New Year, New You, New Life and a New Way to figure out how to get it!

   Hello all! Well since the world did not end, looks like we are moving on into the New Year! I don't know about you but I feel deep down that this is going to be an incredible and life changing year. Not just for me but for YOU too. So here we are, sitting on the great precipice of this New Year with a list of goals, dreams and aspirations in mind.

 

Now, before you start getting stressed, hyperventilating and stress eating..BREATHE. There is a simple way to get all of what we want out of 2013 WITHOUT stressing ourselves out.

 

   What generally happens every New Year's Eve? We sit down, write down a grand list of ALL the things we want to accomplish in the New Year. This list consists of:

*Losing weight

*Making more money

*Getting your dream job

*Getting your dream partner

*Winning the lotto

*Being on a famous talk show

 

AND on and on it goes. But what is a crucial aspect missing out of this list or these huge resolution lists we make?

 

How the heck to do it all!

 

   We tend to plan out and map out our entire year in the hopes of getting very clear on what we want. When in fact all we are doing is really setting ourselves up for FAILURE. A simple example to really grasp what I am saying is this question.

 

Which is easier?

You have not been working out or running for almost a year. You now want to start working on your fitness and get back in to shape. Which is easier?

(A) Starting out running a 5K marathon

(B) Going for a jog around the neighborhood till you build the stamina to run the whole way

 

   Clearly, option B is easier because you are gradually making your way to the ultimate goal which is your health and fitness levels. If you start out running the marathon you will be sucking wind probably after the 1 mile mark and never want to run again. This will lead to being on the couch, burning your running shoes in the fireplace with a gallon of Bluebell on your lap because you QUIT and are OVERWHELMED.

 

   So now that we understand how we have let our own goals sometimes be our own demise, let's move on to how we can make a change. Let's imagine we are in the grocery store. We have our shopping cart in hand and we are making our way down the aisles. Are we shopping for the whole YEAR'S worth of groceries? No, that is impossible, only for this month's groceries.

 

   Take your first goal or resolution, going down the first aisle (to keep up with the analogy). Break it down and simplify it, grab just a few things off the shelves. Let's say it is to lose 50 pounds. That can be pretty overwhelming so let's condense that to lose at least 5 pounds every month. Now that it is broken down, let's road map how we are going to lose this 5 pounds every month. This can range from: joining a weight loss program, going for a jog three times a week and eating out at our favorite restaurant once a month only to have a "cheat night". Now this overwhelming goal has been broken down to something that is obtainable. Now instead of having this huge 50 pound resolution in our cart, we have a simplified version that fits nice and neat in our grocery cart. And if you do the math, by the end of the year you could lose 60+ pounds!

 

   This can be a very stressful time of the year. Sometimes people are going over all of their failures from the year or the YEARS before. The fact is, is that the is in the past and we need to live in the now. Don't beat yourself up over what happened last year, last month or even yesterday. We need to be projecting what we DO want in our life not what we DON'T want. We need to bring our best self forward for the New Year not our self from New Year's Eve's past.

 

   What also can happen is that we let OTHER people decide what WE need in the New Year. Let's go back to our grocery cart. You are strolling up and down the aisles of resolutions, slowly breaking it all down and grabbing just a few things of the shelves. Now  all of a sudden family, friends and random people are jamming stuff in YOUR cart. Now, would you be buying other people's items at the grocery store that you really didn't want? I DON'T THINK SO! You would be throwing out items right and left and having no mercy who got hit by someones groceries.

 

   So let's do that with our resolutions! You don't need to be taking others advice on the change YOU want in YOUR life. That will only make things more stressful, complicated and ultimately disappointing. We need to know that we are RIGHT where we need to be. We are on OUR divine path, things are being lined up for us and opportunities are headed our way. Let's not get impatient and want everything to happen right at this very moment, but to rest assured that the Universe, God or your higher power has already mapped it all out.

  

   Trust me, your higher power is not lining things up in your future, secretly snickering, "Let's see if she can TRY and overcome THIS huge obstacle I am putting in her way." Not at all. Your higher power is lining up all the roads to success, just WAITING for you travel on to them. But you have to make the choice to step on the paths and begin your journey.

   So in this New Year we need to stay focused, rejoice in our accomplishments no matter how small or large they are and ENJOY OUR LIVES! Life is meant to be celebrated not to be dreaded or to even be stressed over. If we can break down our resolutions to OBTAINABLE milestones, we are going to have the best year EVER.

 

Plan on my friends! Enjoy your celebration with family and friends! And most importantly make the choice to be happy today, tomorrow and all year-long.

 

Happy New Year!

~Ava

 

Quotes for the NEW YEAR:

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

"Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties."

-Helen Keller

   

5 ways to put your best YOU forward!

 

 

 

Hello everyone! I hope everyone has had a great week and enjoying the weekend. Christmas is right around the corner and I know how hectic the holiday's can be with buying presents, family coming in and everyday life! This time can be even MORE stressful if you don't have a job at all and you are trying to figure out how you will buy presents for all of your loved ones. So many people are unemployed and struggling to find work. I have 5 helpful hints to help you put your best YOU forward in your interview and get the job YOU want.

 

1. Presentation:

 

Ever heard the expression, 'Dress to impress'? Well...you need to! The way you need to dress is the way YOU would want YOUR future employee to dress if you owned a company. What's more impressive? Nice slacks, a button up shirt, tidy hair and smelling nice. OR stained paints, wrinkled shirt, messy hair and not smelling very fresh. I think the answer is pretty clear. We all know when we wear a new outfit or an outfit we love; we feel AWESOME! We have a little more bounce in our step, we feel good and most importantly you are confident. So when picking out an outfit for your interview think to yourself:

 

*Would I hire ME in this outfit?

*Does this make me feel good about myself and help me feel confident?

 

NOT

 

* I know I have worn these pants two days in a row, they smell ok; think I can wear them again?

 

2. Speech:

 

The way we look is important because as humans we are very visual beings. BUT how we speak is just as important because that is our main way of expressing ourselves. I have met so many wonderful people, with powerful messages but you can't understand them because they speak too fast or don't pronounce there words clearly. When you are in an interview you need to speak in a manner that presents yourself in the best light. Sit up straight, speak slow and clear and remember to breathe. More often than not we either get so nervous or excited that we forget to breathe. The result of this is a shaky voice, you will most likely get red and it will come off that you aren't very sure of what you are saying. And everything your saying in an interview is about YOU so you definitely want to be sure about what you are saying.

 

3. Selling abilities:

 

When I used to hire new employees my very first question would be "So, tell me a little bit about yourself?". I wasn't asking this so I could hear where they were born or what middle school they went to but more so to hear how they would sell themselves. It was rare that someone would take this opportunity to highlight positive attributes they had and skills that would be beneficial for the position they were applying for. More often than not people brought me their STRUGGLES not their success or their best. Now, there's nothing wrong with perhaps stating the situation you are in or maybe some obstacles you have overcome. But follow it up with success stories, skills you possess and what makes you a valuable asset to the company in which you are applying for. You could state how it's been hard to get a job or that you really need to find something stable but follow it up with that you are hardworking, smart and a go-getter. When you leave that interview, the boss needs to think to themselves, "How in the WORLD has this person been unemployed for so long and WHEN can they start for my company?". If you only deliver your struggle, they will most likely think that's why you have been unemployed because you just have too much going on and don't put your best face forward. No one gives jobs because they feel sorry for you; make them feel THEY will be sorry if they don't hire YOU!

 

4. Confidence

 

When you walk into that interview you need to EXUDE confidence. Confidence is contagious. If you walk in standing up straight, shoulders back, head held high; they will  have no choice but to see how confident you are. When you think your happening, everyone else around you will too. Even if you don't feel 100% confident, go ahead and pretend that you are. Look online or on TV at one of your idols or hero's.

 

How do they stand? Are they slumped over in a Dior gown? Are they not looking people in the eye when shaking hands? Are they conducting an interview and talking down all of their skills and accomplishments?

 

NO WAY!

 

So if you aren't feeling your confidence, fake it till you make it. Eventually your confidence will come to surface and you will be unstoppable.

 

5. YOU:

 

Most importantly, bring YOU to the interview. It's a given that you will physically be there but bring who you really are. So many people think that just because they are dressing nice and refining there speech, that they can't be themselves. WRONG. You are the only person that can be you, so show them your personality and your spark. Don't try and be someone else because if you get hired and you have been pretending to be someone else, you are going to adapt a multiple personality disorder. Simply, be you, because at the end of the day that's all you can be and the only person you should be in this life.

 

So whether you are going on an interview or just wanting to know how to carry on in everyday life, these tips will help. Want to know how I know this? Because I use these 5 tips every single day. I make sure I am confident, looking and feeling good, speaking and presenting myself well and being my authentic self. If you try these five simple tips, I promise you won't regret it.

 

Have a great week!

~Ava

 

Quote of the day:

"If you are not selling the real you to people you're only selling yourself short."

-Unknown

 

The Obstacles of Life

 

   Hello everyone! It is the weekend at last! I hope you all had an inspiring week and are ready to get   ready for the week to come! The other day I was thinking about what I wanted to write for this week's blog. I began to think about how hard it can be to become INSPIRED for our upcoming week if we are staring at a huge OBSTACLE in our path.

    First of all, life gets MESSY and CHALLENGING. Sometimes, inspiration and motivation will not come easily. Sometimes it will seem impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel because there is a huge mountain of an obstacle blocking the path.

    While we can't always help the obstacles that come our way; we can choose how we VIEW our obstacles.

How do YOU view obstacles?

*As a burden?

*Annoying?

*The obnoxious fly, buzzing around your head, that just wont go away?

    Or perhaps all of the above. But WHAT IF we could view our obstacles like a test? Or to know that a greater reward was behind the obstacle? That would make that obstacle look possible NOT impossible.

 

    Whatever higher power you believe in whether it be religious, spiritual, Jesus or the universe, this power is constantly working in your life. Your higher power is always lining things up for you and making things happen. You have to know, that your higher power would never put anything in your path that you couldn't handle. But instead sometimes things are put in our path to TEST our strength and our PERSEVERANCE.

    Joel Osteen says, "Extraordinary people will face extraordinary obstacles". This is because our higher power knows what we can handle and also knows the plans in our future. Since we are destined for greatness and we're created to do powerful things, nothing in life is simply going to come easy. 

    For example, look at all the great and influential people from history. In any book, documentary or movie about them did it say, "...and everything was so easy and happened in the blink of an eye. The End." Um, NO! Each has a story of obstacles, problems, challenges and major events they had to overcome. But would they be great if they hadn't faced that? They wouldn't.

    So when an obstacle comes your way, we need to develop a new mentality. We should think to ourselves, "Wow, something big is waiting for me at the other side of this obstacle. I know I can do this because my higher power KNOWS I can do this. This was put in my path on PURPOSE not by chance." If we said this to ourselves, no obstacle would ever overcome us; we would always overcome the obstacle.

    After you overcome that obstacle something incredible will be waiting for you. You just have to work hard to GET to that point and see. Whenever you feel discouraged, pick up a book or Google one of your idols or one of the many greats of the past. Read their story; look at the struggles they overcame and the rewards that were waiting for them.

    For example, I always envision this. I think about my E! True Hollywood Story that I know I will have one day. Whenever life is getting me down or I feel like some of my obstacles are impossible, I simply think of my upcoming segment on E!. I will simply say to myself that this will make my E! True Hollywood Story better and will make it that much more interesting. Who would want a BORING E! True Hollywood Story? I want one full of triumph and victory. And those triumphs come from obstacles you face and things you have had to overcome in life.

    So go out this week with a new and fresh perspective. Whatever obstacle you are facing right now, think how you can overcome it. With every mountain standing in your way, think about what is on the other side. Whenever you feel doubt about your ability to overcome, rest assured that your higher power will always believe in you and knows you can do it. But most important of all, always believe in yourself and the destiny that you are meant to fulfill.

Have a great week!

~Ava

Quote of the day:

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome."

-Booker T. Washington

The Fire Within

 

   Hello all! Hope everyone is having a great start to the week! Sometimes I just get so fired up about a topic it simply cannot wait till the weekend, I just have to write it now. This is why I love writing so much because no one has to motivate me to do this. It is a fire that burns within me and compels me every day to write and think deeply about the many wonders of life. And that is exactly what I want to talk about today, the fire that burns within each and every one of us.

 

   First things first, WHAT IS YOUR PASSION? People ask and reply to this question all the time. Replies vary from dancing or reading or maybe cooking. But I'm serious, really, dig down deep inside and search for that PASSION that drives you in life. If you find something that you think is your passion in life but people have to motivate you to do it or maybe you have to drag yourself to accomplish a task then guess what...THAT IS SO NOT YOUR PASSION.

 

   Your passion will be like a RAGING fire within you. It will be something that you can't ignore or that you can put to the side because it is the very essence of you. Find that passion and most importantly GO for it. Don't just let it rage on within you and have you day dreaming all day. You have got to put it into action and make that passion and those dreams a reality.  

 

   Now that we have our passion in mind and we are very tapped into that raging fire within let's move on to something else. What will accompany this passion is your POTENTIAL. The insurmountable potential that lies within you. Sometimes we will have these big dreams and this raging fire that is just yearning to burst out of you, but we don't realize our potential. Or for that matter even recognize that there is any potential within us.

 

   But trust me; we all have potential lingering within us right along with that raging passion. For example. We all know what it feels like to be envious at times. Sometimes we envy other's success or maybe possessions they have. I feel like one cause for feeling envy over someone else is that you see a potential that lies within yourself but you aren't utilizing it. 

 

  Let's say you love to cook and aspire to be a chef. Although you have this big dream, you feel you are too shy and could never have your own cooking show. Then one day, your close friend, who also aspires to be a chef, gets a cooking show on Food Network. You then feel very envious of her and this opportunity she has. BUT WHY? It's because the potential she is exhibiting is the very same potential that lies within you; you are just choosing to ignore it.

 

   If you had another close friend that became the master champion of riding a unicycle and got into the Guinness Book Of World Records, would you be envious? Unless you have a hidden passion for riding a unicycle then most likely NOT. Sometimes we feel emotion, that we call envy, because it's as if we are staring at a version of ourselves that we long to be.

 

   I was talking with my mom the other day and we were talking about potential. We were talking about when you highlight something in a book, a quote or sentence that really spoke to you, that the reason you did so is because it is something pulling you from within. It's not that you have never seen a quote like that or it is totally new to you, it's your inner passions, potential and higher self speaking out an acknowledging something you already know.

 

   Generally, this freaks people out though. To think they have this higher self about them and that they could actually have all of these talents stewing inside of them. So we turn on the noise of life. Cell phones, TV, Radio or senseless magazines.

 

   But in order to really unlock that inner potential and that passion just blazing inside of you, you need to STOP and LISTEN. When you see a quote that really speaks to you, analyze why that is. When you feel envious of someone, think what potential that person is exhibiting that you know you have. And when you feel the urge to go for a dream, DO NOT let yourself second guess yourself. Because that's your passion, potential and fire just begging to break free and show the light of your potential.

 

   Once you let that potential, passion, success, fire and talent out of the box, your life will never be the same. You will feel no envy of others success because you will be living your passion and making your way to the top. I know the world we live in doesn't always foster quiet time and time to look within and search your soul. But you must CREATE it. After all, your divine path lies within you, but you have to be the one to make the first step.

 

Have a great week!

~Ava

Quote of the day:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

 

 

 

 

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Our world of YES!

 

   Good Morning everyone! I hope everyone had a fabulous week and I am sure you all are ready to enjoy the weekend. So what better way to start the weekend then with a great blog post? :) Today I want to talk about how our world of YES sometimes become a world of NO.

 

   When you were a child, what did you want to be? What dreams did you have? And typically weren't those dreams encouraged? All I know is that I wanted to be a lawyer, a rock star and a 1st grade teacher all at one time. I would constantly come to my mom with a new occupation I wanted to have or a dream I want to achieve. She would always smile and say, "I know you can do it" or "Absolutely let's make it happen".

 

   No where did she say, "That's impossible" or "How unreasonable you can't do all those things at once". It was always just about dreaming and thinking about the next great thing I wanted to do. So what happens? How does that world of YES YES YES become a world of NO and DISBELIEF and IMPOSSIBLE dreams?

 

   It is seemingly so that it is a lot of society and our peers that fill our minds with no and thoughts of not being able to achieve something. I know as we grow older we become more level headed and see the world differently, but I don't think we should view the world as a "no" type of place. Or even a place where dreams only come true for SOME people but not ALL people.

 

   Kind of like in Yes Man with Jim Carrey. I know that the movie was a bit extreme and was really funny but it had such a good message. That to live your life for an amount of time just saying yes and trying new things. Yes to new experience, Yes to new friends and Yes to the dreams that go around in our head constantly.

 

   Because if you think about it, it's not only society or our peers that talk down our dreams. Most of the time it is ourselves. We can be our own worst critics sometimes. How many times do we have a thought and want to try something or do something and we eventually talk our way out of it?

 A lot right?

We will come up with a lot of excuses: I'm not smart enough, people will be better than me, someone may laugh at me, I could look silly. And the list could go on and on.

 

   But what if changed that negative reel tape in our head to a positive one. That when we saw an opportunity or perhaps a dream that we have thought of we thought: YES I can do that, YES I have something special to offer, YES I can do remarkable things in my life. But it's all about what reel tape you choose to put in the player; what you are choosing to listen to.

 

   The reality is that the world will always try and tell you no. It will try and show you the impossibilities of life and your dreams. But you need to make the choice to NOT listen and to keep going. You can almost take that disbelief being said as fuel. You can take that negative and make it a positive.

 

   In life someone is ALWAYS going to do something differently than you. And that difference could make them do something really good or maybe not as good. You can't change other people but you can focus on yourself. You can't change how well someone else does something but you can recognize how well you do things and how unique you are.

 

   It's important to never compare ourselves to others. Because if you think about it it's not an even playing field or a fair comparison. Why? Because we are ALL unique and have special talents and gifts to give to the world. We should acknowledge other peoples talents but it is very important to acknowledge your OWN talents.

 

   Sometimes I like to say there will always be shrubs standing next to large trees, but don't let those shrubs try and talk you down from being that tall tree. In reality I'm sure that that shrub has some great qualities and that tree has great qualities and both are different and special in their own way. But not to get too in depth with my nature analogy.

 

   I think the biggest take away in life is knowing who you are, living your dreams and recognizing all the wonderful things that only YOU can do. Because in the end you are the ONLY one that can be YOU. So if you think you don't have something to offer, you definitely have one, you are you and no one else can be that.

 

   Everyday we should be thinking, how am I going in the directions of my dreams? What have I done to fulfill my destiny today? Am I still standing tall or am I being talked down by some shrubs? The more we think this, the more we will discover about ourselves and realize our full potential.

 

   So go out this week and live a week of YES and ENCOURAGEMENT. If you have NO thoughts or hear others say NO just take that tape out and replace it with a new positive one in your head. And to know that you can do anything in this world if you set your mind to it, work hard and most importantly believe in yourself and your dreams.

 

Have a great week,

~Ava

 

Quote of the day:

"The strongest force in the universe is a human being living consistently with his identity."

  ~Tony Robbins

   

Our Life Of Plenty

   Good Morning All! It is a beautiful morning today and I feel so lucky to be able to see the sun shine through the clouds and get my day started. It has been way too long since I have blogged but I think about it everyday and here I am to get my thoughts down. That's what generally is flowing through my head most of the time. What do I want to write? How do I want to say it? What message can I put out there? How can I help people? So, if I ever seem distracted and staring off into space...these are only a few things going through my head. My head is like a busy highway.

   Today I want to talk about "Our Life Of Plenty". Because today is no ordinary day. Today is September 11th and our Nation is in a state of remembrance from the tragedy that occurred. This day will never be forgotten; it will never leave our hearts and minds.

   So many innocent men and women lost their lives. So many children lost their parents, husbands lost their wives and wives lost their husbands. This day can be described as nothing else but a devastating tragedy. My heart is with all the families that mourn today, all the family members who never had there closure for there lost loved one and of course the thousands that lost their lives.

   But this day has a certain affect on me. While I of course think of the tragedy and the innocent lives lost, I really reflect upon my life. My life of plenty! My life where I have so much abundance, prosperity and so many blessings. Sometimes we get caught up in our own worlds and we forget how truly blessed and lucky we are.

   That's why whenever I feel like I am getting too wrapped up in my world or my problems I like to do something for someone. Doesn't have to be huge, but just something for me to give to someone else and take a minute to be grateful.

   We have a life of PLENTY. The ability to have jobs, and great families and food to eat is nothing to be looked over. Especially today. Today is the perfect day to really concentrate on your life of plenty. All the great things that go on in your day today, all the wonderful things your life is filled with and all of the miraculous things that have happened to you for you to have gotten where you are today.

   I was watching Long Island Medium last night on TLC, yes I know, but it's my guilty pleasure. What I love about her and this show is not the fact that she can communicate with the other side but the fact that she is constantly helping people. She constantly is giving people peace of mind and closure and making them smile. That's the type of show I want to watch! But also the show reminds me how incredibly lucky I am, and how grateful I am for my life.

   There was a story of a woman who had recently lost her husband, leaving her to be a single mom of two young children. She said the night of his death they went into town, had a great time, and on the way home grabbed some pizza. Unfortunately, her husband had an egg allergy, even though he had eaten pizza all the time, this pizza was egg-washed. So they got home, he sat down on the couch, she went upstairs and that was the last time they saw each other. When she woke up in the morning, she had a text message that her husband had sent her very late in the night. The text wrote that while they were on the way into the city, he just stared at her and thought how lucky he was, and how much he loved her. She went downstairs to find that he had passed and her world crumbled around her.

   So, I'm watching this and am tearing up and all I could think was I am so thankful for Cristian. The love of my life, the man of my dreams and the man I get to love on everyday. It made me remember how I have so much love in my life and from so many different people.

   I have such a great family, that is all around me. Whenever I want I can call them up on the phone or shoot them a text message to say hi or I love you. And this should NEVER be taken for granted.

   When you go to the pantry and you moan and groan, "There's NOTHING to eat!". Yes I am guilty of this too. But really, we have PLENTY to eat, we have all that we need. The man or woman, sitting under the overpass on the street, THEY do not have food. They don't even have a pantry to stare at, to look at the food that we don't really want to eat but that we have.

   When we have a bad day at work and we just think our job is terrible or we're just so tired. We have a life of PLENTY that allows us the opportunity to HAVE a job. The man or woman who is constantly hitting the streets to find a job or filling out numerous job applications daily. They don't even HAVE a job to "complain" about and if they got that job, there wouldn't be a thing to complain about.

   When your family is going through something or maybe a family member is bothering you. Maybe you think to yourself, how annoying someone is or why does MY family have to be this way. There are people all over the world TODAY and EVERYDAY who would give anything to hear their lost loved ones voice one more time. Get to hold them in their arms or shoot them a text to have lunch somewhere.

WE HAVE A LIFE OF PLENTY!

 

   So I challenge you today and everyday for that matter. To go and give to that man or woman under the bridge, take them a sandwich or a bottle of water. Go to work with a grateful heart and remind yourself all day how lucky you are to have that job. Help someone who can't find a job, whether it's just looking out for a job posting here and there or grabbing an application for someone.

 

   We don't have to go out into the world everyday and be Superman or Wonder woman to make a difference. All it takes is small acts of kindness and really focusing on your life of plenty. This life means nothing if we aren't helping others and giving from our hearts. Because that is what the TRUE meaning of life is, helping others. Because when you help someone else get to their dream, you will get to yours. There is no point in life fighting and scraping to the top, to only get to the top and see all the others left behind. Take people with you, let people experience your life of plenty.

 

So I just have one question...

Who are you going to help today?

 

~Ava

 

 

Quote of the day:

"For it is in giving that we receive."

-Francis of Assisi

Success

   Hey there everyone! It has been a while since I have posted. I have been getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of life lately but my inspiration never ceases. I constantly am thinking of something I want to write about or a message I want to put down into words. I intended to write a totally different blog today but I became inspired to talk more on the mantra of "success". So here goes.

   Success is a pretty loaded word. People strive for it, work for it and aspire to have as much of it as possible. But the thing about Success is that it is different for everyone. No two people have the exact same perception of what their success should look like in their life. That being said, the road to success will never be the same in comparison to others.

   Then why is "success" always being compared between people?

   When we are progressing through life, accomplishing our goals, whether it be school or work related we tend to strive for the highest level of success. Naturally right? But we also tend to look at others progress or success and compare.

   Sometimes we think:

*That person is more successful than me

*I am more successful then them

*They have made some pretty dumb mistakes

*I feel like I have made some pretty dumb mistakes

   Or maybe none of the above. My point being that sometimes we look at others and compare our success or accomplishments to theirs. But is that really comparing apples to apples? Just as no ones perception of success is going to be the same, the road to success for two people won't be the same.

   Everything in life has a purpose and an order. I refer to this as Divine Order. Everything works accordingly and just as it should. SO, when you're on your journey of life ,sometimes we make choices that some people agree with and some that don't. All of our journeys are different. We all take different paths and courses, have a different set of values that are important to us and we make different decisions. But this doesn't mean any specific person is in the wrong or not "doing it right".

   Sometimes isn't it made to feel that way though?

   At times people make decisions that we don't understand. Maybe you have a family member or a friend that is making choices that make no sense to you. Perhaps dropping out of school, taking a crazy job or even moving to a new city far away from family. But that's the beauty of success! It takes us all different places and there are several different paths to find success. It's not just a one way road.

   If we all took the same path, same course and made the same decisions...it would be so boring! We wouldn't have anything that differentiated us from one another. The E! Channel would no longer have the True Hollywood Story segment because they could just flash across the screen...DID THE SAME THING AS OTHER. Which would greatly hurt their ratings.

   So make crazy choices! Take an unknown road and hope to find something great.Even if it feels like you're too far gone and made too many mistakes. Don't ever give up. Because it's never too late. Just like only you can be the unique and wonderful you, you are also the only one that can map out your destiny and success. So become the master of your destiny!

   Sometimes the best thing to do is look on other people's success stories. Not to compare it to your own or make you feel self conscious about your choices; but instead to educate yourself on how so many people make different choices and experience great things.

   So many of the "greats" before us didn't even graduate high school! Some were told they would never read or amount to anything. Want to know what one of the keys to their success was ?

THEY DIDN'T LISTEN TO ANYONE TRYING TO HOLD THEM DOWN!

And they never gave up.

   That right there can be one of the greatest tools to take along your journey to success. And that journey is never ending. You constantly can strive for more and more and continue to grow. Personally, I never want to reach the pinnacle of success, I constantly want to keep growing and finding new success. Because once I get to the top and have nothing else to strive for...what do I do? Slowly start to tumble down? I always want to find something else and push myself to be more. Not because of anything else but the fact that I know I can and it will always be something I am greatly passionate about.

   So go out and find your passion, goals, dream, aspirations and head out on your journey to success. And don't let anyone tell you that it's not right or not how they would do it. Because at the end of the day it's all about what YOU want in life and you're the ONLY one that can go and get it.

Have a great week all!

~Ava

Quote of the day:

” If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary.” Jim Rohn

"Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

   

 

Live Life Label Free

   Happy weekend all! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and the beautiful sunshine that has been hiding this week.

   I want to take a moment to recognize all the lives that were lost in Colorado this week. I know that there are countless prayers going to all the families that are being affected by this tragedy. My heart aches for the ones who have lost a loved one, especially to an act of such senseless hatred. This always reminds me of how short life is and how precious every moment is. Make sure to cherish your loved ones all day everyday.

   As you know I am a Facebook user and this week, on my news feed everyday I was noticing something. Everyday I would sign on and see endless pictures of views on the world, politics and religious beliefs. But the thing that surprised me was that none of them were positive messages; they were all combative and negative.

   I found myself growing irritated at all these pictures because I think, "HEY the world is negative enough, let's shine a light of positivity shall we?" Behind the words and the meanings of these pictures the message portrayed was how individuals were labeling themselves.

   We are a united country. We generally come together, support our fellow man in times in need and conquer any task at hand. At least we definitely aim to always try to do this. But I believe it is very hard to be a united country when we are CONSTANTLY labeling ourselves. To me it's almost like we're saying this, "United we stand, but divided we quickly become if you're not in my "label group".

   In observance of all the pictures this week, the labels, it was much like this: Republicans vs. Democrats, Christianity vs. Other religions and How I think this should be done vs. How you think this should be done. Not ONCE was someone just stating an opinion or a thought without bashing the other group in the process. Why is that necessary? Can we not just state our beliefs without having to tear someone else down?

   I understand the very controversial political period we are in right now. We have two candidates that have strong opinions and very different methods of thinking. But some are SO focused on what label they put on themselves and how their label is "better" than the other label.

What would happen if we had NO LABELS?

   If we had no labels then all there would be is individuals beliefs. No fighting group against group, religion against other religions and so on. We could just have our opinion, our own idea and go on from there. There would be no need to compete or fight.

   In addition no one would have to try and fit themselves to a label. No one would have to think, "Oh I belong to THIS party so THIS is what I have to believe." It would be totally opposite. You would be in no box and wear no label; you would just have a set of beliefs and go from there. There would be no sides to choose, no one choosing what you have to believe or what your "label group" believes but rather just an opinion to form on your own. We wouldn't have to be divided straight down the middle, which we are right now in almost everything.

   I feel the longer that we are divided down the middle, peace will never come. If we are constantly fighting against another and trying to prove ourselves better than others, than no resolution will ever find us. We'll all be too busy fighting amongst each other behind our drawn lines in the sand; the lines that WE decided to draw.

   This can apply to all areas of ones life. People can label their life by politics, religion and even possessions. Sometimes things that people own tend to start to own them. That's what a label can do. Instead of just forming an opinion, your label starts to take over you. And then many times it's no longer what is YOUR opinion it is what is your LABELS opinion or your GROUPS opinion. I'm a fan of people being individuals and forming their own beliefs so you can see how me and labels just don't mix.

   Bottom line is this. And this is solely my opinion....

I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU ARE!

You could be:

Republican , Democrat, Independent, Christian, Buddhist, Catholic, Black, White, Purple

You could wear:

Gucci, Fendi, Walmart, Target, Goodwill

You could be:

Upper class, Middle class, Brilliant and Creative, Simple and Quiet

Why does any of this matter?

   If you are a good person, your authentic self and living your life then that's all that matters. Not what label you are or what your status is. Life is too short for any of that. Just be YOU and not part of a "THEM".

  We all know there is such hatred in this world. There is violence, crimes and acts of hatred all around us at times. When it boils down to it, does it REALLY matter what label you have? Does it really matter what you call yourself?

   To me, the most important thing is to be YOU. Because you are the ONLY one that can be the special and unique you. If there was a way to strip our world of labels I would love to see what could happen. Maybe peace could come and resolutions to current issues could arrise.

And most importantly, the true meaning of being united that our country and our world so desperately needs.

Have a great week!

~Ava

Quote(s) of the day:

"It ain't what they call, it's what you answer to."

-W.C. Fields

"A name is a label, and as soon as there is a label, the ideas disappear and out comes label-worship and label-bashing, and instead of living by a theme of ideas, people begin dying for labels...and the last thing the world needs is another religion."

-Richard Bach





  



Success...find IT because IT won't find YOU!

   Hello all! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July and is enjoying the weekend. Ours was filled with family, friends and a lot of love! Which is just the way we like it. And being off work one extra day is ALWAYS awesome too.

   A couple of weeks ago me and my honey were sitting down and watching "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock. We love that movie and we were just discussing the message that the movie portrayed. We got to talking about what made that movie so special and we agreed it was the message of perseverance. Never giving up.

   Often so many people will watch a movie with a powerful message or an outcome that would have never seemed possible and will think that sort of thing only happens to SOME people. But not ALL people.

Is that the truth though?

   The truth is, that it's all how you take control of your circumstances. Things don't just HAPPEN to people. Success doesn't just FALL into your lap. And we all know a smooth road isn't PAVED out for us.

   Instead, we have to CREATE great happenings in our lives by opening our eyes with a fresh perspective. We have to FIND success because it won't seek you out. And we have to pave our OWN road along to way to make it nice and smooth.

   If you notice that in those past sentences, no where did I say that someone else will do it for you. Or for you to just simply hang out on the couch, munching on potato chips watching movies with the mentality of, "Oh that's just a movie." Or, "That person just got really lucky."

No, No, No. Get out and MAKE it happen!

   But instead try this. Go back and watch movies like "The Blind Spot" or "The Pursuit of Happiness" and analyze.

-What made this have a happy ending?

-What do these type of "people" in the movies have in common?

-What is the common denominator in all movies of this nature?

   You will find that the common denominator is that they NEVER gave up. Did they want to maybe? ABSOLUTELY! We are human after all. But they never gave up and they kept pushing for more; more from THEMSELVES. If you can grab this mentality and really absorb it into knowing that you are the creator of your destiny, you will be UNSTOPPABLE.

   When I think of perseverance, I think of my mother. If there was a picture of a person in the Dictionary that could define perseverance, it would be Donna Wick. She never ever gives up. And the way she got to where she is today is because she refused to give up. She was scared sometimes and even worried beyond belief. But still, she never allowed herself to give up.

   A few years ago my family, my brother and mom, needed to move from the house we were renting. My mom had looked at a few properties but was not impressed with any and she wanted a place for us to call "home" again. She was driving down the freeway one day and saw an LGI van driving in front and a sign read, "HOUSES FOR SALE! ONLY $699 A MONTH!". My mother decided to test this truth and dialed the number. They met up at their office and sure enough, that with the right credit score, you could get a brand new home from LGI. My mother proceeded forward and we toured a home that had just been built. It had a beautiful little tree in the front, big backyard and the interior was perfect. My brother and I found our rooms upstairs, envisioned where the furniture would go and we were exstatic. We returned downstairs with my mom and we sat in our future living room talking about how perfect this house was and how it was JUST what we needed. Pretty much in our head, that was our official move in date because once we saw the house, it was ours. Getting the house was no picnic though. Despite all my mothers hard work there were credit issues, some down payment struggles and she had been denied a few times for the house. Did my mother care? Not a chance. She challenged every worker in the LGI office to figure out a new way and to try again. I think they slowly realized this woman was not backing down. And if you know Donna Wick, you know that she never backs down.

So what did my mom do?

   Where the kitchen was my mom and I agreed that an adorable little flower box would look perfect. So she bought a flower box, grabbed her tool box and went to the house and hung it up right where she wanted it. Mind you, we were NOT approved for this house and in LGI's eyes it was not ours. But we knew differently, we KNEW it was ours. We KNEW that we would get it. And my mom never gave up on that feeling that it was OUR house. Eventually, she got approved for the house and now every year LGI has her speak at one of their biggest conventions so she can share her story. Her story of perseverance.

   She could have so easily given up. Wallowed away and believed it would have been too good to be true. To think that "those things" don't happen to people in real life. But she didn't. And we had many great years in that house.

   The moral of this story is the perseverance she exhibited. Success will not find you in life, you must go out and find it. You must believe that great things can and will happen to you. Put on a fresh perspective and start viewing this world differently and make great things happen for yourself.

   Go out this week and every week and see how much YOU can offer the world. And how much the WORLD can offer you. Think of all the never ending success that is just lying in front of you just waiting to be discovered. All of the gifts that you possess that are just eagerly awaiting to be exposed to the world.

   All you have to remember is to NEVER give up and when you feel like you can't go on any longer...

To try HARDER! And know that you can do anything in this world if you set your mind to it.

~Ava

Quote of the day:

"In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm...in the world all rests on perseverance."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

   

 

Abundance all day, everyday

   Happy Friday all! Hope everyone's week has been full of success and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to the weekend. I am writing a day early since I am out of town with my love. But this means you get to have my blog one day earlier to start your weekend off right! Sounds quite divine right? :)

   Every blog begins with an inspiration; a conversation, a thought, or something I see in my everyday life. Last week I was sitting down with my mom and brother and we just talked. We talked about relationships, our past, and then we started talking about abundance.

   In particular my mom was stating how much she believed in the tithe. She writes it out of her check every week to just keep up with it and mails it off to our church Lakewood in Houston. She was saying that everytime she tithed, abundance always came back to her. That she would never worry about donating that money because she knew it would come back full circle and she would be receiving more abundance and prosperity then ever imagined.

   Whether you believe in a higher power or simply just the universe, the message behind the tithe can be broken down quite easily. That it's you sending out the message that you are such a prosperous being and have so much abundance, that you give 10% to a place where you receive nourishment, because you know the more you give the more you will receive.

Not sold yet?

   I believe in budgeting. I love saving money, watching it grow and having that type of "rainy day" fund. The back up plan if you will. With that being said I also believe in living an abundant life and giving often. I may be cheap with the type of groceries I buy or the flip flops on my feet, but I am never "cheap" in pertinence to my life because I am a giving and highly abundant person.

   If you have the mentality that you MUST save money, that you NEED to strictly stay on a budget and that you can NEVER treat yourself; then you have stopped abundance and prosperity right on the train tracks. Perspective is everything. If you're viewing your money in that limited mind set than you will have very limited funds. You can't attract good things in life if all you put out is limiting and negative thoughts. If you view your money with an abundant mindset, just with you making money CHOICES, you will have abundance in more ways than one. Nothing is wrong with a budget, but say to yourself that they are choices not limitations you are placing on yourself.

   For example, my mother has a $10 minimum tipping ritual when she goes to restaurants. She will NEVER tip less than $10. I know some of you are thinking that it's a little crazy to spend that much. But she believes, that money is coming back to her, and that she wants to give to other individuals. See, giving is not being done with the intent on solely just receiving benefits. But it very much circles around the idea that we need to give to others, make someone's day, show them the good in humanity and hopefully they pass it on. Very much like paying it forward but on an everyday basis.

   If you instead CLUTCH to that extra $10 in thinking, "Oh no, I can't give this away. I am so tight on funds and I need to hold on to this and make sure I don't spend any money." Is that a limiting thought or an abundant thought?

LIMITING!!!

   The truth is, if you were to give away that $10 to simply make someone's day or just to give, you won't miss that money. I highly doubt at the end of the week you will shake your head and be rolled into a ball in a corner thinking about that $10 bill you gave to someone.

   An abundant thought would be, "I have so much prosperity coming my way and I have so much abundance and goodness in my life. I want to give this $10 so I can plant that seed of giving in my life and in others."

JACKPOT! ABUNDANT THOUGHT!

   This will take practice, changing your mentality doesn't happen overnight. But it is possible and it is worth it.

   When I was 16, I worked at a place called Main Event. I worked several little jobs within the place but I worked a lot in the cafe as a front line girl. Which is a fancy word for taking people's order but I like to give my job titles a little makeover. I was taking this woman's order and she had three bouncing children beside her that were elated to be spending a day playing video games and just being kids. She was looking at the menu with a worried expression and was asking me a lot of questions about prices and how much certain meals would be. The children, just being kids, blurted out what they wanted and ran off towards the video games. Not wanting to say no to her children she just continued ordering and I noticed she was ordering nothing for herself. She was pushing around things in her purse, trying to find money I soon realized, and she pulled out a $20 bill and from the looks of it that's all she had. I eyed my purse and grabbed my wallet and said that I would really like to have the honor of paying for her lunch. For a moment she just stared at me. I said again that I wanted to pay but I wanted her to get something for herself. I gave them free sodas and free refills whenever I saw them because I knew how much it can cost to spend a day at Main Event and I wanted to help however I could. She was a single mom and I wanted to give to her and just show her that I cared.

   Did I miss that $30? Did I go broke and have to starve for a week? Not at all. Instead I received such abundance and prosperity in the weeks, months and years to come after that as I continued to sew my seeds of generosity and giving. But the best part of that story was I got to see that family sit down in the booth in the cafe, enjoy their lunch, laugh and giggle and have a great time. THAT'S what giving is all about.

   At the end of the day, what's your abundance gauge set at? Is it cranked up all the way? Overflowing with generosity, prosperity and giving to others around you? If the answer is no, then I highly encourage you to crank up that gauge because it will take your life to places you would have never imagined for yourself.

   Go out this week and recognize the abundance in your life and then plant seeds of generosity in others lives. There is no need to live a life of lack when you have a life FULL of abundance right in front of you. There is more than enough to go around in this world and the best part of receiving abundance is turning right around and giving to another around you.

Give, Receive, Repeat.

~Ava

Quote of the day:

"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go."

Mother Teresa