Recommit in February!

How are we already three days into February? I thought 2017 flew by, but it seems like 2018 is going to move just as quickly! As we enter into this second month of the year, I'm sure I'm not the only one reflecting on my New Year's Resolutions, and where I stand in my progress. Obviously, we all know there is nothing magical about January 1st. We don't just enter into the New Year and miraculously have our lives all figured out. For some people, though, the Beginning is a great motivator to make some changes! After that beginning, though, we have to make the conscious decision to stick to our guns and achieve our goals. This February, I encourage you to take another look at the resolutions you set for yourself, and recommit to them!

One of my goals was to get this blog back up and running. While I obviously have done that, I'm going to recommit to my content, and give it some more of my attention. This blog is both an outlet and an inspiration for my creativity! I have found that since I decided to make 2018 my Personal Renaissance, I have done quite a bit more writing, which has brought some clarity to my life. A lot of it is very close personal stuff that maybe one day I will share. For now, though, this is my platform for public writing, inspiring, and connecting. I hope that in the coming weeks, you find something that speaks to you!

Over this weekend, I challenge you to take a good hard look at what you want to accomplish this year. Maybe your intentions or circumstances have changed. Maybe you need something else out of your life right now than you'd anticipated. There's nothing wrong with adjusting your goals as your life changes. Be real with yourself, and push yourself towards those goals! I know I will. If you need an accountability partner, go out and get one! And remember, I'm always here for you, whatever you need. What are your current goals? How was January for you? How are you going to make even bigger strides from here on out? Let's inspire each other!

Inspiration // Positivity

I really believe that we have the power to change our own lives. I also believe that if you want your life to change, you're the only one that can do it. It has been a difficult week. There have been ups and downs and twists and turns and this one week has felt like an entire year. Let's just say I'm glad it's over.

Even though nothing particularly catastrophic happened in my life this week, I have been particularly thoughtful. Mostly about how I spend my time and how I can make myself better, in what I do but also as a person. I have these thoughts often, especially as I'm approaching the end of my undergraduate education and thinking more seriously about moving and getting started with the next phase of my life. Every time, I come back to the same goal: stay positive.

Everything in life comes down to attitude. You can be the most talented, most skilled, most intelligent person on the planet, but if you have a poor attitude, that's what will come back to bite you in the end. I've been finding myself struggling to keep up the positivity the past few days, but I know that it is best that I continue to fight for it. It is an extremely important part of my life and my success. Positivity has the power to change you, and only you have the power to be positive. Really, YOU have the power to change YOU. So, if there's something in your life that you're unhappy about, you can change it. You just have to be willing to commit to making that change.

Life is fluid. It changes from day to day. I've been striving for positivity for a long time, most of the time with success! But, if we're all honest with ourselves, we all fall down. Sometimes it's not about making huge, permanent changes. Sometimes it's just about the little tweaks here and there to make our lives a little bit better every day.

I think I'm ready to make some changes. I'm ready, once again, to get back up and get positive. What about you?

Few Words

Tonight, I'm finding it difficult to put my thoughts into words. Mostly because my thoughts are not substantial enough at the moment to write anything particularly meaningful. While I could just put off this post until the words come to me, which could be in a day or so, I have found through experience that writing when you least want to can bring out some of the best work. Sometimes you need to just let yourself write in order to find what you were really trying to say. This is probably the fourth or fifth time I've tried to start writing, trying to come up with a topic that I could really expound upon, when in reality, all I needed to do was write about how much trouble I'm having writing. Sometimes, you don't need a lot of words. Sometimes the few words that you do have in your head are worth just as much time as the long, eloquent thoughts that rush out of you when you're feeling at your creative best.





If nothing else, finding this habit of writing every day, no matter what thoughts you may or may not have, keeps your mind active and helps you to later pluck those deeply buried ideas out of the cobweb-crusted corners of your brain. I've mentioned before about my Belgium blog and how, when I was writing on that blog daily, I found that I wrote some of my best poems, took some of best photos, and created some of my best art. It's an important part of the daily routine, even if it's short and sweet.





It took me a while to get them out, but I think these few words were very much needed on my part. Plus, they are accompanied by this cute outfit, which I think really exemplifies the idea of style fluidity that I was talking about yesterday. This business casual-ish look is quite different from the 90s drab that I was rocking yesterday!

P.S. I'm a little bit in love with this necklace. I bought it at a tiny little boutique in Westchester, PA and it's now one of my staples! Simple, lovely, and versatile. Basically, the perfect necklace.

I suppose my few words turned into quite a few words! That is what happens when you just let yourself go and let the writing take over.

For The Love Of Writing

I have a post on this blog about my Blogging Story. All about how I started blogging and where it has taken me. I suppose for some, blogging has had a very tangible impact on their lives. For example, the big bloggers out there have made a name for themselves in the blogsphere and have an income off their blog. For me, it's a little bit more internal than that (although one day I hope to be in their league). For me, it's about writing.

The thing is that I'm in theatre. For those of you who don't do theatre, here's something you need to know: it consumes you. When I'm not doing homework, out with friends, or on this blog, I am thinking, living, and breathing theatre, and I love it! Actually now that I think about it, I mostly go out with theatre friends, so maybe it even has a hold on me when I'm out on the town. The point is, I don't have much opportunity to get away and just chill. I don't have as much time as I'd like to read, sew, craft, cook, write, or shoot photos. This blog almost forces me to sit down for just a few minutes a day and gather my thoughts. It's therapeutic and gives me a moment of calm every day. It also helps my creativity!

My blog was especially important to me when I was in Belgium (if you'd like to read some of those stories, click here). I blogged just about every day and I recounted every little detail of my days. Since I rarely talked to people back home, it gave me a real way to connect with them. Everyone back in the States, and around the world, really, knew what was going on with me and was able to be a part of my experience. Plus, having that catharsis every day was extremely helpful for my mental sanity. Looking back, some of my posts were incredibly sad, some depressing, some hysterical, and some beautifully poetic. Even looking back at the journaling or poetry that I was writing while I was there makes me long for the days of train rides and quiet afternoons where I could take the time to dig deep into my soul and write something lovely. Maybe I will post some of those poems here one day.

Yes, I hope that one day my blog will become popular and yes, I love getting comments on my posts and yes, my heart jumps a little when I get a new follower. But it's not just about that. It's about taking the time to go to a calm place and write.