taking chances

Things are changing in my life right now. I'm growing up and growing as a person. I'm starting to make decisions that will effect the rest of my life.

I've always been a big dreamer. It was mostly just for fun.. but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it doesn't have to be a dream for me, it could be a reality. And in order to create change and further yourself, you need to take chances.

Change can be a scary thing. Willingly setting yourself up for something out of your comfort zone can be very intimidating. But stepping outside the box can both set you up for possible gains in life (such as getting into med school, landing a new job, or landing a new man) and your own personal gains as well. When you challenge yourself, you learn more about yourself. You might learn more about your interests or your attitude or simply how strong you really are.

The reason so many people shy away from taking chances is because they're afraid of failure. You cannot let your fears hold you back. Don't be afraid to fail, because every failure also becomes a lesson which will help you out the next time. If you don't even try, you won't gain the change or the lesson. If you really think about it, even if you do fail, you still win.

Sure, you still may be hurt that you've failed. But you've learned, right? Wouldn't it be worse to have never tried and always wondered if you could have done it? There is no room in life for regrets. You need to go after what you want. If it will make you happy, then why not just go for it?

"Failure is not falling down, but staying down."

Now I'm not just talking about big, life-changing chances.. but small ones, too. Like that guy you've been crushing on for the past 4 months -- just go for it and make a move! Or that edgy haircut you've been wanting to try out but have been too scared to actually go through with it. What's the worst that can happen?! Hair grows back and boys tend to come and go.

Life is short and you only get one life. Make it count. Test your boundaries and try new things. Explore yourself and explore the world.

"Life is all about risks and it requires you to jump. Don't be a person who has to look back and wonder what they would have or could have had. No one waits forever"

"You gotta take some chances, you gotta risk losing it all, you gotta close your eyes and leap because it just might be worth the fall"

judgement/acceptance

This post today is inspired by MTV's new show, "If You Really Knew Me". I suggest you all check out the website and watch it every Tuesday at 10 PM Central.

Anyways.. the group in charge of the show is traveling to high schools and holding a "Challenge Day". The same group was also on Oprah a few years ago. But Challenge Day consists of intimate sessions where you learn about your classmates and get to express yourself and it's pretty deep and intense.

What I learned from the show is that you shouldn't judge people before you get to know them. Not only is it unfair, but you could also be missing out on a great person who could become your best friend, a lover, or just someone who has something in common with you.
It's also completely amazing how much tough stuff other people can go through, when you have no idea whatsoever. You may think someone has a perfect life.. but they may have had to walk down a bumpy road to get there. There are people who put on a pretty face every day, yet feel absolutely hideous inside. There are people who act a certain way just to be accepted by their peers.

I know we can't all get everyone to change like they did at the Challenge Day activities.. but we, ourselves, can make a change. We can learn more about people before we put a label on them. We can step in when our friends are giving others a hard time about their race, their friends, their activities, their looks, etc. Stop with the assumptions and generalizations.

You wouldn't want someone to judge you solely on your skin color or your friends or the rumors going around about you.

Give people a chance to get to know them. Ask the girl who sits behind you in math class how her weekend was, ask the person in front of you in the lunch line what their favorite food is. Not only is this giving you a chance to get to know this person a little better, but it's also fun! Not to mention you could end up meeting some great friends this way.

intro ~ moving on and letting go

Well guys, I just spent the past couple of hours trying to get this set up, and man is it hard.
Hopefully I'll get it all down soon enough.

My posts will be inspired by what goes on in my life day-to-day. Whether it's just my mood or if something bigger is going on around me.

I'm a pretty optimistic person, and I know some people find that annoying. However, I have rode high though some tough storms and have only grown from it. What I say I truly believe. I won't say anything just to cheer you up, but to hopefully give you some perspective and help you grow and learn as well.

So.. currently one of my friends has been a bit blue. She's dwelling on the past and is having a hard time letting go. I think this is an issue we all face at one time or another.. wanting to hold on for dear life, but knowing we can't do that. As hard as it is to let things go.. you also need to let go to get something new. If you're holding on to a grudge or resentment, you won't have any room in your heart for happiness and joy. If you're holding on to love that has long since passed, you won't be able to enjoy the pleasure of a new love.

I'm not saying you just need to let go and forget about everything. The past has passed. It's gone. It's over with. There is nothing you can do to change that event, that feeling. You can only control how you feel now, and how you will feel tomorrow. Give yourself some time and let out some tears. Realize that every single experience you face is another chance to both grow and learn more about yourself.

Last night I spent a long time quote-searching, which happens to be one of my favorite things to do. Here are a few quotes I'd like to share about this specific topic:

This is a pretty well-known quote by my favorite lady, Marilyn Monroe. Even if you've heard it before.. really think about the words and how they play into your own life...
"I believe everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn how to let go. Things go wrong, so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can come together"

This is probably one of my favorite quotes. I actually forgot where I got his one because I've had it written down in my journal for so long.. but it's just so true:
"It's hard to accept, but you can't change the past. You can't go back and manipulate things to the way you wanted them to happen. Because life'd be meaningless and boring and just not worth living. But you can change the future and that's a beautiful thing about life. Yes, you will make mistakes. And yes, you will have bad days - but as long as you let the past go, you'll have such a gorgeous and bright future ahead of you. Knowing that things were meant to happen. Knowing that each day you will learn something so that you keep growing to be a better person. Life is like a rope, twined in all its complexities and yet weaved into one marvelous stream that you have the chance you use something amazing from. So grab hold of it."

And this quote by Glenn Clark just helps to show that you can't move forward if you keep holding on to the past:
"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears."