A New Year, A New Cycle, A New You

Good afternoon everyone! It is great to be back into the blogging scene for the New Year! So many accomplishments have occurred within the year 2013 and the year 2014 is going to prove to be even better! Hopefully I will be able to stick with blogging and continually share my thoughts with you guys throughout the year as one of my resolutions. But, what is a New Year’s resolution and what is so special about them?

                New Year’s resolutions, as most of you already know, are ideas or goals which we set for ourselves to stick to or accomplish throughout the year. Most people find setting resolutions give them the motivation to be a better person or better some part of themselves which they think is a bad quality, characteristic or whatever. However, others oppose the concept of resolutions because they say that if you wish to change something about yourself you shouldn’t have to wait until a New Year starts. Time keeps going no matter what the number on the calendar says.  If you want to change something do it right there and then.

                Personally, I agree with those thoughts. Why should you have to change when a New Year starts and not right there and then? A possible answer can be in regards to measurement.  You start with day one and you go from there. For example when people do thirty day challenges they start on day one of a month. So for New Year’s resolutions they start with day one of the year.  It all depends on the person I suppose. Although, I do stand firm that if you wish to change something about yourself, just do it. Figure out a way to make it happen and follow through with it with all your might.

                So now you might be wondering, why do I have resolutions if I hold that belief? Honestly it is because I didn’t have the motivation to change myself right there and then. I let my sorrows and self-loathing get the best of me. But seeing that it is a new year somewhat gave me hope for a new beginning. The cycle has begun anew and I must follow suite with changing myself within my own life cycle. 

                Now, what are my resolutions for the 2014 cycle? First off, I want to be more assertive. Not just with my attitude but mainly with my decisions. I can be indecisive and I second guess myself. I want to be able to find what will make me happy and go with that decision. I also want to disregard the assumptions of what other people will think of me when I make those decisions. People will judge regardless of the good or bad you commit. So why bother caring what other people will think of you? Lastly, I want to be the best me that I can be. I want to be able to know what makes me unique and distinctive and strong and continually use those strengths to shape, mold, and create me as my life presses on. 

                Many of us are grown to hearing about being your own person. Do what you want and such and such. Yet, most people which I speak to do not even think about what makes them unique. To be your own person, you must live by your own rules, your own style, and your own sense of life. Most people don’t know what they love, what they love to do or even what they’re good at. I feel like you should always know what you’re strengths are because that is what will lead you through life. That is a resolution which I hope my fellow readers can take a gander at this year. 

Here are some questions to get you started:

                What makes you awesome? What makes you unique? What is it that you like that the next person does not like? What are you good at? What do you like to do when you’re bored? What do you like to do to put a smile on your face? 

                These, plus a ton of other questions are essential to finding out the person you are.  I know I might have left the discussion of resolutions but I feel like this is connected. Resolutions are made to better yourself right? So by answering these questions you’re finding out who you are which in turn is bettering your life. Therefore, you can make decisions based on what you like and what you want and not what the world wants. So, these questions are not meant to be a manual but as a guide to help you find out what makes you special. Why and how are you an individual in this world? 

                I hope all of my readers find this post somewhat helpful as you all enter into this fresh New Year with your hopes and dreams. Always seek Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility. Good luck on your resolutions this year and let me know how everything goes! I would absolutely love to hear everything!

4 Ways to Going Above and Beyond

A Basketball. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What I find which makes people so unique are their individual passions for some thing. Everybody has fun doing that one thing in their lives that they find they're the best at. However, what concerns me about this matter is some people don't like to go beyond the normal functions of their cliche.

For example, if a kid who loves basketball only goes out and shoots all day, I feel like that kid isn't going above and beyond. What a kid who has a true passion for basketball might do is study technical forms of shooting from professional players, do workouts which enhance shooting abilities, or study basketball guide books to see what professionals have done to step their games up.

Now some of us don't like to be the over achiever because it is too much work, pressure, etc. But do you think that by only settling with the bare minimum will keep you content for long? Do you think you might get bored at not achieving anything monumental with your passion? Or even frustrated? 

Here are a few tips on getting the motivation to go above and beyond:

1. Always look forward towards your goals, never look back.
2. Picture yourself achieving your goal mentally, over and over again until it is as clear as day.
3. Take baby steps up the ladder towards what you wish to achieve.
4. Understand your passion and let it drive you.

If you're interested in other ways to conquer mediocrity and go for the best that you can be, check out this post by Kristin Barton Cuthriell! She talks about the 3 W's of success which anyone can benefit from!

This I Believe

I wrote this as part of my English class senior year of high school. It was part of the This I Believe campaign, stated on their website, which was started by "an international organization to engage people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives." So the goal was to write down what we morals we believed ran our lives on a day to day basis. This was mine.

            Living as a teenager in this hardcore and uptight world can amount to some serious issues. Every day I must make a decision which will influence my life for years to come; from deciding whether or not to have proper hygiene to setting up goals for my future lifestyle. It wasn't until a special day when I realized how much choices truly impacted my sense of self.

             The special day came into fruition when I learned my parents were no longer married and I had a major choice to make. I had to put all the facts on a plate and tally out what would be best for me and my interests. When the day came, my decision was thoroughly thoughtful and true. I laid out all the pros and cons until the pros outweighed the cons. In turn, the decision I made led to the fantastic life in which I am currently living. Still, even to this very moment I never stop wondering what my life would be if I made the other choice. However, it helped me realize that everything I run into will be the same. Every decision I make will either grant me many rewards and benefits; or grant me suffering, regret and doubt.

            In other words I believe that every decision, either if it's me or another person making it, should be executed with absolute confidence after careful planning. Witnessing the turmoil of my parent's separation opened my eyes to this brand new perspective. It granted me the understanding that whenever I make a choice, I must lay out the pros and cons and come up with a strong conclusion which will benefit me for years to come.

            Sure, sometimes the choices I make will influence other people's lives and I won't notice until after; but I still understand the choice I made and I know that they will move on as should I. I am human and the decisions I make will not always be perfect. Nevertheless, I believe that the choices I have made benefited me incredibly over the years and I appreciate everything aspect of my individual being and what I gained from that special day because I believed in the confidence of my decision.

Never EVER Forget to say Goodbye

So we all know that they're certain things we do in order to hold steady relationships with people. We make sure to have a great first impression, to connect to their personality, and to communicate comfortably. However, what I've noticed when it comes down to keeping a great friend or connect is the way you say goodbye.

Saying goodbye isn't only a way of exiting a situation, but closing the deal. Imagine you're at your first job interview. You're nervous, palms sweaty, feet shaking, and you're completely focused on your first impression. Well, imagine you pass the first test and then you have to sell yourself to your (hopefully) future employer. You pass that test as well. Finally, you reach the end of the interview and it is time to seal the deal. The employer loves your resume, loves your skill, but specifically, loves you! However, you still need to say goodbye the right way in order for that love to continue into your job. Want to know why?

Goodbyes have always had a beautiful meaning between people throughout all of time. So what you're doing with your employer is fully closing off the conservation with a specific meaning that you want to be there, or don't want to be there, or any other third reason. A pleasant, warm goodbye will display your excitement into the workplace and bring acceptance into the mind of your employer. A distant goodbye with little words will indicate hesitance, nervousness, skepticism, things you don't want your employer to assume.

 Now we're all guilty of not wanting to talk to people sometimes and you want to act distant so they'll leave you alone and that is acceptable. However, try not to be completely rude about it. Do it in a nice and pleasant manner so they aren't left with a million questions or wondering if you hate them or something of the sort.

In other words, always make sure to give a warm goodbye to everybody you meet. You want the people you interact with to know who you really are and let them know that you would like to have some kind of relationship with them. Practice your goodbyes in the mirror like you would go over lines for a play. Understand the situation and play your cards the right way. You might end up with a large reward!

Key to Success is as Easy as Breathing

Everybody wants to be able to be successful. Nobody wants be end up failing in life by not achieving their dreams and aspirations. Most of us know how to reach our goals but don't know where to start. Some of us simply don't have the drive to want to go after what we really want.

How Bad Do You Want It?

This is one of the most famous success story videos on YouTube and it is voiced by Eric Thomas, former Cincinnati Bengal, New York Jet, and Denver Bronco. In the video, he speaks of a man who wished to be successful but didn't know how. So he thought he could find a solution by going to a guru. From experiencing the teaching of the Guru, the man realized what it takes in order to be successful.

The message: When you want to succeed, as much as you want to breathe, then you will be successful. In order for you to build up the strength, the motivation, the drive to be successful in your life, you must want it more than life itself. You must place every single molecule of you into what you love to do because what you want to achieve can only be accomplished by having 100% passion for it. 

When you look at people who are experts at what they do, it didn't happen over night. It took them years to get to where they are at. It took them a million more failures than wins and they know how it feels to be knocked down to the point where they want to absolutely quit.

But they didn't quit. Those people who are considered the greatest didn't quit when those times popped up. Those times where it felt like there wasn't a way out, they found a way. That is the only way to succeed. You must have an absolute passion for what you do that you disregard the pitfalls and complete failures.

If you want to succeed, you must want it as bad as if you were on your last breath of air.You fight your hardest to breathe. You want to be able to take that breath so you can live on. Keep going for that breathe in your life and keep moving forward while never looking back. Learn from your mistakes and take them as opportunities to improve brilliantly! You have what it takes! Good luck!

Can't Emphasize This Enough

Good morning and happy end of the world to you all!! Today is a wonderful day because today is the day we find out whether or not the human race survives or goes through a huge change of pace! Well what ever happens today, know that everything that you have put out into the world will come back to you at some point.

I probably discussed this topic already in some of my previous posts but its also something which I always see everyday. I observe it from teenagers to senior citizens, I witness what they put out into the world and think to myself, "Wow... they're going to get a slap on the back of the head soon." What ever kind of energy that you place into the endless energy stream of the universe, will circle back onto you.

Let us look at why everything you put out into the universe comes back to you. Think of nature in general. Everything in nature runs as a cycle. It has a start, an end, and then it repeats the cycle all over again. The seasons, plants, the weather, even the stock market! They all run in cycles. So why wouldn't energies run in cycles?

Exactly! They run in a cycle so you're the point, the energy takes  a journey out into the world/universe, and brings back what you put out! So always be conscientious about what energy, what action, or what words you put into the universe. It is always something to think about and will greatly help your life out as long as you know what you need to focus on!

So here are three easy steps you can take to make sure nothing but positive energies revolve back to make your life better:

1. Keep calm with deep breathes to clear your mind
2. Focus on nothing but positive thoughts. Whatever they may be
3. Transmit nothing but positive energy to other people

Have a great end of the world day everyone! Stay safe, and remember the steps!

Always Take the Time for a Time Out

Good morning everybody! Today is a very beautiful Sunday and the beginning of a very grand week! What I love about Sundays are what you're able to do on a Sunday... can you guess? That's right! Sleep! Everybody loves to have a time to rest and rejuvenate their bodies after a long week so they have the energy for the new week! But why is sleep so important?

Well, sleep is a natural activity for almost all species because of the healing powers that it possesses! With sleep, your body is using less processes and allows your cells to regain strength. When you're awake, you're using constant energy for your basic functions to keep operating. However, when you're asleep, your brain flips that slow down switch for your organs, glands, and everything else to take a rest and rejuvenate!

Studies have shown that your body has everything it needs to fight off and heal any problems which occur in your body. So when your body is less active, it initializes those little fixers in your body to do their jobs and fix you up for the next day!

 It also is a psychological need which is super important if you don't want to end up in the mad house! Like, have you ever had one of those days where you want to kick a kitten? Well I know I haven't, if you have... then I don't know what to tell you other than GET SOME SLEEP! Sleep releases tensions and relaxes the mind so it is critically important for you and the kitten!

"Regular sleep is important. Sleep has restorative power and evidence shows that sleep enhances memory and improves attention." (The Teenage Mind) 

So all you party people who love to stay up late and then end up lousy in the morning; put down your drinks, kick up your feet and take a long nap! Enjoy your Sunday and the rest of your week!

Finding What Makes You Smile

You know what the best thing in life is? See the clown to the right? He knows what the best thing in life is. Smiles! Simply put, they are muscular flexes performed when anything triggers pleasure. Us humans, we love to feel pleasure. We love to feel the rush which makes us happy. When we are happy, we think clearly. So, what makes you happy? I can't necessarily dictate what makes anybody generally happy, but that's the journey.

What makes you smile is what you find which makes  you the happiest. Whether or not its a movie, a joke, a face, or even Happy the Clown here! Anything can be used to make somebody happy and that is what makes the world a beautiful place.

Me? I love to smile! Smiling makes me happy and it makes my view of the world into a positive place! I've noticed that people who don't like to smile are usually grumpy, closed in folk who see the world as a dark place. Yes the world isn't sugarcoated with gumdrops and teddy bears but there will always be beauty underneath it all; and finding that beauty can be lead by smiles.

Have you ever noticed that when you take a deep breath and smile, everything seems to make sense? Everything is clearer to understand and the world seems to be... brighter? That is because when you're happy, you're calm; and when you're calm, your brain has room to process everything smoothly. Now doesn't that sound wonderful?

So what should you do? Whenever you're feeling down, tired, depressed, sad, angered... take a deep breath, close your eyes, think of something which you always find funny, and smile. SMILE BIG! Clear your mind with positive thoughts and  I promise your day will be so much brighter!

The Grass Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side

Have you always wondered what it would be like to be in somebody else's life? To be as successful as them? To be as popular as them? To be as smart as them? Of course you have because we all think that way at some point in our lives. Its part of building our identity among the rest of the 6 billion people living on this planet. But one thing which you need to take into consideration is this: those people in which we envy...their life isn't perfect either. They go through their struggles, their hardships, their punishments, their consequences. However, what you may notice is something which most people don't know how to do, which is making the best of what you have.

The people who always seem to have a smile on their face are completely content with what they have no matter what. They understand that they may not have all the talent, all the smarts, all the athletic ability. But they understand that what they have is who they are and they are content with themselves. All of us are blessed with certain qualities that differentiate us from everybody else. Either we're artists, musicians, laborers, writers, readers, skateboarders, basketball players, or what ever. Each and every one of us is good at some thing. But the challenge is knowing what exactly you're good at, and honing in on that.

I for example have been going through a struggle of trying to find what I'm good at because I felt as if I were talent-less.  I looked at other people who I thought were perfect because they were so good at everything that they did no matter what it was. So I was doing a lot of searching around and experimenting to try and discover what I was good at which would astound everybody! But sadly, no results revealed themselves to me. However, I realized something very important. The discovery I made was this: Who cares? These words were what changed my life around. Why? Because what I found out is this...no matter who you are or what skill you have, its for you and you alone to enjoy. Having other people impressed is just a side effect of you enjoying what you are naturally good at.

So I started looking at those people differently. I started to make a list of what I was good at, went through the list comparing me to them on that particular skill. I found out that I was better than them at most of the things on the list. I'm not trying to sound arrogant or anything. However, understanding what I do best is understanding that what was given to me as a gift is for me to enjoy. That realization is what got me to actually start writing my blog. I've always had a gift for writing and I love every post that I write or essay that I write because I feel a deep sense of accomplishment.

So what should you do to get over that feeling of envy for other people? Make a list. Make a deep list of all the things that you know for a fact that you're good at, like doing, and focus on those things ONLY! No more worrying about finding what you're good at because you may never find it unless you look into YOURSELF! You are the key to making it to the other side of the fence. The fence which you have to cross is doubt. Hop over that fence and you will find the greenest grass imaginable!

Acceptance Stitch

Acceptance is the True Gateway to Freedom

In life, in humanity, we are bound by the inevitability of mistakes. Mistakes can be described as the stepping stones of success. If you ask any successful person how they became successful, they will tell you that they have made plenty of mistakes along the way to know the secrets of success. If you read self-improvement books from Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, Ebay, or any other store, they will tell you that it all takes time and TRIAL AND ERROR to be able to perfect what you are trying to accomplish.

Lets look at an example: Gabby Douglas is now one of the most renowned individuals on the planet because of her accomplishments in the 2012 Olympics. Her routines were completely stunning to the eyes of millions and her facial expressions impeccable. BUT...this appearance of perfection didn't just happen overnight. According to her bio, she started tumbling around the age of 4 by her sister, and started gymnastics at 6. So for 10 years, she worked her butt off to be able to earn those gold medals around her neck. However, through those 10 years, she shed blood, sweat, and tears. She made mistakes over, and over, and over again to only get back up to try again. Even though she got up, she had to be able to do one important thing, ACCEPT the mistakes she made, learn from the mistakes to withhold any occurrences of the mistake in the future.

So when you think of all the successful people you know, think about what they might have done to get to where they are. Think about all the pain, all the agony, all the emotional turmoil that they might have had to go through when they made mistakes. But also think about how they moved on by accepting the reality of their mistakes. Only than were they able to keep moving forward stronger and better than ever before! So always keep in mind, we are human, we make mistakes, and we have the natural gift to learn. So use that gift, and you'll find yourself among the top as well!