Tag Archives: change

Television Hiatus

Posted on by under Personal World

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I just recently returned from my first true vacation in quite some time and it was the most energizing and joyful experience ever. Now that I’m back home, it has gotten me thinking about my usual habits.

Whenever I go on a trip somewhere my typical habits are uprooted for a new daily schedule and it’s a refreshing break from the norm. But this was the most impactful break I’ve had because it helped me reflect on all my not-so-great habits.

One in particular is my relationship with television shows. While I don’t watch television all day every day, my tendencies surrounding it are a little unhealthy. When I find a show that I really like, I will not be able to stop watching it until I’m fully caught up. I have shamelessly binge watched SO many shows (thanks to Netflix and Hulu Plus).

Now what makes this habit not-so-great is that I not only waste so much time sitting down and staring at a screen, I also tend to eat a lot of snacks while I do it. Overtime, this has become a habit I have trouble breaking.

When I’m doing something other than obsessively watching a show, I don’t find myself constantly looking for snacks to munch on. This was brought to my attention while I was away and didn’t think about the shows I like.

I believe with easy access and a plethora of options, a television-watching habit is really easy to pick up (that could also be why it took me so long to notice it). So I’ve decided to put my Hulu and Netflix subscriptions on pause for a while to see how things pan out.

If anyone has gone through something similar and has any tips, I’d love to hear them!

…wish me luck 🙂

Vegan Lifestyle

Posted on by under Lifestyle

Lately, I’ve been looking into the vegan lifestyle to see what it’s all about, why some people do it, what the benefits and drawbacks are, and what the food pyramid consists of. After what I have seen thus far, which is mostly personal accounts from bloggers and vloggers on the internet, I am considering trying this out next week.

Why next week, you ask? Well I’ll be moving to Seattle next week and once I’m there, I will officially be in control of the food that I eat every day. Not that I’m not in control of what I eat now, but while I’m at home, it’s difficult for me to drastically change my lifestyle & such a fundamental thing about myself. So it’s not a big deal for me to wait another week. It also helps that I’m sick and going through some other health problems at the moment. That is another reason to wait to change something like that.

I’m extremely excited and yet strongly apprehensive about doing this…I’m worried I will get too lazy and not eat the right foods – particularly when around other people or when I’m out and about. Also, I’m not 100% convinced this lifestyle is for me. But I am definitely going to try because I am curious and would like to see for myself the benefits/drawbacks of being vegan. Hopefully, there will be some positive changes going on! I will be sure to document as much as I can.

The past week has been spent searching for some good recipe ideas that I can work on. I am definitely planning on consuming a TON of fruit and veggies as my main source of food. But I also want to mix things up a little so it’s not the exact same foods everyday. I ALSO understand this will be an investment, for sure. Particularly because I plan on going to farmer’s markets and such to find these delicious fruits and veggies. I want my food to be organic and delicious!

Anyway, just thought I’d share my tentative plan. Since I will be near a readily available gym when I move to Seattle, I will also be exercising much more frequently. That doesn’t mean intense training sessions, but ideally I’ll be “moving” hopefully 30-60 minutes a day. This plan gets me excited for the big changes that are ahead in my life!

Wish me luck!

This Will Blow Your Mind

Posted on by under Inspiration

In all my research for motivation, positivity, inspiration, and happiness…this TED Talk was by far the most impressive. It almost brought me to tears, it made me laugh out loud, and it opened my eyes to finding my own happiness.

Recently, I’ve been so convinced that I would be happy if I moved or if my surroundings changed. Shawn Achor tells us this is absolutely false. Simply changing where I am located won’t make me happy. I have to change the way I perceive things and the way I think naturally.

In his talk, he provides you with a “To-Do List” of sorts to help you work on improving your happiness. I won’t spoil them because I want you to actually watch his talk. It’s only a little over 12 minutes long and well worth it!

Let me know what you think of his talk – I’m curious!

What Would You Do If Anything Was Possible?

Posted on by under Inspiration

No, seriously. What would you do?

This question gives you permission to daydream fearlessly and to imagine a world without boundaries or limitations. Would you become President? Would you own your own dive shop in The Bahamas? Or would you direct movies? Your imagination has no limits – it’s logic that hold you (and me) back.

There are a million different things I would do if I just had the courage to take the first huge leap. Instead, I feel like I’m stuck in cement at the bottom of the ocean (…that may be a little dramatic, but it’s not wrong!)

The crazy part is that I put myself in the cement at the bottom of the ocean. I didn’t listen to my heart and got caught up in things that don’t really matter in this life. Now it’s up to me to bring myself out of it and create the positive world I so strongly desire.

Kris Allen’s song (see below) really gets me in the mood to take charge of my life.

So does this song by OneRepublic

They give me goosebumps!

Since I am not following my heart at the moment, I can’t exactly preach to you all about it. But I can tell you it’s worth trying when you find the motivation – even if it’s 5 minutes every week. Something is better than nothing.

…now go listen to those songs!

I’m Making Some Changes

Posted on by under Lifestyle, Personal World

Lately, I’ve been a little down in the dumps because I have let my life become a jumbled mess. It has become just as easy to put on a positive face as it is to become irrationally annoyed or upset. These emotions alone are driving me crazy, haha. I absolutely let my emotions control me 100% of the time. (It’s not always the ideal scenario).

This has prompted me to not only search the ends of the internet for advice, but to also look into consulting a life coach for some advice. It’s about time that I begin to take control of my life, figure out exactly what it is that I want to be doing, and begin looking at things more positively. Over the past year, I have been stagnant when it comes to just about anything in my life. All the dreams and aspirations that I have are put on hold because I’m afraid to make the necessary huge changes to get to a new way of living.

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On a more positive note, I am thrilled for my Jawbone Up band to get here! I had been waiting to order the newest one, Jawbone UP3, but it seems shipping/production is STILL held up and I’m impatient (oops…) So I ordered an older model online to get me started for the next year or so!

I am hoping this gives me a new sense of control over my life and motivates me to watch what I eat and do more carefully. I have gotten used to taking my life for granted and not taking care of my body. This only ends up making things worse!

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude – Maya Angelou

How to Make Hard Decisions

Posted on by under Personal World

I’ve searched the Internet countless times to help me make a tough decision when I was unsure and needed more advice. I found myself ruminating on every possible option, thinking this would help me come to a conclusion. This strategy has not gotten me very far because it keeps me fixated on the problem without a “solution.”

After reading this article about Ruth Chang’s TED Talk, it has been made clear to me that I’ve been going about this all wrong. I had fallen into the trap of thinking one choice was automatically better than another, which led to many PROs and CONs lists. But without failure, this method has led me to taking the easy way out with the least amount of risk involved. How will I ever learn or grow that way?

I won’t. Fear and risk-taking have controlled my life for so long that it feels as if I have lost the ability to think for myself when it comes to making decisions. I got in the habit of following in others’ footsteps and doing what is expected of me. In the spirit of personal growth, I’m trying to change this about myself. I expect to encounter many tough decisions in the future, so hopefully this process will prepare me for that.

I encourage you to listen to the TED Talk or at least read the article. Even if you are not in the process of making a big decision, maybe someone you know is and you can help them.

Now I just need to focus on defining my values to help with my decision making process!

Giving Everything 100%

Posted on by under Inspiration

I read something today that impacted me in a new way…I have gotten in the bad habit of denying myself happiness basically every day. When I’m in an unpleasant situation, I infect everything else in my life with negative thoughts and think of myself as a victim of my circumstances. But when I read this article by Marie Forleo, I realized things don’t have to be this way!

In order to find my passions in life, I need to bring passion to everything I do.

Whether you’re brushing your teeth, making love or cleaning the kitty litter—do it like you want to do it.     – Marie Forleo

Let’s face it…this isn’t easy to do, especially when you feel down in the dumps! Who likes cleaning the kitty litter? But imagine doing it with a new excitement and energy that will brighten your mood rather than continue to bring you down. That is powerful.

This will be my new goal day-to-day because there are sooo many tasks that I would rather never have to do again. By revamping them, I can bring more excitement and joy in my life and hopefully become a more passionate person.

Another side benefit to proactive passion is kicking life-sucking habits like procrastination, resistance and complaining straight to the curb.     – Marie Forleo

If you never try, you’ll never know…right?

Money Is Not The Answer

Posted on by under Working World

I read this post a few months ago that discussed the disadvantages to working 9-5 in an office everyday. It hit me so hard that I realized I had been holding my breath, as if that would make it untrue. How could an article be so inspirational and yet so disheartening simultaneously?

Immediately I realized all the little things I’ve done or bought over the past year as a result of what I considered “hard work.” Whether it was a large project or a long day at work, I tended to reward myself with food or other things in order to relax or feel better. But how does eating and buying worthless items really help?

Society has gotten used to placing so much emphasis on things that we let them control our lives. Some people buy things, some envy others for what they have, and some try to steal those things away from others. Jerry Seinfeld talked about how we should be getting rid of all the things we have in a very comedic fashion. It’s an endless cycle and does not add any value to your life whatsoever.

I’m convinced that money is so unimportant and it is SO easy to get caught up in it because that’s what we have learned to do. It’s a horrible habit that we need to break. I see coworkers constantly coming in with expensive Starbucks drinks and going out to buy lunch everyday. Then there’s me. I go out and buy worthless things to decorate my desk with, thinking it would make me feel better and brighten things up. While it does look nice, this doesn’t add any value to my life.

Life has gotten all mixed up in money and I think it’s time to change things…