Be You, Or Who Will?

 

 

Hello everyone! I know what you're thinking, the question that is burning through your mind. WHERE HAVE I BEEN? Well, alas, I am back! After collecting three pages of notes on my phone of all the messages and ideas that come to me daily; I decided it's time to put pen to paper. Or...fingers to the keyboard more like it.

 

So what is the message today

Simple..

YOU!

We live in a media driven society. We are always connected and looking at something or someone. I find that it is easy to go into complete overload with all of images, ideas, and how other people are living their lives.



Warning: The following sentence may blow your mind

 

The media and social media are the biggest lies told everyday. Yep, that's right I said it. The media portrays the ideology of perfection that no human being could ever obtain. They sell it and unfortunately we often buy it. But the other lie that plays into our lives is that of SOCIAL Media.

 

Who has ever gone down their News Feed and thought, "Wow, look at that person's life. Looks like they really have it together." Yeah, no, that actually isn't the case. While people can have good lives and post happy things it doesn't mean that they have perfection or even more than you. Don't let social media fool you. Everyone is rushing to work, cleaning up our disaster of houses, spilling coffee on our pants and rushing around like mad people.

And you can overcome anything in life if you commit to doing one thing, every single day. Being you. Being yourself. Because guess what? Everyone else is already taken. In this crazy world we live in, we need to find the way for us to be authentic and ourselves. Without that we will become lost and not know where we stand.

 

We all have come to this world with a purpose; a message to share with the world. Everyone is completely different and unique to them. That's what we need to stay committed and focused on. With the crazy weeks and hectic stresses of life we can often wonder to ourselves, "Where do I fit in? What am I even doing here?" Trust me, I have the same thoughts.

 

But no matter how hard it may seem or how tiresome your journey is, you DO have a purpose. You have something inside you that no one else in this world has. You have a special message, designed in a way that only you can say or give to the world.

 

This could sound cliché to you but it is the utmost truth. But just reading it on this screen is not going to be enough. You truly have to accept the authenticity that lives inside you. For you to truly believe that even though you may not see it, you may not know how it can be but that you DO have something to offer this world.

 

So this week, if you feel like you're getting lost in the stress of life, say this to yourself:

 

"I am here on a divine purpose and I have something special, unique and authentic to offer this world that no one else can."

 

Even if you don't believe it at first, fake it till you make it, and repeat that message until you believe it with all your heart. Because once you realize how powerful YOU are, is when the negative powers of this world can no longer touch you.

Have a great week all!

~Ava

 

Quote of the week:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

 



How FREE are you?

   How FREE are you? Are you living YOUR life or the life SOMEONE else thinks you should live? This is an important question to ask yourself because believe it or not if you aren't aware of this problem; it could happen to you!

   In life we are surrounded by people who love and care for us. These people want us to have the best in life and want to see us succeed. But what can happen is that these people can impose their values on OUR lives. They may think they may know the answer and think that it is the only answer for our lives.

What's the problem with that?

 

   No two people are the same and no two lives will take the same paths. So what happens when the people around you want you to take one path in life and you want to take another? This is where it can get tricky. The biggest thing to remember is to make choices for YOU not others.

 

   It can be tempting to take the path that others want us to take because it is the path of least resistance. It makes them happy, it may be easier than discovering your own way and it simplifies the whole self discovery process. But refer back to success stories of the great leaders before us. In any of their stories did it read that they just did what others wanted and took the easy way? Did any of those people say that self discovery wasn't important? Absolutely not!

 

   It won't be easy, It won't always be fun but it will ALWAYS be necessary.

 

   When we decide to take our paths instead of the other that someone else thinks we should take it can get messy. But what is important to remember is that this is YOUR life not THEIRS. At the end of the day you will make decisions you think are best for you and you will have to see the outcome through. Sometimes it will be good and sometimes it won't. But that's life. Let's refer again to the great leaders before us. In any of their stories did they say there was no failure? That is just flowed like magic the whole time and never had complications. Again, absolutely not!

 

   Life is a roller coaster. But instead of thinking of it as an up and down struggle, think of it as the ride of your life! Life is short and life is fast and it can fly past you if you let it. The path of least resistance will begin to look enticing when times are getting rough or people around you are getting upset. But remember; make choices for you. Because at the end of the day, it's your life.

 

   When you decide to make your decisions you will feel empowerment. You will feel the strength to keep going on the journey of your dreams. When you make the decision to go for your dreams make sure you commit. Don't let anything stand in your way and don't let anyone stand in your way. Including yourself! And when thinks work out great; rejoice. When thinks don't work out perfectly; learn. We cannot blame failures on others and it's not beneficial to blame yourself.

 

   Everyone and every situation we face in life serves on purpose and that is to learn! Life is not about feeling defeated by failures and then hop on the "easy road". We simply are students of life and need to remember that as we carry on through life.

 

   So at the end of it all make sure the life you are living is YOUR OWN. Make sure you get to experience the freedom of living the life you want not what someone else wants. Life is beautiful and it is a gift. It is not to be wasted on someone else's dreams or ideas but only your own. We need the people around us to help us, to mentor us and to support us. What we do not need is people deciding for us.

 

Life your life and make it a good one. Live the life you dream of and make it a reality. Live your life and never look back. 

Live Free.

 

Have a great week!

~Ava

Quote of the day:



Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.
- Helen Keller

Are you lost?

 

 

   Hello everyone! I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend and is prepared for the week ahead. Sometimes it can be tough to get into the new week because we may be stressed, unhappy or overwhelmed from the prior week. Trust me, we've all been there. You know what can be even MORE stressful? Starting out the New Year with all of these hopes and dreams and feeling totally overwhelmed.

 

   Here we are almost a full month into the New Year. I was watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show this morning and she said that today is one of the day's where people are most unhappy. She explained that it is known that people are most unhappy at this time of the New Year because we have made all of these resolutions and alas...nothing is happening.

 

SO WHERE ARE YOU?

 

   Are you lost? In serious need of a map or GPS to get you back on track? Fear not my friend because we can figure this out together.

 

   In a previous blog I talked about taking one step at a time. And I really did mean that! Everyone starts the New Year saying, "I'm going to lose 50 pounds this year!". Or, "I'm going to make double my income this year!" Then we stare in mirror and we still see that weight we want to lose. Then we log onto our bank account and still see the same numbers. A part of us wants to just throw our arms up in the air and say, "Well damn! This just isn't working. I give up!" If I set goals like that for myself right off the bat then I would be sharing in that "well damn" attitude as well.

 

   This is such a common pattern amongst our society that it is now a recognized time in this month that we are unhappy. Now there is definitely something wrong with that. Let's get RE-motivated! We all read the blogs, articles and speeches at the beginning of the year about being so happy and focused in the year. Well, now we are here and we are frustrated, lost and getting off track.

 

   Here is a checklist that will be our personal GPS to get us back on track so we can SEE success in the New Year!

 

1. Take small bites

To change our lives we need to change how we choose our words. Instead of saying you want to lose 50 pounds say you want to lose 5 pounds. Or say you want to be active at least three times a week. Again, it's all about how you frame your goal in your mind. If you put this huge goal in your path then you leave no other option then to just go around it and give up .Set little milestones for you to accomplish. Not only will you feel great, you will be getting things done!

 

2. Find your joy

People also put on their resolution list to "be happy" or "enjoy life". But what does that mean? So FIRST get specific about what the whole be happy resolution is about. Just to remind you there is no quick fix in life; including happiness. There is no happy juice or perfect world where happiness floats down from the sky. But rather happiness is a CHOICE and only you can make that choice. I believe in order to feel fulfilled and to make our resolutions a reality we need to find our joy. Whether that be spending time with friends, treating yourself or taking a designated time a day to have "you" time.

 

3. Keep it real

Set a realistic goal for you! If you are wanting to double your income, get a plan together. Waiting by the mailbox for the lottery check to come in is not the wisest strategy to getting what you want. Maybe doubling your income isn't realistic to where you are at the moment. But we can ALL make wise money decisions so our money is working for us and not the other way around. Same thing with finding our joy. It would be unrealistic to say that you were going to happy all day, everyday, no matter what and that you will never get down. Now, we can be happy every single day but it may not be all day every single day. Bottom line, look at where you are and make a goal that is fitting for you and that isn't going to consume your life.

 

   So there we are. We are going to take small steps, find our "joy factor" and keep it real. This will help us KEEP us going whether crashing and burning within the first three weeks of the New Year. Nothing is impossible if you get focused on what you want and keep motivated. I believe we can all do it!

 

Have a great week all!

~Ava

Quote of the day:

"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

 

What are YOU magnifying?

   Hello all! I hope everyone had a wonderful week and are getting ready for a fantastic weekend. It is officially the New Year now and some exciting things are on the horizon for us all. I see opportunities, prosperity and abundance headed straight our way in 2013. Some of you may be disagreeing right now and shaking your heads at what I just said. Let me ask you this, what are you choosing to MAGNIFY in your life?

 

   I truly believe in life we choose how to look at our circumstances and situations that come our way. It is true that we cannot always control what the situation is but we can ALWAYS control how we react. And we can also control how we SEE and MAGNIFY the situation. Sometimes we have such a negative view on life that we constantly magnify the bad, the wrong and the "what ain't workin'" in our lives.

 

   Instead of focusing on what IS NOT working we need to focus on what IS working. Sure there are plenty of things that we would maybe like to change in our world but there are also a lot of things that are going so very RIGHT in our world. Whatever you put more time and attention to is what will grow and will eventually MAGNIFY itself.

 

For example:

You just got a great promotion at work. Hooray! You will be getting a pay increase, a company vehicle and even your very own corner office suite, fully furnished and stocked with all of your favorite things. But upon leaving your office that day you broke your nail on the car door.

 

Would you go home and tell your family, "Yeah, I broke my nail today and it really hurts and it's upsetting me. Just my luck, right?"

 

OR

 

Would you go home to your family and say, "I got the promotion of a lifetime and I am advancing in my job and abundance is flowing my way!"

 

   I know this may seem silly but really think about this. How many times do we have a good day, but then something goes wrong, and then it's a bad day? The day is now totally circling around this bad happening and you have forgotten what else positive happened that day.

 

   Now when we are going through a tough circumstance that does not mean everything is positive and rainbows are flying everywhere. But you have a choice. Are you going to place your magnifying glass over the tough circumstance and make it bigger? Or are you going to place your magnifying glass over the positive in your life and make THAT bigger? I don't know about YOU but I am going to magnify the good.

 

   You see, we are in complete control of only one thing in life. And that is ourselves. We are in control of our emotions, reactions, hopes, dreams, goals, drive, etc. etc. So we need to really magnify all of the POWER that we possess and the tools that our higher power has given us.

 

   Things that we cannot control are other people and perhaps their views, negativity, how they treat others etc. etc. We should not waste a SINGLE moment magnifying that mess. We need to magnifying our BEAUTY and ABUNDANCE in our life.

 

   When you turn on the TV or pick up the newspaper, what is typically on the front page or in the big bold headlines?

Gun Control

Violence

Crime

Recession

Fear

Lack

Politics

Economy

...

...

 

   Unfortunately and oddly enough, that is what sells! We are surrounded by this negativity and these stories that are tempting our magnifying glass to hover over and make those issues bigger. What we do not see typically search for is the people doing good, the people trying to make a difference and the stories that will warm your heart.

 

   While these issues may be negative that does not mean they are unimportant and don't deserve any of our time. But there is no reason for us to continue to MAGNIFY and MAGNIFY how bad things are or how badly you disagree with something

 

  Instead look at that issue and MAGNIFY what you would like to see happen. Or perhaps solutions that are in the making to try and fix it. Anyone can go around throwing out negativity like peanuts at a baseball game. But it takes someone who is really trying to magnify the good to go around and remain focused on what you do want to see.

 

   Believe it or not there IS positive media out there. So get on your computer or really look through the newspaper and read up. I always see such cute things happening in the community and empowering things going on in our country. We are sometimes trained to look at that bad, fixate on it and obsess over it. It's rare when there is a heated debate going on and someone pauses to say, "Yeah but what a beautiful day it was today."

 

   But that is exactly what we need in our lives. We need to MAGNIFY what we like and not what we don't. Whatever you place your magnifying glass over will GROW. Think of your life like one big book. The closer you bring your magnifying glass over the paper, the clearer the words will become. The father you hold away the magnifying glass to the paper, the more impossible is it to see what is right in front of you.

 

   So I challenge you this week to take out your magnifying glasses and magnify all the things that you love about you, your life and maybe even your country. This is a New Year and ultimately a NEW YOU so let's start it with a bang and keep it going. All that has to happen is a choice to be made. A choice that we will see the good, even when surrounded by bad. A choice to stay positive, when the negative can be more temping. And the choice to know that only we can change our lives and go out and create an amazing one.

 

Have a great week!

Quote of the day:

 

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Be good anyway.

Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them.
Help them anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

-Mother Teresa