Year of You: 40 Days of Saving



Wow, does this feel weird. I haven’t blogged in a hot minute, and to sit down with inspiration and motivation (…finally), I come bearding a challenge. Yes, you heard me correctly. I’m about to embark on a mission to improve the way I live, the way I think, and ultimately… the way I spend.

Today is Ash Wednesday. To be honest, I didn’t realize how early the Lenten season was this year until I ate half a box of Girl Scout cookies yesterday, and one of my co-workers said, “it’s Fat Tuesday, so you’re fine!” Although I’m not as devoted in my faith compared to when I was younger, I always take the time to recognize the season of Lent. It’s a time where observers give up an action in their daily lives that they consider to be harmful, wrong, or I guess you could even say vice. I understand that there may be some of you where religion isn’t involved in any aspect of your life, and that’s okay! You don’t have to recognize a certain tradition in order to reflect and take action to improve yourself or your habits.

For the past couple of years, I’ve taken the time to really think of what I could “give up” that is considered one of my vices. Some I’ve succeeded at and some I have failed, because I mean, we’re only human. But as I’ve grown up, I can now more clearly see the bad habits I have and how I can realistically change them (and myself) for the better.

This year I haven’t really put much thought in to it. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t even know Lent started this week until yesterday. But this morning, it hit me. Literally… not kidding. I was getting dressed for work this morning, and when I pulled a sweater out, a Bath & Body Works shopping bag filled with candles came falling down on top of my now bruised foot. I don’t even think my first thought was “ow”. 

I first remember thinking… “When did I get these?!

I spend money. A lot. Especially now that I have a constant pay check (not a very big one, I should add). I like to shop. I look at my closet and think “I have absolutely nothing to wear”. Honestly, I look at anything and think “I need more”. It’s kind of a gross mentality. It’s one thing to spend money on the things you actually need, but it’s another to probably spend twice on the things that you only want. I’ve been reading blogs and watching videos of people taking the challenge to better their spending habits, and I’ve decided that I can do it too!... hopefully.

So for the next 40 days, I’m making the promise to not spend unnecessarily.

I’m hoping this will not only help with my spending habits, but also give me a clearer vision of what is a need and what is excess. I hope this also teaches me to better understand the value of the well-earned dollar. I want to not only keep track of my process through my blog, but I want to keep a log of what I do spend my money on throughout the 40 days and see what I spend on things I consider in my life to be a necessity. I’m hoping this experience will help me budget better while also clearing my mind of clutter, meaning making my decision-making process easier since I’m limiting myself in terms of funds.

So no more random trips to Target where I go in for one thing and come out spending my entire paycheck (and probably forgetting to purchase the one thing I actually needed), no more eating out, no activities that cost extra.

Here are the only exceptions I’m making the next 40 days:
1.       Emergencies - Obviously emergencies happen. I'm living in this thing called life and it likes to get in the way sometimes. This is obviously a necessity that needs to be taken into consideration.
2.       Gift cards – At first, I wasn’t going to even give myself this little pleasure of spending… until I realized that some of the ones I have are about to expire. Any other times in life, gifts are accepted. I understand that this goes under not necessary to live. But I’m looking at it as this was something that someone else gifted to me. It’s not my dollar being “technically” spent. I know I’m pushing the limit, but I would feel guiltier if I let the gift go to no use.

Thank you to the blogs and videos that inspired me to do this. I will link a few below. And also thank you to the people that I know will support me as I try to better control my spending (...and hold me to my promise).

I’ve said it before that I don’t believe God put me on this Earth to just pay for stuff and parish. I’m ready to look at life a little differently and I think this is step one in achieving a new mentality for 2016, one that will hopefully stay with me for the rest of my life. I want this to be my Year of You project. This process will have many steps, this only being the first. But I believe it is a great stepping stone to the life that I want to live. I will update you on my Year of You, what it means and how I plan to achieve it, along with my 40 days of frugal spending. 



Until next time,



October Favorites

October is almost Octover. I’ll be enjoying this week excited for the weekend approaching with a few of my favorite things that I couldn’t get enough of this month!

Beauty:
Fall Lip Colors from Revlon // Mink + Spicy Cinnamon


I’m not very adventurous when it comes to lip color, only because I feel as if I can’t really pull them off. I end up looking like I’m trying too hard. But these colors have come to the rescue this fall! When I wear lipstick, especially to work or just with any outfit, I instantly feel more put together and these shades have helped me feel good without it coming off as if I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to makeup (which is actually the case). Revlon makes my favorite drugstore brand lipsticks, and these are the two colors I’ve been grabbing on the reg. Mink. Spicy Cinnamon.

It Cosmetics CC Cream // Shade “light”
This was not an "out of the whim" purchase like most of mine are. I was on the hunt for a new foundation since my others were getting to dark for my approaching winter skin. And though not a foundation, you feel (and look) like you’re wearing some. I look like I actually got sleep when I walk into my 8 a.m. meetings when in reality I didn’t because I was up watching American Horror Story. Though the price tag is a little bit of a turn off for some people on a budget, I’ve never regretted this trip to Ulta. CC Cream.

Clean & Clear // Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub
So... my skin sucks, but this makes it suck less. I went to Target (are we surprised?) determined to find a new face wash because the one I’ve been using for a while just wasn’t cutting it anymore. I know skin care is actually one of those things that most people find to be worth the splurge, but I frankly don’t since I don’t have major skin issues, just the occasion bad days. I honestly don’t know what made me put this in my basket, but currently, it’s made me want to constantly touch my face because I never knew what it meant to have baby bum-feeling skin, and NOW I DO! 
Thanks, Clean & Clear.

Dry Shampoo // Batiste with hint of color
If college did anything besides give me a really expensive piece of paper, it taught me how valuable dry shampoo is. I still live off this stuff (sorry to my co-workers). I recently switched to this brand, mostly because I’ve kind of started noticing more and more the white powder residue that other ones can leave in your hair, and it’s been a wonderful discovery. They make two other shades for lighter hair as well. And it just smells good, and everyone loves stuff that smells pleasant.
Dark & Deep Brown.

Fashion:
Cardigan // Brandy Melville


I can thank my boyfriend for convincing me that I needed this in my closet (I probably really didn’t, but lets pretend I really really did). I’ve worn it more on a dress-down basis, and have only taken it to work as a pullover when needed, but I’ve never met a sweater that I’ve been more in love with and loves me back. You can seriously cuddle with it. It comes as a one size fits all, and I purchased this particular one at my local Pacsun. If you like huge sweaters (and who doesn’t?) Brandy Melville has you covered (literally). I couldn't find this particular style, but they have similar ones.

Jewelry // Long Chains
If you really know me, you know I don’t really like wearing jewelry. Am I even a girl? But really. I like having staples like my Kendra Scott Danielle’s or the thin gold rings I have been wearing recently, but I’ve started to really enjoy necklaces this month. I’ve been wearing my Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace like crazy because it makes any fall outfit better, and I recently picked up some sale pieces from Charming Charlie’s. You can find them one here.

Randoms:
Candles // Flannel + Marshmallow Fireside

Yes, still basic. What’s new? But fall is the best season for candles honestly. Maybe just for me because I’m more drawn to warm scents. Vanillas, baked goods, musk, that’s what I love. I don’t do floral at all, so fall is when I go crazy because everything smelling-good wise is my cup of tea. These are two I have been burning for the past couple of weeks now. Both from Bath & Body Works, where else? Marshmallow Fireside. (Flannel is sold out online)

Music // Selena Gomez
Yes, I’m twenty-two. No shame in my music game. But really, her new album has produced some new favorites that I have been jamming to a lot recently. “Same Old Love” and “Sober” have been on my Spotify recently played for the past weeks or so. Also on my radar, “Sorry” by Justin Bieber. Like I said, absolutely no shame.


The BEST Favorite of October // Myself
I quickly needed to address the thing I have been most loving this month, and that’s myself. Cliché? Okay maybe a little bit. But for those that surround me and constantly hear me tear myself down (I know I do it too), they know this is kind of a big deal. I’ll never be as confident as I strive to be (don’t be thinking “oh yes you can girl” and that I'm looking for any type of attention because there’s definitely some scars and words in life that just never disappear), and I’ve accepted that. But I’m working on me, solely for me. Low-key, I have made the effort to lose weight. I’ve confided in a few close friends about it, but I’ve kept it under wraps mostly because it was a decision I made for myself, and no one else's oppinion was needed. I use to have the mentality that I wanted to it to look better to others, and honestly, compared to others, and now I realize why all other attempts (at anything, not just weight lost) have always failed. It’s not about how it’ll affect others, it’s how it’ll affect you and what you want. As of stepping on the scale yesterday, I have officially lost 10 pounds since the day after my birthday. I actually cried when I saw a particular number I wanted to hit… and was actually under that. I had never felt more proud of myself. Ask anyone, and most people will tell you I’ve been slightly better at accepting who I am, what I look like, and being happy with what God has handed. Three months of healthy eating has been hard, esepcially when all I wanted everyday was a huge bowl of mac ‘n cheese. But seeing hard work pay off is absolutely wonderful and motivating. Even though October has been difficult in other aspects, I feel as if I’ll always remember this month because I’ve never been more proud to be me and the woman I am becoming because I fought to become her.

Alright, I’m done being sappy.
____
Blogging hasn’t been on my forefront lately, but Fall has inspired some new ideas, and I can’t wait to share them with you all!

Also, I guest-blogged my Fall Bucket List. Check it out here!
Hope your October was filled with all the pumpkin spice and everything nice.

Until next time,

My Life in GIFs: Being a KMSS Rep

Ever wonder what time as a Kiss My Southern Sass rep is like? Well, here's a little preview.


1.) When they first told me I was New Bow…

Mixed with a little bit of…
(*nerves setting in)

2.) Meeting all the other New Bows like….



3.) Finding out I get a mentor…

4.) Meeting her on the beach in PCB on Spring Break…


5.) Making your first sale is like…



6.) When Head Bow tells you new merchandise is coming out…

7.) And obviously being the first one to purchase.
(I mean, perk you know the release dates...)


8.) That time there was a reps meet up...



9.) When a new pledge class is added…

10.) And they’re the newbies now and you’re all just like…

11.)  Finding out you get to mentor a New Bow…

12.) And meeting the PERFECT one…

(She has a YouTube channel, so obviously check it out!)

14.) Realizing these girls are some of your best friends…

15.) Getting excited for yet another new pledge class…

16.) Then realizing you’re like that old senior in the group…

17.) But still PUMPED anyway…

____

To my KMSS girls, just thank you.

With that, the Kiss My Southern Sass application is OPEN!
Apply today and join the crazy.

Until next time,

How Recruitment Helped Prepare Me for the "Real World"

All over my Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook feeds, it has been non-stop posts about sororities at my university going through recruitment workshops, saying goodbye to recruitment counselors, and making cute videos in order to get prepared for one of the craziest weeks of the year. (There’s also a major flood of engagements and people having babies, but that’s another day.)

Fall recruitment is no joke. Don't even ask what goes down during Work Week... I mean Spirit Week.

But as I sit here in the “big girl world”, I can’t help but look back to those days of practicing chants, how to bump to my rotation partner, and dying from the heat while still trying to look semi-decent. I complained a lot about it at the time, but I began to think about how sorority recruitment has helped transform me into the professional I’m becoming today.

And I’m obviously talking about other life skills besides rocking a pair of pumps all day and working through the pain #LikeABoss.

Here’s how four years of sorority recruitment helped prepare me for the “real world”:

You learn to hold a professional demeanor at all times.
Let’s be real: as much as you're excited for new sisters, claiming littles, and having more people that’ll come get you, no questions asked, at 2 A.M., recruitment takes a lot of time,  hard work, and communication. And there are days where you just don’t feel like going and practicing your rotation groups for hours on end or competing with the houses next door for loudest chants. Especially when it’s in the dead of summer and you’re sweating enough that you feel as if you just had an intense cross-fit workout, it is definitely the last thing you want to be doing. But once that first party starts, you pull yourself together, stand straight in your perfectly coordinated outfits, and become the best sorority woman those PNMs have ever seen. Recruitment taught me to do this, to hold myself professionally and rock it no matter how you're feeling. Talking to clients all day is like talking to New Members all day. You can’t let them know you’re having a bad day, or tired, or stressed. Recruitment taught me that there’s going to be days where you are worn out, but keeping your head high and staying professional is key to having success in whatever you’re trying to accomplish.

You learn to look dang good at early hours in the morning.
As much as I didn’t understand at the time why our Vice President of Membership wanted us “recruitment ready” on Work Week days or why we had to be completely ready-to-go (makeup, hair, the works) about four hours before a party that day even begun, I now value her for putting me through the training of having to be up and going before 7 A.M. Thank you for showing me that a good makeup routine can happen before the sun even begins to shine or the coffee is brewed, and thank you for holding me to high standards for how I present myself to others that I’m essentially trying to impress. And obviously all the clothes we had to buy to match one another added to my work-week wardrobe, so bonus points to you. Also, the investment in a nude pair of heels as forever changed my life thanks you, VP of Membership and recruitment.

You learn to actually hold a conversation.
 Forced or not, if you didn’t already have the capability before, you definitely will have it now. The ability to feel comfortable talking to people you don't know, while also making it a somewhat stimulating conversation, takes practice, and recruitment gives you that. Coming into a job where greeting people, making phone calls, and gaining relationships with clients is suppose to be second nature to you, I will always praise having conversation practice within my rotation groups while being forced to talk to a paper plate about what that plate did in high school. It may sound awful, but my clients today now will never know how awkward I was at conversation a few years ago.


Being you is enough.
I feel as if sorority life, mostly from outsiders who don’t experience it for themselves, put this “fake” reputation on all women affiliated. We’re viewed as conformists, molding ourselves in the image that everyone associates with Greek women (which it's widely positive). Through my days of recruitment, I had the opportunity to become a counselor, or a Pi Chi. Even though it was one of the greatest and most prized moments of my college career, it almost taught me this important lesson. Recruitment is, no lie, a time of pressure. Pressure to look your best, pressure to make a good impression, pressure to possibly be and act a certain way. And even though you “see “ it, you never really get the full affect until you see it from a different point of view and a new set of eyes. And let me tell, it’s scary. I remember my moments as a PMN, knowing absolutely nothing about Greek life and constantly thinking that these women were not going to like me. But to see girls going through the same thing, freaking out about conversations, if they said the right thing or not, fretting about if they made the right impression, it killed me to see that pressure build upon them all. Recruitment taught me that there’s no one better than just being yourself, and if someone has an issue with that, than those aren’t the people you want to be calling your sisters (or your co-workers, for that matter). When it came time to interview, I could sense when I was or wasn’t going to fit in with a company. But I’m not going to try to conform to who some business wants me to be. I want to do business and build relationships with individuals that accept me for the nerdy, Chuck Bass-obsessed individual that I am. Being you is enough for whatever you decide to do in life, and don’t let anyone else influence you otherwise.
____
Good luck to all the Greek women out there about to recruit amazing new
sisters into your sisterhood.

Just remember: Sore throat, blistered feet, all lead to great new sisters at the end of the week.

S/O to Epsilon Zeta, y'all have my heart.

Until next time,

*If you're in need for a cute big/lil gift for the upcoming year,
You can use the discount code "LexxieBeckmeyer" at checkout!

What College Taught Me

Freshmen Year:
You taught me not fear a change of location. You taught me how to gain the courage to meet new people, make new friendships, and not be so scared of that cute boy in my class.
You taught me that high school put a lot of unnecessary insecurity into my soul, and that it was going to take a lot of searching in order to become who I was meant to be. You taught me that I was confused, that I had no clear direct line or passion leading me to where I needed to go. In no way am I blaming you for this, but you were the one that brought it to my attention and I thank you for helping me realize that sometimes, you just don’t know.
You taught me that it’s okay to feel alone, but you also taught me that you’re never as alone as you feel.
You educated me not just in a classroom setting, but in life. 

You put me through tests on paper with multiple choice answers and you put me through tests of conflict and resolve. You provided me chances to express myself through writing, along with providing multiple chances to express myself through words when I’m normally one to stay quiet. I made not have spoken at all opportunities that you handed me, but you taught me that I do have a voice and it should be heard whether people want to listen or not.
What I learned from you mostly though was that I was lost. Even through a few lessons, moments of regret and second-guessing, and even my first heartbreak, I saw this not as a negative, but as a positive. You provided me with a blank canvas, a space to become what I wanted to be. You gave me endless amounts of glitter to leave on my path, not only for inspiration, but to have a way back if I were to lost myself again.
You weren’t going to let four years not teach me anything. 

You knew you weren’t the time to lecture me on everything I would eventually need learn, but the basics were more then enough to become open to lessons of year two.

Sophomore Year:
You taught me that I had a new home, a place that I truly wanted to come back to and continue learning from. And boy, did you teach me a lot.
I believe you taught me the most about friendships and relationships this time around. Lessons I didn’t want to learn because I knew they were going to be tough, but ones that you knew that everyone has to eventually be taught.
To start, you taught me that everything isn’t meant to be perfect and that perfection doesn’t truly exist. Because of this, individuals (including myself) make mistakes. And you know I made a good amount of them this year. 

But a positive from this? You showed me I have the ability to forgive, move on no matter how much time it takes, and that it’s okay to feel hurt for a little while. What’s not okay, as you so obviously pointed out, is staying hurt or angry, and not going forward. You showed me how to take the bad and learn from it, not make it into something that will define me.
You tremendously taught me that people have cold hearts, can use words as a weapon, and that they don’t think the same way I do (This is actually one of the few things I was reminded of all four years).
You taught me that conflict is a part of life and can’t be avoided. But along with this came my first glimpse of how you were going to teach me that no one’s opinions about myself matter except for mine. This was a time of realizing that I really did care (maybe a little too much) about the impression I gave people, and you started pointing me in the right direction of acceptance, loving myself and not trying to be the person others wanted me to be.
You taught me a lot about trust, more than I probably could have handled that year, but I guess you thought I needed to know because this is when you taught me about falling in love. You told me it would be bumpy, and I didn’t believe you. But so far, it has been the greatest lesson someone has provided me.
You opened my eyes to people who would listen, absorb, and lock secrets. You may have made me start sharing a lot more than some people deserved to know, but it was another lesson well-learned in the end.
Lastly, you taught how difficult it can be to say goodbye, how you won’t know if they’ll miss you or forget you. But sometimes, that’s a risk you have to take.

Junior Year:
Your predecessor was one focused around relationships. You were the time of growing up.
It took you some time, but you really helped me understand what it means to be an adult.
You taught me that being independent is a lot more than just paying your own bills. It’s realizing you messed up and taking responsibility instead of cowering behind innocence.
You showed me that I’m not always going to make the right decisions, but that there’ll always been a lesson worth learning from them. 

You showed me that screaming your words is not a method of getting your voice heard, that maturity is realizing that not every situation needs a reaction. And despite previous lessons, you showed me how silence can be just as loud. Silence can lead to letting go, and you provided me the support that letting go of toxicity filling my life is always a good thing, never bad. 

And just because someone doesn’t understand, doesn’t mean it isn’t right.
You showed me that if I feel something is off, it usual is.
Before this though, you made it clear that I sometimes forgot to put my happiness first, and you showed me what stress can do to a fragile soul searcher like myself. But this led to my decision of personally bringing about more lessons for myself to learn, revolving around not just caring for myself, but for nurturing another life.
You brought about a new sense of the word “responsibility” to me, and it made me more motivated and enthused about life after my college years. It was the first time you showed me what being an adult entitles, and you made me feel more prepared than ever.
Even though you put me on a good high of life, you started to show me that storms can brew when you never expect them to. You wanted me to know that troubled times happen, to everyone, not just me, but I didn’t want to listen.
You grew angry with me and got a head start on planning your lessons for the upcoming year.

Senior Year:
You didn’t want to make this one an easy ride, did you?
To start, you taught me that people can go to dark places sometimes. You didn’t want me going on that trip, but you let me anyway. Though I see why now, it was hard to concentrate on anything you were trying to tell me when nothing positive seemed to shine through.
Even though it was hard to grasp, there are some lessons that stick out in my mind.
Like how you made me learn that you sometimes have to take small steps before you can take those giant leaps you dream of doing. 

You showed me that it’s not enough just having bigger dreams that some people might not understand. You have to work for your goals. This was a lesson I dealt with all year, from craving the foreign and strange, homesick for a place that I’ve never been, to just making sure that I was actually walking down that aisle to receive my diploma.
You were all about me trying hard; trying harder to graduate, trying harder to do better in my classes, trying harder to make more decisions that I knew were going to benefit me more than others around me.
You taught me that disappointments can’t come when you try your hardest, because in the end, that's all you got, right? And you made me learn to except that what’s meant to be, will be.
You helped me realize that mantra could be used throughout multiple dimensions of my life, including my relationships with friends, family, friends that became no longer there, friends that I finally realized were always there, and superiors. Though you’ve taught me in the years before the great and the bad that come along with friendships, this year you gave me the valuable lesson of being able to distinguish a true friend from a false one. 

You taught me to "listen" to actions of those I choose to let in my life, not their words. The actions of people sometimes prove why words mean absolutely nothing. Because of you, I might have some trouble trusting the words of others, but you taught me to never doubt their patterns.
You made me grow in the sense that you let me experience things that happen all the time out in what we call “adult world”, and now I see that you were just trying to prepare me for some of the worse out there, including rejection, denial, feelings that you won’t be accepted out there were the people are "serious" 
But I think the two most important lessons you taught me were just a few months ago, right before I became a college graduate.
The first being that everything must eventually come to an end, and secondly, when one door closes, another must open. The two most cliché sayings in the world, but ones that have never felt so true.
Four years is a long time to learn and grow, and you helped me personally the most in this year four than any before.

And for that, I thank you.

____

This was to tell a story, some may know and some may not.
A timeline of moments that really made me learn as I grew up.
But I couldn't be limited to a list of 10 or even 15.

I've been very nostalgic about my college life recently,
but I wouldn't do it again even if I had the chance.
I've gained a lot, and lost.
I've learned a lot more.

That's all I could have asked for.
Advice though: don't wish it away.
Until next time,


Get Yourself Out of a Rut


Very easily, you can find yourself in a rut. And you’re not alone.

It’s hard to think that someone else could be feeling the same down-in-the-dumbs feelings you’re having, especially when all you see is people posting about their perfect, happy lives on all platforms of social media. It’s hard to not compare, but I mean, when you’re sitting in a boring, white-walled office everyday while you see your friends posting awesome Instagram-worthy pictures of beach sunsets, fancy cocktail they ordered with friends, or awesome events they’re attending, do you blame me?

But you don’t just get in a rut by comparing yourself to others. Sometimes, it’s just a bad day that led to a less than pleasant evening. Maybe that bad day transformed into a bad week, month, year. No judgement here. They happen. To everyone. Including myself. I promise.

Lately, I’ve been experiencing one of those ruts that just seem impossible to shake. (I know, it seems like I always am, right?) But I guess what bothers me the most about this, I would say, “stuck” feeling, is of how dedicated I have been lately to be more optimistic. Not even a “fake it until I make it” kind of positivity, but truly having a clearer, more open mind, smelling the rose (well actually the coffee) in the morning, and setting out to have a good day, no matter the circumstances. Life happens, and I’ve been trying to accept more that that doesn’t always means it happens the way you want it to.

So through this new-found look on life, trying to work hard and push myself in the direction I see myself going, I’ve still ended up here, stuck. So now I’m just thinking, “What gives?”

Being new in the nine to five world, I’ve recently (more than ever) have been seeking out advice on not only how  to survive the work day, but also how to survive life in general. I’m in a new phase of my life, one that I’m definitely not adjusting too well, and even though I’m not alone on this venture, it’s easy to feel as you are. That there’s no one there that understands.

Without details of who and what, here are some words I have received to get yourself out of the rut:

1.  No matter how you feel, you need to get up and show up.
Easier said than done, right? I get it. When you’re feeling defeated, it seems more appealing to just lay in your bed with your fur baby, beige watching your latest Netflix obsession, consuming all the carbs you want because they don’t count on bad days, and wasting your hours away until something comes along to perk you up. I’m guilty of doing this, all the time. It’s actually become a talent of mind, but I’m taking this as directly as I can and you should too. A bad day, week, whatever is sometimes impossible to become motivated by, but try looking at  it as  your motivation. Life’s telling you to have a bad day? Look it in the eye and say no. Wear your best, put some badass lip gloss on, and be the boss of how you’re feeling.

2. Don’t take everything so personal.
This one is extremely difficult for me, but someone recently reminded me that just because someone doesn’t approve, like, accept something about you, what you do, or how you live your life doesn’t mean A.) Someone else isn’t going to appreciate that aspect of you and B.)That that piece of you isn’t amazing. There are some people that just are mean, throwing stones to protect themselves, and then there are people that just aren’t going to like you while you have no idea as to why. But you know what? That’s okay. Don’t take the negativity from people two steps behind you to heart. Instead, give them a reason to retract the comment. Or better yet, don’t even give them the time of day. Those seconds are not worth your time. You can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to see in people, and if all they see are your so-called “downfalls”, then those are not the people you want to associate yourself with. And remember: 
Mermaids don’t lose sleep over the opinion of shrimp.

3. Still have hope.
Hope is that one thing I always lose so quickly. Hope that tomorrow will be a better day. Hope that you won’t be in your current situation much longer. Hope that everything happens for a reason and that reason just hasn’t appeared yet. Hope that your dreams will become a reality. When you’re in a rut, hope can be lost. Your days become routine and predictable, same with your overall feelings. But I was advised not to do that. I don’t like having expectations, because they easily become disappointments a majority of the time. But it’s not necessarily expecting good news to roll your way, it’s not losing faith in yourself, your future, your capabilities. Though I may not be where I thought I would be starting my life after graduation, I can still see barely see that light at the end of tunnel, but it’s enough to give me hope.

4. Feelings are self-induced.
I understand someone’s words and actions can make you upset. And I understand that life gets in the way of your plans and makes you frustrated. But you ultimately choose to become mad, sad, defeated, frustrated, upset, from what’s going on around you. I do this, all the time. I let these essentially become my excuses. And even though I’m a firm believer that it’s okay to be sad, whether you have a reason or not, I’m also starting to become a believer to fact that the outside world can easily invite you to become (and even stay) upset. It’s ultimately our job to not accept the invitation to the party.

And finally,

5. An individual who has fallen and gotten back up is stronger than the person who never fell.
You have scars and bruises and dirt covered knees. Good. There’s nothing else I could say to make this sit in my head, your head, or anyone else’s. You just have to have faith, maybe along with a side of prayers, that your battle isn’t to cause casualties, but to bring forth the hero that you are and make your will and bones stronger. Don’t let a fall prevent you from showing up, making the most of the days ahead of you and losing the hope that fuels your soul.

Let it make you, well, you.

Remember, what consumes your mind has control over your life. And sometimes your own personal thoughts can have a bigger impact and leave a deeper scar than anything else. Ruts… yeah they happen, but don’t let that become what defines you.


Until next time,