Anything about Everything

Never Forget. 9/11. Always Remember . Common phrases we see every year, on this day. We are all connected to the events of September 11, 2001 somehow. We either knew someone who was a first responder, someone who was on a plane, someone who lost someone close to them.. the list goes on. And while it’s absolutely 100% a very sobering, sad reminder, the flooding of social media with the video footage of the planes hitting the towers, the towers crumbling, people running for their lives – it’s a whole lot to take in every year, all day long. There is no reason we can’t honor those lost by posting about it other than on the anniversary. And no, none of us will ever forget what happened or where we were. But taking away from those who were directly effected is unfair. SO unfair.  I will spare all the details, but 18 years ago I witnessed a childhood friend find out his dad was on one of the planes. We didn’t talk about it much until high school (I was in 7 th grad...

It has been a WHILE since a post has been written. And this week, there will be 2 new posts!! ((not including this one)) Life gets crazy and when I am not feeling particularly inspired, I refuse to write. I will not allow mediocre work to come from a place of turmoil. Just not in my nature!  I stopped making time to sit and map out posts because I felt like my voice didn't matter. I didn't feel like sharing anything because no one would care that I had anything to say. This, dear friends, is a taste of what goes on in this brain of mine when I am feeling rather down. I have been wanting to share more content on all my social media outlets, but I feel like my life isn't near as exciting as everyone else's, so who would watch my content?!  Ladies and gents.. this is where we all need to cut. the. shit.  Comparison is the killer of literally everything.  Read that again.  Comparing your life to someone else's will kill your motivation, your drive, ...

Sometimes in life, you just need to take a step back and reset. Disconnect from the world and get yourself back to a good space, mentally and emotionally. The last week and a half has been just that for me -  a reset and reflect chapter in my story.  I have touched upon this before in previous posts, but anxiety and depression are a part of who I am now. I do not like either of them, and try my best to push through those rough days when all the thoughts take over. In an effort to share my experience, I decided to do a little bit of an experiment surrounding possible triggers - and let me just say I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS MONTHS AGO!  When I told my close friends and family that I was planning to shut down my social media accounts for a weekish, not ONE person in that group questioned my decision. This, in turn, helped me make the decision to just shut them down. They all supported my reasons (more to come), and applauded me for making the choice. It's hard to cut so...

We have discussed this before - but you get out of life what you put into it. Want something good to happen? Put positivity and trust out into the world. Keep your energy on the positive wave, watch your body language - then keep living life. Good things will happen.  Same goes for relationships (romantic or otherwise). If you want it to work, it's gotta be a two way street. You have to put in the work you want to receive back. If it does not come back to you - cut it loose. Let it go. Move on. This includes but is not limited to new relationship ventures (see online dating post before this one), friendships (regardless of length of time), and family members. It takes 3 seconds to send a text, a few minutes to pick up the phone and call someone.  Instead, most people post their every breath, every move, every second on social media. And for what? Attention. Sure, you can reach the masses better with social media, but don't you think you should communicate  with you...

Last week, I had the privilege to surprise my mom for her 60th birthday. My dad and I started planning it in January, and when it came to the day of the surprise - I was FREAKING out. I didn't want to blow it - we had worked so hard! Well, it went off without a hitch, and she was VERY surprised.  While I was visiting, we spent time in Asheville, North Carolina as well as Hendersonville, North Carolina. If you are ever looking for a place to go, this would be it. Such adorable little mountain towns with a lot of culture and vibrance. We toured the Biltmore Estate (a MUST do if you go out that way), and really just enjoyed the sights and sounds around us.  The last time I took a true vacation was in December, at Christmas time. I always felt guilty taking any sort of time off, because I felt like I was slacking if I wasn't in the office. I put work VERY high up on my priority list, in hopes that I would see growth. I didn't. I worked myself to the point of burning out, a...

The last week or so, the media has been flooded with information about the recent celebrity suicides. These people seemed to have it all together, loved the lives they were living, and projected such achievement in their actions. What we didn't see was their internal suffering. For someone to want to take their own life, their internal voices are telling them they are not enough, they can't live the life they want because they are not worthy of it, or they don't deserve what they have (for example).  As someone who has been effected by suicide by way of association, it pains me that the warning signs were not obvious. People can project their sorrows and demons, and mask it as strength. Which is why this conversation is so important. Which brings me to my next point.  Everyone in this world is different - the way they dress, the way they live their life, the way they think about the world around them - is different than the way you or I think about things.  ...

Day 20 of 30 As time rolls on, we try and roll with the punches. Technology changes, so we roll with it. Societal norms change, so we roll with them. Today's topic of discussion is things I miss.  It's no secret that I miss growing up in the 90s and early 2000s. I didn't realize it during that time, but those years would be the best years of my life. We didn't live on social media, we didn't have smartphones. We COMMUNICATED with each other over the phone, or used T9 texting. Once they came out with phones that had full keyboards, well, we were so cool!  I miss when friends would call you up to come hang out, watch a movie. There was never competition on who looked the best, or who was hanging with who. It was so much more lax. I miss when you would go to the mall on Friday nights and see what boys you'd run into from school.  I miss when friends actually meant what they said and were honest with you when there were issues.  I miss not being conn...

Day 8 of 30 Today is going to get a little more personal. The topic is something I struggle with, but I will add my own spin on it and list out how you can also overcome this issue - as it's very common among most adults.  People pleasing. For a long time, I was in the business of pleasing people and making sure everyone else was happy before I was. I never wanted anyone to hate me, or think ill of me, or talk about me behind my back, so I did my best to keep everyone else around me happy. Low and behold, people still hated me, thought ill of me, and talk about me - so what's the damn point?!  Well friends, it all goes back to my post discussing social media and how "adults" are using it as an outlet to air others' laundry, or spread rumors, or comment on their lives when they have no right to. YOU ARE NOT AN ADULT IF THIS IS HOW YOU HANDLE THINGS!!!!!! I have spent many days scrolling Facebook, Instagram, Twitter... and the amount of negativity and la...

Justin Timberlake is notorious for producing incredible music and putting on a nonstop kick-ass show. His latest album is enjoyable, but one song in particular has been on my heart lately. He is known for collaborating with genius musicians, for working with incredible producers - he's a hit maker through and through.  So what song am I talking about?  Say Somethin'  ft. Chris Stapleton All too often, we rely on social media to convey how we are feeling: be it a bad day or a grudge against someone, a moment of judgement or a complaint about service received, exciting news about a deal we found or a selfie with a friend you haven't seen in forever. These platforms have removed the communication factor in relationships - family, friends, romantic. It's much easier to post a status update, a tweet, a snap to our stories, an instagram to our stories, and move on.   This has caused disconnects between friends and family alike - which is what's slowly cripplin...