Anything about Everything

Google defines joy as: joy /joi/ Learn to pronounce noun a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. "tears of joy" Joy to me is very similar to the definition above, but with my own twist. For example, it’s common to feel happiness when things are going right in our lives. When everything aligns and makes sense for us.  Feeling joy in these situations is an added layer. Your heart is full, you’re smiling, and you are elated.  The Christian duo For King & Country released a song in 2018 called joy.  I feel like this song encapsulates what JOY is, how to find it, and how to CHOOSE it. Just like happiness, we have to CHOOSE to feel joy.  We are all aware that the world is still on fire. The news is a mess, everyone is experiencing some level of depression and anxiety. And while things seem dark and hard to navigate, we have to choose how we respond. Not every day is going to feel great. That’s normal human nature. But if we choose to have a good day, if we choose to...

  I used to hate looking back on the year before moving to the next one. I think a part of that stemmed from unhealed hurt that I kept avoiding. Getting back into this blog, sharing MY truth, and connecting with so many has been one hell of a ride but it has also helped heal a lot of hurt.  First up, as it happened on the second day of the year.. Mike and I made things official. It may not sound like much to anyone but me, and that’s okay. I spent 8 years in a loop of bad dating stories and was about to give up. Then I met Mike and the rest is history.  Getting back to concerts this year made my music loving heart so happy. Sure, the majority of them happened while I was homeless, but at least I made the best of my situation! Live music does something to my soul that just fills me with joy. Dan and Shay was a top 3 moment this year and I will never forget it.  Traveling to Houston this summer was awesome. I got to know the people I see every week on a deeper level, l...

  It's hard to pick just one favorite for me, because this year has been incredible. With the exception of a tree deciding it no longer wanted to be apart from the house I lived in... this year has been wonderful.  As corny as it sounds, my favorite experience from the last 365 days would have to be, it would have to be moving into this apartment. The crew we had helping out that day, my parents surprising me (thank GOD they did!!!). The new chapter for Mike and I. The office/guest room we now have. All great things.  I hate packing. This summer especially. But I LOVE unpacking and throwing things away. I love to organize and decorate new spaces. Being able to do this with Mike has been one hell of a blessing. Seeing him every single day has somehow made me love him more (and some days it's hard... any living situation is tough!).  Getting to go to events TOGETHER in the same car, dinner together (almost) every night.. the little things I never knew I would crave. Th...

Our apartment as a whole makes my heart so full. It is a perfect little first "home" for Mike and I. It's definitely smaller than what I lived in before, but I would absolutely classify this spot as cozy. It's just us, so it's not too cramped.  If I had to pick a space or a room in the apartment that makes me happy.. I would have to pick the kitchen. It's small, but probably the most beautiful part of the apartment. Mike and I cooking together in there makes me (most times) happy. As someone who cooked a lot before I moved in here (in any of my previous apartments), it's nice to share the responsibility. I have been demoted to sous chef, which is actually a blessing. I had a hard time with it at first, because I was so used to cooking. But it's not always a bad thing to let someone else step in and take over sometimes!  Our kitchen is the first room you walk into in the house. It's so warm and welcoming. When I was apartment hunting, I was getting ...

There has been a lot of talk lately surrounding mental health. This post may have been inspired by seeing A Star Is Born for the second time and weeping in public AGAIN. Some people roll their eyes at it, because "another story about mental health" is taking over their feeds. Well, friends, I am here to tell you that mental health is so important, it needs to be a priority for all of us.  What does that even mean? Do you take care of yourself? Or do you just run yourself ragged until you can't physically stay awake? Do you take time for you - to do something that you love and makes you feel awesome? Or do you ignore all that because everyone else needs something and you can't stop until everyone else is taken care of? Do you listen to your thoughts? Or do you ignore how you feel because you don't want to burden anyone?  I have always been that person - that takes care of everyone else before I take care of myself. I need to be sure that my friends and ...

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...

Happy August friends!!  This year has flown by -  and while it seems like we "only have 4 months left of the year (including August)" - we have 5 full months left of 2018! How are you going to make them the best yet? Have you been checking in with your goals and dreams? Have you made a conscious effort to make changes in your life for the better, so that you are TRULY happy? Have you reassessed your goals/plans for 2018 to make sure they are in line with where you are at right now?  You now have a blank slate, 31 days, to readjust your mindset and re-imagine how you want to spend the next 152 days. Make it a habit every day to spend time reflecting on how yesterday went, what you will get out of today, and what you hope for tomorrow. EVERY SINGLE DAY friends. Get a nice journal (target has great ones), and start writing. Seeing goals and intentions in writing helps the universe make it happen. For example... If you're a part of my close circle, you k...

It seems that when people talk these days, not much information is absorbed from what they said. Why? Let's discuss. 1. We are so focused on having everything IMMEDIATELY. As a society, we are expecting information on demand, when we want it. If we don't find anything out immediately, we lose interest. Our minds wander elsewhere, our attention is no longer where it needs to be. 2. Technology is distracting us. We are very technologically focused now. Everything is centered around being connected 24/7, with the latest technology. There's no need. We scroll social media out of boredom while someone is talking to us, we focus our energy on scrolling rather than putting the phone down and listening to what the other person has to say.    3. Selfcentered is a real thing.  If it doesn't have anything to do with us, why would we listen? As a country, we have become so self centered that no one else's thoughts/feelings/needs matter before ours. What happened to...

But seriously... are you?  A lot of time and energy has gone into avoiding that question in my life over the last few years. How can I be happy when I worked a job that did NOT fill any sort of bucket in my life? I was surrounded by some of the most negative people in my social circle. I know it's been discussed in past posts - taking that leap of faith into a better life is part of the reason I'm as happy as I am now.  But the reality is this: there's more to life than work.  Being happy all the time requires effort. If you can't see past the negative in your life, you're bound to stay where you're at forever. You have to WANT deep down in your gut, to be happy all the time.  It's hard.  The last few months have been incredible months of growth for me. But I have also had to battle some serious external issues that have led to binge eating (yep, I have that issue.. also working to fix it), stress induced stomach issues, and self doubt. I was lett...

Day 15 of 30 This blog was started as a way to reach people who needed to know they are not alone in this world. It started as a sounding board for societal issues, and quickly turned into a safe, self love haven. That while I don't have all the answers, I do have some life experience. I am more than willing to share anything that will help others, especially if they can learn from my mistakes. I also hope to spread positivity, and today's post will be riddled with it.  I invite you to write one of these to yourself once a month, and see how your life changes. Be positive, let the words flow, and believe good things will come back to you. Hey girl,  Thank you for being true to who you are. Thank you for choosing your happiness over everyone else's. Thank you for believing you are on the right path to success, and continuing to learn improvements every day.  Thank you for not listening to the naysayers, for supporting yourself regardless of the backlash y...

This post is not a part of the 30 day challenge - but it IS a 30 day post.  30 days ago, I embarked on a new journey in my professional career. I took a chance on myself to improve my mental health, my professional mentality, and my overall view on life. For the last 3 and a half years, I was stuck in a mundane, depressive routine that was not allowing my personal growth to truly flourish. I was negative all the time, constantly crying, emotionally binge eating, and on what most call a downward spiral. I had no self confidence, couldn't care less how I presented myself to society, and honestly felt so alone and abandoned that I just stayed home in bed most weekends. I knew something had to change, and FAST. I am almost 30 for crying out loud, and I was stuck in this miserable cycle. I would spend 3 out of 5 nights a week sobbing on the phone to my mom, who at 800 miles away could do nothing but tell me it was all going to be alright, to keep fighting. Having fought for as l...

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...

Here in New England (and throughout MOST of the country) we experience all 4 seasons. As of late, they tend to overlap, but in essence, we experience 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. In life, you experience seasons as well. Are they as clearly defined as the 4 we see every year? No. Life is a constant change in seasons. New experiences, new friends, old traditions, etc. – all part of the seasons in your life. As someone who has recently gone through quite a season of change, I can tell you that it’s not even remotely easy. On the outside, sure, I look excited for a new adventure. I tell everyone how I am SO excited about a new job, or a new place to live, a new friend, or a new car… internally I am flipping the eff out. As someone with a very high anxiety level, new is scary. New is not my routine, so how am I going to function in it? How am I going to get myself acclimated accordingly and not look like a COMPLETE idiot? Anxiety is a topic I will cover in a post down t...