It's the last day of November!

Start spreading the holiday cheer by smiling at strangers and holding doors.

(This cartoon made me laugh so I had to include it!)

I went back in time to bring you this post!

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Sorry I missed it the first time. :)

100th Post!

"People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them."

Paulo Coelho

Something Inspiring I stumbled across

(a 1997 Commencement Address)

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

One Thing I Love

How was your Thanksgiving?

I had a wonderful holiday. I don't want to let you down though, if you're here for inspiration.
So, I'll share with you something:
Quotes are fine and good, but I really love proverbs.
So, here you go: a proverb from Mongolia

Ko kupuje ono što mu netreba, prodavaæe ono što mu treba
Tho one who is buying unnecessary things will eventually sell the necessary ones

...And further more...

Eat and sleep!

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Heidi and Amy will be celebrating, giving thanks, and stuffing their little faces among family today.
Hopefully you will too!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Gobble Gobble!

I think it's needless to remind us all that especially today, we should think of everything we are thankful for, but there it is. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everybody! :)

Get A Head Start

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In the spirit of Thanksgiving, make a list of all the things you are thankful for. I'm telling you now so that by the time Thursday rolls around, you'll have had enough time to think about it that you can really appreciate it (maybe even share your list with someone?). It can be short and simple, or long and specific. It doesn't even need to be a list. It could be a short essay. It could be a poem. Anything that makes you mindful of your blessings, for a further purpose:

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."
-W. T. Purkiser

It's Hard, but...

Why don't you...

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Take a hot chocolate break. A good week lies ahead.

Happy?

IT'S

F R I D A Y!

What could be better? :) Get outside and soak up that sunlight & fresh air!

T'day

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

INSPIRE

Happy hump day!

Make it meaningful.

Be...

Have a great Tuesday!
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Sometimes, the truth hurts. But it's what you do with that hurt that really counts, whether you accept it and strive to do better, or whether you stay in the corner licking your wounds and blaming the world.

Sorry it's delayed.

Have a good week.

Happy Day!

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YOU ROCK!
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(Amy couldn't get to a computer yesterday, sorry!)

I THINK I CAN I THINK I CAN...

Many times we mistake a weakness of the mind for a weakness of the body.

I thought of this while sitting in orchestra class, and there are some long songs which require a long spurt of holding up my viola. Extremely tired, I dropped my posture and tried to play in a slouch. Not working. My muscles are weak! My arms can't take it! No- my mind can't take it.

Your body might be whining, but it's your mind that gives the OK for it to relax. And how difficult can it be to just think? Realize that sometimes you just need to stand your ground. Don't let your body get away with slacking!

TGIF!
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It's not the end of the world...

...if your technology fails you. I learned this the hard way multiple times - last school year, this summer, and today. Truth is, a computer/iPod/cell phone/camera is JUST an inanimate object, and we should be much more concerned with the things that actually matter in our lives, like our health and friendships. So next time you come across a malfunction, take a deep breath, walk away, and enjoy the temporary freedom from the clutches of our modern world.

If You Haven't Already,

Do yourself a favor and read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
It is the most inspirational book I've read.

Happy Mid-Week!
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p.s. If you have read this book (and ONLY if you have read it already), you should go here. :)

On Productivity and Motivation

Allowing yourself to be motivated and productive is a mindset. It's not as easy to turn on or off as flipping a light-switch, it's like having to go down into your basement at 3am in the pitch-dark, having to manuever through your dirty laundry and collections of junk while cursing your pack-rat tendancies and the fact that you don't have a working flashlight in the house to find the circut-breaker, then experimenting flipping all these different dials and switches in your attempt to find the one that will successfully turn the electricity back on.

BUT the good news is, the more often you go down this same path, the better and quicker you will maneuver through those moments of blindness. It's all about making a habit out of it and finding what works best for you personally.

Good luck! :)

Today

It's not about luck.

Some things never change..

..and it's a good thing!

Can you think of something consistantly awesome in your life? (i.e. a friendship, your great hair, etc, lol)

A Note to the Readers

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Sometimes, the writers are busy.
Take this as your cue to go out and use the advice we've already given.
:)
Hope you're all having a great weekend.
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New Moon Inspiration

[obviously I didn't take this picture myself...]
I am scrambling for inspiration, and how about this? Looking forward to the release of New Moon definitely inspires me! Apply this to your life: what do you have to look forward to? Think of that every time you're feeling discouraged.

It's O.K....

...if not everyone likes you. This means you are true to yourself and aren't concerned with pleasing everyone else around you (which is impossible, anyway). So don't stress if you can't win over everyone - there is nothing wrong with you :)

Living the Dream

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I have the dilemma that I know I should start living my dreams... but when? I can't right now, or can I? Here's your alarm: DO IT TODAY! If you dream about being an artist, try some drawing today. If you dream about being a chef, cook a meal today (barely any ingredients? Use them creatively!), if you dream about dancing, well, dance!
Make some time to live your dreams today.

Have a good one!
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My Advice to You

Given that today is my birthday, I thought it would be appropriate to share my own advice that I have come to find important after 21 years of experience...

Go with the flow, don't get hung up on small disappointments/setbacks;

Love yourself with your words, attitudes, and actions;

Make time for the people who love you;

and make every day meaningful.

If you haven't already: check out my new recommendation blog!

Monday? YES! AWESOME!

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Cookies for everyone!

Have a FANTASTIC Monday!
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Let it be known that last night I slept in the same room as Lola, so she would have a friend, and I have been calling her name on and off since 5:30am because that's when she started meowing at the door. Despite what you might think, I actually found this amusing and plan on doing it again.

Don't get discouraged, and use your sense of humor.

Lola says 'Happy November, Humans!'

and so do Kelly and Heidi.