The Best Things In Life Are Free

Learn to appreciate the little things, it will help you keep a more positive attitude!                 

                -BWA Y-L-I-C

We truly forget that the best things in life are free.

 Love; Smiles; Compassion; Honesty; Family; Friends; Hugs; Support; Kindness; Laughter; Acceptance.

Growing; Comfort; Wisdom; Gratitude; Hope; Caring;  
Good Memories; 
A Stroll on the Beach;

Faith; Passion; Forgiveness; Commitment; Accomplishment; Dedication; Devotion;

 Making A Difference; God.

  

We tend to not focus on positive aspects of our life from a day-to-day basis. We seem to take the good things for granted. We, as humans, can not be satisfied fully. 

Why? Because we're looking in all the wrong places!

You can not put a price on what is truly amazing.

We will never do much good in this world, or feel satisfied, as long as we wonder if we're going to get much credit personally.

We have all we need right under our noses- 

it's up to us to re-prioritize what makes us happy. 

I want everyone to be able to end life telling God 

"I used everything you gave me"

 

See opportunity and take it.

In my opinion,

 The purpose of life is to have a life of purpose.  

So, improve the world while enjoying it as well.

Everything, EVERYTHING, Happens For A Reason.

And to Every action has a reaction.

[[That's why you should live life with no regret.]]

 What's meant to be will always find a way to come about.

 Just Take It One Day At A Time

Don't look into the past and grieve;; 

For what is done- is done. 

Don't look into the future and be troubled; for it has yet to come.

Live in the present && make it worth remembering.

Solve as much as you can; Live with intention; 

Walk to the edge;

But not over it.

 Listen hard- think harder; Practice wellness, Laugh Loudly; Enjoy yourself; Choose to live with no regret of past nor fear of what is to come; Continue to learn everyday; Do what you love and live as if that is all there is. And continue to do so until you're called home.

<3

Just Roll With It

I sometimes seem to have the worst luck in the world. My husband said I marred into bad luck, I say I've had it all my life. I spill some kind of food on me almost any time I eat, no matter how hard I try to be careful. I break heels more than anyone I've ever known, and coffee is a magnet to my shirt anytime I wear white! Something feels off when there is a day that goes by without incedent.

This morning for instance, everything was going smoothly, too smoothly. I was up early, left for work early, had a nice cup of coffee and didn't manage to spill any on myself! So when I got to work and one of my coworkers told me I had a tear the size of a baseball in the back of my pants and my butt cheek was in view for everyone to see, I didn't freak out. I went and found a sweatshirt, tied it around my waist, and continued with my day.

You might think that I would have been so embarrassed  I didn't show my face the rest of the day, but I did.In fact, I laughed at myself right along with everyone else laughing at me. The thing is, I wouldn't have it any other way. (Although I could do without the hole in my new Skinnies)

If you freak out when something doesn't go according to plan, you'll constantly be stressed. Life has a funny way of reminding you that sometimes, life DOESN'T pan out according to our plans. Embracing those not-so-perfect moments not only makes you less apt to freak out when they DO happen, it will help you realize that those little moments usually turn into the best stories and memories. So learn to laugh at yourself, to find humor in bad luck. Don't let it get you down, keep pushing forward. No matter how small or large the mistake, rip, or stain!

Daily Life and Stress

Life and Stress

Original Image from http://www.dralisongrimston.com

Anyone can admit that stress is a part of life , and it isn't going anywhere, no matter how hard you try. Trust me, is just isn't. So you might as well save yourself a lot of wasted effort and just embrace stress. Harness it. Control it, don't let it control you. It sounds difficult, but here's how.

If you feel uncertain about something, make it certain. Like if they're cutting back on employees at work and you're worried you might be next. Or say you married young and wished you would have furthered your education after high school. Don't just sit around worrying about 'what if' or 'what is', that will get you nothing but more suffering. React! Channel your emotions into retaliation! Apply that stress and uncertainty into your to-do list. Work at the top of your game, go above your job description, and make sure you're a valuable part of the team. Apply for Financial Aid, Scholarships, Student Loans, study online or at night, whatever you have to do. With discipline, channeling your uncertainty into making it certain will ultimately make you feel less stressed out about it, and will help you excel in other areas, such as professionally and physically in the above examples.

 It is ALWAYS important to take a breath, especially if you honestly feel you're pushing your limit. Don't forget to de-stress too! Enjoy your hard work once in awhile. Find time to unplug, unwind, and enjoy the little things in life. Sometimes we're so wrapped up in life that we forget to stop and smell the roses, 

per se.

There truly is beauty in every day moments, and stopping to appreciate them once and a while will give you a greater appreciation for life. They say life happens when you are busy making other plans. I don't fully believe that. I don't think you can map out every event of your life, but that you can have a life plan and reach goals and dreams. But I also found out long ago, that although you are 'building a life' when you are young, this IS life. Remember to stop and live it here and there.  <3

The Beauty of Being Imperfect

The Beauty of Being Imperfect

 

Picture a world where every single person was the same. Everyone looks the same, lives in identical houses, drives the same cars and makes the same amount of money. 

A world like the one above might, at the surface, seem one of less prejudice and equality. But, after the initial feeling of peace wore off, you would be in a world where there was no more beauty in people. Life would be boring, people would be boring.

What makes an individual beautiful is what makes them unique.

Their talents, their traits and characteristics. All the little things that make you..YOU. If we didn't have those things, then what would we have?

Every.Single.One of us has unique characteristics, some strengths-some weaknesses. I might be a great dancer and a horrible singer. You might be a horrible dancer, but have the voice of an angel!

Just because someone might be better than you at something, doesn't mean their better than you in general. It just means they have strength in that area, and weakness somewhere else.

Instead of putting so much pressure on trying to fit in to today's stereotypes pressed out by the magazines, newspapers, television and other medias, embrace who you are, your differences, and apply them to something positive!

When you accept and share your unique traits, people will see just how strong and confident you are about who you are, and will, in turn, see your uniqueness as a positive thing as well!

My Biggest Fashion Do’s & Don'ts

My Biggest Fashion Do’s & Don'ts

By Christina Adkins

I'll admit it... Growing up, I wasn't exactly friends with fashion. I was somewhat of a sheltered child, and only learned the basics like shaving and tweezing from my mom. Since I wore uniforms to school, it wasn't until the year of 8th grade when I transferred from private to public school, that I came to realize that clothes weren't just to cover your body. By the time I had this revelation, I felt like I had a lot of catching up to do, and went overboard for awhile. Now I enjoy fashion and trends, and as some of you might know, even model now because of that fashion. Here's a few fashion do's and don’ts I've learned along the way.

DON'T: Spend Tons of Money on Trends

When I was first getting into fashion, I was so worried about the label itself. I thought that in order to be the best styled, I had to have the best, most expensive, well known labels. Boy was I wrong about the assumption. Since trends come and go so quickly, you might wear the purchase a handful of times before it's out of season.  I know women on the lowest budget that have the best style! Even celebrities mix and match designer labels with more affordable pieces from Top Shop, Anthropologie,

and more. Who the heck is walking around going "I like that shirt!”? Turn around and let me see what brand the tag says!"? It's about looking fabulous, and weather you do that with 5 dollars or 500 dollars doesn't really matter. You'd be surprised what treasures you can find at thrift stores or consignment shops!

Do: Splurge on Timeless Items

 If you do feel like splurging, invest in items that are timeless, like a killer pair of jeans, a great bra, the perfect black belt, or a LBD (Little Black Dress). You will feel much more satisfied if you invest in things that you can use for more than just a short period of time. I also suggest splurging on items that have a more neutural color scheme or pattern. If you buy a piece that you can't mix and match, you're choices of how you wear it are more limited. Anything that is versatile will get a lot more use.

DON'T: Dress Head-to-Toe in the Latest Trends

I went gun-ho on trying to keep up with the latest styles and trends once I discovered them. But, at the time I saw it as, in order to really be trendy, you had to dress head to toe in the latest fashions, even down to the exact color schemes for hair, nails, and make-up I saw in magazines.

That didn't work out to well for me, and anyone who has done the same thing will agree. Sometimes, trends don't exactly work for your skin tone, bone structure, or size. For instance, pant-suits are really hot on the runways for fall,  but I'm 5"2' and very petite so it's hard for me to pull that off without looking, (and feeling) like one of the seven dwarfs instead of the fabulous Snow White.

DO: Embrace Who You Are and Enjoy Who That Is

Once you find what works for who you are, both inside AND out- trying new trends, beauty routines, and even new things in life becomes less intimidating and so much fun. If a trend doesn't work for you like sometimes it doesn't for me, skip it or make it work! Pantsuits might be in, but with my dwarf-ism, I wear just the blazer and throw it over a feminine shirt and add some shinnies, booties with heels, and a clutch for a killer date-night outfit. (See look from Balmain, to Left)

  

The key is not to be dressed head to toe in this minute's latest fashion dos, but to find what makes you feel confident, what looks good on YOU, and make it yours! Whatever you wear, own it. If you don't feel confident in something, you won't look confident either. But when you feel good about what you're wearing, it makes everyone else see a confident woman as well. Outfits aren't just about the outfits; it’s about you as a person as well. Look at Katy Perry or Lady Gaga's crazy get-ups, or Marc Jacobs’s man-skirts or whatever they are. 

Because they own what they're wearing, they exude a confidence that clothes alone cannot. Take a tip from the stars, being beautiful is not about being perfect head to toe, inside and out. It's about loving, being proud, and embracing who you are. Because once you do that, the people around you will too. <3