How To: Be Thankful

When beautiful people come into your life you can sometimes become so comfortable and captivated by their perfection that you forget to be thankful for their presence. Comfort can be both our saving grace and our ticket to a roller coaster from hell. Unfortunately, some of us just ride the wave until we are stranded in the middle of ocean -- alone. Allowing this to happen is the tragedy of creating connections that you are not willing to nourish and sustain. Recently, I have been associated with this tragedy...but I was not the one riding the wave. I was standing at the shore, watching them drift away. Now here they are trying to paddle back to my shores, begging for a lifesaver. It feels like it has been a thousand years. A thousand years that I have loved you. A thousand more of me waiting to see you drift back into my horizons. But you need to take time to realize that I can no longer be a casualty of this civil war that you are fighting with yourself. While I value your presence, you don't even realize mine. You don't see me. I am not going to be the tragedy, I will be the celebration -- the survivor. While I should be angry with you, I want to say thank you. Thank you for showing me that the connections I create will not only be a benefit to me, but also cherished by the other. Creating happiness is a give and take affair. We are meant to go back and forth in our projections of love. We are meant to have an abundant surplus that is just there for our constant consumption. A never-ending happiness. That's what relationships are all about, whether they be with family, friends, lovers...its all the same. So by definition, I give everyone in my realm of consciousness the same treatment. If you are in my receptive field you will receive a stimulus from my love that will send your action potential haywire. I do this because everyone needs to know that their presence, even the little things, are seen and appreciated.

Since we are on the topic of being thankful...I do want to publicly thank some friends that made yesterday, and this morning a success. If you are in college, its that time of the quarter where you feel like the devil is poking at you every second. Some people call them midterms -- I call them something a little different, definitely not mom-approved. Whatever you call them, THEY ARE HERE! This week has been the epitome of terror as I had two midterms, one yesterday in Microeconomics and another this morning in Biopsychology. And on top of that I had two Math assignments due right in the middle of the storm. Saying that I was stressed would be the understatement of the century. I was so stressed that my chest felt as if it were going to concave from the wrecking ball of life. But in the midst of all of this, I remembered some things. Even when I am at my lowest, I can still look to my garden and find happiness in it. I could find comfort in my friends. They could be my saving grace. Suddenly I sprung into action and I began by calling Bianca, knowing that she would just listen to me vent and give me some reassurance. While I don't think she knows how much that five minute phone call meant, it definitely kept me from having a panic attack. So thank you! Then, after my midterm review session I looked to Kendall, knowing that his never-ending positivity would bring me some comfort. I proceeded to have him help me study for my midterm and finish my math assignments -- he executed without fail. I can't forget to thank Kelsey for helping me as well! I quite literally sped through my textbook explaining every possible topic to these two for hours...how they managed to stay interested I don't know -- its Biopsych for God's sake! Regardless, I have so much appreciation for what they did, because without them I probably would have failed my test. BUT, the good news is I took my test this morning and I feel very confident that I did well!

Ultimately, everything that has been happening in my life has shown me that being thankful is something that we should never stop doing. We never know when people will exit our lives so we should cherish every moment we have. I could have let what my friends did for me go unnoticed, but then that wouldn't be characteristic to what my life, and be thankful is about. I could have let the negative things in my life take over my mind and send me for a downward spiral, but I looked up and out of my hole and found myself in my garden...I couldn't be more thankful for the connections I have created. All in all, I think we should always be mindful of the important people in our lives and make sure that are receiving the same love that they give to us. Stay blessed and ALWAYS be thankful!

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If you want to know how to make your own happiness garden, check out my post How To: See The Little Things. And don't forget to pick your favorite post so far and send me a message on why! And look to your right and vote on the poll! Love you guys!

How To: Be Spontaneous (Pickwick)

If I had to describe how today has been in one word...spontaneous. In a world where we have to schedule in time to see the people we love, program alarms to send us to work, use Facebook to remind us of birthdays, I think we could all use some spontaneity in our lives. Today was UW Day, my school's anniversary! While this is reason alone to be excited about today, something else catalyzed the mood I am feeling right now. My day started off amazing because firstly, I was dressed quite nicely -- for no reason. I bet some people would wonder why this is a reason to feel amazing, that this is shallow. But let me be the one to tell you that I am not a fan of letting material things dictate your behaviors, but I am an advocate of enforcing your already existing love for yourself with a little "pampering." Hell, we all need a little goodness in our lives sometimes right? Regardless, my great mood continued when I decided to skip my math lecture, oh the joys of college, and enjoy the festivities of UW Day in Red Square. There I enjoyed our amazing band play songs ranging from Crazy In Love by Beyonce to The Whisper Song by The Ying-Yang Twins....yes this was at UW! It was a beautiful sight and I enjoyed every second of it. Moving foreword I ran into my friends Kendall a.k.a. Taco, Alec, and Melissa and then we hung out for a little, drinking Honest Tea, eating food the from trucks, and then sharing in the beauty and allure of this local band, Pickwick. Now let me just tell you, this band had me felling some kind of way! Their feeling, their sound, their lyrics, their vibe...everything that they were giving was quality -- complete perfection. Its not common to see a band that can just strip you down and bring you back to reality while performing live. Something else I found captivating about this band was the talent, in ALL members. They all were a part of a collective. Even the background vocals held up on their own! But let us not underrate the perfection that was their lead singer, Galen. His voice was something angelic. He has an incredibly old soul countered with an energized fire that cannot be ignored. You could here his story in his voice. He literally took me somewhere with his countless runs and belted notes. It all was on point. Basically what I am trying to say is, YOU NEED TO LOOK THIS BAND UP. Pickwick is definitely a band to watch and you will be hearing of them very soon! Ultimately, this day so far has been perfection and I am excited to continue the spontaneity because the night is young! I am so happy that I let my day make itself -- no need for planning, I just did. Days like this are hard to come by these days...Am I saying skip your lectures/jobs to feel good? Not really. Haha But I think what I am trying to drive to you guys is that you should let things come to you. Let life come to you. Stop planning your every move! Stop living by your phone. Just do what feels right. Be spontaneous.

Like Pickwick on Facebook! Check our their Band Website! Follow them on Twitter!

Oh! And they have upcoming tour dates here in Seattle at The Crocodile on December 13th and 14th! Open to ALL ages! 

Here's a video of my obsession by them right now, The Round!

How To: Look Foreword

HUGE NEWS! OWN Network (Oprah Winfrey Network) contacted me today and they are going to use some of my tweets in a promo for Super Soul Sunday, which is an amazing program on the network...CHECK IT OUT THIS WEEKEND! This is huge for us! Dreams do come true, and I am getting closer and closer to mine with your help! SO this is my thank you....

Ambitious Daydreamer. That is what I am. That is what all of you are. Together we are a force that cannot be shaken, together we are heard, together we can change the world. I know that I have already written a post thanking all of you for supporting me and my dreams, but let me just take it a little deeper for ya'll. In life we always want to discover our purpose, to find out what we were put on this earth for. Discovering this has been one of the craziest challenges that I have ever faced. Growing up I always felt like I was meant for something great...I just couldn't figure out what that thing was -- would I ever live up to it? Just like the eager purpose chaser I was, I thought I was supposed to change myself to be what everyone else thought I was supposed to be. I thought that I was incapable of finding my own path -- incapable of finding my purpose. So when people would bash me in the hallways, on social networks, tear down my name...I believed it for a long time. I believed that I was the dirt beneath their feet, the forever unnoticed. It took a youth 252 conference at my amazing church Champion Centre to help me see a fraction of the light that I am radiating now. At this conference they pressed a specific verse, "You are the salt of the earth." Meaning that without your presence the world would lose it's perfect flavoring, that something would be missing from this complex recipe of life. That stuck with me more than anything. I may be seen as the dirt beneath their feet, but to God, this world would lose some of its beauty without my presence. That is a lesson that I will hold with me for the rest of my life. So I would like to say thank you to my church and all of my pastors for starting my journey. After this conference I had found a new confidence -- a pep in my step. With this burst of courage I decided to make new friends, open myself to the world again, be myself. Doing this brought me my amazing group of friends back home. They watched me grow into a more confident and extroverted human being, and they helped me learn how to trust myself and others again. So I would like to say thank you to my crew -- my family. My family. I can't even forget to thank them as well! My relationship with my family is definitely not what people would think, but I still love them more than anything. My morals, my audacity, my fire...it all comes from them. My mom and here dedication to seeing me succeed, my dad and his constant support, and the rest of them for being an amazing support system. Most of all, I want to thank my brother, Dondia. He has always been there. He sees through my bs and supports everything that I am. Unconditional love is what family is about and he gives that without fail. So thank you brother! Moving on I want to thank my teachers. You all know who you are, the ones that have taught me some of the greatest lessons ever. The ones that supported my ambitious daydreams even when I didn't see them. Thank you to Bethel High School for being an amazing school. Not everyone had the same experience as I did, but I wouldn't change a thing. I learned a lot about being myself. Thank you to the class of 2012 for believing in me and my crazy self! You guys are all like family to me! And I can't forget my UW family..my PPP's. You guys already know what you mean to me and what you have done. I love you all, and I am addicted to you all! Lastly, I just want to thank everyone that reads my blog. The increasing views, the comments, the shares, it all warms my heart on a level that is contagious. Without all of you, this blog would just be lost words on the web. Without all of you, I wouldn't be able to see what my life is about -- what my purpose is in this world. With the help of all of you, I know that I am meant to inspire. I am meant to be a product and creator of the empowerment of others. I can feel myself figuring out my life and it is the greatest feeling in the entire world. I know this post is long, but if you have stuck it out with me this whole time thanks! Figuring out your purpose is a journey that you should never give up on it. It may be long, it may be stressful and hard, but it will always end beautifully. Don't give up on yourself -- don't give up on your dreams. My story is a testament to this, and I hope you all realize that happiness can come your way as well! I love you all, and thank you for bringing light into my life, I just hope I bring a little into yours too!

Where is my inspiration coming from right now? Tori Kelly's EP Foreword is OUT NOW! It is amazingly inspirational and her talent is undeniable. GO BUY IT ON ITUNES!

How To: See The Little Things

This morning I woke up realizing a very important lesson all over again... See that's the thing about lessons...its not just something you learn once and then walk away from. Its something that you learn, and continue to expand in order to find deeper meanings and ensure that history is not repeated. With that being said, this morning I revisited finding happiness in the little things. Now I know that this is something that people harp on time and time again, but what's interesting, is that while people can talk about this as much as they want, for some reason people still don't do this correctly.

I feel like we all are inherently selfish beings. That sounds rude and cynical, but its very true. We never want to do something that will put us at harm and if something requires us to stretch our comfort we automatically have a resistance. This isn't something to be ashamed of honestly...we all have to maintain homeostasis -- even beyond the biological meaning. What I am trying to get at, is that YES we are selfish beings by definition, but does achieving our happiness have to be a selfish adventure as well? Let me explain. I feel like people do not realize that happiness is not something that is given to you. Nor can you create it alone. If that were true, we would all become hobbits with no desire to make human interactions. Creating happiness in your life begins inside yourself, but it is finished when you project your beautifully created vibes to the people around you. For example, when I'm alone I live for talking to strangers. (younger kids don't try this at home!) Just randomly sitting next to people in coffee shops, eating lunch with the single person in the corner, learning someone else's story, projecting my beautifully created vibes like a prism reaching every possible receptor in my range of light. While this calls for a more extroverted personality, there's an idea that I am trying to get through here. Creating happiness is essentially a give and take situation. You find the seed inside yourself, you plant it in others, and then you watch your garden blossom. This garden does require grooming and maintenance, but I assure you that it will bring you the most beautiful sites, even on your worst days. You are the gardener, take pride in your work! Take a moment to explore the leaves, the branches, the flowers. Everything in your life is a product of what you make of it. Meaning that your happiness is in your own hands!

To conclude, we live in a busy world. We have appointments stretching for miles, we accumulate hours upon hours of work, we go to school, we do homework, we maintain a healthy and functional home, we maintain relationships, we go out with friends, we sleep, we do it all.... 24 hours. That's all we are given. And at night we lay in our beds wishing we did more, wishing we had a greater meaning. Wishing is okay for a daydreamer, but it is also our kryptonite. Daydreaming keeps reality and our visions in mind -- wishing does not. Wishing causes us to revert to our selfish beginnings. We cannot wish for happiness to enter our lives, we have to be willing to go out of our comfort zones to discover new lands. And in these new lands we will set up a new home, create new gardens, and let our beautifully created vibes shower the people around us AND let others shower us. Conceptually, we began as a seed. Our vines need nourishment, our roots need foundation, our leaves need pruning. Maybe we should start letting water in, letting light into our lives. Only then can we blossom -- only then can we see the little things.