Once In a Lifetime

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I do. 

Once upon a time, I was just a girl with a patchwork heart. I believed that if I wanted something badly enough, it would happen. Little did I know, that sometimes when you do want things badly enough, they will happen - all in God's time. The night where my fairy tale came true was when I walked into a dance full of both familiar faces and faces of strangers. Then, I saw you, and the room --- stopped ----. Slow motion hit, and I felt myself drifting towards your beautiful blue eyes.  

The music seemed to mellow, a spotlight almost seemed to descend from above. The butterflies in my heart soon turned to elephants  I smiled and you smiled back. 

From that spark, grew something amazing, and I am happy to share a recap with you. After you watch my vlog, I urge you to think about the person (or people) in your life that have changed you for good. Then, TELL THEM. Life is so short, and we truly do have limited opportunities to tell others how we feel. Go ahead and be someone else's 'once in a lifetime'.

If you need any further inspiration, I recommend you listen to Landon Austin's original song 'Once in a Lifetime'!

Do You See the Fighter?

Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle...

Whenever I hear or see this coined quote, I can't help but stopping to really think and consider the happenings in the lives of others. Although I am generally not a very self-centered person, I dwell a lot of time in my own head. With that increasing time spent locked into my own mind, my thoughts get clouded and I cannot process that someone else may have thoughts greater than mine at that very moment. I forget to use my peripheral brain to notice. 

I am pretty sure we are all fairly guilty of not using our peripheral brains to notice that another may be upset. 

What is the battle in your life? 

This is most likely a pretty easy question for you to answer. You could probably rattle off a list a mile long, and then add a few 'PS's' at the end. I know I sure could. 

What are the battles your mother is facing? Your father? Sister? Brother? Coworker? Customer? Client? Patient? Friend? 

Some of these you might be able to say vague answers on. Others, you most likely won't have a clue. Trust me, I certainly don't claim to have tabs on what other's concerns are. However, I am trying to use my peripheral brain to be open to the fact that these folks DO have concerns and battles that they are facing. 

My job relies heavily on helping others - as about 99.9% of the jobs out there in the world. My duties include being friendly, helpful, patient, precise, and speedy. My duties do not include fretting over the small things, being short or snotty, or criticizing others. Those actions are only made out of selfishness.

Whatever industry you are in, whether you are a lunch lady, garbage man, doctor, lawyer, teacher or coach, it is your duty to be honest, friendly, helpful, patient, and precise too! We are all fighters - trying our hardest. Yes, it's hard to be faced with the folks that are obviously NOT trying to follow the golden rule, BUT here is the real kicker... Maybe THEY are fighting another completely different battle. Maybe it's cancer or another serious ailment, a lost relative or loved one, serious debt, or maybe they have just lost their job. Whatever the battle, it is our duty to try our best to understand and HELP in the little ways we can. 

In other words, it might be easy to get frustrated, to be short or snotty, or criticize someone else when they are rude or short with us, but generally their actions and attitude have little to do with us or the situation. It's our job to see the FIGHTER in them. 

Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, your actions and calmness will be enough to open their eyes and allow them to see your grace and kindness. It could very well change their day and allow them to experience life through a new perspective. 

So FIGHT to be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle... 

New Beginnings

As a new year opens and 2013 closes, many of us may be thinking that it is time to open a new chapter in our lives. Every year millions of folks all around the world make resolutions to change themselves for the better - whether they are letting something go, or promising to do something more - it is a time of new beginnings for us all.

So what does the phrase 'New Beginnings' mean to you? Well, if nothing's coming to mind, then I urge you to watch this beautiful commercial from Google. Not only does it have a great message, but it is beautiful to watch. 

Like this commercial, our lives are beautiful to watch too. Maybe in the day-to-day we do not notice the small changes taking place in our lives, but they are there. This year I am making it my duty to be more perceptive to change and to appreciate even the smallest of new beginnings. 

For this year, I specifically resolve to drink more water (at least 50 oz every day), run a half marathon (specifically the Brookings Half Marathon in May), read at least one book every month, to let go of my insecurities, anxiety, and OCD tendencies, and to write one blog post every week (even if it's short), and reestablish my YouTube channel. 

I really want to document the year 2014 - so that I can focus on the positive growth in my life. After a somewhat tumultuous 2013, I happily close the door, and look forward to all the new experiences 2014 will bring. 

What are your resolutions for 2014? How do you perceive the phrase 'New Beginnings' in your life? And, how do you plan to notice the everyday new beginnings that you have been given?