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?
"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 cantalktome.
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.
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!
"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.
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.
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.
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! :) ♥
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!
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.”
