Day 31

Your New Year's Resolution

I don't really make resolutions. In 2013, I'm going to continue to love myself and help others to the best of my ability. 

Coalition End Rape Culture

In 2012, I participate in the Coalition to End Rape Culture. I'm glad to have participated in this great event. This was put on by the Students for a Democratic society and after attending this event, I went made sure I could help out in any way possible. I got everyone I knew to sign the petition. This whole movement that they started was meant to raise awareness of the reality of sexual assault and violence on college campuses. The goal is to educate people on rape culture and it's detrimental impact on our society. Basically, rape culture is a system of ideas, beliefs, language, and behavior that create excuses for rapists and make them think that sexual assault is okay. I'm sure we all know that this is NOT OKAY.
While I considered myself already knowledgeable on this topic, I learned two very important things.

• You can be both a victim and a survivor of sexual assault. You don't have to pick one or the other
• Rape culture is the belief that victims of sexual assault not including rape are not important and that their stories don't matter. This is NOT true. 

This movement is still going on and I'm excited to be helping out. We need to do anything we can to end rape culture. I'll keep you updated on how things go next semester!

Day 30

A gift you received 

I received this watch at a gift exchange. I instantly fell in love!

Fitsmi

During this past semester, I started an internship at fitsmi.com! Fitsmi is a website that helps girls who are struggling with body image. It encourages fun and healthy lives. There are sections with recipes, exercises, fashion/style tips, and inspiration. It really is a great community. It promotes being yourself and having fun. I talk to a lot of the girls there and they're all really sweet. I'm glad to have become a small part of their team. I was also able to write a style article for them. It was on one of my favorite topics--accessories! Click here to read it!

I love being able to help people and I feel like welcoming girls to this website will help improve their body image. Hopefully they can learn to love and appreciate their bodies more. I hope that being members on this site will help build their self-esteem. That's something that young girls really need. I feel like sometimes the world is against our teens and they need all the help they can get.

Day 29

A Gift You Gave This Holiday Season

I participated in a white elephant gift exchange and I bought this gorgeous scarf from the bookstore. I can't find a picture of it but this scarf from this website is pretty close.

Day 28

Something Vintage

Here's an old picture of me. ♥

 

Day 27

Something you made this year

Well, I like to bake so sometimes if I have a little money I'll make special treats. I made these cinnamon rolls last month and they were delicious!

My brother and sister spent a weekend at my house and my mom let me borrow her mini pie maker so we made little pies together. It was a fun activity for the kids and the little keebler pie maker works really well. These were the results of our hard work!

I also made this heart pancake! The day I made this one I was experimenting with pancake shapes and I also made giraffe. airplane, kitten, and peace sign pancakes.

I also started a Wreck This Journal this year. Here is one of my favorite pages.

 

Last of things I will show you is this super awesome tie-dye shirt that I made at coming out day.

Happy Holidays♥

Day 26

Your Favorite Winter/Holiday Color Scheme

Purple and Silver♥

 

Day 25

What the holidays/winter mean to you

This time of year reminds me of how important it is to be with my family. I know sometimes gatherings can be stressful but at the end of the day, I'm happy to be surrounded by so much love. This Christmas I even skyped with some of my family in the U.K.! It was wonderful. I haven't seen them in so long. I usually skype with my cousin Analese but I've never skyped as a group. We talked while we were having dinner so it was a great big shared experience. It was funny seeing the older people amazed by the technology.  I honestly think they were more excited to be video chatting for the first time than they were to be talking to family.

I think that this time of year is also about happiness and peace. My grandparents both died during the holiday season--my grandfather died around Thanksgiving and my grandmother died on New Years Eve. This time of year is difficult at times for us but we're still happy to have each other. We enjoy reflecting on our times with them and we make sure that we work on keeping our spirits up. I think that's the reason why I love being with my family so much this time of year. I love seeing my family grow. I love seeing the kids grow each year and it makes my heart happy to see them so happy.

Also food. The food is great. I love the food.

Day 24

What You're Reading

YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW ME: SHORT STORIES AND POEMS ABOUT BOYS 

by Sharon G. Flake.

Sharon G. Flake does a phenomenal job of telling the complex and honest stories of young urban life. I've been reading her books since I was in middle school and I've always been able to relate to her characters. One of my favorite books is another collection of her short stories and poems called Who Am I Without Him about girls and their relationships with the boys and men in their lives. When I moved after middle school I had to put the book in storage but as soon as I got my nook, I made sure I bought Who Am I Without Him so that I could read the stories whenever. After downloading it, this book popped up and I knew that this author would not let me down so I bought this one as well and I know now that I made a great decision in doing so. 

What I really enjoy about this book is that it's real. It doesn't just tell the story of one kind of young black male thug because that's not real. This world and the people in it, especially young men, are a lot more complex than that and this book does a great job at telling some of their stories. As I was reading one of the stories, I thought about Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin and I realize that it is so important that these stories be heard. Check it out! I know it's available at Barnes and Noble!

Vote No on 6!

(The Great Mia and Myself Letting Voters Know the Deal)

"Vote as if your life depends on it."

Newsflash: It does. It did and the way things are looking, it will. I had the amazing opportunity to stand up for women's health and reproductive rights. I volunteered with the Feminist Majority on the "No On 6" campaign against Amendment 6. If Amendment 6 had passed, it would place restrictions on access for women to abortion and would have deleted a right to privacy clause from the Florida constitution.  Thankfully it didn't pass. I don't believe that there should be any limitations on the decisions people make over their own bodies.

I was able to work with some amazing people during this campaign and I got to talk to a lot of people. What I've learned about volunteering with campaigns is that not every one is going to be on the same page with you and there's nothing wrong with that. You can't change everyone's mind. The goal is to let people know why this is important to you and to all of the people that are impacted by the issue and hope that they make the best decision. Not everyone will have a peaceful and calm conversation with you but I learned that you can't let those people get you down. I had to decide in those situations that I was not letting anyone keep me from standing up for what I think is right!

While volunteering I was able to talk to voters while tabling on campus and phone-banking. The above photo was taken on campus near one of the polling centers. We high-fived so many voters that day. I was only able to phone bank once for a short period of time but it was a real memorable hour of calling voters. A lot of us phone banking spoke to at least one older woman who had already seen this fight for reproductive rights and could not understand why it's something that's still being voted on. I spoke to several older women who sent me good thoughts and praises for fighting the good fight. Messages like those encouraged me to keep going and made it easier to deal with people who aren't so nice over the phone.

This was a great experience for me--one of the best from this last semester. I believed I grew as a person seeing how my small contributions can really make a difference.

Day 23

Something Sparkly

My pretzel ring is very sparkly and unique. I love it!

Day 22

A Picture of You in a Hat and Scarf

I don't think I own a hat right now but here is picture of me in a scarf.

Day 21

What your handwriting looks like

 

Days 18-20

A tree/your holiday tree

 A tree I colored while doing arts and crafts with the kidlets.

 Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Your Favorite Holiday Tradition

We go out to eat every year on New Year's Eve. I love spending that time with my family. 

Something that you're thankful of

My family. 

Fall Semester = Over

I made it! This semester wasn't as hard on me as my spring semester but I'm glad that I made it through. The last two weeks were pretty rough but it looks like I made it! I'm actually really proud of myself for this semester. It's not like I got straight A's or anything but I really do feel like I'm growing as a person and as a student. I handled my battles this semester very well. I was able to better balance my academics and my social life while still getting the hang of taking care of myself. I got work done. I experienced new things and I put myself out there. I'm trying my best to make sure that I continue to do that.

I'm getting closer and closer to graduation so I'm finding that school demands a lot more of my attention and commitment. I'm learning to prepare myself for life in the real world. It's scary but it's also exciting and frightening.

This past semester, I tried to take advantage of every opportunity that allowed me to do what I love. I spent a lot of time standing up for what I believe in while also building my resume and gaining experiences that will help me later in life when I'm helping others. I've felt really empowered doing what I love and knowing that I'm helping people. By standing up for what I believe in and what I know is good, I've been standing up for people whose voices need to be heard. I know that I still have some more growing to do. I'm still healing and finding myself but I think I'm getting better at this whole "calm and carrying on human" thing. I see what I want to do and I'm taking steps toward that. I'm going to write about some of my experiences from this past semester individually but I wanted to quickly list the amazing things that I feel empowered me this semester.

• Coalition to End Rape Culture
• Fitsmi Internship
• No On 6 Campaign
• Volunteering for the Obama campaign
• LGBT History Month internship
• Community Service

I'm learning more and more that if  focus on what I love without losing sight of the reality of my school work and how it relates, I can keep afloat. I can make a difference. My Women's and Gender Studies major reminds me of the importance of activism and advocacy and I'm finding ways to incorporate those things into my daily life and it's keeping my heart happy. I like that.

 ♥

Days 16 and 17

Your outfit of the day:

I was in a car all day yesterday traveling. I was in a t-shirt and sweats and I didn't take a picture. However, I have a picture of me in "Christmas" colors. 

Something stripped

I wore this stripped shirt to an office Holiday party a few days ago.

Also, here is a picture of the candy cane I just gave my cousin.

Day 15

Material Items On My Wishlist

Days 13 and 14

A picture of you in your pajamas

I sent this to a friend a while back for a project she was doing. It's the only picture I can find of me in pajamas. I have lots of great pajama pants that I think are cute but the clothes I end up sleeping in are just random. I usually just end up in a t-shirt.

Your favorite holiday/winter quote 

This is one of my favorite quotes the movie Love Actually. It doesn't really say anything specifically about the holidays but it's a holiday movie and this is my blog so it fits. It's also a really great quote about love.

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around."

I'm thankful for you♥

Day 12

Who would you like to kiss under the mistletoe?

The cast of Grey's Anatomy.

Day 10 & 11

Picture of Something Naughty:

 A Picture of Something Nice:

Day 9

A Picture Your Pet or a Pet You Want

 

I've wanted a black cat or kitten for a while now. I used to have a Blue Tabby cat that we named Baby but we had to give her away when we were moving. I think that they're beautiful and mysterious. I've also heard that they often need a little extra love and special help finding homes because not many people adopt them and a lot of people who do adopt them do it for all the wrong reasons. I've heard they make great pets so I would love to give one a good home.

Days 7 & 8

A Picture of Someone You Love

This is an old picture of me and my mom! I love my mom and I love this picture. I think it was taken during the winter months so I think it's a perfect picture to put up.

Your Favorite Winter/Christmas Holiday Treat

I don't know it it counts as a treat but it's my favorite thing to enjoy during this time of year. I just add half hot water and half milk to the powder mix and add a candy cane. If it's a special occasion, I add marshmallows and whipped cream! Love it!

Day 6

A Picture of Snowflakes

December: Day 5

A clip from your favorite holiday movie/film:

This is my favorite time of year so I know that I won't be able to just pick one clip so I'll post a few. Enjoy!

December: Day 4

Your favorite Holiday drink: Pumpkin Spice Latte

I even had one today. Ignore the misspelling of my name. It's actually pretty close to my actual name so I'm not complaining. My favorite part is that Starbucks has their holiday cups right now. They say, "Rekindle the season." I love it! This latte was a very relaxing part of an otherwise hectic day. This last week of the semester is always so busy. I'm just trying to take it day by day.

Today I had my gender and society class that is always interesting but then I had to recreate my resume in under an hour for an internship showcase. I thought it would be simple but it proved to be a difficult task. I had the problem most people have of getting it all on one page and highlighting only the most important and useful aspects of your skills and experience. I'm so thankful of all the help I had but with 4 different people with 4 different styles helping me with my resume, I was going back and forth a bit--a lot actually. I'm satisfied with the end result though.

Then I had 30 minutes to go home change and get back to campus which can be hard using the university's public transportation but I did it! I looked and felt great doing it too!

Now I'll be up late studying and preparing for an ASL presentation tomorrow. I wish I had another one of those pumpkin spice lattes but I can see the finish line for this semester. I hope I get through tomorrow as successfully.

December: Days 1-3

I'm doing a December challenge but I missed the first few days so I'm just going to post the first 3 days on the same post.

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Day 1: Your favorite winter/holiday song
 

The song I chose was Silent Night by The Temptations. I listen to this song all year long. It never gets old.

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Day 2: A picture of something warm and cuddly

This is the penguin I made at the stuff-a-buddy station at my school's annual winter wonderland. His name is Darren Azariah and he is so soft and cuddly. It's a really good reminder of how much fun I had that night!

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Day 3: Your favorite holiday scent

My favorite scent is warm vanilla sugar from Bath & Body Works. It smells like love.

Happy December

People say that December is the Friday of months. It really does feel that way. For lots of people out there, this month is half work and half play. This is my last week of classes and while this week and finals week next week will be very busy, I can see the finish line and I could not be happier.

I'm a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to do in the next few days but I know that sometimes it's okay to step away from a moment and take a breather as long as I know that there are times to focus and times to relax.

This time of year can be hard sometimes so don't forget to take care of yourself! Do what makes you happy. Try to avoid the things and situations that don't(if possible!). Remember the tips for holiday help. 

Your body, your career, your sexuality, your love life, your life choices are all your own and you don't deserve to be badgered about other people's opinions on them. You are wonderful.

Lastly, sometimes I have to be hard on myself to get your work done. You have to do your work. It makes the relaxing all the better! You will feel very accomplished when you finally get through those final exams and papers and then you'll have more time for you.

Look at the self-care manatee. The message is super important today.

Anthems!

Check out these songs that have been keeping me going lately. I call them my anthems. I feel like you need different anthems for different moments and situations. There have been songs that were an anthem in a different part of my life when my experiences and challenges were different but they still sound perfect to me now. They still fit because they are reminders of my life and of the challenges I've overcome and the happy moments that I will cherish forever.


Fun- Some Nights

• This is my current anthem. It describes how I'm feeling right now. I'm stuck between the things I want to do to chase after what I'm passionate about and doing the things I need to do in order to graduate. This song can be interpreted in so many ways. I think that anyone can find an anthem in this. It really speaks to you.

India Arie- Beautiful Flower

•  This song is my forever anthem. I don't think that I'll ever grow out of it. The words are so beautiful. The song gives me power. It lifts me up. It reminds me that I am beautiful and special. I am important and I deserve to be here. I can't forget how important it is to believe in myself. Believe in yourself! There is nothing that you cannot do when you believe in yourself.

Nine Days- Absolutely(story of a girl) 

• This song never gets old. It was my anthem when I graduated from high school and was trying to heal. I had stop cutting for a while and things were looking up for me. I thought that depression was in the past. I know now that depression is much more than something I can just let go because I moved to another town. This song makes me smile.

These are just a few of the songs that have become my anthems. What songs speak to you? What songs make you feel special?

Important.

Just a reminder. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Stand Up

"The cruel words of one are nothing compared to the shouts of many."

♥

 I recently watched Anderson Cooper's special on bullying. Bullying has always been an social issue that I've held near my heart. I really want to see this one day become a problem that  isn't harming so many lives. I think that the solution begins with us. We need to stand up against bullying. We need to intervene when we can. We need to let people know that it's okay to tell someone that you're being bullied. We need to create more safe places. We need to stop blaming the victims. 

Let's talk about bullying. It's a real thing. The aftermath is very real. Bullying is leading to suicides, depression, self-harm, and eating disorders among many other things. The panel on Anderson Cooper's show brought up some really good points. Here are some of the points that really stuck out to me.

• Degrading people is never right.

How do people benefit from degrading people? There is no reward for making people feel bad. "The only time you should be looking down on someone is when you are helping them up."

• Bullying is 24 hours a day now.

Bullying goes beyond in-person interactions. Cyberbullying is just as real and it's effects are heard and seen all over the world. Be careful of what you say to people online. Don't let the veil of your computer screen be an excuse for you to degrade people. Just because they can't see you or hear you doesn't mean they can't be hurt by what you're saying.
If someone is bullying you online, report it. Block them. Tell someone. I know that it's harder online to report it but don't keep it to yourself. Let someone know what is going on.

• In 77% of bullying incidents, no bystanders intervene.

If you see bullying going on and you think that you can do something about it then you should stand up and do something about it. You know the saying, "If you see something, say something."

• Bullying will not help you achieve higher social status in the long run.

The reason a lot of people bully is because they think it will raise their social status. This isn't true. On Anderson Cooper's show, they did a study that reported bullying does not help people gain higher social status. There is no long term satisfaction from bullying. It won't make you feel better. Bullying someone will not improve your life.

• People care.

Don't you ever forget that there are people out there that care. There are people you can go to. While we still need to improve on our safe places as a society, there are people who care about your well being. Know that you can talk to me.

Look at this video of a news anchor publicly standing up to her bullies. Let this be a reminder that there a people willing to stand up against bullying. Let this be a reminder that bullying isn't just happening in one age group. Let this be a reminder that inspiration and hope can be found anywhere. Let this be a reminder that we all deserve to be respected and nothing should ever change that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm always thankful for the wonderful people, events, things, and experiences in my life but today I really took a moment to think of everything that I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful for my amazing family. I don't know how I would survive without their love and support. I'm so blessed to have such a loving and supportive force in my life. This year, I spent Thanksgiving with my mom, step dad, and my brother and sister. It was a great day. We went to Busch Gardens and then had dinner together. It was a great break from some of the things that have been stressing me out lately. I really needed a great face to face chat with my mom. We missed our family in New York but we should be seeing them around Christmas time! :)

I'm thankful for the opportunity to be in college and all the experiences that have grown and are growing from that. I've met so many wonderful people. I've met people who have taught me some major life lessons because they weren't so wonderful.

I'm thankful for my friends. There are some people in my life who aren't blood related but feel like family nonetheless. Those friends are the ones that will remain in my heart forever. I would do anything for my friends and I know that the feeling is mutual. My friends help me get through the day! They know who they are.

Although I still have homework due on Sunday night. I still had these two extra days off during the week. Two extra days to just relax!

Thanksgiving represents A LOT. I like to focus on the aspect of being thankful. Although I only listed a few things, I'm thankful for so much. This is my favorite time of year. We get to reflect on so much and spend time with the people we love.

I want you to know that I'm thankful for you. I hope you had a beautiful and blessed holiday. If it's not a a holiday you celebrate, I hope your Thursday was fantastic!

-With Love♥

Daily Reminder

"There is no one else like you on the planet. There never has been and there never will be. You are forever a unique, divine creation."

Louise L. Hay

Don't forget to take care of yourself because you are one of a kind. I often forget about taking care of myself. It's important that we take care of ourselves. When we take care of ourselves, it improves all aspects of our lives.

Food for Thought

My lovely friend Lauren occasionally posts "food for thought" prompts on her blog. This prompt was, "write a letter to a person who has had a bad day."

For you, with love:

I want you to know that you're so much more than what you're going through right now. How you're feeling today does not define you. You're more than this day. Take a deep breath. I can't change that today was tough but here are some things I want you to remember. You matter. You will survive this. You're alive. You matter. I'm glad you're alive. I'm happy that you're still here. Today won't last forever.

Sometimes were sent bad days so that we appreciate the good days. Some people say that it's always darkest before the dawn. My favorite quote to get me through those harder days is "Be strong now because things will get better. It might be stormy now but it can't rain forever." This song also helps me a lot. Beautiful Flower by India Arie.

I hope this helps. If not, it's okay to take a break. Sit down. Don't forget to take care of yourself. Do a little bit of what makes you happy. Indulge in something special. You deserve love. You deserve something special. You're worth it. 

I'm always here if you need to talk. Please remember that. 

Stay Strong♥

Think about this

I love this woman! I love hearing people speak up for themselves and for others. I love that she is sharing her voice and her vision with the world and I'm really glad to listen.

Happy Friday!!

It's finally Friday and I could not be happier. I've been super busy this week. I had two papers due at the beginning of the week, I was working on the campaign, I volunteered at the polls, I was all over the place so I'm really looking forward to relaxing this weekend. Here is what's been keeping my happy this week:

• I finished both of my papers on time! They haven't been graded yet but I know that I won't be getting any points off for late work
• I volunteered at a polling location on Election day with the USF Feminist Majority workers. We were advocating a vote "no" on a certain amendment but we were also mainly encouraging people to go vote. We were also helping people find their correct polling locations telling them what they needed to have before they were allowed to vote.
• I volunteered for the Barack Obama for America campaign. I love talking to people and meeting friendly people, especially when they're excited about exercising their right to vote. It's a beautiful thing. I spoke to students on campus, handed out posters and buttons, and I called voters in different states. Calling jobs are tricky. People don't like it when you call them. Especially if you're calling to campaign for the candidate that they don't want or if you're calling during dinner. I have experience with cranky callers and I was really excited because of what I was doing so I didn't really mind the rude people. They tone it down when you continue to be kind and respectful. It pays to be nice.
• I'm an intern at fitsmi.com and we've had a lot of new members join so that's really exciting! I got to welcome them all to the wonderful fitsmi community and I really hope that they can find a home there. It's really a great website to visit. 
• President Barack Obama was re-elected. I couldn't be happier. 
• On election night, Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay person to ever be elected to Senate. Mazie Hirono became the first Asian American woman to be elected to Senate. Tammy Duckworth became the first female disabled veteran to be elected to the House of Representatives. Mary Gonzalez became the first openly pansexual person to be elected to Senate. There are more firsts that happened with this election and they all are reminders that who we are matters and what defines us can't hold us back. We can do great things. You can do great things. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
• It's getting colder here in Florida. It feels amazing. I love this time of year! Cold weather means it's getting closer to the holidays and that means no school and that means more times to spend time with family! Love it!
• As always, my family and friends!

I think that this week left me feeling inspired and empowered. I got a lot of good out of this week but it has also taken all of my energy. I also learned a lot about myself during this week. I learned what it means to stand up for what I believe in on a larger scale than I ever have before. This week left me feeling like I've made a difference in my life and the lives of others. 

I hope you had a good week and that your weekend is even better! Love you lots! :) ♥

Words for the Weekend

Hopefully the weekend brings you an opportunity to relax and catch up on life. I know that people affected by the recent storm are probably working on getting their lives back together and working towards normalcy. This weekend, I'm devoting most of my time to studying and working on a few research papers. The semester is going by quickly. We only have a few more weeks left so I really have to focus!

Here are some important words:

”Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.”

I hope you have a great weekend. Be productive or be silly or be wild or be lazy. Most importantly, be yourself. Stay beautiful!

I know I am strong

Disney has released a video called "I am a Princess." The purpose is to celebrate real life princess that don't fit into the mold that Disney has been presenting to us over the last 50 years. I think that this video more so focuses on being yourself, standing up for yourself, and standing up for others. There is a strong focus on love in this video and while it is still pretty "girly," we all know that love is neither a feminine or masculine trait. It's just love. I think it's pretty empowering. There's a lot more we can do to empower our younger generation but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

“I am a Princess. I am brave sometimes, I am scared sometimes. Sometimes I am brave even when I am scared. I believe in loyalty and trust. I believe loyalty is built on trust. I try to be kind, I try to be generous. I am kind even when others are not so generous. I am a Princess. I think standing up for myself is important. I think standing up for others is more important, but standing with others is most important. I am a Princess. I believe compassion makes me strong. Kindness is power. And family is the tightest bond of all. I have heard I am beautiful, I know I am strong. I am a Princess. Long may I reign.”

Happy Halloween!

This Halloween I got to dress up twice!. I dressed up the first time for the PRIDE Fall Formal Masquerade and the second time for a costume party. I didn't have an official theme for either of the costumes. I wanted to be a princess and I felt like one so that's what I was. In the first costume, my friend Mia(pictured) told me I looked like a rockstar superhero princess so that's what I am in the first picture. At the costume picture that the second picture is from, someone said I looked like little red riding hood so I'll go with that. I felt absolutely beautiful each time! I also had a great time!

I hope you beautiful today. If not, it's okay. I hope you feel beautiful tomorrow. Just so you know, I think you're wonderful everyday.

Statistics

Monday is almost over but I found this amazing quote that makes Monday's sound wonderful. Enjoy!

“I know today is Monday and you assume it’s going to suck, but according to statistics, there will be over 5,000 weddings, 10,000 childbirths, and 42 million hugs occurring today throughout the United States. Also today, there will be at least 4 people that will win the multimillion dollar lotteries, 600 people will get promotions at work, and 3,000 people will lose their virginity. There will also be 600 dogs adopted, 35,000 balloons sold, and 800,000 skittles eaten. Plus, the words “I love you” will be said over 9 million times. So again, I know today is Monday and you assume it’s going to suck, but just smile, because according to statistics, it should actually be a really nice day.”

Motivational Mondays

Here are some quotes to get you going this week. Monday's can be hard. I know I had some trouble leaving the house this morning. Here is something sweet to help you make it!!

• "With a new day comes new strength and new thoughts." -Eleanor Roosevelt 
• "Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it." -Ella Wheeler Wilcox
• "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." -William James
• "If you can dream it, you can do it." -Walt Disney

I hope you have a great day!

Just Breathe

I am so in love with this song. To me, it's just one of those songs that help me release.

Honor and Empowerment

A few days ago, I had the honor of hearing President Barack Obama speak. He came to Tampa and I was able to get a last minute ticket. It was an incredible experience! I don't think I will ever forget that day! This is the first presidential election that I will be able to vote in and I'm so excited. This election goes beyond the two candidates that we've been hearing about. I've been volunteering and talking to a lot of people about the importance of voting. Our voices must be heard! I've learned that it's okay to want and to love to stand up for what I believe in. I've always known of the importance of believing in myself and it's something that I think I have to work on every day but standing up for myself while also standing up for others has made me feel so empowered lately. I love it!