✍ 1987 Digital Cam

When you think about quitting... Think about why you started. For example, it's easy to start a new do-it-yourself project, a new job, or even a new diet. But what happens when it turns out to be a little more than you bargained for? What about the DIY project that goes from (what you thought was) a 2 week task to a 2 month ordeal? What about when that new job you accepted that seemed too good to be true, was in fact, too good to be true and you're putting in more hours than you intended? What about that diet you told yourself you would give at least 90 days has become boring, tedious and redundant only after just a few weeks? Do you give up, quit and go right back to the way things were; to the way you were? Or do you push yourself through the mundane honoring your commitment and strive to meet the goal that's ahead? I know that this is something I personally need to work on. No matter how large or small the endeavor may be, if I put the effort and thought into...

It's 90 degrees in the month of September and I have a bad case of the flu along with a severe sinus infection. Apparently both of them came together and conspired to kick my butt. They've done a bang-up job so far. During this past week I have had almost no energy. I have been getting little to no sleep, due to my throat hurting and the nonstop coughing keeping me up at night. And to top it all off, I have even lost my voice. Do you know how difficult it is to be a manager in a retail store with no voice? Let's just say, it's been a rough 7 days to say the least. Although I despise being sick with a passion, this past week has taught me two great life lessons. 1. Appreciate My Health More On A Daily Basis.  It's true what I've heard in the past, "If you don't have your health, you don't have anything." Our health is our life. So why do the majority of us take it for granted so often? 99% of the time we obtain it so effortlessly w...

The road of life is full of surprises... You run into roadblocks and obstacles that cause you to detour, and yet that same road leads you to breathtakingly beautiful sceneries. You come into contact with other travelers, some making lasting impressions. At times you may hit a pothole or run over a nail causing you to get a flat tire. Other times you get to blast your favorite song through the speakers and feel the soothing breeze of the wind in your hair. Certain days you are able to drive fast. Others you have to drive slow. You'll drive through mountains and hills. You will drive through plenty of valleys also. You will experience lots of sunshine and good weather. You will experience the bad as well; hard rains, strong winds and heavy storms. Some days you'll have an open road all to yourself. Other days, you'll get stuck in traffic to the point you'll want to pull your hair out. You make a mistake every now and then and your consequence is getting pulled ov...

"Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a beautiful place." - Hazrat Inavat Khan Isn't it strange how two people can be staring at the exact same image and yet see vastly different things? Out of the two types of people Khan is describing in the quote above which are you? Do you see a cup half full or half empty? When you meet new people, do you tend to see the bad in them first or the good? When troubles arise, are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the situation you're in? Life is all about perception. Positive versus negative. Whichever you choose will affect and more than likely reflect your outcomes. The great thing about perception is that your perspective is constantly evolving (or devolving depending on your open-mindedness) because life's pieces are continuously shifting. We may not have the power to alter an event, situation or current environment we are placed in, but we can easily change how we see our surroundings as w...

"Do what makes you happy. Be with those who make you smile. And laugh as much as you breathe." Are you someone who feels they have to take life seriously all the time? You don't have to. Don't get me wrong, there are certain moments in life that should be treated with the utmost importance and respect. Just be sure to not let yourself get wrapped up in the mindset that your every day should be that way. Charlie Chaplin stated, "A day without laughter, is a day wasted". I wholeheartedly agree with him! Throughout my blog posts, you'll see me use one of my life's mottos time-and-time again, but I only use it regularly because I find such value and meaning in it's simplicity... Life is too short. With all the sadness, hurt, loss, pain and death we experience in our lives, we MUST appreciate the laughter, the love and all of the good times; to never take them for granted. Even if you feel you are constantly surrounded by gloom and sta...

...is what I had tattooed on my stomach after going through a minor depression in my early twenties. To a lot of people, Fly High is just another type of YOLO statement, a cliche, two words bearing little to no meaning, but to me personally it means everything. There was a period in my life where I felt I was worthless, a screw-up; a failure that was never going to amount to anything. I was depressed and lonely. I was angry with myself. I was angry at the world. I felt like I was drowning in my grief from all these strong emotions I had never experienced before. During the daytime hours, I was isolating myself from friends and family because of the shame. And at night, I was crying myself to sleep because of the pain. I thought about running away from everybody and everything, hoping that would somehow fix the situation I was in. I just wanted to slip off into Oblivion... Into nothingness. This went on for almost 4 months. Then one day, as I was sitting in my car pa...