Spring Has Sprung

After a long, cold, miserable winter, a dissatisfying job, and a damaged self-image, Spring has finally sprung. And in more ways than one! Spring often represents a new beginning, so this fresh start in my life could not have come at a better time. I got a new job. It’s not impressive and may not even be in my field of interest, but it’s new. And it’s exciting. And most importantly, it makes me feel good about myself. I can feel the stress slowly melting away, leaving space for growth. And happiness. With the negative feelings pushed aside, there is now room for my creativity to grow rather than being snuffed out. I feel like I am finally in a place where I can begin the journey towards becoming the person I want to be. No excuses. It’s time to get to work. Self-love is destination number one. Learning to love myself for everything that I am has been a constant struggle, yet a constant desire, of mine for my entire life. It’s time to finally make it happen, and I think I actually have enough faith in myself now that I will get there. Maybe sooner rather than later. What a wonderful, wonderful feeling. Expect to hear more from me. I’m here for the long haul. :)

5 Ways We Should All Be Like Jennifer Aniston

Photo by Alexi Lubomirski; Fashiontography 

These days, it's very common for girls to have celebrity girl crushes and for boys to have celebrity man crushes. I have plenty myself. However, my number one girl crush has always been and will always be the beautiful and timeless, Jennifer Aniston. Although she is amazingly gorgeous with a body to die for, my love for her is way more than skin deep. My obsession with Jen started waaay back when Friends was still on the air, but my true love for her began about a year ago.

The fall of 2013 was a very rough time for me. I had just moved from a city that I adored to a city that I didn't care for. I was missing my friends and the ocean. I had just started a masters degree that I lacked passion for. My live-in boyfriend was working many evenings a week, so after coming home from a part-time job that made me miserable, I would sit alone and dwell on my unhappiness. It was not the healthiest of situations, not to mention I was overweight and unhealthy. I was stuck and way too unhappy.

I became obsessed with looking up pictures of celebrities and watching celebrity interviews on YouTube. I was fooled into believing that these women were perfect. They were beautiful, wealthy, talented, well-loved. They had the bests lives. I was envious. I compared everything about my body and my life to the bodies and lives of these women. Jennifer Aniston was always at the top of my list. She is incredibly beautiful and funny and, man, did I want to be just like her. I became fixated on her and her life. Constantly reading everything I could about her. Watching every interview she had ever done. Studying pictures of her. I was obsessed. And yes, it probably sounds very unhealthy. Except for the fact that nothing about Jennifer is unhealthy. There was something very different about my obsession with her. She lives her life in a way that truly made me want to better myself. Instead of inspiring me to want to be more like her, she inspired to be to become the best version of myself.

The more I read about her, the more I respected her. She was not happy in her life, not happy with herself, and so she took the steps necessary to become the person she was always meant to be. She cleansed her life. She began doing yoga, eating clean, and loving herself. She began to take care of herself and make her well-being her number one priority. She took control of her life and her happiness. This inspired me. If she could just wake up one day and decide to not feel this way anymore, then so could I.

And that's how it began. I purchased the DVD and book by Jen's yoga instructor (Yogalosophy by Mandy Ingber), and I took a serious interest in yoga. I read as much as I could about the practice, and I incorporated it into my everyday life. I changed my diet completely (gaining knowledge from Cameron Diaz's The Body Book), and I spent time nurturing myself. I incorporated self-care into every aspect of my life in a way that I never had before. I became very devoted to changing my life and living a wholesome, healthy existence. All along the way, I continuously turned to Jennifer for inspiration and encouragement. Even today, I love looking at pictures of her. Not to compare my body to hers, but to admire her strength and her beauty and to be reminded that it is all a choice. You can choose to live a healthy life. You can choose to become the person you want to be. You have complete control over your happiness.

So, here are five ways that Jennifer Aniston inspired me to change my life for the better:

1. She lives a healthy, wholesome life: There is no doubt that Jennifer radiates a healthy lifestyle. She is full of fitness and meal inspiration. Drink plenty of water, eat foods that are healthy and natural, control your portions, move your body, do yoga and indulge every once in a while. She lives by a "everything in moderation" motto, and I believe that is great advice to follow.

2. She spends time loving and nurturing herself: It is clear that Jen takes care of herself. She spends time on her hair, her skin, her body, and her mind. She meditates daily. She treats herself when necessary. It is so important to take time for yourself.

3. She is a genuine soul: One thing that always stood out to me about Jennifer is the way she makes people believe that they could be her friend. She is genuinely kind, and I believe it shows in everything she does. She lives her life for everyone around her, while still finding time to care for herself. She gives, gives, gives, and she inspires me to give to the people around me as well.

4. She is a hard worker: Jen is someone who seems to always be working, whether she is filming a new movie, producing, working on endorsements, doing photo shoots, co-founding companies, etc. She is a true inspiration. She is living proof that working hard and never giving up will take you far. You have to work for what you want. If you want to be successful, you have to work for it. Jennifer didn't just stumble upon this success; she earned it.

5. She has her own sense of style: And not just in the way she dresses, though that is a source for inspiration in itself. The way she carries herself and the way she treats other people is what I mean by her style. She is the type of person that makes everyone she speaks to feel beautiful and special. She is kind-hearted and would do anything for the people she loves. I believe that we should all live that way. We should all carry ourselves in a way that radiates kindness and love. Her warm smile will always be her most fashionable accessory.

Who is your inspiration? Find that person who inspires you to make those changes in your life that will transform you into the person that you are meant to be. I will forever be indebted to Jennifer Aniston for making me see that there is beauty in everyone, even me, and that is just takes a little self-care and dedication to bring it out.

Don't be ashamed of your girl crushes. They are there for a reason. Maybe to inspire you, maybe to teach you something, who knows! I believe that if you feel that connection to someone, famous or not, don't let it go. Jennifer Aniston is, in a way, my soul sister. My role model. And I will forever be inspired by her kindness and her radiating beauty.

Share Your Beauty: The Power of the Selfie

I've always had trouble knowing who I was, what I wanted, and finding the beauty in the person I found. It was much easier to distinguish the flaws. The mistakes. If you ask me what I'm good at, I struggle to find an answer. But if you ask what I need to work on or what I wish I was good at, I can give you a great long list. That's despicable. Truly. But I'm working on it.

When I lived in North Carolina for a year, I took a lot of time for soul-searching. I was having trouble figuring out what I wanted out of my life. I didn't understand my goals, my passions, or myself. I spent hours alone, either at the beach or in the comfort of my own home, thinking and talking to myself. Getting to know myself. Spending time with ME. I learned a lot. I learned that I was stronger than I knew. Braver than I could've imagined. Independent. Dependable. Caring. Full of love. Passionate. And kind. Most importantly, I felt beautiful. I felt as if I could conquer the world. And I intend to.

Of course, I still have my moments where I feel absolutely terrible. I think awful things and say mean things to myself. This is a habit I am trying desperately to break. When you say self-deprecating things, your body hears you. Your mind hears you. It is no better than saying these terrible things to someone else. The rule still applies: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. But, I encourage us all to say those nice things. Acknowledge the good. Praise yourself for your talents. Hug yourself. Treat yourself. Be proud of the person that you are. You are beautiful, wonderful, and unique. You deserve all the love in the world, especially from yourself.

In our society, social media is a huge part of many people's lives, and there are many different ways to utilize it. Keeping in touch with family and friends, staying up to date with new trends and breaking news, sharing pictures, sharing thoughts, and selfies. Selfies have become more and more popular and have become somewhat of a controversy. Many people think that one either posts a selfie because they are too into themselves or because they are self-conscious and looking for positive feedback. Either way, it seems that a selfie is a no-win situation. Why can't there be a happy medium? Why can't someone post a picture of their own face when they are feeling beautiful? Why does that require criticism and ridicule? Just because someone posts a picture of themselves that they believe is nice enough to share with social media does not make them conceited. We should be praising people for sharing themselves with us. The world could use a bit more sharing.  Sharing is caring. Besides, for some people, it takes a lot to share these pictures. In some cases, they are putting their deepest insecurities out into the world. That takes bravery. That takes respect. Respect for themselves. LOVE for themselves. Every single person should be proud to share themselves with the world. We are all beautiful. We all deserve positive feedback. So, you can choose to see selfies as self-indulgent. Or you can choose to see them as a celebration of beauty and of self-love. Selfies usually represent when a person feels their most fabulous, and that is a very beautiful thing to see. 

So, take some time to get to know yourself and fall in love with the person you are. When you are feeling fabulous, make-up or fresh-faced, fancy dress or pajamas, share it with the world. Post a selfie. Share your beauty without caring about the result. The world is better with you in it. Do not hide. Show your face. Let the world see your beauty and that knowledge resonate within you. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Horror Movie Fueled Inspiration

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed with inspiration? Tonight, while watching some old school horror flicks trying to get in the Halloween spirit, I felt a sudden burst of hope. Hope for the future. And belief. Belief in myself. I believe that I have what it takes to become who I want to be. Isn't it funny how something as simple as a fiery Courteney Cox in Scream 2 can make you want to follow your dreams? If Gail Weathers can have enough ambition and drive to write a book, then why can't I?

These are just a few of my silly Monday night thoughts. But they don't have to be so silly. When you feel a burst of inspiration, follow it! Take action. Take advantage of every little feeling you get, because that's how dreams come true. xoxo.

Dreamers Gonna Dream

I'm what you would call a dreamer. Ever since I was little, my dreams were way bigger than me. A great deal of my life was lived in fantasy. I had all sorts of stories in my head, with characters that I would carry with me daily. I would talk to these characters, talk for them. Imagine different scenarios and help them work through them. I guess you could say they were my imaginary friends; but I would say that they were manifestations of my dream. Stories were my life. Reading them, imagining them, writing them. Early on, it was clear to me that I was a writer. Way back in my elementary school days, I was writing stories and poems. I was coming up with characters that would stick with me for years to come. Writing was my dream.

But, somewhere along the way, my dream began to fade and hide in the shadows. When telling people of my dream, I would often get the same reaction. Essentially, I was told that writing is a wonderful hobby, but not sufficient enough to make a career. This may sound reasonable to many of you, and it is. However, there was often a comment made that you need to be very talented in order to make a career out of being a writer. Hearing this over and over made me believe that I wasn't good enough and that my dream was nothing more than a fantasy. Eventually, I became scared to tell anyone what I wanted to do with my life; I no longer wanted to hear that I wasn't good enough to pursue my dream. I began racking my brain for other interests I may have. I came up with various career paths that I thought would impress people. But when it came right down to it, I was never satisfied.

In college, I struggled with choosing a major. Once again, I picked things that I thought would make other people happy. But when I got deep into the curriculum, I realized that these things would never make ME happy. Again, my brain was telling me to choose writing, but anytime I leaned in that direction, I was pulled away. Voices, both real and imaginary, were telling me that I could write on the side, but I need to have another career. So, eventually I forced myself into something that would never make me happy.

And here I am. I have a masters degree that was earned with little to no passion. Meanwhile, all the passion I DO have is bubbling up inside of me, waiting to be released. I can no longer contain it. And, frankly, I no longer want to. Who says I'm not good enough to make writing my career? Sure, it will be challenging. Yes, there is sure to be rejection and heartache. And, obviously, I will have to hold some other job while I pursue this. BUT there is no way that I will ever again let myself believe that I am not good enough. I can make a career out of passion. I CAN make my dreams come true.

I am good enough. You are good enough. We are all good enough.

So, the moral of this story?

Dreamers gonna dream; haters gonna hate.

Don't let the haters get in the way of your dreams. You are capable of whatever you set your mind to. Don't sell yourself short. You are an incredible person with the world at your feet. Don't let the voices tell you otherwise. It's time to take that leap of faith. Don't look down. Keep your head up, up, up, and you will soar to the moon. xoxo.

5 Ways To Find Your Passion

If you’re like me, you struggle making any decision, let alone deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life. Sure, you may have a few degrees under your belt, but unless you are one of the very lucky ones, you still are unsure of what you want to be when you “grow up.” For me, this has been something that has always troubled me. You may be wondering what your passions even are. Or maybe you’ve realized your passions, but don’t know what step to take next. I have passions, sure. But how can I turn these passions into my career and my livelihood? These questions are not easy to answer, and may take years of confusion and experimentation to figure out. However, here are a few simple steps that might help hasten the process.

1.  Take a walk. For me, walking is a real pleasure. It’s a perfect time to be alone with your thoughts and sort things out. Even better: take a walk without your music. Take in the sounds around you. Let them speak to you. Don’t try to block out the world with your tunes; it’s there to guide you. Take this time to think, and as a bonus, you’re doing something good for your body, too. There’s something about a nice long walk in nature that’s kind of like setting the refresh button on my body and mind. Maybe that’s exactly what you need to start thinking clearly and to start being the YOU you want to be. 

    2. Write in your journal. Just sit down with an open notebook and free write. Try not to have anything in mind when you write. Just write and see where it takes you. I find that when I do this, I usually end up writing about my passions without even planning it. When my brain gets in these modes, it’s usually hard to stop. Ideas pop up and excitement ensues. Write down these ideas; turn them into goals.

3. Do something you love. I find that when I immerse myself in something I truly love, I lose myself in inspiration. My mind is free of my troubles and anxieties and is able to focus on things that make me happy and fulfilled. Maybe one of your passions is painting. Whip out that easel and canvas and get to work. Let your mind take you to your happy place. Pay attention to what that happy place is. Wouldn’t it be nice to build your future out of that place?

4. Read. Once you’ve figured out some of your passions, it’s helpful to learn as much as you can about it. Read whatever you can to educate yourself. Your brain craves learning; don’t deprive it. Just because you may be done with school does not mean that you are done learning.  When I’m passionate about something, I like to read as much as I can on the subject. It turns out the more I read, the more passion I feel. You can never know too much about something that takes up such a big part of your heart. Besides, your reading may lead you to more ideas on how to turn that passion into a career.

   5. Take action. Take some of the ideas that you have formed in your thinking, journaling and reading and put them down on paper. Use these ideas to create small, attainable goals. Come up with a timeline for yourself. Pretend it’s an actual assignment, and get to work. Don’t be too easy on yourself. This is your life in your hands. Take care of it. Work towards these goals and you will work towards a future filled with passion.

      

      So, who’s with me? It’s time to take control. No one wants to live a life void of passion. If you’re with me, and you are on a journey of finding yourself and your purpose in this world, then take these few steps and write down some goals. Let’s do this! Let’s find our happiness and live it. xoxo.

Hello, my beautiful muse.

Walking along the city streets this morning, I had a vision; a dream. I dreamed that one day I would become the person I desire to be. I would talk like I wanted to talk, dress like I wanted to dress, and live the life I dreamed of. Then I thought, why someday? Why not today? My dream is that all of you become the person you want to be. I want us to listen to what inspires us, do what we love, and become who we were always meant to be. Push aside the fear; the doubts. Be you, through and through. Work hard, love, brainstorm, play, create. Today is YOUR day. Make it happen. Make your dreams come true. Get out there, go on adventures, explore the world around you. Find your beautiful muse. Find yourself. xoxo