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!