things ARE working out, they will work out and if at the end of the day, you aren't smiling, change something. Know that in the end, you will be smiling, filled with faith and your life will be utterly compete and beautiful.

"Everything works out in the end. 

If it doesn't feel right, it isn't the end."
*****

I'm ready to fight for my life, for the good, for the beautiful, because good things happen, and they will always keep happening, whether I'm ready or not. That is the beauty of it all, I might need a break, a time out, a little rest and relaxation, and life will still be stirring behind me, in front of me, everywhere. Life is always happening, and we need to do what WE want to do. So puzzle me this - what do you want out of your life? What are you dreaming about? Hoping for? What makes you get out of bed in the morning....

I bet it's something powerful, beautiful and breathtaking. I hope it fills your days with endless happiness. Keep fighting, keep pushing, you are so close.

Exactly as it is meant to.

"We wait. And as we wait, time passes us. Quicker than the moment before. We waste our days waiting. Waiting for others, waiting for more. This is it, everything you could ever have is right in front of you. You can't wait for someone else to be ready to start a life, to move forward, to accomplish a dream. This is your world, your dreams, your life. Define it how you like"

I came to this realization today, while sitting in bed after an exhausting morning and afternoon. Life happens. It's as simple as that. That we can run around our days, weeks, months, planning, planning, planning, and half the time, our lives don't work out according to plans.

We hope, we wish, we plan, we push, and yet... life unfolds exactly as it is meant to. Half the time we spend our days wasted away worrying about the future, or thinking too much about the past and not actually being present to exactly where we are. This is it, this is life. And I realized, that sometimes we get too caught up in the little things, the passing moments, all the plans and things we want to achieve, that we don't spend our time actually IN the moment. And that's ok. Because those moments that were running around like a chicken with our heads cut off, so busy and busting around, these are our moments, this is our life. Every moment we are building up to, is for right here and right now. 

And how you feel, is exactly how you are supposed to feel.

Sometimes we get cranky, we get angry, we get tired. Sometimes we get exhausted and overworked and burnt it. It happens, so what? We get some rest, we take some time, for ourselves, to reconnect to who we are, what we what and what we need. From there, we hop right back into the busy mess that is our lives.

Our lives are made up of all the little moments. We think big events, or big moments, or big goals being accomplished are what life is about - no, no. Our lives are about the moments in between. The imperfections, the frustrations, the over coming of obstacles and picking yourself up from when you fall down, or come off course. It's all the big moments, and everything in between.

That is life. And it is perfect, and fabulous in all the right ways. The imperfections and busy-ness and noise, it's all there to complete your life, to help make it powerful and full of life.

That's the secret: to be happy in everything you do. Because happiness isn't a destination, it's a life long journey, and for some, it's a life long challenge, something they have to work at. And I hope you work at it, because you deserve to be happy, and fulfilled and excited about every day.

"I'm excited about my life. For my relationships, my accomplishments, my failures. I'm excited to learn and grow and be me. But I'm not going to worry about how everything will turn out, or let my past define my future. This is my life, exactly as it is meant to be. And I won't waste any of it by getting stuck in the past, or moving too fast into my future."

So just be still, and embrace. This is your day, your moment, your life. And maybe you're too busy to realize it right now, running around trying to get everything done, to please everyone, to check everything off your list, and that's ok. Just as long as you realize it. Your life is exactly as it is meant to be, on a fast pace, moving forward, perfectly in motion...

This life is yours, define it exactly as you would like to. It is perfect, with all it's imperfections and troubles, and triumphs and happiness and fears. Just perfect.

You are just perfect.  Your life, is just perfect, exactly as it is.

Life will always keep moving, so make sure you keep up. And always make sure, your life is happy. That you are happy. And if you find that you are not, take a step back from your busy, little life and realize you are big. You are powerful. Change what doesn't work for you. And keep on trucking. Don't worry about the future, or fret about the past because everything will and does workout, for the best. Trust this. It's ok to get caught up in your life, in the big moments and the excitement and worries about the future, because this is your life. Unfolding exactly as it should be.

This is the road you were supposed to take.

If you can believe in anything in this life...

"Trust and believe in yourself. You are the highest authority on you. You know yourself best. You know what you need, want, and value. Don't let anyone else make the decisions for you. Healthy boundaries make it possible for you to respect your strengths, abilities and individuality."

I think if you can believe in anything in this life, you should believe in yourself. Life can get tough, people can, and I assure you, will let you down, things will fall completely off track and you'll end up wondering what in the world your fighting for? Life. That's what your fighting for, that's what is worth it, what is great and what is worth the risk, the pain, the hurt. If we've hit rock bottom, the only thing that will help you make your way back onto your feet, is yourself. 

You need to believe you will be ok, that things will, rest assured, get better. We learn from our experiences, realize from our heartache, and it is within our most struggling of times, that we are the most powerful.

We give power to our words, we give power to our thoughts. If you constantly are telling yourself you won't make it, you aren't good enough, that you aren't ever going to be great, well then you've failed right away. You are at the bottom of the food chain with no hope of moving up. But guess what? You and your negative thoughts are ridiculous. Congesting your head and your heart with thoughts that you aren't good enough and will never be enough, those are the only thoughts you'll hear, they are the only thoughts you'll believe. Don't you ever realize that, that the bad things are always easier to believe. We are constantly scared, the next thing, the next moment, experience, is going to be a bad one. That bad things do, and always will happen.

Wrong. Yes, bad things happen, but good things happen too. For the most part, the good comes with the bad, it's the way life works. We would never be happy or accept success, if we truly didn't understand how much it hurts to be heartbroken, or fail at anything. We learn from our experiences. We need the bad, we need the good. We make up our lives and our decisions, our thoughts, our beliefs.

If you could choose one thought, right now, to start your day off, make that thought a good one, a positive one. Fill your head with the belief that you are enough, that you are great, because you are. Don't just sit there thinking your life won't ever get any better, you need to make it better. Don't be a negative, pessimistic schlum, decide and commit to being better. Better than you were yesterday, better than your negative thoughts, and better than the bad baggage you carry around with you day after day.

Because you are better.

So if you choose to believe in anything this life, choose to believe in yourself. Go after life, make your life better. There are people who sit back and watch their lives fly by and wonder why nothing grows, moves forward, gets better. And then there are those people who aspire for more, who push, push, push and never take "no" or "you aren't good enough" or "things will never get better" as an excuse. 


So stop making excuses for your life, for why things aren't going your way. If life is continuously dealing you the wrong cards, it's about time you re-shuffle. Things are never going to change or get better, if you aren't willing to change them and fight for them. So change the way you think about yourself and your life. Change the negative thoughts into good ones, kick the baggage you carry around to the curb and start fresh, a clean slate.


Start the day off, believing in yourself and knowing everything you are capable of.


If things aren't going your way, change them. You have the power to put your dreams, your actions and yours beliefs into motion. So believe in yourself, believe in your life. Push yourself and get out there and never back down, never say no. Stop settling for something mediocre and accepting that bad will always happen. Change that. If things aren't working, promise me you'll change them. If you aren't happy, you have to make a move to better your life. Things won't start getting better, until you actively decide that they need to get better. That there is no other way to be but better, happier, knowing you are capable. 


This life is yours, believe in the power of YOU.

"People will always say you're going the wrong way, when it's simply just a way of your own."

*********

Yes, you can.

"The most common way people give up their power, is by thinking they don't have any."

Never give up your power. Never second guess yourself. You know who you are best, and if you're still working on figuring out who you are, that's ok too. We're all a work in progress. So don't ever give up or give in just because someone says you can't, that you aren't good enough. Other people do not define you. Some people will put you down, stomp on you and make you cry, only to make themselves feel better. We are all wrestling with a demon in our lives, we all have struggles and strife. Life is hard. Some people choose to take life out on others.


Please don't.

For we are strong and caring and fulfilling people. Humans have a heart, we care for one another, we are nurturing. Instead of people bringing each other down, why not raise each other up? Do not tell me I can't, because I'm just going to show you I can. 


So help me, help you. 


This partnership we need to learn, this helpful way is essential for success. We can't make it on our own, we can get sure damn far, but the road is awfully lonely all by ourselves. So help others, let others help you. If someone is frustrated and discouraged by all the things they feel they can't do, show them the things they can. And never, ever believe someone who is putting you down. This is in direct happiness for them to feel better. This is their strength - put others down, so they can rise up. Poke fun, point, who cares? They don't define you. Who would want this as their strength and their means for happiness?


So please remember, you have ever possibility at your fingers tips, spread the strength, spread your power. You are possible, and yes, YOU CAN.

"They are going to tell you, you aren't good enough, smart enough. They are going to tell you you're not the right height, the right weight, the right look. They are going to tell you you're not the right size to play this sport, or strong enough to do this or that. They are going to tell you, you aren't smart enough to succeed or just that you're not good enough. They are going to tell you a million times no, and you are going to tell them YES. It's the strength of belief you have in yourself, because YOU CAN. Yes, always remember that."

Your most powerful moment.

"Stop whining and complaining. Stop wishing and wanting and worrying about all the things you don't have. Your life won't get any better until you make the active decision to make it better. You have the power to surround yourself with people and things that make you feel fulfilled. If these things don't add to your life? Remove them. This is the best thing, you are in control of your own life. Who knew? And with the power of that, anything is possible."

You know those days you have - in the middle of the week, at the end of the month, they seem to hit you like a hurricane. Everything is going fine and dandy until, WHAM, it hits you, a bad day, a bad week, a bad hour, a bad month. They happen. 

Everyone you seem to encounter upsets you, the littlest of comments come across the wrong way, and you just want to cry. The sky looks grey, things aren't looking up, you just want to curl up and hide away. Everywhere you seem to look, there is devastation. We have bad days, so what? They happen. They suck, we live. We have days when we don't even want to get out of bed, because what's the point? We wonder what if? What could have been? Why, why, why?

This is completely normal. Every now and then,we feel a little sorry for ourselves. Our worlds seem to fall into shambles and we want to give up. Everything was going so great and now you seem to find yourself on the floor in your room, staring up at the ceiling, not knowing what to do next.

In this moment, this moment of absolute depression, surrender, conquer...when all seems lost and nothing will start to look up -  this is your moment. Your most powerful of moment. Here you get to choose, what will happen next. What will you do next. How are you going to react...

Is the answer going to be drama, drama, drama. Pain and tears, sweat and blood? Are you going to fight your way through the rest of your day, your week, your month, your life? Sure. Maybe you will, but is that really the easy way out? Maybe for some, but for other's, that would never be enough. So give up on easy, on mediocre, on not caring, because you do. The truth is, we seek change, we need it. We might hate it at times, but things will never get better or progress without change. 

In this moment of fear and sadness, this is your moment for change. The moment you are the most powerful because YOU get to decide how things are going to play out. So are you going to pick yourself up from off the ground, dust yourself off, acknowledge the bad and come to terms with the things and people that upset you, and move on. Bad things will happen. Will you gather your pieces back together and make your heart strong, and chose to push through your day, your week, your month, your year with force. The force of determination for change, for the good, to never give up. 

We accept fear, we accept sadness, and we accept falling to pieces and giving up every now and then. What you do next, that is up to you. You have the power, the force to make a change, make a difference, and I know that you will.

For falling to pieces, laying on the ground not knowing what to do next, these moments tend to be the most clear for us. With nowhere to go, no one to talk to, here we realize what we have to do, want to do, and will do. These moments of fear and helplessness are our moments of power. It's from this angle, of complete emptiness, with our soul in shambles, that we truely see, life from a different angle.

What would you do to change your life? What is holding you back? What is bringing you down, time and time again? Who is bringing your down, time and time again? What you don't need in your life, get rid of. What brings happiness and joy, always keep around. For good things will come and bad things will go. This is life. It's how we react to it, that really matters.

So will you pick the drama? The poor you and the helpless nature of what's next: absolutely nothing? Hell no. There is no giving up, there is only pushing forward, knowing your power, because you are powerful. 


It's about accepting that these helpless, sad moments, they happen. You will want to give up. The realization: you have the world in your hands, and in that moment of absolutely helplessness, when your life is in complete shambles, laying on your bedroom floor, know that this moment is yours, where you are the most powerful. 

Choose wisely.

Forgiveness

As humans, we go through a wide variety of emotions. anger, happiness, fear, anticipation, grief, hopeful, helpless and the list can go on forever. The funny thing is, we can swing from one end of the spectrum to the next, shocking everyone who meets our path. So what? They are emotions, they are feelings. Let it happen, let yourself feel what you need to feel. Take it all in, and let it all go.

Everything worth saying has its own particular way, its own inevitable way, of being said. -Robert Frost

We need to experience things in order to fully understand them, and the same goes for forgiveness. Sometimes, forgiveness doesn't happen quickly, it takes time. In truth, life is harsh. It can be difficult and heartfelt and hard. We can be hurt, broken, left, let down and the list here goes on and on for all the bad things that can, and do happen. So what? They happen. Sometimes, we let ourselves be a push over. Bad things happen and we figure we might as well just forgive or forget, that's all we need to move forward. But it's not. We need to feel what we need to feel. We have to realize things and go on a roller coaster of emotions before we fully grasps the reality of what is going on and why.

When the power of love, overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

- Jimi Hendrix

Forgiveness, it's definitely not as easy as it might seems, and sometimes, it's all we need. Whether it's a parent, a loved one, a best friend. They've let us down, hurt us and we are so mad and angry, we can't breathe. So go ahead, be mad, be angry, but don't forgive too quickly, don't bite the bullet. Feel what you need to feel, forgiveness comes naturally. Feel the pain, the anger, the fear and the tears...let it develop into understanding, experience and forgiveness. It will come, it will change.  If you want to move forward forgiveness will happen, and sometime's it's the only thing we need to feel whole again, what we need to move forward. Forgiveness is sometime's all we need.

Throw it out.

"But there is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for."

In the last month I've seem to have gone through a roller coaster of emotions and experiences. I've gone through a self loathing and self loving battle. I've had to witness death and birth, all within my family and with those I love. I've had to say hello to my new baby niece, and goodbye to my best friend and golden retriever of over 13 years. With every hello there comes a goodbye. The bittersweet circle of life. 

I try to make an active effort at looking forward. Not keeping my head stuck in the past, or too busy flustered with what the future will bring. It's what we all must do, make the best out of what we've got. Go head first into every challenge and accept that things will get better. Because they must get better. We can sit, and hope and pray and wish...but what's going to make our days get better? Is if we go out there and make our days better.

And with each loss comes the realization of the great simplicity of life. Surround yourself with people and things that make you happy and feel good.  It's honestly as simple as that. If there are things in your life that are holding you down, holding you back and bluntly, making you feel shitty, why in the world are you keeping them around? Why are you letting these people, these places, these feelings, control who you are going to be and how you are going to feel about yourself.

“Whatever career you may choose for yourself : doctor, lawyer, teacher, let me propose an avocation to be pursued along with it. Become a dedicated fighter for civil rights. Make it a central part of your life. It will make you a better doctor, a better lawyer, a better teacher. It will enrich your spirit as nothing else possibly can. It will give you that rare sense of nobility that can only spring from love and selflessly helping your fellow man. Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in.” - MLK

So stop, stop right there and let go of the junk. Let go of the baggage of your ex boyfriend.  Get over the fact that you lost your job. Get rid of the idea that everyone is better than you and that you will never ever be enough. Forget the thought that you are too fat, or too thin, or too ugly or even too pretty to ever be more. This is rubbish, pure and slick rubbish. The bad stuff, it's always easier to hear, easier to say, easier to believe. So get rid of it. We all carry around this baggage, from place to place, relationship to relationship, moment to moment and they are doing nothing but clouding our vision for our absolute potential. Tell the lies and the stories and all that excess baggage you've been carrying around for all these years, that your done with them getting in the way with you living your life...

 YOUR amazing, spontaneous, successful, happy and filled with love and adventure LIFE.

Get out there and live it. From here on out, your days will seem lighter.

Go get it.

"I want to leave a trace. Some mark upon this world. Proof — visceral or intangible — that what I did here mattered. That somewhere in this grand scheme of things, I did not waste my time on this earth, that everything that was given to me was used, that every talent that I had I employed, that every last shred of my effort and my heart came to bear somewhere in something or someone. Many someones. Countless someones."

I know I've posted this quote before, but I read it tonight and it just lit a fire inside of me.

http://www.crossfitlisbeth.com/

This woman is absolutely inspiring and phenomenal. If you don't already read her blog...you should start! It has had the habit of turning the moment around and turning my frown from upside down. Honestly!

I feel alive right now. In every part of my body, every bone. I am very aware of everything. I can feel my heart racing, my mind constantly thinking. I feel the minor aches and pains, and then the also not so minor. I feel. Isn't that just great?

Most of the time we walk around numb, unaware of the people, the moments, the things happening all around us. We get through our day just by going to the next thing, the next, the next, until finally you can go back to sleep, only to wake up the next day and do the same boring, unaware routine again. And for what? You aren't being challenged, you aren't learning, you aren't growing. I've come to realize you need to cry, you need to be hurt, alone, challenged. From this place, this absolute bottomless pit, do you realize all of the amazing things that surround you. If things are always peachy keen - how do we realize how fortunate our lives are? It's in the hardest of times, the most emotional wrecks, that we truely find our strengths. The things that we've been hiding for so long...they will come out. They will save you.

So wake up, wake up, wake up! Feel alive. You need to find what you love, what makes you smile, what turns you on and just do it! Get up, get out of bed, out of your routine and just be - you! Free to do what you want and be aware. We have this habit, of falling into habit - whether it's good or bad. We do a lot of things because it's 'easy' and we fall into our habits merely because the more we do them, the easier they become, the more we get used to it and we as humans, hate change. We like knowing what's going to happen next. We hate surprise. Newsflash: we need change. It is constant, it is happening, always. Don't fall into habit, fall into purposeful thinking and being. Be alive and aware for what you want and go after it.

I've come to discuss with a friend how there are two types of people in this world: The aware, and the one's who are not. We have people who walk around, unaware of other people, what they might feel, think, want. We are unattached and emotionally detached from them. It does not affect us? So why should we care, get involved, be polite...notice things.....Then there are those who are aware. Aware of others, of their feelings, of their own. The ones who are alive to everyone and everything. We want, we feel, we go after it. I hope you chose to be aware. For this world is an oftly large place to think you are the only one who matters. That mentality will only get you so far...

I woke up today feeling with purpose. That I'm going to be purposeful and aware and here today. I'm checking in. I've arrived, and this is my life. I'm going to be exciting and powerful. I will be successful and my life will be filled with endless amounts of love and happiness. I'm going to be challenged constantly, and challenge others. I know there will be up's and down's and as much as I won't realize the lessons at the time, I'm going to try and see them. I will make the best with what I'm given. I woke up today realizing I need to be aware of myself and others, that what I do matters, that the way I treat others matter. I matter. You matter. This is the truth. We need to decide to be a change for ourselves, to constantly inspire ourselves and others, always pushing forward. If we are always open to growing and learning, we can never go wrong.

Conslusion: I want to feel like what I do will matter, and it will. I want to live purposefully and find joy around every corner, and I will. I'm going to stop living from habit and more with purpose, for what I want. I'm going to go after, what I want, and - I'm going to get it!

Listen to your heart.

"Call off the search. Just for one day. Take the day off from all yearning, striving, struggling and seeking of any kind. Call in the bloodhounds and make peace with your life just the way it is and just the way it is not. Whatever you do today, do it for the simple pleasure of the doing, without any trying to get anything or get anywhere. Slow Down. Breathe. Relax. Let Go." - Unknown

*************

Listen, be still. 

Hush my friend and listen for it. 

That little voice that is going a  million times a minute. 

Focus in on what is actually being said. The stories that you are making up, the memories, the moments, the experiences you keep reliving. The 'should have's', the 'would have's', the 'only if's'. Our minds, they think logically, they help us figure things out, understand. But they are constantly thinking, constantly going, not helping us know what we need to focus on. Our minds sometimes are moving so fast, with so much, they don't help us with the real world: relationships, emotions, life. Our minds will make us flip to a million different channels and make us wrestle with our emotions. And for what? Stop the stories, the words, the re-living and the wishing. Stop your constant mental chatter, just for a moment and listen. 

That soft, sounding voice. The one that encourages you, knows what's best for YOU and wants YOU to get exactly what YOU want. That voice of love and support. That my friend, is your heart. Listen close...

"I would rather have eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; lips that cannot speak, than a heart that cannot love." - Robert Tizon


Stop listening to your heard, what we’ve been taught to do for so long. Instinct, advice, experience, all that mental chatter – where has it brought you? How has it complicated things and created a disaster of thoughts? We need to realize how much our heads actually get in the way and complicate things more than necessary.

We are in control, we are capable. We can stop all the voices, the lies, the stories. All the mumble jumble that swirls in our heads. We go into our days with distraught, fear, anger, pain. We tend to look at the world through our head and the experiences we’ve had and see the world through fear.

We think worst case scenario. We want to know what's going on and what's going to happen. We want to know, know, know. We think: What’s wrong here? We walk into a room thinking: "there is something wrong" and and we start looking for problems, problems that aren't even there. Who actually wants to start their day like that?

We see our world through a lens of fear and anger. We think if we think ‘worst case scenario’, we won’t be surprised. This way, we expected it,  we set ourselves up for disaster, and there it came! We knew that bad things always happen, and so they do.

"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing."


- Marc Chagall

Wrong – we set these intentions, these thoughts, we give them power. We need to stop looking at the world through our heads, through our fears and experiences. The anger of some of our memories always tend to be over bearing compared to the rest. Let them be, let them be angry and foolish and quick to judge…and then let them go. This was once, or twice. That person broke your heart, someone let you down, you lost your job. Things aren’t always going to be gray skies – trust this.

Good things happen. Start that chain of thoughts, that chain of reactions that you deserve good things, and that good things are coming.

Start looking at your world through the eyes of someone who is hopeful, who believes in the good, in love and in power. Create a lens of possibility that is excited for things to happen and look at the world through your heart. Trust your heart to know what you want, to go after what you need, to feel fulfilled.  Your heart will balance your emotions and actions and experiences. It will help you to think – level headed. 

Be quiet, be still. Listen to your heart.

So stop what your doing, all the negative mental chatter. All these bad thoughts about yourself, your day, your life and restart. Begin right here, right now with love. Refresh your mind and put your thoughts on hold. 

Start listening to your heart, and thinking with your heart. Start looking at the world through love. Your heart is the voice of reason. Your heart connects you to others and to yourself. Trust that it will get you exactly where you need to be, and give you just as much as you truly deserve – which is so much more than what we’ve been giving ourselves.

Don't settle for the mumble jumble in your head. Don't settle for the stories you're making up about yourself, about your day. Stop walking into the room with a million negative thoughts of all the things that are going to go wrong. Just stop, just be quiet and just listen. The love, the voice of reason, it's there. Your heart knows best, and it wants you to be happy and get exactly what you deserve.

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed: Never throw out anyone, especially yourself." - Audrey Hepburn