UPDATE: Social Media Challenge

Hey guys! It has officially been 24 hours since I posted the "Social Media Challenge" yesterday and was determined to steer clear of things like Facebook and Instagram. Well, I am back this morning with a full update on my experience, my failures, my achievements and overall what I learned.

After publishing my post yesterday, I felt extremely enthusiastic and determined. I was hopeful. To be honest, I was overconfident. Then...it happened. Only two minutes after the challenge had begun, I opened my phone, swiped through my apps and opened Instagram. The scary part was that I did not even think about what I was doing, nor did I want to even check Instagram.

 It happened like clockwork.

It was automatic. My fingers seemed to move on their own and my mind seemed to shut off. 

Okay, okay. That may be a bit dramatic. But in all seriousness, it was a real wake-up call. That was the moment I knew that social media was affecting my life in a negative way. Now, I was really determined to finish the challenge and succeed. Honestly, it was tough. Throughout the day I would find myself wanting to check Facebook or Twitter, especially whenever I was in an awkward or boring situation. After the fourth hour, it got easier. My need for these social networking sites slowly decreased. And, by the end of the challenge, I had almost forgotten about them.

What I Learned: 

1. Social media/social networking can be an addiction. Personally, I wouldn't say that I am addicted to social media. Although they do say that denial is the first sign of an addict. (This is where you laugh.)

2. Without social media, I am able to live more in the moment and am more aware of the situation I am in. 

3. Social media can be positive in smaller doses. It's all about balance and priorities. 

And, there you have it. Those 24 hours were tough. But, they were also an amazing learning experience. The biggest lesson I learned, as I pointed out before, is balance. Life really is all about balance. Too much of anything is a bad thing, in my opinion. And this includes social media. If you joined me in this challenge, congrats! Whether you "failed" or "succeeded," as long as you learned something about yourself, then you won. :) So, put away the phone, laptop or whatever you use to connect to the online world once in a while and remember how amazing the real world can be when you give it a chance. 

That's all for now.

-m

5 Rules To Live By

Hey there. This week has been crazy. From going to bed at 3 AM to crashing at friend's houses three days in a row to eating breakfast past noon, I have definitely swerved off of my steady, usual track. Now, this is all fine, but at the end of the week I realized that there are a few rules I should abide by no matter what direction my life takes me.

Here are my 5 Rules To Live By:

1. Always take your makeup off before you go to bed. 

As much as this model makes wearing makeup to bed look glamorous, it is anything but. Going to bed wearing makeup leads to breakouts and ages our skin. I know it can seem impossible to come home after a long day or night out and whip out the face wash or eye-makeup remover, but it is a must! At the bare minimum, always try to take off your face makeup. Trust me, it is worth it.


2. Do not be selfish. 

This can mean many different things. For me, it means to be aware of other people. Take into account their feelings, thoughts, opinions and ideas. Put yourself in their shoes. And, simply, do not always think about yourself. 

3. Invest in experiences, not things. 

This is a tough one. Yes, I know we all sometimes like to save up money to buy those adorable wedges from Nordstrom or that newly released iPhone from Apple. Trust me, I get it. But, I think we sometimes forget how valuable our experiences are. Instead of buying things, maybe we can invest in experiences. Go to that concert, buy that plane ticket or eat that expensive but out of this world meal with your friends. As it says above, "have stories to tell, not stuff to show."


4. Eat dessert before dinner. 

I don't exactly mean this literally. I mean that it is okay to indulge yourself every so often. Life is short and unpredictable. Who knows what could happen tomorrow. So, in my opinion, go ahead and treat yourself to that cupcake, or whatever it is that makes you happy. :)

5.  Exercise at least a little bit every day. 

I know, I know. This one probably annoys you a lot. In fact, it annoys me too. However, I have learned that this one is extremely important. You don't have to run a marathon every day, but try to do  something, anything really, that is active. This could be hitting up the gym, going on a hike or even just taking the stairs rather than the elevator. You will have more energy and overall feel a lot better about yourself. (This is from experience) :) 

And, there you have it. This is what I learned this week. 

That's all for now.

-m

How To: Live For Yourself

Hey there! Today I spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to "live for yourself." This topic made me extremely confused because on one hand, I firmly believe that family and friends are what really make a person happy, but on the other hand, I also believe that a person needs to first be happy with themselves and place this above other relationships. As you can probably tell, this is one messy, complicated idea. After sitting on the idea for a while, I came across a quote that finally made sense of things.

      When I first read this quote, it was like a lightbulb flashed on in my head. In my many, many years of experience on this Earth (yes-sarcasm), I have spent too much time living for other people. Now, I do not mean this in a "I am so generous" kind of way. I mean I have waited around way too many times for my friends to make plans with me. I have allowed others to determine my own behavior for too long. I've compared myself to too many people that I don't even know on social media. The list could go on and on and on. 

     Looking back on all of these times, it truthfully makes me sad to think that I placed the control of my life in the hands of others. I want to go back to my younger self, or even myself a couple months ago, and say, "Care about others, but live for yourself." I want to tell myself that yes, family is important. Friends are important. Love them, worry about them, do things for them. But don't forget about yourself along the way. Because, at the end of the day, it is your life. You are the one who makes the decisions and choices that will affect your future. This is your life. Live for yourself. 

     Now, don't get me wrong. I'm still working on this myself. This simply goes to show that we are always a work in progress and that this is okay. :)

That's all, for now.

-M

Following Your Dreams

I once read that we should "go confidently in the direction of our dreams and live the life we have imagined." Dreams. Don't we all have them? I think, deep down, we all have that one fantasy. That one beautiful, perfect idea that lives in the back of our mind. Today, I'd like to share with you one of mine.

My Dream:

I'd move to New York City. Brooklyn, maybe. Or Manhattan.

The scene would play out as follows. I'm at the train station. In one hand, a huge suitcase that holds my entire life. In the other, an Iced Chai Latte, of course. It would be close to winter. Not snow, but the air would be crisp and icy. I'd be wearing a sophisticated coat and high-heels. I'd step out of the train, go up the escalator and walk into the city for the first time. It would be magical.

I'd live in a really classic, "New York" apartment. Preferably, made entirely of brick.

The inside would be cozy, modest, vintage yet modern. And, of course there would be a spiral staircase. 

I would be a writer of some sort. Maybe for a magazine. Maybe for a publishing company. Or maybe a best-selling author. The city would be my inspiration. On Sunday afternoons, I would go to Central Park with my journal and write for hours.

I would meet "Mr. Right." My family would move to NYC. And then, happily ever after. 

And there you have it. One of my biggest and most cliche dreams. Yes, it may seem outrageous. I know some people think dreams only lead to disappointment. While this can be true, I like to believe that dreams are magical. And, come on, are you really going to try and tell me that we don't need a little magic in our lives? That's what I thought. ;) However, I will agree with those who say that dreams are scary. Yes yes yes. One hundred percent, dreams are terrifying. They are terrifying to me because, for the most part, we all have the power to make our dreams reality. If you think about it, we really can follow our dreams and "live the life we have imagined." All we have to do is try. And, yes, trying can be scary. But if taking a risk could lead to such amazing outcomes, is it worth it? What do you think?

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

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

Wandlerlust

Do you ever feel like you have a serious case of wanderlust? I recently came across a blog and a Buzzfeed post today (I will give the links at the end) that really inspired me to add more to my list of places to see. It's amazing to me how many different countries, cities, cultures or little towns there are in the world and how unfortunately, many people don't get the chance or opportunity to travel and see them. The Mark Twain quote above is one that has inspired and stuck with me for a while now. I would have to say my favorite part is "sail away from the safe harbor." This line reminds me that you should always try to take risks, whether small or big, and try new things. It lets me know that I can have an adventure wherever I am, whether I am in my own hometown or in a new, exciting place. Below I am going to write a list of places I have been and places I want to go to, mainly for my own personal fun. :)

Places I Have Been

• West Coast of the US (California, Oregon, Washington)
• Other US states-Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Hawaii
• Germany (a few small towns)
• Belgium (a few cities)
• The Netherlands (Nijmegen, Kinderdijk)
• Switzerland (Luzern, Basel, Swiss Alps)
• France (Strasbourg)

Places I Want to Go (at the moment)

• New York City
• North and South Carolina
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Iceland
• New Zealand
• Paris, London, Rome
• Spain
• Scotland and Ireland
• Turkey
• Japan
• Thailand

Well, there you have it. :) Here are a few photos from a trip to Europe I took last summer.

Nijmegen, Netherlands

                                                                  Luzern, Swizterland

Going up to Swiss Alps

Swiss Alps

Castle along the Rhine River

I hope you enjoyed these photos and if anyone out there is reading this, comment below if you would enjoy seeing more!

Link to blog post: http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?

post=4104888381&group=0&frame_type=a&context=&context_ids=&blog=4289795&frame=1&click=0&user=0

Link to Buzzfeed post: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/30-sights-that-will-give-you-a-serious-case-of-wanderlust#.yuepgGyMBD

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

Quote of the Day

Just a quick reminder...

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. :)

The Magic of Literature! :)

Hello! Quick note, sorry about the quality of the picture above. But yes, I really believe that "Books are a uniquely portable magic." I think this is a beautiful quote that really captures the true value of books and reading. I do feel a little bit nerdy right now, but it's the truth and I bet many people out there agree with me. Here is a Buzzfeed post I saw a while ago and came across again today! http://www.buzzfeed.com/jenniferschaffer/i-am-i-am-i-am#.wu1DnGEX6P  It includes "51 of the Most Beautiful Sentences in Literature." I personally find these sentences inspiring and definitely beautiful. Thought I would share so others could feel the same way and maybe find a new book to read. :)

                                                                      That's all for now.
                                                                                  -M 

Quote of the Day

This quote is all about inspiration and motivation. In the end, we can only get these two things from within ourselves. If we do not want to be motivated or inspired to do something, then we will not, no matter what any outside force does to help. Take the day head on and do something with it. Because each day really is a gift.  :)

                                                                  That's all for now.

                                                                              -M