To be a star

you must shine your own light,
follow your own path,
and don't worry about the darkness,
for that is when the stars shine brightest.

Stand out

I believe in you.

It's your life..

Don't count the days,
make the days count.

Be happy

Don't take things seriously.

:)

Sometimes I forget to follow that motto and I end up wasting my time and energy on unnecessary arguments.

5 Things I'm Grateful For

Research has proven that being grateful and keeping a daily gratitude journal is a way to stay focused on the positive in your life while easing stress and anxiety.

Here's 5 things that I'm grateful for right now
1. Those who donated to the Bloomingdale library assault victim fund.
2. Finding parking at school in less than 5 minutes.
3. Getting the October issue of Lucky magazine in the mail.
4. Making a warm cup of coffee at the right time of the day.
5. Being in any kind of air-conditioned area. (My room, car, school, etc.)


What 5 things are you grateful for today?

Peace

Diamonds & Stones

never take a person for granted.
hold every person close to your heart
because you might wake up one day & realize
that you've lost a diamond* while you were
too busy collecting stones.

3 Oddest Words

When I pronounce the word Future,
the first syllable already belongs to the past.
When I pronounce the word Silence, I destroy it.
When I pronounce the word Nothing,
I make something no nonbeing can hold.

- Wislawa Szymborska

Five Lessons About How To Treat People

-- Author Unknown

1. First Important Lesson - "Know The Cleaning Lady"

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.


2. Second Important Lesson - "Pickup In The Rain"

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.


3. Third Important Lesson - "Remember Those Who Serve"

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "50¢," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "35¢!" she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.


4. Fourth Important Lesson - "The Obstacles In Our Path"

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."


5. Fifth Important Lesson - "Giving When It Counts"

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Where is the love?

It is a cruel world out there. People do and say the meanest things to eachother and for what reasons? We complain daily about decisions that are being made to continue the war. When we create our own wars everyday. The change has to start first with you. And when everyone learns to get along with eachother, then that will be the day we have achieved to a state of harmony called peace.

P.S. Nothing bad happened to me today so don't worry! This was just a random thought that I always question myself about the people around me.

Famous failures

Inspiring video on persevering no matter how many times you have failed in life. From bluefishtv.com.

I am..

I am strong because I am weak.
I am beautiful because I know my flaws.
I am a lover because I am a fighter.
I am fearless because I have been afraid.
I am wise because I have been foolish.
& I can laugh because I've known sadness.

Living in shadows, you realize you only need to step into the light to find your way out of a dark place.

- Unknown

Instructions for Life

~ Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

~ Memorize your favorite poem.

~ Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

~ When you say, "I love you", mean it.

~ When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

~ Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

~ Believe in love at first sight.

~ Never laugh at anyone's dreams.

~ Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

~ In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

~ Don't judge people by their relatives. "NO KIDDING".

~ Talk slow but think quick.

~ When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?".

~ Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

~ Call your mom.

~ Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

~ When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

~ Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

~ Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

~ When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

~ Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

~ Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, his/her conversational skills will be as important as any other.

~ Spend some time alone.

~ Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

~ Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

~ Read more books and watch less TV.

~ Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.

~ Trust in God but lock your car.

~ A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.

~ In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past

~ Read between the lines.

~ Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

~ Be gentle with the earth.

~ Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.

~ Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

~ Mind your own business.

~ Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss them.

~ Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

~ If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.

~ Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.

~ Learn the rules then break some.

~ Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.

~ Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

~ Remember that your character is your destiny.

~ Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Got this from here.

Beautiful

The best & most beautiful things in the
world cannot be seen or even touched,
they must be felt with the heart.

Different is good

think differently.

then this way, life will be more
interesting when everyone isn't
thinking/doing the same thing.

It's been observed that people will always go with the crowd. Whether it's in a classroom, or just talking to your friends. Most people have a hard time thinking on their own when other opinions are voiced before theirs.

So with that said, if you're not sure about something, then find out for yourself before you come to a conclusion. And when making a decision, think about all the possible options. I would hate to see people doing or saying something that they might regret. Sometimes you are only given once chance, so don't screw it up!

Carrie Bradshaw Quote

"Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."

The 4 F's

fashion, fragrance, food, & fresh music.

1. Fashion: I've made it a new rule to try to look my best everyday, and if possible, every second. And even if others my not agree with my style, the only thing that matters is that I feel confident and comfortable.

2. Fragrance: I cannot go through a day without perfume, and I believe that every women should invest in a bottle that is good enough to enchant those who are around her. The perfume that I currently wear are: Dolce & Gabbana's "Light Blue", Elizabeth Arden's "Provocative Woman", and Juicy Couture.

3. Food: I love good food. But what makes good food taste better is going out to eat with a group of friends because then you know that you paid good money for food, ambiance, and a great conversation.

4. Fresh music: Listening to mainstream music can be such a bore to my ears sometimes. Some of my favorite genres of music include indie/indie-pop, soul, folk-rock, acoustic, & classical. For new listeners, I recommend Ingrid Michaelson, Kate Nash, Feist, Lisa Loeb & Copeland.

I Believe

I believe in pink
I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner
I believe in being strong
when everything seems to be going wrong
I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls
I believe tomorrow is another day
& I believe in miracles.

- Audrey Hepburn

Three words

That I like to live by:

DEAL WITH IT.