Saturday, November 30, 2013

New Blog

I have created a new blog called, "Rise Above and Inspire" This blogs main purpose is to be a place to find inspiring thoughts and to lift when you are down. I hope you enjoy coming to a place where you can find inspiration to rise above your struggles and the things that may be holding you down. Check it out here




Thursday, November 28, 2013

I Am Grateful. . .

In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to express my gratitude for a few of the things I am grateful for. It is impossible for me to express my gratitude for everything, because I am grateful for an infinite number of things! I am definitely blessed! But here is a list of a few things:

I am grateful for...

1. My family; Mom, Dad, Brothers, and Sisters. My parents help me in times of need, my brother Andrew is a great example of diligence, and my baby brother Will (12) is just fun to be around! My older sister Kiri is a great example of a hard worker, Shelby is one of my close friends, Gracie just makes me laugh, and cry, and laugh again! Emma is fun to have around. Gracie and Emma together make me come close to dying from laughter. Yes, my family can me dysfunctional at times, but I love them nonetheless for the memories we have created and continue to create throughout our time together. 

(From L to R: Gracie, Kiri, Andrew, Dad, Mom, Me, Emma, Shelby, William)

2. My extended family; My cousin Brianna is my BESTEST friend! We are two girls who can spend hours and days together and not get bored being with each other. We have a very rare relationship, but a relationship I am eternally grateful for! I am grateful for her patience, her diligence, her kindness, and her tender heart. She is one amazing woman who I admire and look up to! (well, down because she is shorter than me, but you get the point!) I also have wonderful aunts and uncles in whom I admire and look up to! They are all great examples to me!
(Brianna and Me: Friends Forever!)

3. My friends; I have the best friends in the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD! I don't know how I have gotten so lucky! Connie is one of the best friends I could ever have. She always knows exactly what to say and when to say it when I am struggling, she knows how to have fun, and she is also someone I truly admire. 
(Connie my Frister (Sister friend))

Sydney is also a bestie from my choir LDC. She makes me laugh so hard sometimes! I can always count on having fun when I am with that girl!
(Sydney and Me being us)

Madison is one of the sweetest girls I have ever come across. I know I will be taken care of if I ever need anything. Madison is just wonderful! 
(Ldc Friends: Megan, Cozette, Cody, Me, and MADISON) 

Rachel is also amazing! I have learned so much from her! She is one of the best examples of someone who is happy despite the trials that are thrown at her, the physical ailments she goes through, the emotional, spiritual, and physical pain I am sure she suffers from. She is the best example of someone who perseveres and lives her life to the fullest! 

I have so many friends in my choir LDC. LDC is full of so many quality people! I am so grateful I get to be in a place where I know I am loved, and where I can show my love! 

   
   
   

I have so many great friends! If I were to list them all, this post would never end. These are just a few of my friends that have recently had an impact on my life! 

4. My roommates! They go beyond friends. We are like family! Tiffany, Nikki, and Jessie are three of my most favoritest people ever!
          
      (Tiffany)                   (Nikki)                     (Jessie)

5. Nature; Sunsets, mountains, fall, soft grass, ducks, warmth, flowers,rainbows, animals, everything about nature! I am so grateful for the beauty that surrounds us that we take for granted so often! This world is beautiful and we are so lucky to be able to be surrounded by such beauty!
       

I am so grateful for so many things, but most of all, I am grateful to be ME!


Happy Thanksgiving!

The Science of Happiness- An Experiment in Gratitude


What makes you happy; truly happy? I found this science experiment extremely interesting! I want to see what you think.


How can you express more heartfelt gratitude?

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Be Grateful!


"Let us be grateful to people who make us
 happy; they are  the charming gardeners who
make our souls blossom." 
-Marcel Proust

I am SO eternally grateful for the people in my life who keep me going everyday, who believe in me and help me achieve excellence. I am grateful for the people that inspire me to be better and to do good in the world! I am grateful for those of you who have pulled me out of darkness and helped me to see the light. My soul has only blossomed because of those of you who have made an effort to be my friend. You make me happy!


"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled 
by a spark from another person. Each of us has
cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have
 lighted the flame within us." 
-Albert Schweitzer 

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our
 hearts are conscious of our treasures." 
- Thornton Wilder

I have so many treasures! I am so grateful to be alive and to have all the blessings I have in my life! I am grateful for the knowledge I have, for the talents and abilities I have, and for the memories I have that I can call my treasures!

"As we express our gratitude, we must 
never forget that the highest appreciation is not to
utter words, but to live by them."
- John F. Kennedy 

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If
 you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, 
ever have enough."

-- Oprah Winfrey

I am so grateful for all I have! I cannot focus on what I don't have because then I lose sight of all the amazing things I am so lucky to have. I am so blessed! 

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which 
he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
- Epictetus

If you are having a hard time being grateful, think of when you had it worse. Think of just one thing you are grateful for, one thing you cannot live without. There is always something to be grateful for! I am most grateful to be me! No one can be me but ME! So, be grateful for yourself, you are the only person that can be the best you!

Monday, November 25, 2013

How To Get What You Want In Life

,
What an amazing quote and seems almost unrealistic, but it is so true! 

       I am writing a book and just recently went to a writers retreat which inspired me to continue writing and to do all I can to make this book (and maybe more) happen. I started saving my money, eating poor college student food, and limiting my spending so I could do a mentoring program with an AMAZING author. I had $2000 saved up and was so excited that I would be able to do this program. I was prepared, enthusiastic, and determined to make this book happen until I crashed into a roadblock on this path of being an author. It stopped all my momentum and literally made me crash to the bottom of hopelessness. Let me explain what happened. 

       Thursday, a week and a half ago, my car decided it wasn't going to start. I was a bit upset because it gave no warning signs of kind of problem. Finally Saturday, I was able to have someone pick it up and take a look at it. I did not hear from him Saturday and decided to be patient. I did not hear from him Sunday, or Monday. I started to worry that it was not a small car problem. Finally he contacted me Tuesday. It was not a small car problem. The timing belt in the engine decided to break. It was going to be $2000 to replace the engine or $2500 to fix my engine. I didn't even know what to do. I was devastated that my car was not working, but I was more devastated that my dream of writing my book had been brought to a sudden halt. I decided to have him replace my engine with another used engine. 

        So -$2000 later, with only a few dollars left in my account, I am left wondering how I am even going to get by. I was really distraught about the whole situation when I felt a sudden peace wash over me. I knew it would all work out, and not just that I would be able to survive, but that I would still be able to write my book. I do not know how it is going to happen, but I know it WILL happen. I know it will not just fall in my lap, I am going to have to work and sacrifice for it, but I am going to make it happen! I have the power to create if I will but do the work! 

       So how do you get what you want in life? You set your intention, and then move forward and make it happen! There will be roadblocks and discouraging times, but kick them to the side and move forward! 

You can do ANYTHING!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Bring It On Life!

         Do you ever have moments, days, weeks, or months that just bring you down? Life can suck at times! There are so many things about life that are not all sunshine and rainbows. Life can be hard! So hard! But life can also be good. So good! Recently I have had many curve balls thrown my way, many storms that rage, and many things that have brought me down, but I have also seen many tiny miracles and tender mercies that have made all the difference in helping me stay afloat. I have been reminded through these tiny miracles that everything will work out! It is something I hate to hear when life sucks, but it is a true statement. Everything truly will ALWAYS work out! 

        This past week I had the comforting reassurance of this truth. I felt peace wash over me and let me know, that it is not the end of the world. That I will be okay. I have been reminded of my storms in the past and how hard these storms were for me, but how I was able to come out of the storms much stronger than before! Looking at the past, I am grateful for the storms I have had to face because of the person I have become. I would not be the person I am today without the storms, heartaches, pain, and discomfort I have had to pass through and experience.  

         So when life sends storms my way, I say, "Bring it on LIFE!" because I know I will only come out stronger in the end! 

So....