Saturday, January 31, 2015

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

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

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


Saturday, January 24, 2015

Capturing Memories


Hey there. I have always been the type of person who would rather enjoy something in the moment than snap a photo. I always thought that I would remember things better seeing them through my own eyes than by taking a photo to look back on later. Sorry, does that make any sense? However, I have compromised with family, who is very into photo albums and such, to take a few pictures but overall enjoy the moment. I find this to be the best way to keep memories, because for me it is really fun to find old pictures and trying to remember the story behind them. Because, it's true, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Today, I chose seven old and more recent random pictures to try and remember the moment I took them and the story behind it. So, here we go!


Okay, this is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. I remember my dad and little sister were feeling a little adventurous that day and took this guy's cheap deal to go on a catamaran across the bay and under the bridge. It was a slightly foggy day, but in my opinion, San Francisco is always magical, no matter the weather. So, we got on the small boat and sailed underneath the bridge. In fact, I remember my sister and I layer down on our backs and looked up at the bridge as we sailed under it. That was a very magical moment.

This is a picture of my front yard. I'm not quite sure when I took it, but I am going to guess that it is a few years old. All I remember from this day is that it was SUCH a nice day. The sky was the bluest I have ever seen it and the white puffy clouds seemed to be floating in just the right spots. The whole scene was very peaceful, so I snapped a photo either for the precious memory of my home or for a new Facebook cover photo. ;)

This is a picture of my family and I crossing a bridge from Oregon into Washington. For all of our family road trips, I am the designated photographer and videographer. Every time we go on road trips or pass into new states, I try to take pictures of the state line signs or something along those lines. I remember we were all piled up in the minivan and my dad yelled out to me that the sign was coming up and we were just about to pass it. I whipped out my camera, turned it on, threw myself over my little sister, who was in the seat next to me and blocking the window, and I snapped the picture in hopes of it turning out decent. And, this was the result. :)

This was a follow up photo to the previous one. I took this on my family's trip to Seattle, a city that I desperately want to visit again. This picture is of Pike Place Market, an iconic Seattle site. My family and I were walking past the sign, in hopes of finding the first Starbucks (per my request), and I made my family stop in the crowd of people so I could take a picture. I remember being a little frustrated that a huge white truck was blocking part of the sign, but now I think it adds to the "candidness" of the whole scene.
I believe this photo is two years old, taken sometime in the summer. If you couldn't tell already, it is of one of the rides at Disney California Adventure Park, next to Disneyland. As we were waiting to go on the ride, I loved how the roller coaster and iconic ferris wheel looked in the background, so I quickly took a photo. Disneyland is such a fun, magical place, even when you are older, so this picture holds a lot of fun memories.

 This photo was taken this past summer and is of a belgian waffle with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice-cream. What a healthy meal. :) I took this photo while my aunt, grandma and I were in Bruges, Belgium, our final destination on our trip. This was taken in a small restaurant in Bruges and all I can remember is that it was SO GOOD.

Last photo! This is of yet another family trip. I remember my family was trudging up the Arlington National Cemetery, which is beautiful and sad at the same time, and finally reached the top. I thought this was a pretty good view of some Washington D.C. iconic sites, like the Washington memorial to the right and the Lincoln memorial (99 % sure). Since I love history, this trip for me was so fun. I had been to D.C. twice before, but I think I definitely explored the city and appreciated the history behind it so much more. 

That's all for now.
-M

ps. If you have any requests for posts, please feel free to comment below. :)

Thursday, January 22, 2015

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

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

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

Monday, January 19, 2015

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 posthttp://www.bloglovin.com/frame?


That's all for now. 
-M

Sunday, January 18, 2015

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

Friday, January 16, 2015

Thursday, January 15, 2015

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. :)

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Bloglovin'

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13469619/?claim=wztmzxckkes">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Hey there! Just making a quick post to let anyone out there know that I am on Bloglovin'! Not too sure what it really is yet...haha!


That's all for now.
-M

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

How to be a better YOU

Here are some simple, easy ways to be a better you. :)


  1. Educate yourself on current events. Read the newspaper, look at the Yahoo.com, watch the news on TV! Become knowledgable on what is happening in the world! 
  2. Try to not complain for a day, a week, a few weeks and see what happens. 
  3. Go technology free! I know this one is difficult, considering life seems to revolve around technology today. However, going cell phone or social media free for a few days and you will be surprised by the results!
  4. Give your skin a break! (mainly for the ladies) Try to have a few days of the week where you don't put on any makeup (if you wear any to begin with). This will allow your skin to breathe and remind yourself of the real you!
  5. Find something you love and do it! Read, go on a bike ride, watch movies, write stories, paint, play a sport, explore nature. Whatever it is you love to do, make time to do it! And if you're not really sure, try everything!
  6. Ask someone how they are doing and mean it. This simple act could mean the world to another person.
  7. Do a "good deed" and expect nothing in return. The reward is the positivity you have spread and the satisfaction in yourself for making a difference.
  8. Share your opinions. If you have something to say, SAY IT! 
  9. Write and send someone a letter. PS. Real written words are so much more powerful than a text, email or even a call. 
  10. Take care of yourself. Exercise and eat healthy foods, not for your exterior, but for your interior. Do it to feel good. To feel energetic and proud. :)
That's all for now.
-M
     

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Food for Thought :)

Live in the Sunshine

Swim in the Sea

Drink the Wild Air

-Emerson


That's all for now.

-M

Saturday, January 10, 2015

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 

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Quote of the Day


Happy New Year! Here's a reminder that I think we should all keep in mind. :)




That's all for now.
-M

ps. sorry for the not so great pic quality