Act How You Want to Feel

So January. Wow, what a month so far. I've been sick, found out I'll be having to change roommates, and I feel like there's always something to do, never a minute to spare. I have been working this month on myself. Yes, me, myself, and I. And so far, I feel I'm doing a so-so job. I've made some changes, but still have a few inner things to work out. I finally joined a gym again! This is a big deal for me! No more at home workouts or a less than use-able apartment workout center to cling to. I am finally a part of a gym again, and I'm pumped about it! Adding a gym back into my life has brought great joy...and a ton of motivation. SO stoked! Also, I planned a few trips I'll be taking this month. Usually I would save my bucks and skip out on a few weekend get-aways, but not this year! I'm heading on a ski trip this weekend with friends and another family trip next weekend! I'm finally going to a volunteer meeting to get the scoop on volunteering at a local charity. And I'm scheduling out my time better. I don't have a whole lot of pick-me-up insight today when it comes to loving yourself, but I do have some advice. Do something YOU love: plan a trip, catch a movie, check out the latest display at a museum. Whatever it is, do something you love. Take care of yourself. I am one to tell you, I'd rather go to work than stay home sick. But if getting better means staying at home, STAY AT HOME! Now for the inner details I am trying to work out: I'm a very happy girl, driven, excited about life, takes chances kind of girl. I am petrified of knives and creepy crawling bugs (and much more). I do get jealous (you're a liar if you say you don't), even bitter sometimes. I will stand up for myself if you confront me, but if I don't have anything to say to you, I won't. I love my family and my friends. I value every relationship in my life, enough to keep you close because together we are something good or push you away if it's for the better. There are some people in my life that I need to work harder at getting along with. I love learning, and I love sharing my story. Throughout college, I have learned that you cannot trust everyone. Maybe I learned this a little late, but there is definitely a scar on my heart, and I am much more guarded than I was growing up. I really dress how I want. I don't care if you don't like me. I probably like you, though. I could write a book of everything I know about myself. Heck, people like to talk about themselves-it's a fact. I do want to tackle some of the personal negatives in my life such as jealousy and bitterness. I don't come off as probably any of these, but I do lock these emotions deep down and try to keep them there. However, I think this is a perfect time to release whatever it is I'm holding onto, and really see what I'm made of. I'm sure I will learn much more these next few months and even this year! And I will try to share as much as possible throughout my journey. In the mean time, time to get some rest for a long day of work tomorrow. Act how you want to feel. 

Choose Wisely

Springbrook Prairie Path

Be Reliable! Respond!

This subject is touchy, but yet so funny. How many of you receive texts from your family and friends and never respond? Or respond days later when the text is irrelevant? And how many of you receive texts from some hottie and ALWAYS respond? Exactly.

Your excuses that sound a lot like "I didn't have my phone" or "sorry, I've been too busy to text back" don't work and trust me, no one believes you.

We ALL are glued to our phones. I'll give men the benefit of the doubt that they just aren't as interested in their phones as much as women. However, they have their phones with them a majority of the time, just like anyone else. I'm just as guilty as you are for not answering texts or calls from family and friends, but you better believe I respond to my guy. Typical. So, I've come up with a solution for myself. I've been trying to check all texts and calls at the end of the day to respond to anything I've missed. I want others to find me reliable so I am trying to do this on a regular basis, even if I'd rather not respond. I can list my friends who are reliable and who is not based on who I can get a hold of, and I know you can, too. It takes about ten seconds of your time, if that, to read and respond to a text-even to simply answer a question or let that person know you are busy at the moment. And I would say ALL of us have more than a ten second break in the day. We get longer bathroom breaks than that.

Don't get that unreliable reputation. Take time at the end of your day to respond! You appreciate getting responses and so does the person on the other side of the phone. Be reliable!

Yes, there are other factors to being a reliable individual. This just happens to be one of them: RESPOND!

Happy Wednesday!

It is so hard for me to get excited about Wednesdays. Yes, it is hump day, and by far my most challenging day of the week. On the up side, I had a complete breakfast, and tidied up my apartment before heading off to work, in hopes of coming home to a clean space that should feel refreshing after this long day.

Try doing the same! And if you have an exhausting day today, plan a night in with movies and your couch to get re-energized for the rest of the week. Or should I say, hit up a yoga class tonight?

Happy Wednesday!

$Lotto Winner$

As a fellow citizen of Chicagoland, I am saddened by my chances of luck tonight for the Powerball lotto. I'm not a lottery junkie by any means, but today I bought a ticket, hoping to be that lucky duck. Obviously, when there's a better chance of a hurricane hitting Chicago (a little sarcasm, I know), I didn't win. But the hours leading up to the Powerball drawing were spent pondering the idea, what IF I won?

No one person can be prepared for that amount of money being handed to you. I can only imagine what I would do with the money. Money is a powerful object. But there are even more powerful forces beyond money.

Earlier tonight, I found myself surprisingly tearing up while watching an episode of Back Story: Blake Shelton. You might call me a wuss, and I'll take that because I do indeed feel certain emotion at any given circumstance. Blake Shelton knows the feeling of loss, failure, triumph, and love just as any other human being would. It amazes me how present the people I have lost in my life are today. And how much I admire my mother for her strength after losing close loved ones. I looked over at my guy tonight, and once again, became overwhelmed with gratitude. I am so grateful to have such a loving, strong, supportive man in my life that I call my best friend. I am so lucky to be where I am today. After working six jobs in the last year, I finally found one that I am passionate about. After this long year and a half out of college, I really have discovered the meaning of friendship. And my family is safe and sound living in my old college town this very second. I am LUCKY! I am a lotto winner in my own life. And I know there's luck somewhere in your busy, confusing, flustered, mid 20's crisis, as well (or wherever you're at in your life).

Be your own lotto winner!

Be Generous

I can't believe there is only an hour left in my humpday frumpday workday. I'm learning the more positive energy you bring to your day, the smoother and happier your day goes.

More food for thought before engaging in Wednesday dinner:
"Generous acts strengthen the bonds of friendship, and what's more, studies show that your happiness is often boosted more by providing support to other people than from receiving support yourself." (The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin)

If a friend needs a friend, be there. If your man or woman needs support, be there. If your family needs your presence, be there. I have found that giving an hour to a friend who needs to rant about their situation, encouraging your significant other rather than nag, and spending time with your family is much more rewarding than focusing on yourself all the time. Give a little of yourself, and you will find little bursts of joy in return.

Be generous! Give a little! It is the holiday season afterall.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

This may sound cliche, and you probably have heard this from every college professor, friend, and family member you've ever had. But it's a good reminder. We only get one shot at life afterall (depending on your beliefs).

Writing has always been a hobby of mine-a place to release my thoughts, opinions, and emotions-because a piece of paper/computer screen won't judge what I have to say. Second to sports of course, writing is my passion.

It's only been a few days up and running, but I am so pleased with the joy I get from writing these blogs. DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

Another tip I learned from The Happiness Project: you can't make yourself love to do something.  But you can choose what you do.

Choose to do something you love today. It will make all the difference on this hump day.

Lunch-break Happiness

Here's a little lunch-break happiness for your hump day! Eat, Pray, Love is another one of my favorite self-discovery books of all time. Pulled this sucker from Elizabeth Gilbert's book during my lunch break:

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort."

This book, also, reminds me of why I love The Happiness Project so much. Eat, Pray, Love is probably a self-discovery journey that everyone would love to venture on. However, most of us have a job you can't up and leave, rent to pay for the next year, kids, a significant other, or family you just can't leave behind. The Happiness Project is a much more realistic journey. I do encourage both books! And I cannot wait to finish The Happiness Project!

Make today a great hump day! What you put in, you will get out. Smile through the exhaustion and stay positive!