Food for Thought

Today I felt very overwhelmed. I felt like I did not have enough time to do the things I wanted to do. Or to find the things I wanted to do. However, I came across this quote and it brought me a lot of peace of mind. You really can achieve anything but do not be upset at the fact that you can't do everything. Focus on what makes you happy. Focus on finding what makes your life your own.

That's all for now.

-m

Food for Thought

Sometimes we all need a little nature to remind us of what is important in life. Take a walk. Dance in the rain. Grow a garden.

That's all for now.

-m

How To: Feel Better With Music

You know how some songs can magically make you feel instantly happy and optimistic about the world? Well, that's what I love about music.

Yesterday I saw this quote on tumblr (yes, so original) and it got me thinking about the power of music. For example, if I'm in a crummy mood and then listen to a super sad song, like "Breathe Me" by Sia, then I will 100 percent become even more sad and most likely cry for ten minutes. (Note: sometimes I find releasing my emotions this way to be beneficial) On the other hand, listening to happier music never ceases to put me in a good mood. So yes, music really is a powerful thing and personally, I think we should take advantage of its magic.

Top "Feel-Good" Songs You Should Listen To When You Are In A Bad Mood, Feel Like There Is No Hope For the Future or Just Need A Little Pick-Me-Up:

Wavin' Flag- K'NAAN

Back Home-Andy Grammer

Dog Days Are Over- Florence + the Machine

I Make My Own Sunshine-Alyssa Bonagura

Smile-Uncle Kracker

This Will Be- Natalie Cole

Ain't No Mountain High Enough-Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

That's all for now.

-M

The Rain

PLEASE GO TO THIS WEBSITE (http://www.rainymood.com) BEFORE READING. :)

In honor of the rainy weather today, here are my thoughts on the rain...

There's something about the rain that's so peaceful. Is it just me, or does anyone else smile whenever they wake up in the morning and hear the sounds of rain thumping against the roof?

To me, the rain brings adventure. It brings mystery. It brings happiness. 

The rain gives me strength and comfort. 

It clears the sky and the air. 

Everything is fresh and clean and green.

Rain gives us puddles and thick, squeaky, yellow boots.

It makes us explore.

Or find warmth under layers upon layers of blankets.

So take a moment to...

because...

That's all for now.

-M

How To: Finding Your Passion

Passion. This is something that drives us. That helps us wake up in the morning. That gives us a sense of meaning. That makes us happy. We all are passionate about something. Although some may have a more difficult time finding what they are passionate about, we still all have passions. For me, I always felt like this was a very scary task (to find my "passion"). Personally, I have gone through a seemingly endless amount of activities, sports and hobbies trying to find something that I could call my passion. I tried soccer (it was fun, but I was too scared of the ball), tennis (trying to serve the ball made me so frustrated), track and field (a love/hate relationship, but not my passion), guitar (making my hands do two different things at the same time was impossible)...well, you get the picture. Reflecting on my crazy adventures while trying to find my passion made me realize that a person's passion does not have to be so concrete. It can be anything really. For such a long time I was so mad at myself for not being especially good at one thing and for not having an answer to the question: what are you passionate about? How could I have an answer when it seemed as if I couldn't do or didn't especially love something? The following quote finally answered my prayers.

This quote perfectly sums up how I feel about this concept. No, I don't think I have any special talent. I'm not a star athlete or a genius student or a brilliant artist. But that doesn't mean that I don't have passions. I know that I am passionate about trying new things. I'm passionate about experiencing new places. I'm passionate about my family and friends. And, in the words of Einstein, I am "passionately curious." I don't think a person has to limit themselves to one thing or confine themselves in a box. People can be passionate about anything and everything. No matter what it is, as long as they are passionate people and put their energy, drive and emotions into everything they do, their lives have a purpose and a positive impact on the world.

That's all for now.

-M

ps. Sorry if this post is confusing (was written at a point of extreme exhaustion) ;)

How To: Confidence

Hey guys! This is the first installment of my "How To" series. Today's post is all about confidence. Although I know I touched on this subject before (in my post "Breaking Out of Your Shell"), I needed to talk a little more about this subject today. Yesterday, as I was sitting in one of my classes in the afternoon, I was zoning out a bit and thinking about how much has changed for me in the past five years or so. I couldn't put my finger on just what had caused this change (me being overall a much more confident person). However, I almost gasped (not to be dramatic) when I realized the answer. So, here we go.

How to be confident? The answer: self-worth. I'm going to be honest, I don't know if this is as mind-shattering to others as it is to me. For me, I had never recognized that realizing your self-worth was the key to confidence. So, let's go into my passionate, uplifting talk.

We ALL have value. And as much as some people seem to believe, no one is worth more as a person than anyone else. We are ALL equal. True confidence does NOT come from the validation of other people or make-up or clothes or friends. Yes, these things can BOOST our confidence. But, real confidence comes from inside ourselves. It comes from knowing that we are worthy and our opinions, thoughts and ideas are just as valuable as the opinions, thoughts and ideas of others. Knowing and truly believing this will allow you to be confident.

This may seem obvious or simple to some people. Maybe you have heard this a million times before. But I don't think that a lot of us actually believe it. If you do, that is amazing. But if you don't, know that you have value and please recognize your self-worth. :)

That's all for now.

-M

Regrets

Whenever I hear the word "regret," I think of a missed opportunity. A mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life. (Okay, that's a little dramatic.) But, I think you all know what I mean. It seems like we have always been told that when we die, we want to be able to say that we lived without any regrets. However, this has always seemed like a daunting task to me. I felt like if I had to make a decision and later I regretted it, my life would be changed forever and for the worse. This is why making decisions has always been difficult for me because I was scared of making the "wrong" one. Recently, I have had to make a decision that, in my eyes right now, is important and will impact my current life. I was terrified that if I made the decision and later regretted it, I would have messed up my entire life and missed out on great things. However, after a lot of thinking and a little inspiration from the following quote...

...I've learned that whatever decision I make, there will be "pros and cons" that come along with each and that if I feel uneasy about my decision after making it, I will have to just deal with it. That's where the quote comes in. If I do wish I had made a different decision, I will have to find a way to make it work and get the best out of it. Therefore, there are no real regrets in life, just lessons learned that help us become better people. 

ps. :)

That's all for now.

-M

Limitless

Hit play, then read.

Hey there. I don't know if anyone will ever even read this, but if you happen to have come across this post today, here's a little inspiration.

LIFE has no limits. Sure, maybe we can't fly like birds. But we've come pretty close. Imagine how the Wright Brothers felt as they soared through the air on the first successful airplane created on Earth. 

They were the first people to fly, almost like birds. If humans did that, imagine what else we can do. 

YOU have unlimited potential. You can make your life whatever you want it to be. Maybe it doesn't seem like we have this power, but we do.

 You can travel the world.

 Make friends with people you would never expect to be friends with.

 Learn something new every day. 

Listen to your favorite song 30 times on repeat, get sick of it and find a new one. 

Explore nature and hug some trees. 

Go on rain walks, jump in puddles, throw your head back and stick out your tongue to catch raindrops.

Get sick...then cuddle up in some blankets and watch your favorite movie.

 You can move to a big city.

Or go to the countryside.

 You can write a novel.

Or poetry.

You can go to the beach and take in the warm sun.

 Or go to the mountains and throw snowballs at your best friend. 

You can do anything you want and be anyone you want to be.

YOU are smart, even if you may not think you are.

YOU are beautiful, even if no one has ever told you that before.

YOU are talented, in your own special way.

YOU are limitless. 

That's all for now.

-M

Living Life to the Fullest

Hey there! Recently I was driving on my way home from school, turned on the radio and fell in love with a song you may have heard before, called "I Lived" by One Republic. I found the lyrics and overall message to be so inspiring. Some of the lyrics that really stuck with me were... "Hope when you take the jump, you don't fear the fall," "Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay," "Hope that you fall in love and it hurts so bad," "The only way you can know, is give it all you have," "Hope when that moment comes, you'll say 'I, I did it all,'" "I owned every second that this world could give," I saw so many places, the things that I did," "Yeah, with every broken bone, I swear I lived." The song, along with the music video, reminded me that every day, every moment, every second is a gift and that we should appreciate our opportunity to simply live.

So, live life to the fullest and...

Check out this amazing song below! :)

That's all for now. 

-M

Quote of the Day

WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS,

they become words.

WATCH YOUR WORDS,

they become actions.

WATCH YOUR ACTIONS,

they become habits.

WATCH YOUR HABITS,

they become character.

WATCH YOUR CHARACTER,

it becomes your destiny.

-Frank Outlaw

That's all for now.

-M

Breaking Out Of Your Shell

Today's quote: "You are confined only by the walls you build yourself."-Andrew Murphy

Hello to anyone reading this! Today I wanted to talk about "breaking out of your shell." This may not apply to everyone, but I know that a lot of people have experienced or are experiencing this concept. In my opinion, to feel like you are trapped and unable to fully be yourself, whoever that may be, is a horrible feeling. From personal experience, it can feel like you are physically trapped or held back, unable to say what you want to say or do what you want to do. However, I also know from experience, that "breaking out of your shell" is the most relieving, exciting and joyous feeling I have ever known. How does one do this, you might ask? The answer: The first step was the quote above. Realizing that it was me who was making myself act, think and feel this way was mind-blowing. To know that I could change my situation in an instant was both nerve-racking and amazing. So yes, Andrew Murphy is right, "You are confined only by the walls you build yourself." 

TIPS:

-Join a club, sport or extracurricular activity. You will find people who share similar interests and it may be easier to let down your walls with them.

-If you are shy or are self-conscious, know that people don't pay as much attention to other people as you think. We are a very self-absorbed species. Haha :)

-Do at least one "scary" or "out of your comfort zone" thing a week. Practice makes perfect, right?

-Remember that your opinions, thoughts and ideas are just as valuable as everyone else's.

-Try to talk to new people! They probably won't bite. :)

-Know that you are an awesome person. Building your self-confidence is key to breaking down your walls.

Overall, remember that you and only you have the power to change your life.

That's all for now.

-M

ps. Just a reminder that I am not an expert in this field. All advice is from experience or my own beliefs. :)

Open your heart to the world. :)

How to be a better YOU

Here are some simple, easy ways to be a better you. :)

1. Educate yourself on current events. Read the newspaper, look at the Yahoo.com, watch the news on TV! Become knowledgable on what is happening in the world! 
2. Try to not complain for a day, a week, a few weeks and see what happens. 
3. Go technology free! I know this one is difficult, considering life seems to revolve around technology today. However, going cell phone or social media free for a few days and you will be surprised by the results!
4. Give your skin a break! (mainly for the ladies) Try to have a few days of the week where you don't put on any makeup (if you wear any to begin with). This will allow your skin to breathe and remind yourself of the real you!
5. Find something you love and do it! Read, go on a bike ride, watch movies, write stories, paint, play a sport, explore nature. Whatever it is you love to do, make time to do it! And if you're not really sure, try everything!
6. Ask someone how they are doing and mean it. This simple act could mean the world to another person.
7. Do a "good deed" and expect nothing in return. The reward is the positivity you have spread and the satisfaction in yourself for making a difference.
8. Share your opinions. If you have something to say, SAY IT! 
9. Write and send someone a letter. PS. Real written words are so much more powerful than a text, email or even a call. 
10. Take care of yourself. Exercise and eat healthy foods, not for your exterior, but for your interior. Do it to feel good. To feel energetic and proud. :)

That's all for now.

-M

     

Food for Thought :)

Live in the Sunshine

Swim in the Sea

Drink the Wild Air

-Emerson

That's all for now.

-M

Food for Thought

Just a reminder to anyone out there who is reading this....

Whenever you have a bad day, maybe some friend troubles, personal issues or awful luck that seems to have been sent down by the universe just to make you angry, remember that everything happens for a reason and that really only time can tell. I have to constantly remind myself this because it seems to me that I ALWAYS have something go wrong when things are finally looking up, if you know what I mean. For instance, I though that a certain class of mine this year was going to suck. I was thinking of any way possible to drop it and transfer into something else. However, after sticking it out for a few weeks, I actually began to love it. It's kinda funny how this always seems to happen. So, whenever you feel like I did, remember that days, weeks, months, or years from now, you will say to yourself, to your kids and your grandkids that everything happens for a reason. 

That's all for now

-M