With Gratitude

Hello lovely,

As we approach this holiday season and the year end, I want to take a moment and thank each and every one of you who takes the time to read my work. It was just a mere eight months ago that I began sharing my writing and the outpour of support, kind words and positive feedback has been overwhelming. The more I share my thoughts and various outlooks on life, the more I have been faced with the question: Why do you write? What motivates you? What inspires you? These are questions I have worked on perfecting over time but I have narrowed it down to this simple answer:

I write because I want people to know that they are not alone.

I began writing because in my darkest and deepest struggles, I found comfort in the words of people that I didn’t know. It was quotes, song lyrics and literature that got me through. There is something powerful about reading words and feeling as if in this great big world, someone else understands your pain. There is something unique about making our pain and sorrows into something beautiful.

2015 has been especially trying for me. I was tested in many different ways. My year started on a sad note. Just a mere six weeks later I found myself heartbroken. My heart was bruised, beaten and lost for so many reasons. I found strength as I do in many of my hard times. Then I was faced with losing someone I love very dearly to death. My spirit faded, my heart became fragile. Since then, I have been through phases of pure happiness, love and joy. I have also experienced grief, anger, and darkness.

Thank you to the people who lent me a shoulder to cry on, and to the ones who made me laugh so hard that my stomach ached the next day. Thank you to the people who challenged me. Thank you to those who forced me to learn hard lessons. Thank you to the friends who left me and the new people that came into my life and stayed. Thank you to the man who taught me what love was, and what it wasn’t. I have learned valuable lessons through the relationships with all of you.

I want to be known as a woman with a big heart, a strong mind and a beautiful soul. We are all responsible for taking opportunities given to us, but also planting the seed that will develop roots for our lives. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all grow together? In sync with the lives of the ones we love? But since that isn’t the way it always works, it is nice to know that we are surrounded by people who support our growth as we support theirs.

As the year ends, I encourage all of you to reflect on this past year. To my family, friends, acquaintances and strangers – you are all wonderful, unique and full of love. I am thankful for everyone – the good and the bad; for they have contributed in shaping me into the woman I am today. I hope I am a contributing part of your growth too.

Wishing you all a happy, blessed and thankful holiday season.

All my love.

Almost.

I think in life there are just some things that we are never going to make sense of. There are questions that will never have answers; opportunities that will lie dormant and passed by. Endless scenarios will manifest in our minds, but that’s what they will be – mere scenarios. Because at the end of the day our reality is just what it is, or almost was. We got a taste of something good, we skimmed the surface, we almost figured it out, but not quite.

“Almost” – it’s one of the saddest words in the English language. Something or someone being close enough but not quite all there. Something with infinite possibility but it fell short.

“Almost” – it’s such a peculiar word. Very nearly but not quite. It is a word shadowed with a feeling of hopelessness and a bit of emptiness. Very often it is something or someone close to our hearts. An opportunity missed.

I guess the almost moments in our lives happen because not everything is meant to work out the way we’d hoped. Maybe, just maybe, our almosts lead us to be better. We have to learn hard lessons and use them to succeed the next time around.

Our almost moments are great times for reflection. It is in times like this to get in touch with our souls. Our souls need to be cared for because without a healthy soul we cannot love or live to our fullest potentials. In your almost moments, take the time to rid the burdens that are disturbing your soul. Those burdens are the reasons why something wonderful remains an “almost something wonderful.” Do not be the reason that you are not genuinely happy. Stop allowing fear to turn your absolutes into almosts.

I love my almost moments. In such beautiful chaos, I can step back and see the purpose in all of it. Our almost moments become a part of us. They are our stories to tell. They are our defining moments. That alone, makes our almost moments some of the most special.

“He was almost in love. She was almost good for him. He almost stopped her. She almost waited. They almost made it.”

Dare to Show Up

It can be so easy to get caught up in the negative aspects of our lives. Because lets face it, everyone is going through something. Likely, we are all dealing with more than one negative situation that just flat out sucks. Big or small, we all have troubles. Some people share their problems in the hope that maybe the world will help to solve them. Others keep their problems quiet; silently tucked away in their hearts and minds. I do not want to talk much about the negative today, nor is that what this post is about. I just wanted to recognize the simple fact that we are all facing our own set of difficulties. I also want to remind both myself and all of you to not get so immersed in your problems that they begin to consume you. When they consume you, you become unable to keep the situation in perspective. You are also inhibited from keeping the problem at bay; resulting in an inability to solve it.

ʟɪғᴇ ɪs ᴀ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ʙᴇ

Let the good consume you. Be filled with what excites your soul. Surround yourself with good company. Learn something new everyday. Teach something new everyday. We’re all here for the journey.

Stop talking about the past all the time, more-so, stop trying to alter it. Personally, I do not want to continue talking about what happened in the past or what the future may or may not hold. I want to live fully and wholeheartedly in the present. I made it a personal goal to look forward to everyday. This may sound cliché to some of you. But what is better than starting each day with a purpose? I do not want to just make a living, I want to [each day] build my life. Through trial and error, I am working each day to further my career. I make my heath and fitness a priority through persistence and consistency. As I travel, I am endlessly discovering who I am and experiencing things I never even knew existed. I spend time taking care of myself, so I can also take care of the ones I love. I spend time to strengthen the friendships I have and make new ones if I can. I think it is vital to remind the people in our lives that they are important to us and appreciated. I also feel that letting people know you’re thinking of them or giving out a compliment are small gestures that can make a big difference in someones day.

In closing, I am most definitely someone who likes to look at the “bigger picture” and really try to figure things out. However, as of lately, I’ve learned that taking each day and making it matter, overall, is slowly but surely changing my life in the most positive ways. If times are tough, focus on the small things that you can handle. When you make it a point to do small encouraging and constructive things in your everyday life, you begin to look forward to everyday and not just the weekend or the bigger moments. You will be amazed at how the smallest measures can lead to the biggest changes. All you have to do is show up. Trust me, it is worth showing up.

sᴛᴏᴘ ᴡɪsʜɪɴɢ. sᴛᴏᴘ ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ. sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ.

Unedited.

We are always learning something new about ourselves. Sometimes the days pass us by and we don’t even realize that we’re understanding new aspects of who we are. Then there are the rare but truly remarkable moments – an instant that washes over us and suddenly we feel as if we have a little more clarity on who we are. I love those moments. I embrace them.

I write quite often about being “lost.” If you have read my previous posts, then you know that I do not associate the feeling of being lost with negativity. Frankly, I think it is a rather useful feeling as we are each going about our own journeys. As I get older and the road gets windier, instead of seeking answers, I find myself asking more questions. The questions are endless and the roads that lead to the answers are nothing short of complex.

I am a creature of habit. I have always loved routine. I like plans and stability. But, my soul disagrees. In my young adulthood, I am learning day-in and day-out that familiar is beginning to scare me. I am finding a real sense of discomfort and unhappiness in the familiar aspects of my life. My days have begun to feel filled with familiar faces; but ones that lack consistency, loyalty, honesty and sincerity. These are merely just words on a screen but within them lies significant power and meaning. The familiar faces I am surrounded by are starting to be associated with heartbreak, distrust and ingenuity. I do not mean that these people are all specifically treating me with a lack of these virtues but they lack them in the way they treat themselves and others throughout their daily lives. It is terrible and heartbreaking.

This matter leads me to my next point. I do not know who I am in entirety but I have a great sense of independence and will to find out. I soothe my soul through writing and I feed my soul through love and exploration.

“My heart wants roots and my mind wants wings”

Aforementioned, I recently had my own moment of clarity. It was a brief moment, but one thats wake is still washing over me. My moment was well balanced as I was in an unknown city accompanied by a most familiar face. My best friend. An extraordinary human. One who speaks and lives out the virtues of consistency, loyalty, honesty and sincerity. She inspires me.

I am passionate and most inspired by ideas, attitudes and experiences. The unfamiliar excites me and traveling entices me. Traveling holds promises of worldly experience and the opportunity to continually grow and learn about myself and the wonderful things this world has to offer. I do not travel to escape, I travel to capture the very moments that I am in. I travel because when I am in an unfamiliar place or circumstance, I am the most of who I want to be.

I hope that one day I can meet someone and together we can make the most of our moments – big and small. We can travel and ask questions together. But just as I am not seeking answers, I am not going to seek for the right company. Throughout my individual journey and experiences, I am sure that I will stumble upon all the humans that are meant to be in my life, and stay. I smile at the very thought of that day.

In closing, I do not have any answers, wise advice or main point to share with you all today. Everything I just shared with you was raw and unedited. I do not have any of the answers, but I do intend to continue asking questions. So for now, I leave you all with this:

If you’re feeling lost, that is okay. If you do not have the answers, that is okay. Hold onto the moments and the people that make you feel alive. Be present with them.

“The gift of presence is a rare and beautiful gift. To come – unguarded, undistracted – and be fully present, fully engaged with whoever we are with at the moment.”

Balance

The brain is vast and powerful. Our minds are limitless and enable consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, and memory.

Our minds have immense control. Our thoughts have power over our attitudes and actions. Positive thoughts lead to encouraging attitudes which result in beneficial actions. I am learning that as I change my mindset my life will progress in the way I want it to. I am not a negative person, I am however a sensitive one. I feel everything. The good and the bad. I carry my emotions and the emotions of the ones I love and care for. I wouldn’t change it for the world but someone very wise once told me that I need to be a swinging door rather than a sponge. I need to allow myself to feel the emotions as I must and then let them go. I am still working on it.

Multiple times in my life I have found myself lost and slightly off track. At these times my head, heart and actions have not aligned. I have always held myself up to high standards and put myself under pressure to reach and even succeed in aspects of my life. But in order to achieve that, I must find balance. In the chaos of everyday life, it is easy to hone in on a few aspects of our lives and neglect the other facets that need care – including our own physical and psychological responsibilities. The process of creating and maintaining a balanced life may not be an easy task for all but it is important and achievable. I say this because I have done it before and I will do it again.

Personally, finding balance all starts with my mind. I am a thinker. An analyzer. I like to observe, perceive, and reflect. I can be simple yet complicated. I am calm yet chaotic. I find myself focused and completely scatterbrained at the same time. Paulo Coelho once said, “life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.” Over the last few months, life has tested me. Life has thrown many obstacles and teachable moments my way. I did not fail but I did in fact lose balance. My heart was hurting, my head knew that I was losing balance but my actions weren’t changing in a positive way. Chaos can do that to a person. Grief especially can do that to someone.

I share this with you because losing balance can hurt our own souls but also the ones that we love. I encourage you to find balance in the chaos of what is your life. Spend time with your parents and family, make memories with friends, work hard at a career. Adventure. Travel. Expand your horizons by opening your minds. Learn new things about yourself and others. Be vast and brilliant as you all are.

Resilience

The past is never far. We carry it with us. Sometimes it becomes a part of who we are. Other times it is a distant memory. Every experience in our lives contributes to shaping the truest form of ourselves as we exist in the present and who we become in the future. Through pain and happiness, trial and triumph, we learn something new about ourselves and what it is that makes us the most of who we are and all we want to be.

Throughout my life one of the greatest strengths I have developed is the ability to be resilient. I have learned and built skills to endure both the past and impending adversity in my life. I made the decision years ago that I would take the toughest experiences in my life and transform them into learning the greatest lessons about myself. My decision to do so has liberated me in a way that most do not understand is possible when bad things happen. Being sad, resentful or angry for more than a short period of time never did work for me. I always allow myself to take the time I need to deal with the situation at hand whether it be an argument, heartbreak, death or so on. All the meanwhile continuing to move forward both physically and psychologically. I was in a dark place once – it was lonely and cold. Being angry at the world or another individual only hurts oneself. Be patient when you find yourself suffering. You can learn some wonderful traits about yourself all while building character as you see fit. Take what life throws at you and be afflicted with great fortitude.

Souls

I turn twenty-three tomorrow. So as I do every year, I have reflected on my past and the impact it has made on my present. I like to take a glimpse at my experiences and decide where it will lead me during the year ahead. With a heavy heart and optimistic soul – I want to share with you all a lesson I have been learning over the course of my twenty-three years and a lesson I am still working on understanding entirely myself. Here goes nothing.

I have experienced a lot of heartbreak, especially recently. I have a big heart and I wear it on my sleeve. I am honest and loyal to the end. It is one of my greatest strengths. Unfortunately though, I often think that everyone else is like that too. Which is by no means a bad thing, however, it’s false. It is a risk to love. It can be fleeting, long-lasting or somewhere in between. Sometimes it doesn’t exist even when we think it does. That is when the head versus heart battle comes into play. More often than not, my heart says one thing while the logic in my mind tells me otherwise. My heart always wins. But my mind is always right. Everything in our lives can be a lesson if we let it. This year, my lesson came from heartbreak and it taught me about my soul.

Let me explain.

First, once I love someone, I always love them. “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” So as you read, you will notice I do not use the word “loved” because if you truly love someone, they remain in your heart – always. Second, I am not solely speaking of the romantic type of love. My heartache stems from both friendships and romantic involvement.

So what did these heartaches have in common? Well, they both hurt like hell. My heart aches and my eyes water thinking about it. I do not mean it in the dramatic way either. These are the type of heartaches that you carry with you for a lifetime. These type of individuals leave marks on your life and they take away a piece of your heart when they hurt you.

Someone once said, “when one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” Now, I said that I learned a very important lesson about my soul. I learned that we humans have this incredible innate ability to recognize each other by vibes. If we meet someone and the vibes are positive than we have recognized that a part of our soul aligns with the others. Now I do not mean the type of positive vibes that people use in the context of fleeting happiness or upbeat moods. I mean the type of vibe that makes you feel connected to someone instantly.

I always say that time is just a concept and I firmly believe it. I have learned and been able to welcome new people into my life with whom my soul aligns. They are the type of honest, compassionate, loyal people who connect with me on a level deeper than the surface. These type of people come into your life and you hurt when the other does and you are full of joy when they are. It is a connection so strong that is makes any heartache you have been through feel worth it. How wonderful is it to know that from something so sad can lead to a feeling so incredible.

I encourage you all to follow your vibes. Connect with people through your souls. Trust me, you will know. It is a feeling you recognize immediately. I am lucky to have a few people in my life – old and new – whose souls have found mine.

As for the ones we love, but our souls do not align – be at peace with them, remind them you love them, and send them on their way. They too deserve to find whom their souls align with.

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” -Thomas Merton

Expression

I strive to be a woman of eloquence. A woman full of soul and of meaning. Through my writing, I achieve a sense of such eloquence. I write to hold on. I write to let go. I write because I am a firm believer that we do not have to go through things alone – the good and the bad. We have the ability to connect with each other by sharing and expressing how we feel about our experiences. It is liberating to be able to convey emotions through the arts. Writing, singing, dancing, drawing, painting & photographing. All of these talents allow us to expose ourselves with ease. My ability to express myself through words helps make sense of my views on this world. I do not write to speak. I write to inspire. I write with the desire to brighten the day of someone reading my post. I want the words that people read to be simple yet powerful. I want people to feel something when they read what I compose.

Our lives are like a puzzle, and everyday we are adding new pieces to complete what our life will be made up of. That moves me. I find comfort in the fact that we have passion and purpose.

Edward Lewis said,

“We define ourselves by the best that is in us, not the worst that has been done to us.”

This blog, my posts & these words that you read are me. My writing is how I define myself. I am sharing with all of you, what I feel is the best in me.

Muse – a source of artistic inspiration

Every writer needs their muse. I am most certainly inspired by many people and on goings in my life, but I definitely have found my muse. He inspires me to love, think and write deeply. He reminds me that being genuine and compassionate is not a weakness, but my greatest strength. The ironic part – he has no idea. But if he ever reads this – thank you.

“Everything Will Fall Into Place” – Those words sound comforting, don’t they? Even more so when they come from someone you love, especially when you are feeling low. If there is one thing I’ve learned over my (almost) twenty-three years of living, it is that life is messy. Days come and days go. Everything is changing while it all feels the same. How does time pass us by so quickly? We look back and cannot quite place when and where the changes began. But I think that is the point. To constantly be growing, learning and finding ourselves through the chaos of our own lives, and maybe even the lives of the people we surround ourselves with.

When i say “chaos” or “messy” – the connotation is to be interpreted by the reader. Our “chaos” or “messes” can signify sadness, heartbreak and difficult times. They can also signify beautiful, soulful, happy moments we have experienced throughout our lives. I hope that everyone who reads this has experienced both. Because I in particular feel that some of the most beautiful things come from our most painful hardships. It is how we as individuals learn and strive to be more. If everything were easy and perfect, what would motivate us to be better and exert ourselves to fill our souls with what makes us happy and whole?

Our existence is not black and white. It is an array of arresting colors and shades.

Life is always going to be messy. I can only hope that we all find what it is that will give us piece of mind. I hope that we fill our souls with what is truly meaningful to us.