As I laid in bed this morning, thinking about all the things that have happened in the past ten years, I realized that I had grown, that I had learned some of life's hardest lessons, and that this next decade HAS to be better than the last (please tell me it will be better...).
Here are some things that I have learned over the past ten years.
1. The really enjoyable things in life are small. They're not parties, they're not big occasions. They're sitting in a coffee shop enjoying deep conversation with friends and strangers alike. They're helping others have a better day, whether it be a smile, a kind word, etc.
2. You never know when your actions will make a difference in someone's life, good or bad. Always be on your best behavior.
3. Never second guess decisions that your heart led you to make.
4. Always look your best when you go out in public. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out in sweats and run into an amazingly hot guy, or that incredibly bitchy girl from high school who would just never leave me alone. It's true what they say - looking good only takes an extra 5 minutes of your time. Use it.
5. Never make friends your business partners. If you lend money out to friends, consider it a gift and don't expect it back. Otherwise, 99% of the time, you will lose a friend. If you can't commit to this plan, don't lend out the money.
6. Men will always be teenagers. They're stuck in that mind frame and the sooner women realize it, the happier we'll be.
7. Dogs make life so much more enjoyable. Everyone should adopt one. Care for it like a child, and you will find so much happiness as a result.
8. Make new friends. Don't stay in your same circle forever, otherwise, you will lose a lot of culture and amazing experiences you could have had.
9. Always be kind. Always be honest.
10. Give work 100%, even if you're working for the man. If you don't like working for the man, start up your own business and become the man. Half-assing anything never feels good.
11. Keep up with hobbies and talents you've had since childhood, but also don't be afraid to branch out into areas that you never thought you would try or had talent to do. You will shock yourself, find fulfillment, and who knows? Perhaps you'll even find a new career path.
12. Don't be afraid to take risks. Never live with regrets.
13. Don't be afraid to fall in love. After the bastard breaks your heart, don't be afraid to fall in love again. Heartbreak almost always leads to something better in the long-run.
14. Some superstitions are funny. Others are dumb. Pick and choose wisely.
15. Constantly work on yourself. Don't live for another person.
16. Help others. What is life, after all, if we strive for what we want most without looking out for the underdog?
17. Forgive others easily and without restriction. Forgive yourself easily and without restriction. Resolve to not make the same mistakes twice - especially if they hurt someone else.
18. Don't be afraid to have dinner with or go to a movie by yourself. There is something therapeutic about breaking social norms.
19. Have a big heart. Donate too much of your time and money. Don't be a scrooge.
20. Don't stress. Just live and be happy. Live only in the present, and be the best self that you can be. If things are bad, they will get better. In the end, almost everything fixes itself.
21. Always strive to be true to yourself. Nothing else will reward you greater.
With that, let's say goodbye to the 2000s! Here's to the 2010s and all they have to offer.
Happy New Year!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Perspective
Perspective is a great thing when you get it. I've gotten it a lot today, and it has made me thankful for friends and family and all around great people in my life.
I think it is so easy to fall into a depression, especially for me at this time of the year. It takes a lot of work to pull out of it and not succumb to the irrational ideas that I sometimes get about who I am, due to my Seasonal Affective Disorder (otherwise known as SAD - cute, right?).
The truth is, is there is a lot to be grateful for. Perspective is really an amazing thing that more of us could use.
"The Secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." - Buddha
Merry Christmas!
I think it is so easy to fall into a depression, especially for me at this time of the year. It takes a lot of work to pull out of it and not succumb to the irrational ideas that I sometimes get about who I am, due to my Seasonal Affective Disorder (otherwise known as SAD - cute, right?).
The truth is, is there is a lot to be grateful for. Perspective is really an amazing thing that more of us could use.
"The Secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." - Buddha
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Love, Marilyn and Tiger
I'm sure that everyone and their dogs (who have access to the internet) have heard about/read of the scandal involving Tiger Woods and his many mistresses. Everyone is shocked, appalled, baffled, etc., etc., etc. Honestly, I definitely am dissappointed. I remember watching "The Tiger Woods Story" and thinking that he was a great example of hard work, and what a great role model he made. With that said...
I've been reading a lot of theories on men and women, and theories I've heard in the past have definitely crept up in my mind. The most believed one seems to be that it is in men's nature to spread their seed as far as possible, and it is in women's nature to want a man who will commit, and ultimately, provide a safe home for her and their family.
So obviously, these two things between men and women are conflicting.
In addition, what men and women look for (on a superficial) level are different, but upon closer inspection, not that different at all. Men look for a woman who physically is good looking - the .7 ratio between waist and hips being a great indicator of beauty, supposedly. Women on the other hand, want a man who makes a good living. This is basic sociology at its finest, people. A classic example of this, in my opinion, is Shawn and Larry King. But they are by no means the exceptions.
With the popularity of these two theories, it would be easy to get depressed, especially within the wake of the news that Tiger Woods did, in fact, cheat. With multiple women. We've heard reports across the nation about this.
But despite these theories, I'm going to still believe that real, true, passionate, unbridled love does exist. I believe that I can fall madly in love and grow old with someone.
It is no secret that I have been unlucky in love. But who cares? Only fools give up. I've had many amazing and horrible experiences with love, but I don't regret one of them. I have, overall, given each relationship I've been in a fair shot. When it hasn't worked out in the past, I still learned from them. In many cases, I still loved them. But I'm certainly not going to take the failures I've had in relationships as a tell-tale sign that I should give up on the "Happily Ever After" that I would love to one day have.
Because in reality, "Happily Ever After" isn't something that 'happens' to us. It's something that we create. It's hard work, and at some point, one or both parties WILL want to get out - it's gonna happen. It may not be spoken, but it will be felt. The secret is to work past that - to fall back IN love with that person, if needs be. I know that it is somewhat hypocritical for me to say that, but with my experiences, I've learned that most things can be worked through, if both parties are willing to make that absolute commitment to each other.
In the end, I'm not going to try and get a man to stay with me because that is supposedly in my nature, nor am I going to marry a man for money. In return, I expect the person that I want this "Happily Ever After" with to want to be with me for more than my good looks (Yeah, sue me. This isn't a humility blog.), and to keep his dick in his pants when times are tough. Because there will be tough times, but there will be amazing times also. Perspective is what keeps it in place.
After all, true love isn't conditional; it's unconditional. It matters even when you can't stand that other person. True love loves when the other person is the most unloveable; it happens.
Just a passing thought in my head that I needed to make permanent. I think Marilyn Monroe said it best when she said, "I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." Thanks Marilyn, for saying what all of us need to hear. We would all do well to remember that about our "Happily Ever After".
K. The end.
I've been reading a lot of theories on men and women, and theories I've heard in the past have definitely crept up in my mind. The most believed one seems to be that it is in men's nature to spread their seed as far as possible, and it is in women's nature to want a man who will commit, and ultimately, provide a safe home for her and their family.
So obviously, these two things between men and women are conflicting.
In addition, what men and women look for (on a superficial) level are different, but upon closer inspection, not that different at all. Men look for a woman who physically is good looking - the .7 ratio between waist and hips being a great indicator of beauty, supposedly. Women on the other hand, want a man who makes a good living. This is basic sociology at its finest, people. A classic example of this, in my opinion, is Shawn and Larry King. But they are by no means the exceptions.
With the popularity of these two theories, it would be easy to get depressed, especially within the wake of the news that Tiger Woods did, in fact, cheat. With multiple women. We've heard reports across the nation about this.
But despite these theories, I'm going to still believe that real, true, passionate, unbridled love does exist. I believe that I can fall madly in love and grow old with someone.
It is no secret that I have been unlucky in love. But who cares? Only fools give up. I've had many amazing and horrible experiences with love, but I don't regret one of them. I have, overall, given each relationship I've been in a fair shot. When it hasn't worked out in the past, I still learned from them. In many cases, I still loved them. But I'm certainly not going to take the failures I've had in relationships as a tell-tale sign that I should give up on the "Happily Ever After" that I would love to one day have.
Because in reality, "Happily Ever After" isn't something that 'happens' to us. It's something that we create. It's hard work, and at some point, one or both parties WILL want to get out - it's gonna happen. It may not be spoken, but it will be felt. The secret is to work past that - to fall back IN love with that person, if needs be. I know that it is somewhat hypocritical for me to say that, but with my experiences, I've learned that most things can be worked through, if both parties are willing to make that absolute commitment to each other.
In the end, I'm not going to try and get a man to stay with me because that is supposedly in my nature, nor am I going to marry a man for money. In return, I expect the person that I want this "Happily Ever After" with to want to be with me for more than my good looks (Yeah, sue me. This isn't a humility blog.), and to keep his dick in his pants when times are tough. Because there will be tough times, but there will be amazing times also. Perspective is what keeps it in place.
After all, true love isn't conditional; it's unconditional. It matters even when you can't stand that other person. True love loves when the other person is the most unloveable; it happens.
Just a passing thought in my head that I needed to make permanent. I think Marilyn Monroe said it best when she said, "I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." Thanks Marilyn, for saying what all of us need to hear. We would all do well to remember that about our "Happily Ever After".
K. The end.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
To Grandmother's House We Go (Or Are...)!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
As the title suggests, I am at Grandma's house with my family, besides Phil, who is on his mission in Taiwan. It's been really great! It's been about four years since I've been to my grandmother's home, and gotta say, it's not bad! I love her house. It's very well-decorated and her husband, my Grandpa Dave, is an amazing landscaper. Their yard is gorgeous! They really have a beautiful home, and I have tons of memories here.
We got into the Las Vegas airport at about 9 p.m. Tuesday night. Not bad, but we were exhausted. Went to the hotel, (Mariott has the most amazing beds ever), and woke up at the butt crack of dawn to drive to Grandma's!
Yesterday, I saw my cousin Allen, who I also haven't seen in four years, and his gorgeous wife Candace, who I hadn't met yet! I forgot how fun it is to hang out with Allen, and Candace was pretty funny too, and it was nice to meet her. She makes a great addition to the family, and is a lot of fun.
I have also eaten my weight in food. Grandma is such an incredible cook and baker, that I have really had no choice (seriously. No choice whatsoever - I was practically force fed). I was going to run a 5K with my Dad today, but he got the date wrong - it was last Saturday! We did P90X Yoga X instead, which despite how hard I've heard it is, I really didn't think it was bad at all! I also went for a 3 mile walk with Smudgicicious, so I think we evened it out. Still, I feel huge. I know it's the holidays, but I'm going to up the ante on my workouts because A. I like when I feel healthy, B. Because my metabolism is starting to slow down, and C. Because I like my body at a certain weight. True, I'm not big, but I'm bigger than I'd like to be. That doesn't make me anorexic; that makes me honest! I don't want to be stick thin, but I don't like when my stomach has fat on it. So I guess that means no more Dunkin' Donuts either (Damn it!).
Sorry, don't know what that random tangent about. Holiday eating guilt, I guess!
Other than that, I followed my tradition of watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and seeing Santa Clause! It is OFFICIALLY the Christmas season, and I could not be more stoked!
So in all, thus far the trip has been close to perfect. I say close to because the only thing that could make it better is if Ed were here. I can't wait to see him again!
Happy Thanksgiving Day, everyone!
As the title suggests, I am at Grandma's house with my family, besides Phil, who is on his mission in Taiwan. It's been really great! It's been about four years since I've been to my grandmother's home, and gotta say, it's not bad! I love her house. It's very well-decorated and her husband, my Grandpa Dave, is an amazing landscaper. Their yard is gorgeous! They really have a beautiful home, and I have tons of memories here.
We got into the Las Vegas airport at about 9 p.m. Tuesday night. Not bad, but we were exhausted. Went to the hotel, (Mariott has the most amazing beds ever), and woke up at the butt crack of dawn to drive to Grandma's!
Yesterday, I saw my cousin Allen, who I also haven't seen in four years, and his gorgeous wife Candace, who I hadn't met yet! I forgot how fun it is to hang out with Allen, and Candace was pretty funny too, and it was nice to meet her. She makes a great addition to the family, and is a lot of fun.
I have also eaten my weight in food. Grandma is such an incredible cook and baker, that I have really had no choice (seriously. No choice whatsoever - I was practically force fed). I was going to run a 5K with my Dad today, but he got the date wrong - it was last Saturday! We did P90X Yoga X instead, which despite how hard I've heard it is, I really didn't think it was bad at all! I also went for a 3 mile walk with Smudgicicious, so I think we evened it out. Still, I feel huge. I know it's the holidays, but I'm going to up the ante on my workouts because A. I like when I feel healthy, B. Because my metabolism is starting to slow down, and C. Because I like my body at a certain weight. True, I'm not big, but I'm bigger than I'd like to be. That doesn't make me anorexic; that makes me honest! I don't want to be stick thin, but I don't like when my stomach has fat on it. So I guess that means no more Dunkin' Donuts either (Damn it!).
Sorry, don't know what that random tangent about. Holiday eating guilt, I guess!
Other than that, I followed my tradition of watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and seeing Santa Clause! It is OFFICIALLY the Christmas season, and I could not be more stoked!
So in all, thus far the trip has been close to perfect. I say close to because the only thing that could make it better is if Ed were here. I can't wait to see him again!
Happy Thanksgiving Day, everyone!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Best. Boyfriend. Ever.
Flowers three times in one month? That... would be my boyfriend.
Not only does he have me swooning, but every single female in the office is now head-over-heels in love with him. I am not kidding.
The most recent delivery took place about an hour ago. Ladies and Gents (but let's be honest, mostly ladies), for your viewing pleasure...
Not only is he in the running and easily becoming first place for best boyfriend ever, but he also has impeccable taste. So now begs the question... what did I do to deserve such an awesome guy?
Not only does he have me swooning, but every single female in the office is now head-over-heels in love with him. I am not kidding.
The most recent delivery took place about an hour ago. Ladies and Gents (but let's be honest, mostly ladies), for your viewing pleasure...
Not only is he in the running and easily becoming first place for best boyfriend ever, but he also has impeccable taste. So now begs the question... what did I do to deserve such an awesome guy?
Public! And Some Updates.
I'm going public with this sucker again, with a different address! Yes people, welcome to the new and improved blog about MY FABULOUS LIFE! (Please, hold your applause)
So I'm making this public and changed the web address so that it is a little bit harder to find, hopefully.
Some things that have been going on in my life since July:
1. I dated a few guys, made a few friends, flew to Utah to meet a guy I met online (scandalous, I know).
2. The modeling thing really exploded for a while. I got some major offers, the most notable being Calvin Klein, Frederick's of Hollywood, and Bebe Clothing. I turned every one of them down. I realize that many people will probably think I'm nuts, but I've just never felt like modeling was what I was supposed to do with my life - where I could make the largest contribution.
3. I'm still Marketing Director at my Dad's Law Firm. I've been at the firm since July 2007, and Marketing Director since July 2008. It's going well - I finally feel like I have a firm grasp on the job, and *shocker*, may actually even be good at it.
4. The Piano and Voice Studio is on hold for now, because...
5. I'm finishing up my degree. Yes, that thing that has been on hold for the past two years - I'm making the effort to finish it. You'd think with only 13 credits left, I'd just have buckled down and done it, but work got in the way. Excuses.
6. There was something else... oh wait, Ed! Alright, alright. Ed and I have been dating about a month now after much persuasion on his part (haha, kidding, kidding!), so I figure this is as good as any time to introduce him to my two loyal fans.
Ed is a 31-year-old graduate of Troy University, and has his BA in Communications - Theatre Performance (according to Ed) and MEd in English. He's an amazing conversationalist and an overall pretty funny guy - probably the first guy ever that has given me a run for my money. He is a Consultant with Cengage Learning, a textbook manufacturer. He also previously taught English classes across the south east, despite such the wide-ranged opposition. Kidding! If you go here, you will see that he was quite well-liked.
Alright, that's all the updates I have. Here's to more regular blogging in the future!
So I'm making this public and changed the web address so that it is a little bit harder to find, hopefully.
Some things that have been going on in my life since July:
1. I dated a few guys, made a few friends, flew to Utah to meet a guy I met online (scandalous, I know).
2. The modeling thing really exploded for a while. I got some major offers, the most notable being Calvin Klein, Frederick's of Hollywood, and Bebe Clothing. I turned every one of them down. I realize that many people will probably think I'm nuts, but I've just never felt like modeling was what I was supposed to do with my life - where I could make the largest contribution.
3. I'm still Marketing Director at my Dad's Law Firm. I've been at the firm since July 2007, and Marketing Director since July 2008. It's going well - I finally feel like I have a firm grasp on the job, and *shocker*, may actually even be good at it.
4. The Piano and Voice Studio is on hold for now, because...
5. I'm finishing up my degree. Yes, that thing that has been on hold for the past two years - I'm making the effort to finish it. You'd think with only 13 credits left, I'd just have buckled down and done it, but work got in the way. Excuses.
6. There was something else... oh wait, Ed! Alright, alright. Ed and I have been dating about a month now after much persuasion on his part (haha, kidding, kidding!), so I figure this is as good as any time to introduce him to my two loyal fans.
Ed is a 31-year-old graduate of Troy University, and has his BA in Communications - Theatre Performance (according to Ed) and MEd in English. He's an amazing conversationalist and an overall pretty funny guy - probably the first guy ever that has given me a run for my money. He is a Consultant with Cengage Learning, a textbook manufacturer. He also previously taught English classes across the south east, despite such the wide-ranged opposition. Kidding! If you go here, you will see that he was quite well-liked.
Alright, that's all the updates I have. Here's to more regular blogging in the future!