Everything's Peachy

I have a little sister, she's 14 and will be starting high school next year. This quote has been one of my favorites to arm her with as she gets ready to move into a school full of popular girls and older boys. It can be hard to remember that we can't please everyone. It's impossible. So every time I catch her (or myself) complaining about how "so and so is being so mean and I never did anything to her" I remind her of this. I've even taken it a step further and told her that she has a better chance of people liking her if she is a juicy ripe peach, not a bruised and ugly one. By this I don't mean that she has to be pretty to get attention, but that she should try to be nice to everyone that she meets, and even if someone is having a bad day, or is mean to her, she shouldn't let herself get bruised and bitter because of it. Now whenever we're in the car and she's talking about girls at school we joke about what kind of peaches they are. It seems silly but I think it's such a good lesson for her to have as she gets older. Plus it's always a good thing to remind myself of every once in a while. So be a sweet peach, even if you meet someone who is more of an apple person. 

Much love, 

Em

Share a Smile

So many times, we forget the importance of being kind to each other. We go through life so intent on taking care of ourselves that other people can pass us by without even causing a blip on our radar. Sometimes all another person needs is something little to get them through the day, and we can provide that without it taking much of a toll on us at all. A smile, a compliment, or a friendly gesture can help someone else's day turn around, and it'll probably make you feel a little better too. 

Much love,

Em

Keep Moving

There are some days that it can be so difficult to remember how far we've come. Usually they're the days that someone from our past peeks their head in to see what they can do to mess with us (if you're thinking "ex-boyfriend" then you know me too well). The important thing to hold on to at times like these is how much you have accomplished since this person stopped being a part of your life. I know you've done some wonderful things all by yourself, things you should be proud of. Focus on them, not someone who decided you weren't worth their time...because at the end of the day,  who's really missing out here? (The answer is "them")

Much love,

Em

Think Positive

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, positivity can take you so far in life. Thinking positive thoughts is one of the best, and easiest, ways to keep moving in the right direction. Your body listens to what your mind is putting out, so if you're thinking positively, positive things will happen. Plus, if you're positive about a new experience, chances are you'll enjoy it more, and get more out of it than if you were negative about it. Try to enter every situation with a positive mindset, and I bet things will go a lot more smoothly.

Much love,

Em

Make Yourself Smile

This week, this photo has been the lock screen on my phone. Besides being super pretty, it's a good reminder to have. Doing the things that make you happy is so important. This isn't just because it will make you happy, but because sometimes the best way to relax is to make sure you're taking time for yourself. I tend to forget this, and I think that many other people do as well. So this week I'm going to make sure I take some time to relax and do something I enjoy doing, not just something I have to do. You should too.
Much love,
Em

Take Today

Today's message I want to give to everyone is very simple. Make the most of today, because it's all you have. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed. If today was your last day, would you be happy with how you spent it? Stop waiting for things to happen and go make them happen. And stop waiting for something to come along and make you happy. Why aren't you happy? Change it. Make your life what you want.
Much love,
Em

Grow Flowers

When we're frustrated with people, it can be easy to want to scream and throw a fit over the fact that they're just not understanding what we're trying to say. But what if they're not understanding because you're not doing a great job explaining yourself? Then for sure yelling won't work, because for anyone hearing something you don't understand is hard enough, but if it's at a higher volume then it's even worse. So the next time someone isn't responding to you, try changing your explanation tactic before you change your volume.
Much love,
Em

Get Started

There are several things that I think are so important for you to work on everyday. The list could go on forever, so for now I'll just stick to one. Where do you want to go in your life? Are you working toward getting there? If not, start thinking about it. If you want to end up somewhere, you need to try your best to plan out your journey to that point. Sure, life gets in the way, and yeah it can be scary (let's admit it, it's terrifying), but if you work toward getting where you want to be, you'll not only feel better about yourself, but I bet the next step will seem a lot less scary, because you've already taken the first one.
Much love,
Em

Break Down Your Walls

After many weeks of being away from this blog, I'm back!

This picture has been the lock screen on my phone for about a week now. In addition to getting this blog back up and running, I've decided to keep something motivational as my lock screen, that I'll change up about once a week. This way every time I look at my phone, (which is much more often than I'd like to admit) I'll have a little push of positivity. I love this quote because it reminds me that the only person holding me back is myself. This is true for everyone, if you want to do something, then why not do it? If you want to be someone, you can be. The only person standing in your way is you.

Much love,

Em

Today's post is a little different because I chose to use a song today. I figured with the snow outside and icky winter dragging on for what feels like forever that we could all use an upbeat bouncy song! I love this song because it makes me super happy, and I love the message that it sends. I hope you all enjoy it too, and enjoy your warm day inside while it snows outside!

I missed yesterday because it was my first day of classes and early morning babysitting, so I was exhausted, I'm sorry! But I'll post 2 quotes for today to make up for yesterday!

This one pretty much speaks for itself, your life story will be filled with much more happy memories if you try to find the best in everything, and I feel that this next quote goes along nicely with this idea as well.

This quote is one of my favorites (not that I could ever pick just one favorite, I love them all!). It's high up on my list because it means a lot to me. Sometimes I need to be reminded that happiness is something that I have to choose, not just something that happens to me. It takes just as much effort to be happy than it does to be miserable, and sometimes that's hard to remember when you're curled in bed and want to have a pity party. And I'm not saying don't do that! Sometimes we need a good cry! But after you've gotten it all out of your system, you need to try to pick yourself back up and get back on track to being happy. It takes effort, it's not just luck, trust me.

It is important to remember that emotions are no excuse for actions. Trying to act without the cloud-of-how-we-feel above us can be difficult, but not impossible. We are always held responsible for the way we behave, and the way we feel during a situation is no excuse for bad behavior. Although it doesn't seem fair, that is the way things are. We should always do our best to remember that the way we act reflects on who we are as people, as well as who our friends are, and in my case, what my sorority is like. It's cliché, but actions really do speak louder than words, and we are the only ones responsible for our own actions.

So many times it can be difficult to walk away from something in favor of something new. This can be especially hard if, in the process of leaving, you are leaving behind good memories or good people. There isn't much that I can say that could make anything like this any easier, except that you should try to remember that there are better things ahead, that good memories will remain with you, and that good people will remain in your life. If there is somewhere you need to go, then go, because there is so much out there for you.

With a new semester starting tomorrow I thought I should touch on the pressure that we feel during the school year. It can be so hard to maintain good grades, a social life, and sorority life. There is a lot expected of us as college women. So let's all do ourselves a favor in honor of the first day of classes tomorrow; decide what you want to get out of this semester. Try not to worry about what others want, just do your best to make yourself happy, because at the end of the day, you're the one that really matters. Good luck ladies!

Hi all! First of all I'm so sorry I was a slacker and didn't post anything yesterday! But it gave me an idea. Next week we'll have our first chapter meeting of the semester on Sunday, so I think after today, I won't be posting on Sundays. That way I can focus on preparing what I need for our meeting that night, and I don't have to worry about writing a post. That being said, here's today's:

I cannot express enough how much I love the idea that being positive will get you positive things in your life. I know in many cases it's easy to worry or jump to the worst possible conclusion, but that doesn't help, in fact it can really put a damper on your day. If you think good thoughts, good things will happen! So as we go into a new week, let's all try to work on keeping a positive outlook. I know it's something I need to work on too, so it will definitely be one of my goals for the week!

I watched this video a few days ago, and I have thought about it a lot since. It's a pretty lengthy one, but if you have the time to sit and watch it, I really suggest that you do. This video has given me some excellent insight into the realm of changing my life for the better, and I love it. (Also I'm sorry that the video is not quite lined up with the post, I'm still new to this and I don't know how to fix it! Sorry!)

I think this quote pretty much speaks for itself. We don't get different results if we don't change our actions. If you want to make something better you have to work toward making it better. Change what you do and you will change what you get. Repeat the same actions, and you will receive the same results. It's as simple as that.

Hating someone feels really really good...for about the first 5 minutes. Then, it starts to ruin your day. Trust me, I've been there. A hate so strong it consumes your every thought. "I'll show them!" Really? Are you really showing this person that you hate anything? You're stomping around being grumpy, snapping at anyone that gets in your way, and you sure are making a scene. But is this person affected by this show? Probably not. But boy oh boy I bet you are. No one wants to hang out with you if you're grumpy, and nothing seems to go right for you on a grumpy day either. So really this hatred is hurting...you. Try not to let your negative feelings toward someone else ruin your day, because chances are they're still having a pretty decent day, while yours is spiraling. If you really must show someone that you are upset with them, talk to them, tell them why you're upset, it'll feel good to get it off your chest. And then? Let it go! Don't hang on to this feeling all day, or your whole day will be ruined. Your "hatred" of this other person is hurting you, not them.

Growing up, I feel like we hear those three words all the time, "just be yourself!" Although it's excellent advice, what people don't like to admit is that being yourself is hard. In this society that we live in, there are very specific rules that we are expected to follow when it comes to being liked by others. The worst part is that most of these rules are huge double standards. "1. Be friendly, but don't scare people off with personal information. 2. Dress nicely, but not too nicely because you don't want to look like an overachiever. 3. Do well in school, but not too well or you're a nerd..." A list like this could go on forever, so it's no wonder that people have such a difficult time staying true to themselves. However, it is not impossible to be yourself. Trying to be yourself in a world like the one we live in requires a lot of effort, and a ton of confidence, but those who succeed are among some of the best people. It makes it so much easier to find happiness and true friends if you don't try to change yourself. So try to be yourself,  and against all odds, it might just work.

We're about to get personal folks. Almost a year ago I got out of a long-term, long-distance relationship. It was not a good breakup. We had been together for about 2.5 years, and when it ended...well, I wasn't happy. However, not too long after the end of this relationship, I realized a few things. The first was that I had been limiting myself because of this other person. The second was that now that I was on my own, I had so much more available to me. The third, and probably most important thing, was that holding myself back to keep someone else happy was never going to make me happy. Since then I have expanded my graduate school search to span the entire country (instead of only the places that this person would want to travel to with me), I've decided that I want to continue my education to get a research doctorate in my field of study (instead of selling myself short because I wanted to keep the other person happy), I have decided to apply to a summer research program (8 weeks at the University of Maryland!), and, of course, joined Alpha Delta Pi (which I never would have done because it would have taken up valuable time that could have been used to visit the other person). I know that if this relationship had not ended when it did, I would not have had these life-changing realizations, and I would not be nearly as happy as I am not. So I guess the point of this long winded post is that just because you hit a bump in the road, it doesn't mean that the road is ending, in fact, it may be opening up into a huge road full of opportunities.