Late Night Thoughts (Part 2)

There are stories all around us. As I drive in the car and glance into the window of the car beside me, I see a family. A mom, dad, and two kids in the back seat. That family has a story. The parents have a story. I wonder, how did they meet? Where did they grow up? What have they been through? Within that one car is an endless amount of stories waiting to be shared. This has been something I have always been curious about. I have found wonder in the stories of others for as long as I can remember. Since I was young, I would imagine what the lives of perfect strangers were like. Walking through the park with my parents, I would create these stories for whoever I happened to see. This has always amazed me. It is crazy to think about really. A lot of the time, people do not see value in their own personal experiences, lives and journeys. They don't think that their stories are worth being told or listened to. I've sometimes felt this way about myself. Sometimes, I spend so much time comparing myself and my own life to others. I devalue my own experiences. I take away from what I have gone through. I've believed that my life isn't worth sharing with someone else. How could it be? It's just me, right? Wrong. Every story is worth being told. Every person's life is worth being listened to. We can learn from every person's journey. They are all different. All unique and all impact the world, in some way or another. Take a minute and think about this. Think about how, as you walk down the street, go to a concert packed with thousands of people, fly on a plane or go to work, every single person has a story. We have all been through hard times. We have all gone through the best times. We have all done something we regret and we all have done something we are proud of. This is important. So, open your eyes. See how many stories there are out there. And, open your ears. Listen. Listen to these stories. Maybe someone will then listen to yours.

That's all for now.

-m

Late night thoughts

Hey there. Tonight I just wanted to get a few thoughts out of my head. The topic: moms. The concept of being a mom is so amazing, scary, wonderful, confusing, and so much more. Imagine how beautiful the relationship between a mother and her daughter could be, or really any parent to their child. It does not even have to be a parent, but anyone who cares for a child, raises them, guides them and helps them. It was a strange day when I realized that my mom was a person, not just my mom. She had an entire life before me. She once was a young innocent kid. At one point a lost, confused teen. Maybe then even a more lost young adult trying to pave her life. She is a person. She is far from just being a mom. However, that is all I know her to be. She has emotions, pain, funny quirks, likes and dislikes, dreams, and many things that scare her. My mom is so smart. I didn't realize this until lately. If she puts her mind to something, she can do almost anything. However, almost is the key word here. It was a strange day when I found out that my mom cannot do everything. She messes up sometimes. Makes mistakes. She is a person just like me. It was a strange day when I realized that my mom was also like a friend to me. I remember leaving for college and she asked sadly what she was going to do without her best friend. That opened my eyes a lot. My mom is my mom. But, she is also like my best friend. I can talk to her about anything. I can hang out with her and have actual fun. We laugh at the same things. We think a lot of the same things. It's overwhelming when I think about how much I actually appreciate her. She's a great mom. She's not perfect, but hey, I'm nowhere near a perfect daughter. She's as close to perfect as a mom can get. So, if you have someone, a mom, dad, grandparent, teacher, or anyone out there who cares about you, helps you, guides you, and looks out for you, recognize the beauty in this and tell them how much it means to you.

That's all for now.

-m

FAVORITES OF THE MONTH

Hey guys! Today I thought I would share with you my favorites of the month of June. I've been home for the month of June and have slowly acquired some new favorite things of the month, since I have a lot of extra time on my hands. There is not really any category for these favorites, so here we go!

1. The gym. This month I have been focusing a lot on exercising and going to the gym every single day. I don't really know what I am doing there, but every morning I work out for 40 or more minutes on the elliptical, cycling machine and treadmill. I've been trying to do a lot of cardio to lose some extra pounds and to try and shape up my legs. Working out has made me feel a lot better about myself and made me more positive.

2. Hamilton. I hope this is not too pretentious of me, but I have definitely been loving the music from the musical Hamilton. I bought the CD and play it almost every time I drive. Check out track numbers 17 and 22 on the first CD!

3. Making plans. I've found that it's very easy to sink into a routine of staying home all day, watching television or movies and finding time slipping quickly away until it is night and the routine is repeated. Therefore, I've been trying to make plans as much as possible with friends in order to both keep busy and to spend time with them, since friends are a huge part of what makes me happy.

4. Outdoors. This is a more recent favorite. I have recently realized that the outdoors make me very very happy and are where most of my best memories take place. I've been doing some hiking, exploring in nature and just being outside during this month of June and it's been a lot of fun!

5. Writing. This month I have rediscovered my passion for writing. Writing lets me release all of my thoughts and always makes me feel happy.

That's all for now.

-m

HOW TO: GET YOUR MOJO BACK

Hey there! Today I am writing to you guys from my couch, surrounded by my two rambunctious dogs and half-watching Chopped on Food Network. Lately, I've been feeling like I've lost my "mojo." What I mean is that I haven't been feeling that certain spark or joy. I don't mean to make it sound too dramatic, but I've been just hiding out in my house for the past week, watching too much television and invested in my phone way too much. This has made me feel a little blue and made me have a lack of passion for doing things during the day. However, today I feel like I'm gaining my mojo back. I realized this as I started singing to myself and becoming more light-hearted and silly. After analyzing what I've done differently today, I've come up with a short list for how to gain your mojo back.

1. Get off of your phone. Stay away from social media. Lock it up and look up for once. Pay attention to your own live and the moment you are in!

2. Go outside!! Get some fresh air and don't hide out in your house.

3. Interact with others who make you feel happy and positive.

4. Change your routine. Be spontaneous.

5. Don't feel sorry for yourself.

6. Do something productive. Get something done. Anything!

7. Get ready for the day, put on a cute outfit and feel good about yourself.

8. Exercise!

9. Laugh!!!

10. Spend time with your family! Quality time! 

That's all for now.

-m

Little Moments

When I reflect on my past, I see glimpses of memories. They appear in my mind, sometimes in slow sequences and other times flashing by in an instant. These memories are always moments. Little moments. I see my friends and I in line at a drive-through at midnight listening to our favorite song on the radio. I watch myself laying on the couch with my dog, wondering if she has thoughts just like me. I remember driving my sister to school, asking about her classes and teachers and friends. I can picture my family sitting in the kitchen, mom at the table reading the newspaper and dad making breakfast by the stove. These are the little moments. When they happen, you don't think much of them. They are insignificant. Just small parts of your day. Nothing big or special. Unplanned and unnoticed. But, I have found that it is the little moments that make up our life. They may be small, but they are perfect. And, when I look back on my life, those are what I remember. So, find happiness in the little moments.

That's all for now.
-m

What I Learned My First Year of College

1. Find yourself at college, not a boyfriend.
2. Say yes a lot and say no a lot too.
3. Do things that make you scared. (nothing illegal or dangerous please)
4. Find ways to be truly interested and passionate about your education.
5. Don't be so hard on yourself.
6. Work hard, play hard.
7. Remember that your family misses you.
8. Don't worry, you will find your people.
9. Let things go, it is not worth the stress.
10. Have fun!

Confused

How is it possible to be so incredibly happy and so terribly sad at the same time? It's hard to explain, not only to you guys but even to myself. I find myself having these conflicting feelings and I don't know why. Sometimes during the day I look around at my situation and I am filled with so much happiness and appreciation for my life. I know that I am going to be looking back on these times and wishing I had not taken it for granted. I have amazing friends and know I have grown so much as a person. However, something is also just not there. I cannot tell if I feel like something is missing. I don't know if this thing is in myself or if it is something outside of myself. It's a strange feeling and I have no clue what to do with it. This feeling will attack me in a quick wave, crashing down and washing over me, but then slowly pulling away. I have thought about this for hours and hours on end. Maybe it's the fact that I need change again in my life. Sometimes when I get too settled into something I feel trapped and need something different. Maybe it's me missing home a little bit. Maybe it's knowing that what I have right now is all going to change and be different, so maybe it's the change that is making me feel this way. Whatever it is, I still am a very very gracious and happy person on a daily basis. But this feeling has me so confused at times. Any advice?

That's all for now.

-m