I won't lie, life has been rough lately. I haven't been myself. I've been frustrated, stressed out, and a little lost. Okay, maybe a lot lost... I thought it was normal. Post-move, post break-up...people are supposed to feel a little out of whack, right?
Wrong....
A friend of mine....one I'm not terribly close to and haven't done a good job of keeping in touch with messaged me randomly (via Facebook, no less!) the other day and made me look at things like I should've been looking at them over the last 9 months.
I won't take you through the whole convo, but what he said was crystal clear. "You used to be a rockstar." Wow. I didn't know what to say to that. Of course, my first reaction was, are you kidding me? I'm still a rockstar. But then I realized that he was right. I did used to be a rockstar. And my rockstar status has been dwindling...fast.
I can blame it on whatever I want. Work being stressful. The weather being shitty. Missing Orlando. It doesn't matter. Truth is, I've let a lot of "stuff" get in the way of being me. Well, kids, watch out - I'm back. For real this time.
It doesn't matter where I live. It doesn't matter what happens. I am still the same crazy, hard working, fun loving, independent, stubborn person I was before. Just a different zip code and a winter wardrobe. I really don't know how I lost sight of that to be quite honest with you.
It's such a simple realization. And it was a simple statement. "You used to be a rockstar." That's exactly what he said.
And what's really sad about all of this is equally as simple. The rockstar behavior hasn't gone away. I haven't stopped doing the things I love. I haven't stopped going out and being myself and having a blast. I simply stopped acting like I rockstar. I started worrying about stupid shit. I started thinking about things I couldn't control. And I got stuck inside my own damn head.
So - thank you friend. For pointing out the obvious. And for making me realize - that I am a rockstar. And it's about damn time I started acting like one.
And for my fantastic rockstar friends, and for the ones that were there for me when I wasn't up to par, thank you for being a part of my life. I have realized lately that I am one of the luckiest girls in the world. I have great friends, an amazing family, and a life I am proud of.
Cheers
xoxo
rye
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Being an adult.....
I believe this was November/December 2008.....Kelley told me this was exactly what people should blog about....so here's your post Kel!
xoxo
I'm usually so surprised how fast life happens and how much things change. Today, I'm just pissed off. As you've all told me, life happens; you've grown up, it part of the maturity process, etc. If that's what I'm supposed to do, why the hell can't everybody else?
News flash, life is hard. Being an adult is really shitty sometimes. However, there's nothing we can do to change it. We're adults with adult responsibilities, things to take care of, and sticky situations to get ourselves out of. What happened to just opening your mouth and asking for what you want? I'm as guilty of as everyone else, but it's starting to get on my nerves.
I've found myself in some strange, strange situations I would've never been in a year ago by moving home. Instead of the biggest problem being why didn't that guy at the bar call me, it's now about kids and living together and marriage. Yuck. That's right, I said it….yuck!
But, this is the choice I've made, to move back here to be closer to family and friends. Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad, but some days I just want to shake people and remind them – we're all adults. Yes, some of us are better at it than others, some of us have more experience, and some of us just fly by the seat of our pants. But, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, gets resolved by not opening your mouth. You boyfriend pisses you off – tell him. You don't understand what your boss wants - ask him. You don't know why your best friends' been weird lately - get a bottle of wine and make her talk to you. It's not that tough. Sure, you might find out some things you didn't want to know. You might hurt someone's feelings. But, it's the only way to get an answer. I promise…answers don't appear out of nowhere. And when they do, it's usually not a good situation. Believe me, I know.
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you're not giving the people around you enough credit? That perhaps though they may seem high strung and unreasonable – that they can think like rational adults if you give them the chance. Of course you didn't – you never stopped to ask. So instead we form massive wedges between the people we care about most at the risk of hurting someone's feelings. Well, that's it, I've had enough. If you want to be an adults and be treated like one – start acting like one.
xoxo
I'm usually so surprised how fast life happens and how much things change. Today, I'm just pissed off. As you've all told me, life happens; you've grown up, it part of the maturity process, etc. If that's what I'm supposed to do, why the hell can't everybody else?
News flash, life is hard. Being an adult is really shitty sometimes. However, there's nothing we can do to change it. We're adults with adult responsibilities, things to take care of, and sticky situations to get ourselves out of. What happened to just opening your mouth and asking for what you want? I'm as guilty of as everyone else, but it's starting to get on my nerves.
I've found myself in some strange, strange situations I would've never been in a year ago by moving home. Instead of the biggest problem being why didn't that guy at the bar call me, it's now about kids and living together and marriage. Yuck. That's right, I said it….yuck!
But, this is the choice I've made, to move back here to be closer to family and friends. Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad, but some days I just want to shake people and remind them – we're all adults. Yes, some of us are better at it than others, some of us have more experience, and some of us just fly by the seat of our pants. But, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, gets resolved by not opening your mouth. You boyfriend pisses you off – tell him. You don't understand what your boss wants - ask him. You don't know why your best friends' been weird lately - get a bottle of wine and make her talk to you. It's not that tough. Sure, you might find out some things you didn't want to know. You might hurt someone's feelings. But, it's the only way to get an answer. I promise…answers don't appear out of nowhere. And when they do, it's usually not a good situation. Believe me, I know.
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you're not giving the people around you enough credit? That perhaps though they may seem high strung and unreasonable – that they can think like rational adults if you give them the chance. Of course you didn't – you never stopped to ask. So instead we form massive wedges between the people we care about most at the risk of hurting someone's feelings. Well, that's it, I've had enough. If you want to be an adults and be treated like one – start acting like one.
Invisible goals?
Written post break up in 2008.....
I wish someone would’ve warned me that life would be this hard. When you’re a little kid the people in your life tell you that you can be anything you want to be and that as long as you work hard that good things will come. Nobody warns you that you will get your heart broken. Nobody warns you that people will not turn out to be who you wanted them to be. Nobody warns you that friends will come and go from your life. Not that any warning would make it feel any better, but sometimes it feels like false advertising.
I’ve done everything I’ve been told to do my whole life. I finished high school with good grades and a scholarship to college. I left my life in a small town with the idea that things will only look up from here. College was great. I made amazing friends and I learned a lot about myself as a person. And when I left college in pursuit of the perfect career, I thought things will only look up from here.
After college, I got a job. I was way too hard working and trusting and found out that the workplace is even scarier and harder than high school and college put together. So I got another job, a job that I loved. And I’ve continued to work hard ever since. I knew that there were great things on my horizon because as a little kid, I was told there would be. I mean, I did everything I was supposed to right? I worked hard, I was honest – it should all fall together now, right?
Let’s not forget the entire outside of work drama that comes with adult life. Being an adult is hard work. Not only are you worried about paying all of your bills, finding out who you are, trying to maintain an active social life, but you’re then faced with finding that person you’ll spend the rest of your life with.
I suppose that’s what this is all about for me. When it comes to school and work and being a good person – I’ve done it all. At least I feel like I have. But, why didn’t someone warn me that the relationship part of life is by far the hardest thing that a person will go through. That meeting new people, friends and significant others alike, would be an uphill battle. That just because someone was a nice person, a fun person, doesn’t mean that they’re supposed to be a person in your life.
I’ll be honest; the majority of this is geared towards the relationship side of things. Finding a boyfriend, a potential husband, someone to share your life with – that’s what society says is the next step, post high school, college, and career. However, I won’t overlook the fact that friendships become hard too. People grow and change. They begin to want different things out of life. They begin to expect different things from you. And the friendship changes. I don’t know if it’s harder to end a romantic relationship or end a friendship. Believe me, I’ve done both on more than one occasion, and I’m not a fan of either.
I know you’re thinking I’m pretty naïve right now. How is it possible that this girl didn’t know that life would be hard? That she would make friends and lose them? How did she not know that she would get her heartbroken over and over again? Let me make this clear, I knew that it would happen. I didn’t anticipate the magnitude of it. I didn’t anticipate that my adult life would be so geared towards these things. I didn’t realize that there would be days that I would trade anything to go back to the age of 12 just for life to be that simple and innocent again.
I know I’m not the only woman in the world that feels this way. I don’t mean to leave men out of this one, but I’ve talked to both men and women about life – and for some reason, it seems that women are the ones that always seem flabbergasted at the immense pain that life brings. Perhaps it’s because we tell little boys not to cry and they model themselves after a society that encourages “being manly” and “acting like a man.” And of course, we all know “real men don’t cry.” Perhaps that’s why we, as women, shoulder this pain. We feel pain for ourselves, the people (men) in our life that don’t deal with their pain, and then (though I don’t have children) we shoulder our children’s pain as well.
How much can one person handle? How much pain you take on everyday and still function? How do we get out of bed in the morning and do what needs to be done while internally dealing with four million different things? It’s a complete mystery to me.
Just coming out of a relationship myself, I’ve been through more emotions in the last week that I thought humanly possible. And all I can do is sit here and write and ask myself how? How do people deal with this? How do people just keep going? I know the answer is, because we don’t have a choice. And all sorts of other cliché things, like everything in life happens for a reason. What’s meant to be will be. It is what it is. You can’t change someone that doesn’t want to be changed. Look at the big picture.
Let me tell you something, I’m looking at the big picture and all I see is that it gets more and more complicated the older we get. It becomes harder to meet people that don’t have “emotional baggage.” Responsibilities become bigger. The bills become bigger. We want a bigger house. A nicer car. Or something else we’ve convinced ourselves that if we can just get that one thing, we’ll be happier.
I’ve tried to focus on myself. I’ve tried to focus on what I need and want out of life. I’ve tried to tell myself I don’t need material things. I don’t need a man to make me happy. I don’t need anyone else to make my life great. Is it just me? Am I the only person who doesn’t believe this bullshit? Everywhere you turn around in today’s society, it’s about love and marriage and life and work and material stuff. How do people overcome that? How does an average person working hard to make their life above average ever get to that next level? And when they do get to that next level, how do they slow down and enjoy it? Someone please explain it to me.
Explain to me how I went from an idealistic little girl that wanted to have a career and buy a nice house and live a good life so that my kids wouldn’t want for anything. To a woman that doesn’t know what she’s working for anymore.
I’m sure you’ve heard that it’s better to write down your goals. Develop a picture of what you want and work towards that. What happens if the picture is constantly changing? One day the picture says one thing and the next day it’s completely different.
How have I become so jaded that the idea of dating makes me want to cry? How have I become so unsure of myself? How does a normal person deal with these things? I’ve tried it all, great friends, good wine, a therapist. Sometimes, I do achieve these great moments of clarity where I feel like I’ve got it figured out, just to wake up the next day to see that the picture has changed again.
Does this make me a crazy person? I mean, I’ve polled the people close to me in my life and they all feel pretty similar. But, I’ve never asked the masses. I’ve never asked people that don’t know me or know my situation if I’m completely off the mark here.
If you ask people that have known me a long period of time, they would tell you that this sounds insane coming from someone like me. Someone like myself, who always seemed to so put together. There’s not one thing I’ve set out to do, that I haven’t done. I don’t mean that in a conceited way at all, but it’s true. Every life goal I’ve set for myself, I’ve accomplished. And instead of feeling accomplished and happy and content – I feel worse. I feel like I’m working towards an invisible goal.
I wish someone would’ve warned me that life would be this hard. When you’re a little kid the people in your life tell you that you can be anything you want to be and that as long as you work hard that good things will come. Nobody warns you that you will get your heart broken. Nobody warns you that people will not turn out to be who you wanted them to be. Nobody warns you that friends will come and go from your life. Not that any warning would make it feel any better, but sometimes it feels like false advertising.
I’ve done everything I’ve been told to do my whole life. I finished high school with good grades and a scholarship to college. I left my life in a small town with the idea that things will only look up from here. College was great. I made amazing friends and I learned a lot about myself as a person. And when I left college in pursuit of the perfect career, I thought things will only look up from here.
After college, I got a job. I was way too hard working and trusting and found out that the workplace is even scarier and harder than high school and college put together. So I got another job, a job that I loved. And I’ve continued to work hard ever since. I knew that there were great things on my horizon because as a little kid, I was told there would be. I mean, I did everything I was supposed to right? I worked hard, I was honest – it should all fall together now, right?
Let’s not forget the entire outside of work drama that comes with adult life. Being an adult is hard work. Not only are you worried about paying all of your bills, finding out who you are, trying to maintain an active social life, but you’re then faced with finding that person you’ll spend the rest of your life with.
I suppose that’s what this is all about for me. When it comes to school and work and being a good person – I’ve done it all. At least I feel like I have. But, why didn’t someone warn me that the relationship part of life is by far the hardest thing that a person will go through. That meeting new people, friends and significant others alike, would be an uphill battle. That just because someone was a nice person, a fun person, doesn’t mean that they’re supposed to be a person in your life.
I’ll be honest; the majority of this is geared towards the relationship side of things. Finding a boyfriend, a potential husband, someone to share your life with – that’s what society says is the next step, post high school, college, and career. However, I won’t overlook the fact that friendships become hard too. People grow and change. They begin to want different things out of life. They begin to expect different things from you. And the friendship changes. I don’t know if it’s harder to end a romantic relationship or end a friendship. Believe me, I’ve done both on more than one occasion, and I’m not a fan of either.
I know you’re thinking I’m pretty naïve right now. How is it possible that this girl didn’t know that life would be hard? That she would make friends and lose them? How did she not know that she would get her heartbroken over and over again? Let me make this clear, I knew that it would happen. I didn’t anticipate the magnitude of it. I didn’t anticipate that my adult life would be so geared towards these things. I didn’t realize that there would be days that I would trade anything to go back to the age of 12 just for life to be that simple and innocent again.
I know I’m not the only woman in the world that feels this way. I don’t mean to leave men out of this one, but I’ve talked to both men and women about life – and for some reason, it seems that women are the ones that always seem flabbergasted at the immense pain that life brings. Perhaps it’s because we tell little boys not to cry and they model themselves after a society that encourages “being manly” and “acting like a man.” And of course, we all know “real men don’t cry.” Perhaps that’s why we, as women, shoulder this pain. We feel pain for ourselves, the people (men) in our life that don’t deal with their pain, and then (though I don’t have children) we shoulder our children’s pain as well.
How much can one person handle? How much pain you take on everyday and still function? How do we get out of bed in the morning and do what needs to be done while internally dealing with four million different things? It’s a complete mystery to me.
Just coming out of a relationship myself, I’ve been through more emotions in the last week that I thought humanly possible. And all I can do is sit here and write and ask myself how? How do people deal with this? How do people just keep going? I know the answer is, because we don’t have a choice. And all sorts of other cliché things, like everything in life happens for a reason. What’s meant to be will be. It is what it is. You can’t change someone that doesn’t want to be changed. Look at the big picture.
Let me tell you something, I’m looking at the big picture and all I see is that it gets more and more complicated the older we get. It becomes harder to meet people that don’t have “emotional baggage.” Responsibilities become bigger. The bills become bigger. We want a bigger house. A nicer car. Or something else we’ve convinced ourselves that if we can just get that one thing, we’ll be happier.
I’ve tried to focus on myself. I’ve tried to focus on what I need and want out of life. I’ve tried to tell myself I don’t need material things. I don’t need a man to make me happy. I don’t need anyone else to make my life great. Is it just me? Am I the only person who doesn’t believe this bullshit? Everywhere you turn around in today’s society, it’s about love and marriage and life and work and material stuff. How do people overcome that? How does an average person working hard to make their life above average ever get to that next level? And when they do get to that next level, how do they slow down and enjoy it? Someone please explain it to me.
Explain to me how I went from an idealistic little girl that wanted to have a career and buy a nice house and live a good life so that my kids wouldn’t want for anything. To a woman that doesn’t know what she’s working for anymore.
I’m sure you’ve heard that it’s better to write down your goals. Develop a picture of what you want and work towards that. What happens if the picture is constantly changing? One day the picture says one thing and the next day it’s completely different.
How have I become so jaded that the idea of dating makes me want to cry? How have I become so unsure of myself? How does a normal person deal with these things? I’ve tried it all, great friends, good wine, a therapist. Sometimes, I do achieve these great moments of clarity where I feel like I’ve got it figured out, just to wake up the next day to see that the picture has changed again.
Does this make me a crazy person? I mean, I’ve polled the people close to me in my life and they all feel pretty similar. But, I’ve never asked the masses. I’ve never asked people that don’t know me or know my situation if I’m completely off the mark here.
If you ask people that have known me a long period of time, they would tell you that this sounds insane coming from someone like me. Someone like myself, who always seemed to so put together. There’s not one thing I’ve set out to do, that I haven’t done. I don’t mean that in a conceited way at all, but it’s true. Every life goal I’ve set for myself, I’ve accomplished. And instead of feeling accomplished and happy and content – I feel worse. I feel like I’m working towards an invisible goal.
Oh how things change....and stay the same.
This one was written in December 2007. So funny how things change and how they stay the same....
So, it's been a crazy, crazy year. Those of you that know me well, know most of the instances that have made this year a rough one.
A year ago, I could look in the mirror and know I had complete and total control over my life, so I thought. But somehow over the past twelve months I have lost control and have never felt so damn helpless. And I absolutely refuse to carry this into 2008.
After many long conversations with many of my great friends, who thank God, helped me through this year, whether they know it or not, I have come to the conclusion that we have nothing to lose.
Think about all of the things we stress about. Jobs, money, relationships. Most of us are in our mid-twenties and live damn good lives - but somehow it's never enough. If we are attached we wonder if he's the one or can I overlook the fact that I hate what my significant other watches on tv? If we're married, we hate that our single friends can do happy hour whenever they want! If we're single, we wonder where and when we'll find the next person to occupy our time until we decide that we can't overlook the fact that we hate what they watch on tv.
When it comes to work, we wonder if we're doing a good job. Are we going to get fired? Are we going to get promoted? Am I being paid for the amount of work I'm putting in? Can I find another job somewhere else? Can I make more money somewhere else?
So, we talk to our friends. We toast to silly things about being single, being broke, and being fabulous. We make eyes at the person across the bar, but if they talk to us, we blow them off. We work our asses off and then just stress that we really should be making more money. We analyze and reanalyze things that we really have absolutely no control over! We talk ourselves in circles. We ruin perfectly good nights out talking about things that we can't answer. We ruin Sunday Funday by making ourselves crazy over something that we truly will never understand.
The question is, what do we have to lose by asking these questions to the people that can actually answer them?!?!!!! I love you - my friends - but you can't tell me why the boy who asked for my number at the bar didn't call me. You can't tell me why my boss does nothing when things aren't going well at work. So, what do we have to lose by asking the questions??? To the person that can answer the question.
My ultimate goal in 2008 is this - to before I do or say anything, to think WHAT DO I HAVE TO LOSE?? Let's be honest my friends, 9 times out of 10, the answer is nothing. You have nothing to lose. You're young, you're fabulous, and I love all of you and appreciate all of you. Sometimes, it's going to happen, you're going to get rejected and the answer isn't going to be what you want it to be, but at least you know. And knowing is half the battle, my friends!
For those of you that are aware of my plans for change in the future, please help keep me grounded. Please help me realize that I live a fantastic life and that I couldn't do it without each and everyone one of you.
Cheers to a fantastic 2008! And to getting the answers you need, even if you don't want to hear them!
The way to a girls heart.....
I believe I wrote this one in March 2008.....still great stuff though :)
You know the age old saying, "The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach." And the way to a woman’s heart is by flowers and chocolates and jewelry. Don’t get me wrong, I love flowers and jewelry, but I think anymore, it’s more than that.
Just like our generation wants more out of life – fancy cars, big houses, lavish vacations, I think we want more out of relationships as well. Not just romantic relationships either, but friendships too.
So instead of buying flowers (that will die) and chocolates (that we will throw away when you leave)…the way to a girl’s heart is through her dog, her friends, and her nickname. Sounds simple, right?
When a girl has a dog, her very own dog, I promise you that dog means more to her than anything. So, be nice to the dog. Play with the dog. Call the dog by the correct name and sex. And that’s just if you’re friends. If you’re trying to date her, my suggestion is to become a dog person. Understand that any habits that dog has in her house are not going to change just because you’re in the picture. So get used to the dog sleeping in bed with you, cuddling on the couch with you, and being unsure of whether or not she’s talking to you when she says "Baby!" Other great ways to get on a girl’s good side….take the dog out while she’s getting ready, feed the dog, and play with the dog even when she’s not watching…..
Oh, her friends! Every girl has friends, typically several groups of friends and people that she’s kept in touch with over the years. Women are good like that. As the new man in her life, it’s your job to impress them. All of them. Her work friends, her good friends, the friends she drinks with on Friday nights, and any friend that may come into town to visit. I don’t just mean wear clean socks and iron your shirt, I mean impress them. Talk to them. Ask them questions. Make it so she’s comfortable leaving you alone with them while she goes to the bathroom. Believe me, no matter a woman says, it’s hard to date a man your friends hate. And it’s hard to dump a guy they love.
And her nickname. The people closest to you call you by your nickname. The people that have known you for years or perhaps the people that gave you the nickname are all very near and dear to your heart. When someone calls me Rye rather than Ryann, I respond….a little softer, if you will. It’s endearing. So if the girl you’re dating has a nickname, once you’re comfortable enough and have heard enough people call her that, it’s a good idea to jump on board. If she doesn’t have one….make one up. I’m not talking about a sweet, sappy pet name, but a nickname. Somehow it’s really, really hard to get mad at someone when they don’t use your full name.
By no means am I saying stop buying flowers and chocolate and jewelry for the girl you’re dating. But start thinking about the simple things that mean the world. Status quo doesn’t work for this generation my friends, think over and above – just like everything else you want out of life :)
xoxo
Another oldie but goodie
I hope you all don't mind me sharing my thoughts with you, as I enjoy doing it and particularly hearing your feedback and the conversation it evokes. And if you do mind – then don't read it. The beauty of the Internet ;)
It's been a very fast month, but I've learned a quite a few surprising things.
First and foremost, people are going to disappoint you. No matter how hard they try not to, or how much they promise they won't – they do. I don't mean to sound negative, but it's very true. Now, the positive spin on this is how you deal with the disappointment. If you let it effect you – it will. But if you remind yourself that the person/people that disappoint you are, in fact, teaching you what may be a very valuable lesson, it doesn't hurt quite so bad or at least for not quite so long.
Second of all, your childhood friends can fix any and every problem. I know I've touched on this before – but I was reminded when I went home. Spending a weekend with people who knew you so, so well for so long reminds you how much you need to have people like in your life. Those people that know you, the real you, the you that were for so many years, no matter how much you've changed. I can't tell you how amazing it is to be reunited with my girlfriends from home that I haven't been great at keeping in touch with – but I still didn't have to catch them up on my life. They just know me. It's a phenomenal thing.
Thirdly, you have to be able to let go. All of this talk of clarity lately, and "what do I have to lose" has brought on some interesting changes in my life and the people close to me. It makes me so happy to see my friends growing and changing, but it makes me sad that my little family here in Orlando is slowly but surely falling apart. It's not in a bad way, but in the way that we're all moving and making plans for the future. I keep reminding myself that as long as we're all making changes for the positive, all I can do is smile and be proud of the people around me.
And lastly, time is priceless. We are all so busy with so many things. Some of us with work, some of us with school, some of us with taking care of our families and loved ones. At the end of every day, we sit and wonder where the hell the day went. It's a scary feeling. Think about your day today. How much time was spent doing things you love doing versus doing things you have to do? Time is a precious commodity that you don't get back no matter what. So if there is any way that you can find a way to spend that time doing something you want to do, or making that something you have to do something you want to do, do it. Many of you that know me well have heard me say, "It's just money; you can't take it with you when you die." The same goes for time. It's your time to do with what you want – so you may as well enjoy it. Go do something fun. Go visit friends from out of town that you just haven't had time to visit. Call that girlfriend you've been meaning to catch up with but just haven't had the time to. Send that email you keep meaning to write to that old friend of yours. We only get one shot at this whole life thing – we might as well have fun :)
Love you all….
xoxo
It's been a very fast month, but I've learned a quite a few surprising things.
First and foremost, people are going to disappoint you. No matter how hard they try not to, or how much they promise they won't – they do. I don't mean to sound negative, but it's very true. Now, the positive spin on this is how you deal with the disappointment. If you let it effect you – it will. But if you remind yourself that the person/people that disappoint you are, in fact, teaching you what may be a very valuable lesson, it doesn't hurt quite so bad or at least for not quite so long.
Second of all, your childhood friends can fix any and every problem. I know I've touched on this before – but I was reminded when I went home. Spending a weekend with people who knew you so, so well for so long reminds you how much you need to have people like in your life. Those people that know you, the real you, the you that were for so many years, no matter how much you've changed. I can't tell you how amazing it is to be reunited with my girlfriends from home that I haven't been great at keeping in touch with – but I still didn't have to catch them up on my life. They just know me. It's a phenomenal thing.
Thirdly, you have to be able to let go. All of this talk of clarity lately, and "what do I have to lose" has brought on some interesting changes in my life and the people close to me. It makes me so happy to see my friends growing and changing, but it makes me sad that my little family here in Orlando is slowly but surely falling apart. It's not in a bad way, but in the way that we're all moving and making plans for the future. I keep reminding myself that as long as we're all making changes for the positive, all I can do is smile and be proud of the people around me.
And lastly, time is priceless. We are all so busy with so many things. Some of us with work, some of us with school, some of us with taking care of our families and loved ones. At the end of every day, we sit and wonder where the hell the day went. It's a scary feeling. Think about your day today. How much time was spent doing things you love doing versus doing things you have to do? Time is a precious commodity that you don't get back no matter what. So if there is any way that you can find a way to spend that time doing something you want to do, or making that something you have to do something you want to do, do it. Many of you that know me well have heard me say, "It's just money; you can't take it with you when you die." The same goes for time. It's your time to do with what you want – so you may as well enjoy it. Go do something fun. Go visit friends from out of town that you just haven't had time to visit. Call that girlfriend you've been meaning to catch up with but just haven't had the time to. Send that email you keep meaning to write to that old friend of yours. We only get one shot at this whole life thing – we might as well have fun :)
Love you all….
xoxo
A few oldies but goodies to get us started....
Have you ever had a moment of extreme clarity? One where everything is right in the world?
No worries, me neither! But I have had a moment where everything seems pretty darn close. It's funny how quickly things can change.
I hope you don't mind if I share few thoughts with you about clarity and change.
A few things I've learned recently:
1. Some people come into your life to teach you lessons you didn't even know you needed to learn. Some of them stay, and some of them go - but at the end of the day, you will always have the lesson.
2. It's important to have that one person in your life that is always there for you - no matter what! I am blessed to have several of those people, and Lord knows I couldn't live without them.
3. Not to quote Sweet Home Alabama, but I'm going to - "It's okay to have roots and wings." For so many years I've fought where I grew up and what it stood for. Now, for the first time, possibly ever, I've realized that where I grew up and the people I grew up with made me who I am. And again, I thank the Lord for that too.
4. You're only as good as you want to be. It's true. We always hate hearing it - but it's true. It's up to you to create your life. You work as hard as you want to work. You surround yourself with the people that will help you get where you want to be. You put in the hard work, the passion, and the desire to get where you want to be. And, if you're not where you want to be or where you feel you deserve to be in your life - change your approach. Do something different. Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
5. Find something or someone that inspires you. It's so important to have that place you go to, that person you talk to - that happy place, where everything is right with the world. Where you don't think about how stressed out you are or how all over the map things seem to be. That 20 minutes, those 2 hours, getting lost in conversation with that person - those things are priceless. It's what keeps you sane. It's what keeps you from losing your mind. If you don't have that, I can't tell you how empowering it is and I challenge you to find it.
I think that's all for now - but if I think of anything else I'll continue. Your thoughts and opinions are always appreciated. And for those of you that are those people I can't live without - I thank you. And for the people that have taught me those life lessons - you've made me who I am today. And for my friends I grew up with - I can't wait to see you all again soon.
xoxo
No worries, me neither! But I have had a moment where everything seems pretty darn close. It's funny how quickly things can change.
I hope you don't mind if I share few thoughts with you about clarity and change.
A few things I've learned recently:
1. Some people come into your life to teach you lessons you didn't even know you needed to learn. Some of them stay, and some of them go - but at the end of the day, you will always have the lesson.
2. It's important to have that one person in your life that is always there for you - no matter what! I am blessed to have several of those people, and Lord knows I couldn't live without them.
3. Not to quote Sweet Home Alabama, but I'm going to - "It's okay to have roots and wings." For so many years I've fought where I grew up and what it stood for. Now, for the first time, possibly ever, I've realized that where I grew up and the people I grew up with made me who I am. And again, I thank the Lord for that too.
4. You're only as good as you want to be. It's true. We always hate hearing it - but it's true. It's up to you to create your life. You work as hard as you want to work. You surround yourself with the people that will help you get where you want to be. You put in the hard work, the passion, and the desire to get where you want to be. And, if you're not where you want to be or where you feel you deserve to be in your life - change your approach. Do something different. Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
5. Find something or someone that inspires you. It's so important to have that place you go to, that person you talk to - that happy place, where everything is right with the world. Where you don't think about how stressed out you are or how all over the map things seem to be. That 20 minutes, those 2 hours, getting lost in conversation with that person - those things are priceless. It's what keeps you sane. It's what keeps you from losing your mind. If you don't have that, I can't tell you how empowering it is and I challenge you to find it.
I think that's all for now - but if I think of anything else I'll continue. Your thoughts and opinions are always appreciated. And for those of you that are those people I can't live without - I thank you. And for the people that have taught me those life lessons - you've made me who I am today. And for my friends I grew up with - I can't wait to see you all again soon.
xoxo
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