Sunday Inspiration on Change

As fall approaches, it’s inevitable to have things stay the same. Someone told me that it’s the springtime – winds of change – that he sees when life alters. For me, I find the fall to be that time. It’s the beginning of a new academic year, and although I am no longer in school, I still feel like I am on that schedule. I suppose having my birthday in September also marks the change, another year completed, another year to look forward to. After graduating, the amount of change that has occurred in the last 5 months is amazing. New address, new job, new opportunity to be a better me, finding myself, creating myself. Other things have changed; my parents don’t need such a big house anymore. The kids aren’t living at home, everyone is growing up and life throws curve balls. It’s going to be weird, no doubt, but I truly know it’s for the best, and I have a feeling it’s going to be better this way. It’s uncomfortable to adjust a lifestyle, even tougher when you aren’t so mentally prepared for it. I’ve also realized it’s incredibly silly to be attached to such material things.

Life stops when change does. I’ve learned to trust the world and accept what comes my way because I truly believe that “everything happens for a reason.”

I woke up in the middle of the night the other day and, in the dark, aimlessly grabbed my notepad and pen and wrote down what was on my mind. It was about change. Today, I attended a yoga class I was not planning on going to until my originally planned yoga class elsewhere was cancelled. I had to get my yoga in for the day, and I tried someplace new and a new technique really. At the end of the class, the teacher read an excerpt that was about life and change. At this point, I knew the theme in my life must be about transformation, adjustments, change. I couldn’t just be thinking about it randomly. (Absolutely nothing in life is ever random in my humble opinion, including spontaneity). There was a reason I thought about it a few days ago, so after this reading, I was insanely inspired to go to the park to write this blog post about it. I simply wanted to share with you all how change is taking place in my life. 

The excerpt was from the book “Journey to the Heart” by Melody Beattie (which I just purchased on Amazon) and I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me on this beautiful, late September Sunday. When I find that quote, I will be sure to share it.

**Be open to change - it's usually for the best. And if it's not for the best, then it won't happen. Trust your intuition, & if it's something you can't change then remember, everything happens for a reason.** That is basically what I wrote in the middle of the night...

Your Typical Life Insights Post

Let's be real, how many of us have been reading and sharing all of these articles that provide some pretty powerful and equally "no duh" insights into our lives? Many of these articles and viral blog posts are written by twenty-somethings, because I suppose 30-somethings+ aren't into writing blogs and articles about "looking back" or "giving advice to yourself 5 or 10 years ago". Although reading parent forums and posts get pretty comical & make me never want a child. I also hope no one is 40 yrs old and writing a post about how lonely they are and looking back at their life. That would just be depressing.

So I called this post something bland, it won't stick out, and yet, could trigger some readership. Why? Everyone loves a relatable post. Don't lie, you do. In your head, while reading that "thoughts of a 20-something" post, you are all like "heyyy, that happens to me! Yea, yea, totally agree. Ugh, why is this writer talking about my life. Seriously." But really. I know, been there. Now I will attempt to evoke those same thoughts with this post.

Here is my list of 23 things I have insights about in my 23 years plus 8 days of living...

1) Love yourself. You cannot love anything else until you love yourself.
2) CHOOSE happiness. Yes, it is a choice. No one can make that choice for you. I cannot imagine I used to be a miserable teenager that hated life & just everything during my whole "punk-goth" phase. I feel like I wasted a period of time in my life choosing unhappiness. 
3) Appreciate your parents. Acknowledge their love and guidance and most importantly, their support. I am truly biased towards my family. Family is everything. I wouldn't be anywhere near my dreams without them & they truly want what's best.
4) Prioritize your priorities. Need I say more?
5) Lose the sense of entitlement. You are absolutely entitled to nothing, nada, 0. 
6) Be willing to apologize even if you know you did nothing wrong. It just proves that you are willing to stand down in order to keep a relationship. [and by relationship I mean a friendship, closeness with a family member, a significant other, etc.]
7) College is the best four years of your life. Savor every drunk, hungover, tired, hungry, poor, busy, happy moment. #yolo right?
8) Lose the jealousy. It doesn't help & it doesn't motivate. If you want something make it a goal that you will get it, but don't get jealous because someone else has it.
9) Be Spontaneous. Or as spontaneous as your bank account allows you to be.
10) Save money.
11) Don't think because you finished school, you can't still learn. Keep an open mind and keep learning. Why not pick up a new hobby? Read a random college textbook?
12) Indulge. Once in a while, you'll need it.
13) Don't nit pick. You honestly limit yourself when you are too focused on alllll of the little things that irk you. 
14) Travel.
15) Experiment. This goes for anything. Wanna get something pierced, do itttt. Wanna know what happens if you mix redbull & tequila all night, do itttt. I mean, it could turn out badly, but you also wouldn't know and it could turn out fantastically unless you try!
16) Have no regr@ts. But really, try to have as little regrets in life as possible. It significantly helps to make you happier and you learn from mistakes. Cliche, I know.
17) Keep in touch. The networking and connections you make in life will definitely help you get to where you want to be. I have absolutely no doubt about this insight.
18) Fall in and out of love. This is so you know what it feels like to be obsessively in love with someone and then having your heart ripped out and stepped on. You grow and learn from experiences like these. Everyone should understand these two emotions. Also, it's so you know not to hurt someone the way that someone has hurt you. It suxxx.
19) Have a credit card. I don't care what you do with it. Have one. It teaches you things..like debt and monthly payments.
20) Be Inspired and Inspire Others. A day without inspiration is a day wasted in my opinion.
21) Rule #1: Never get sloppy.
22) Be Thankful!!!! Whether or not you believe in a God or higher being just thank life once in a while. It forces you to notice the good things in life.
23) Have a life motto: (mines changed a few times, and it should!)
- everything happens for a reason. ;) 

Peace, love, and happiness.