THANKFUL

I’M THANKFUL BECAUSE…

I'm thankful because when I hit snooze & rub my tired eyes, I’ve still woken up to live another day

The calloused, uneven, chipped nails remind me of the work I’ve put in & the opportunities to do so

I shouldn’t get annoyed with the dishes to clean and the laundry to fold because it means I have food to eat and clothes to wear.

I’m thankful for the lack of sleep and long hours because it means I have a job

I’m thankful for passion, because without it there is no spark that ignites the fire. The fire that burns behind the career I have passion for, the relationships I’m passionate about & the flame behind the life I’ve found passion to live out.

I’m thankful for the crowded house, diapers & toys because it means that no matter the seasons of life, my family is there for each other & I am loved. For the random nights I was able to watch Free Birds for the millionth time with my nephew & brother, or share the kitchen with my sister in law & baby niece before running out the door to work. I'm thankful I've been able to hear a few more dad jokes and see a few more eye rolls from my mom.

I'm thankful for friendship. Those I don't see much & those I am able to see often. My intentions are to stay in touch with everyone, but I've come to find how difficult that can be. Even with the best intentions I fall short everyday, so I'm thankful for the friends who have seen the best and worst of me. The ones I've experienced life with, whether in the past or present. I cherish relationships, they are one of the most valuable things to me.  

I’m thankful for the prayers I pray & the Bible I own. I’m thankful for my relationship & faith in God. That I have something I believe so strongly in, but even more so, for fact that I’m able to choose what I believe.

I’m thankful for the ability to travel, immerse myself in different cultures and grow as a human. One of the most humbling and beautiful experiences anyone can take is to go out of your comfort zone and travel to an unfamiliar place.

I’m thankful for the tears that have rolled down these cheeks. The emotions that come with them aren’t exactly enjoyable, but I’m thankful to cry because it means I’m not numb. I’m living, experiencing, loving, hurting, empathizing, failing and growing… a lot.

I’m thankful for laughter, oh am I thankful for laughter. The moments that hurt my cheeks and satisfy my soul. It's like the blanket of life, because with laughter comes warmth & comfort.

I’m thankful, thankful for the small & big things in life. Whether the warm cup of coffee in the morning or the car that gets me to work. I hope to be reminded of these things more often than not, and especially hope to stay grateful more than one day a year. 

AUTHENTICITY

Original. Authentic. The one and only.

There’s a reason it’s used as a marketing scheme.

We all crave authenticity.

It's why getting lost in the beauty of nature and having genuine conversations are cherished.

We all crave those things that allow us to breathe.
Most of the time we don’t even realize we're holding our breath.

True to oneself.
No extra ingredients or artificial personalities.
The pure form of who you are, authentic.

That’s all it is, what everyone craves.. and yet ironically we the chase the complete opposite.

Filtered facades, and material cover ups.

Defined by what we’re supposed to look like, who we’re supposed to stand by and what’s “picture perfect”

Simple, Honest, Untainted and Imperfect.

It could be the easiest thing to come by, but it’s the hardest thing to find.

Authenticity, we all crave it, but the only way we’ll find it is if we stop waiting for someone else to be authentic first.

Start here, start with yourself.

BE AUTHENTIC

Then at least you'll know where it can be found.

From Aunt Mandy

Gabriel, Gracesyn & Lilly.

Lose the ignorance, not innocence of life.

A personal motto I pass to you because as you grow, you’ll see there’s always forks in the road that meet you with every decision.

You’ll fall, experience heartbreak, fail and learn what pain is.

We all have, and every time you get up you meet one of these forks.

Which way will you go, and how will you let experiences mold you?

The world will try to steal your innocence each time, and as you grow older, the harder it is to hold onto.

You’ll realize it’s not all sunshine and roses, but stand tall and understand that’s why I see every decision as a fork in the road. It’s up to you.

Be kind, be positive, be strong and hold onto the fact that this world can be good.

You’re created with a purpose, and although life is a mess, it’s a beautiful one.

Don’t get stuck in a bubble of comfort, dive head first into adventure and the unknown.

Then you’ll see the meaning of this motto.

You’ll lose ignorance and still hold onto a precious sense innocence that many tend to lose with age, all just in how you perceive and react to things.

Have a full life of experience, gain knowledge, go on grand adventures, learn from everyone, take opportunities, be strong in what you believe, but be humble and stay grounded.

And don’t worry you won’t be out there alone, you’ll always have a pretty good group watching your back.

So don't forget, lose the ignorance, not innocence of life

It’s your world young ones, stay mighty. 

<3

WHAT'S YOUR BRAND

You are your own brand.

That brand is who you are and who you are striving to become.

All of your actions, words and influence are what others will take as a representation of that brand.

That is the difficult part.

You are in control of whether people endorse you and how you carry your brand, or whether they don’t.

Talent alone cannot do this for a brand.

Your language, poise, respect, character, leadership, empathy, passion, composure, consistency, knowledge, reliability, and uniqueness does... the list is continual.

So make sure you know who you are and who you’re striving to be.

Then carry that out clearly.

How do your daily actions represent you as your own brand?

Find positive synergy with other people that endorse and encourage you as a person, and vice versa.

Don’t just go through the motions, only you can represent the brand you carry. That brand is YOU

I want to be your never's

I want to be your "nevers"

Your, "I'll never start dating until I have my life figured out"

or Your.. "I'm never getting married.."

The, "I'm never going to fall in love again" sob story you tell your unbelieving friends

I want to be the, "I'll never drink this, or taste that".. the "I'll never live there or drive that"

Because when I become your "nevers" you'll be saying, "I'm never letting you go, I'll never stop loving you."

And I'll be saying it back.



Passion

Often, the things we love most bring us the most pain.
Jobs, hobbies, relationships
Because anytime love is involved there will always be a struggle.
Pain is like the test of your love, it proves you care

True passion is always fought for, and no fight is ever simple or sweet

So remember why you're following the path you are, because the vision can become cloudy in the midst of frustration
Adversity can pull on your weaknesses like jenga pieces

But when you find the strength to keep standing, and not accept defeat, that's when you know love is  involved. There's a reason you keep going 

If you find giving up easy, maybe there is no passion, or your love has faded.
 The journey of the struggle, fighting for something you feel so deeply about.

This is what makes the love and the passions you decide to pursue so sweet.