What to do, what to do?

'Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be acheived."

 - Mattie Stepanek - 

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."

 - Ambrose Redmoon - 

"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."

 - Peter Drucker - 

"When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible."

 - Howard Schultz - 

My roommate said something to me today, and I am not really sure how to take it.  She said that she thinks I am depressed and that I can do more with my life.  Now I really do not think I am depressed.  I get emotional sometimes, but hey, I am a woman.  We are allowed to do that from time to time.  As for the latter, it may be true.  I procrastinate often and sometimes I just want to eat chocolate and read a book, but when it really matters, I do what I need to do.  Or I do what I WANT to do.

You always have a choice in what you do.  Like Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles) in Mona Lisa Smile, it was her choice not to go to law school.  She wanted to be a homemaker, so that is what she did.  Now I love my friend and roommate, but I really think she does not want other people to move on without her.  She said she sees a lot of her in me, but I don't.  We were brought up similarly, but I am more of a country girl, and she city.  She never wants to have kids and a family but I do.  She never finished her degree and I am about to finish my masters.  Not that she is not a smart, beautiful woman who can accomplish anything she wants to, but I really feel like she might just not want me to be happy... without her.

I really do not know what I am say, but I know it is my life and therefore my choice in how I live it.

Achieving Tomorrow

"Strength doesn't come from what you can do.  

It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't."

 - Oprah Winfrey - 

"Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve."

 - Wilfred Peterson - 

"Ask yourself if you you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow."

 - Unknown - 

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

 - Eleanor Roosevelt - 

There are so many things that I want to achieve in my life.  I want to have a good career, a good husband and children, and a good life.  Note that I said good and not great.  There will always be ups and downs, and I just want the positive to outweigh the negative.

I had my graduation ceremony last week.  I am not officially done with my thesis so therefore did not earn my masters yet, but I will.  I am so close and even though I took a break, I am determined to finish now.  There was no reason to work my butt off for the time that I did and not finish.  This is part of that future I want.  The future I will have.

The Future

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

 - Neale Donald Walsch - 

""May your future be limited only by your dreams."

 - Christa McAuliffe - 

"But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from 

we can still choose where we go from there."

 - Stephen Chbosky - 

There are so many things that I want to do in my life.  I want to keep traveling and never stop.  I want to learn as much as I can about as many things as possible.  I want to experience all that I can.  I want to never stop.  I read because it transports me to so many different worlds.  I love because there is no greater force on this earth than love.  Keep learning, keep loving, that is how we as a people can make it better.

Waiting... not always a good thing

"Leadership is lifting a person's vision to high sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations."

 - Peter Drucker - 

"If you don't make mistakes, you're not working on hard enough problems. And that's a big mistake."

 - Frank Wilczek - 

"There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up."

 - Booker T. Washington - 

So I have been working on my Masters for way too long.  What should have been done in 2 years will be done in 5 years.  I worked myself to a breaking point, I made mistakes, and I have learned from them.  Do not put off tomorrow what can be done today.  Seriously, try your hardest not to.  I am pulling myself up from under the bad place I put myself in and now I just have to fix my finances. Once I do that, I can really start the life I want.  

Life, what do you do with is?

"The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters."

 - Audrey Hepburn - 

"Fear not that your life will someday end. Fear only that you do nothing with it."

 - Unknown - 

"The first rule of focus is this: 'Wherever you are, be there.'"

 - Unknown - 

"Fear is only as deep as the mind allows."

 - Japanese Proverb - 

Life.  There are so many topics that can be branched out with about our lives.  How we live them and what we do with them.  Be present, strive, but be happy.  Focus but carefree.  So many contradictions.  I feel that life should be a balance.  Happy and sad.  Light and dark.  Calm and turbulent.  In order to achieve this balance, we have to know what we want out of life and where we are going.  We need to know our limits and what works best for us.

I think we should just go for happy as much as we can.

Knowledge

"Thinking is one thing no one has ever been able to tax."

 - Charles Kettering - 

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. 

Motivation determines what you do. 

Attitude determines how well you do it."

 - Lou Holtz - 

"The only source of knowledge is experience."

 - Albert Einstein - 

We need to learn, learning is what makes this world get better and progress.  It is not money, or power, or anything else, except knowledge.  With the technology today, many people are not getting the experiences they need in life.  They sort of glide through it without ever having to learn anything knew.  Many children today do not have the drive to expand their minds, they just want the instant gratification that happens every day.  They need to know the pain of failing after month in a project, or the satisfaction you get when something you have worked for so hard finally works!

Give

"The tings you do for yourself are done when you are gone, but the tings you do for others remain as you legacy."

 - Kalu Ndukwe Kalu - 

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing."

 - Albert Schweitzer - 

"Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves."

 - Walter Anderson - 

The charity that we preform is what makes this world a better place.  It is not the money, or the possessions we have, but the smiles we share, and the hugs we give.  The good we do for others si what matters.

Dreams

"The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important."

 - Martin Luther King, Jr. -

"You gotta have a dream. If you don't have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?"

 - Oscar Hammerstein II -

We have to dream in order to want more than what we have.  If we do not dream, what can we aspire to, or strive for?

Life...

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

 - Soren Kierkegaard - 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not sure if I really agree with this quote... Life can be understood after the fact as we look back, but it does not mean that it can only be understood that way.  We look at other people's lives and its the hindsight that makes it understood or not.  Not that we have to look at it backwards.

Dream... dream, dream, dream.

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

 - Oscar Wilde - 

"We all dream; we do not understand our dreams, yet we act a if nothing strange does on in our sleep minds, strange at least by comparison with the logical, purposeful doings of our minds when we are awake."

 - Erich Fromm - 

"Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be."

 - Joy Page - 

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present."

 - Jim Rohn - 

We can always dream, and we can always strive to reach for the moon.  Even if you miss, you will be among the stars.  There is a quote like that, not sure who said it, but I like it.  It sees the good in a failure.

Let us GROW!

"Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal and new life."

 - Janine di Giovanni - 

"Don't let your struggle become your identity."

 - Ralston Bowles - 

"Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others."

 - Helen Keller - 

Everyone struggles, and everyone goes through pain.  We as a people need to overcome these issues and to strive for a better us, achieve a better self.  We are constantly learning, growing and progressing.  Let us make a better place by enriching our lives with knowledge.

Quotes for the day

"Action always beats inaction."

 - Robert Kiyosaki - 

"Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."

 - Hans Margolius - 

"Colors are the smiles of nature."

 - Leigh Hunt - 

Smile!

"A smile is a curve that set everything straight."

 - Phyllis Diller - 

A smile can save someone's life.  Why not have more positive actions than negativity in this world?

Character - its the moments

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."

 - Phillips Brooks - 

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

 - Franklin P. Jones - 

"Knowing what;s right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right."

Theodore Roosevelt - 

Storms come and go

"Watch you thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch you habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

 - Lao-Tze - 

""Be nice to people on your way up because you'll meet them on your way down."

 - Wilson Mizner - 

"Be yourself. Everyone is taken."

 - Nicole Barutha - 

Remember storms do not last forever.  Whatever you are going through you still need to be positive.  Smile at someone, be happy as much as you can.  There is no simpler a gift than a smile, and one that does as much good.  It is amazing what a hug, and a word of kindness can do.  It could save someone's life.

Golden Rule

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."

 - Helen Keller - 

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own."

 - Disraeli - 

"With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble.  Courage is the foundation of integrity."

 - Keshavan Nair - 

The golden rule; do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Live life to the fullest by not just sharing wealth but by giving your time and your attention to others.  Life is not always about what you can take out of it, but what you can give to it.  A smile can brighten a stranger's day.

Success

"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities.  

hey vary in their desires to reach their potential."

 - John Maxwell - 

"Goals are like magnets.  They'll attract the tings that make them come true."

 - Anthony Robbins - 

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

 - Anatole France - 

To be successful, you have to want to be successful.  That does not mean just the want but the actions behind it.  You have to work and strive for your dream.  Strive for a better you!

Birthdays

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."

 - Peter Marshall - 

"Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is.  Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be."

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 

"If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you.  If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you."

 - Unknown - 

Yesterday was my 31st birthday and today is my sister's 32nd birthday.  We have never really been that close, but she has always been a protector.  She used to beat up kids on the bus when they made fun of me, but she would beat me up too if I did something stupid.  She may have been looking out for me, but maybe the wrong way.

Now she and I barely talk because we are just too different.  I hate to say it too, because I love my sister, but we just do not get along.  She is very judgmental and negative, and I do not want that around me.

Happy Spring - Sort of

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."

 - Unknown - 

"Even the greatest was once a beginner. Don't be afraid to take that first step."

 - Unknown - 

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

 - Walt Disney - 

So it snowed this morning - the first day of spring.  Woop dee doo.  I am used to it snowing until April and May and once even June!  I do not understand people, but alas it is the first day of Spring!  And my birthday is just a few days away.  It is sort of anti-climatic this year.  I mean I am now over 30 and the next big birthday is in 10 years.  I am just worried about everything in my life right now.  School, telling my boss that I am moving this summer, bills, and again the only things I am not worried about it my love life.  I found a wonderful man whom I love and he loves me in return.  

There was a solar eclipse with a super moon this morning (only Europe could see it) but it indicates the start of a new beginning.  A restart if you will.  I am so excited for this event in my life.  Ready or not here I come and hear me roar!

Quotes for the day

"The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well."

 - Horace Walpole - 

"A goal should scare you a little, and excite you a lot."

 - Joe Vitale - 

"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men."

 - Johann Wolfgang van Goethe - 

Stand out... in the sunlight!

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."

 - Aristotle - 

"When everything seems to be going against you, 

remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

 - Henry Ford - 

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."

 - Hans Hofmann - 

Every day at work, I feel as if there is ten different strings pulling me in different directions.  I have to keep track of so many things, I am always worried that something will be looked over.  I make lists and I try to keep track of all my projects as much as I can, but I am always worried that something will fall.  Why am I always so worried about failing.  Oh yeah, its because I am the youngest and always in my siblings' shadows.  I never really stood out as a child so I have never known what that feels like.  I just want to feel like I am in the country and you walk from the shade to the sunshine.  That warm feeling.  I want to feel that forever.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

"Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."

Marcus Aurelius

"Remember that guy that gave up?  Neither doe anyone else."

Unknown

"May you get all your wishes but one, so that you will always have something to strive for!"

Irish Proverb

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I think its funny the things you learn, or get told and then forget about until next year.  St. Patrick was not Irish, but an Irish slave.  His color was blue not green, and if you are Protestant you are supposed to wear orange.

Anyway,  I am worried about my thesis and getting done on time.  There is just too many things that I want to do and I only have about 6 weeks to finish everything.  I am going to my sister's house in NC one weekend, but one of my other weekend plans got cancelled.  I kind of am happy about that, and sad at the same time.  I was really looking forward to having my picture taken professionally.

I just need to buckle down and continue on my way.  I have to finish.  There is no reason why I cannot finish.  I just need to bide my time and control it better.  I WILL FINISH!

Weekend

"See yourself as you want to be, not who you think you are."

Rowena Portch

"Don't go through life, grow through life."

Eric Butterworth

"Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it is inspiring."

Unknown

This weekend was a great weekend to see friends and family, but not a good weekend for eating healthy.  My boyfriend and I ate out most of the weekend and I really need to bring my portion sizes down.  I eat way too much at one sitting, probably because I usually do not eat breakfast.  Not a good thing to do.  Again, I just need to get back on the wagon.  I joined Weight Watchers again, and I think I am going to just try to use it for the recipes.  I like using MyFitnessPal as a calorie counter.  The points system just seems like I eat too much.  But whatever.  Weight Watchers has this other plan where you just eat as many of certain types of foods, and do not eat others.  Mainly vegetables and fruits.  The only problem with that is you have to go to the grocery store every couple of days.  I should get more into that habit of that instead of once a month.  I just need to lose this weight, and I need to try and do that as quickly as possible because of my health issues.  I almost would love to get surgery but I feel as if that would be cheating.

Oh well, we shall see what I can do.

Have Courage and Be Kind

"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift."

Steve Prefontaine

"No man was ever wise by chance."

Seneca Quote

If you do not give your best in ever experience, then you are only mediocre.  You should never strive to be average.  Every thing that you do, every chance that you take and every choice that you make will give you experience.  This makes you wiser with every day that you live.

Lately, I have realized, because I have been told that I am a very kind-hearted person.  Within the last week, three different people have said that, people who are not my family or my boyfriend.  One person is my new roommate and even though we live together it has only been 3 months.  One is a friend of mine who we were talking about a mutual friend and how much they take for granted.  The last person, is a guy who is the former bartender and new kitchen manager at my regular bar.  It was just so surprising to hear it from him because we had never really talked before.  But I showed up to meet a few friends the other night and he was there, just getting off shift and we really talked.  It was really nice.

So I give my all when it comes to my kindness.  "Have courage and be kind." (Cinderella 2015) ** I saw an early screening of this on Tuesday. It was pretty good!**

Start Living

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined" 

- Henry James - 

"The greatest victory is the victory over ourselves.  Remember, it's always too soon to quit." 

 - Gary Mack - 

I am very anxious for Spring. I think it cannot come soon enough.  The rebirth, the new life, the world makes itself anew every year.  This year will be a good one for me.  It is the year where I will start living that life that I have always imagined.  A man who loves me, a good job, a house where I will raise my children, in the open and not the city streets.  I would not have all this, if I had quit.  I was going to so many times but I am an optimist.  I always look at the bright side of life and people call me "Sunshine" as a nickname.  I am happy.

Health Tip: We have started making lunches at work - each one of us takes a turn and we cook each day.  It feel healthier and also it saves us all money!

Light Quote

"There are two ways of spreading the light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." 

- Edith Wharton - 

Do not get in your own way

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." 

- Dale Carnegie - 

"You are never too old to set another goal to dream another dream."

- CS Lewis - 

"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine." 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson - 

"An empowered life begins with serious personal questions about oneself.  

those answers bare the seeds of success." 

- Steve Maraboli - 

"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen." 

- Frank Lloyd Wright - 

"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life." 

 - Arthur Ashe - 

I am going to focus on the sunshine quote as usual.  We are our own biggest enemies.  That is what this quote really means.  We second guess ourselves, we get nervous, we are anxious.  If we stop doing that, we could accomplish so many more things.  Its the person who says its just a hobby, that will not take it to the next level, that is who we need to step up.  

Character Quote

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. "

John Wooden

I've Got Sunshine

"The only purpose of starting is to finish." 

- Seth Godin - 

"Some days you just have to create your own sunshine."

 - Unknown -

These two quotes are somewhat similar.  You need to be positive in order to really finish anything. And sometimes you have to create that positive attitude yourself.  You cannot assume that other will do that for you, or even that the sun will be shining that day. I know that even though my boss calls me Sunshine and my mom used to when I was little, it can be hard for me too.  There are days that I do not even want to get out of bed, but I do.  I want to move forward in my life so I get out of bed, put a smile on, and then face the day.

You do not have to listen

"The only one who can tell you 'you can't' is you.  And you don't have to listen." - Unknown

I really like this quote, who ever said it, because it is so true.  Someone can tell you that you can't do that, but how do they know what you can or can not do?  They don't know, that's what.  I have this story about when I was with my old trainer and she was showing the ropes to the new trainer in the company she worked for.  Well I was in a bad mood, so I told her to push me hard.  Anyway, we were doing a downward row from a universal, and she added all the weights there were for me to lift.  The other trainer voiced his doubts about my ability to lift it, and then watched with jaw dropped as I had no problem lifting that weight.  

This just goes to show, no one except yourself can tell you what you can or can't do.

Ups and Downs

"When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important." 

- Ellen DeGeneres - 

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are."

 - Martin Luther King, Jr. - 

Life is full of ups and downs.  I am one that knows that, truly.  I can't begin to describe them.  They were not as big of peaks and valleys as other people have, but they were extremes to me. Right now I am having trouble taking a deep breath.  I've had it before but not for 4 days.  I do not know what is wrong with me, and my insurance does not kick in til Feb 1st.  So until then I am going to do what I have to to keep breathing.   I am going to try getting a massage as one of the triggers can be muscle knots, and I have a few in my back near my diaphragm.  Hopefully that helps!  

Anyway, still working on the thesis and cleaning my room.  Trying to get healthier, and working towards a goal!

A Plan for the Future

"We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them." - Epictetus

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

"All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination."-  Earl Nightingale

I have a plan for my life, for the first time, I think EVER.  I have a good job. One that I enjoy and one that challenges me on at least one level.  I have a wonderful man in my life.  He loves me for me and wants only the best for me.  We both however are on the heavier side, and so we are both starting to make healthier choices; I joined a dance fitness class and he is thinking of  joining a gym.  I am eating healthier.  Little things can make a huge difference.  Drink more water, not soda.  Eat a salad a day instead of a candy bar.  Eat something for breakfast.  Little things can make a huge change in your health.

Fears

"Don't be afraid of your fears.They're not there to scare you.  They're there to let you know that something is worth it." 

- C. Joybell C. - 

I really like this quote.  I get scared all the time now, because of how much my boyfriend means to me.  I want my dad to walk me down the aisle and I have dreams about him having a heart attack, or the BF having an accident on his motorcycle.  My fears are my loved ones dying, and I think leaving me alone.  I have fears like everyone else.

Sunshine

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." 

- Nelson Mandela - 

"Only look backward when it can help you move forward." 

- Unknown - 

I like to think that I have a good head and a good heart.  A very good heart.  My boss has started calling me Sunshine or Sunny.  I think it is sweet.  My mom used to call me that before she passed. As for looking backward, I think it is good to remember the past as long as you do not dwell on it.  I do, so I know how much it can screw with the present.  I just want to move forward with my life and live through my new chapter.  

Write that down.

"We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are." - Max DePree

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' " - Muhammad Ali

There are so many things that can fall through the cracks and you have to be organized in order to move forward at any time of pace.  I know that my health has fallen, and I am not going to give an excuse, because that is what I would have done.  I just know it has.  I need to change that.  I have been cooking more at home, but one thing I wish I could just keep working at is writing everything I eat down.  I am lazy and I hate having to do it.  But I feel if I did, then I would eat less because I would be more aware of how much I am eating.  So I won't quit and I want to become more than I am.  Here me ROAR!

Quotes

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

This quote is very true.  You have to believe in yourself to get anything accomplished.  If you don't then you are just setting yourself up for failure.  "Speak softly and carry a big stick."  He had a lot of good things to say!

Crock Pot

"What are you grateful for right now? Gratitude can shift your energy, raise your vibration, and make all your next moments even better." Joe Vitale

"Sometimes change was good. Sometimes it was even exactly what you needed." Jenny O'Connell

I think you can be grateful for your your life and what is passed, but change is needed to progress.  Without it you cannot grow and better yourself.

I made a crock pot roast yesterday.  I cut up potatoes and an onion, put in baby carrots, a can of Guinness, beef broth, cream of chicken soup, tomato paste, and onion soup mix.  I would advise against the tomato paste, but I used low sodium broth and soup mix. I added a little salt later but not much.  Set the crock pot on low for 8 hours and just let it go.  It was amazing and the beef just pulled apart when we ate it.

My next en devour will be to join this dance fitness group,  I just have to remember to bring my work out clothes to work.  Lunches, workout clothes.  One thing at a time.

Quotes for 2015

So since I have posted last, I have gotten 2 new jobs, and I love the one I am at now.  I work for a community management company, and therefor sit at a desk most of the time.  This is also good, because I make more money, have better benefits and I work a regular schedule!  YAY! I also have a wonderful boyfriend who I am planning on moving in with some time this year. YAY again!  This year is really looking to be a fabulous one.

Anyway, one of our vendors gave this quote of the day calendar.  So I will try to put one up a day and maybe some other tips and tricks that I am learning because I really want to lose weight.

Jan 2nd: "Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

Jan 3rd/4th: " In health there is freedom. Health is the first of all liberties" - Henri-Frederic Amiel

Jan 4th: "If everything is important, then nothing is." - Patrick Lencioni

Health Tip: I have started snacking throughout the day, especially on unsalted nuts.  Doing this has helped me to not eat as big meals.