The Art of Mastering Patience

Do you set higher expectations for yourself? Do you think that you behave like your own biggest enemy? Do you get upset when things don't go your way? Sometimes, it can be interesting to set the bar higher than our limits because we may come out as true winners by overcoming the obstacles on our way. But other times, this can lead to our own destruction. Today, I am delighted to share with you a post on one of the most important keys to a successful life: patience. Patience is just not the ability to wait but also the ability to remain calm with a positive attitude. The one who knows how to be patient in life knows the meaning of life. There are certain areas in which I excel as a human being but I must admit that I'm struggling a lot in developing patience so this is one of the reasons why I am dedicating today's post to this topic. In order to learn to be patient, let's explore the benefits of being patient because once the mind is convinced, the ways to become patient will automatically follow. 

The first advantage of being patient is achieving peace in our lives which is very crucial for our health. There's no better person than us who can understand how to take care of our mind and body. When we're feeling peaceful with the life we are living, this translates into a strong immune system. We live in a world where things happen at a fast pace and if we don't decide to slow down, life will always feel like a race when it's not. Let some events unfold on its own and do yourself a favor: let your mind rest and let it be responsibility-free from time to time. If needed, do some yoga or start stress-free hobbies (activities that awaken your creativity for example).

The second advantage of having a calm mind is to have more control over ourselves. No one likes to lead a life which he or she cannot guide. When we are patient, we can acknowledge the circumstances around us and choose how we want to react. Being patient allows us to make better and thoughtful decisions. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react. When we are patient, we have the privilege to direct our life the way we want to. When we get impatient, anxious and/or irritated, our brain basically shuts down and as a result, we act without thinking. One technique I could suggest to improve this is that you first acknowledge that you are angry and then take a deep breath and tell yourself that you still have control over yourself.

The third advantage of being patient is that we are able to make the most out of our lives. Some people always seem happy, don't they? That's because they have trained their mind to see the good in life and to not let negative situations affect them. We all want a happy life and the happiness of our life depends on the quality of our own thoughts. When we remain calm with a positive attitude, we take away the power of negative energy and/or obstacles to discourage or disappoint us.  Life is too short to put up with bad vibes. If you think you're living in an atmosphere that adds no value to your life, you are free to walk away from such environment or surroundings and you must do so. Go wherever you need to that will make you feel better and allow you to make the best out of your life. 

The fourth advantage of being patient is that we spread a positive energy in the universe and that makes it easier for life to offer us the right opportunities and to fulfill some of our wishes. Here, the law of attraction works. When we keep a positive attitude while waiting, we allow good things to attract us and come our way. That's almost like a reward. On the other hand, if we behave impatiently, life will not grant our wishes as it will first want to teach us how to be patient. I suggest you remember this motto: "You attract what you think" so whenever you set a new goal, don't think about how you will make it and/or how long it will take you to achieve it but believe that you can achieve it whenever it's meant to. Show life that you are resilient and that you can wait for the best to happen to you.

To end this post, I admit that this may look like it was easy for me to write but as I wrote every single sentence, I realized how difficult it can be to apply in real life. When I look back at my own struggles, I truly realize that had I been patient, my life could have been different and better today. I know it's still not late for me to learn from my mistakes and I have a chance to become wiser. That being said, I hope this post will shed some light on how mastering patience can improve the overall quality of your life. Take control of your life and remember, for every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness (Ralph Waldo Emerson). The key to your happiness simply lies in being patient.

Interacting With Others Is Crucial To Our Personal Growth

Though alone time is good in moderation, spending time with people can indeed be fulfilling and nourishing for our personal growth. I believe that spending time with people can provide us with so many enriching adventures and it is definitely an escape for people who spend more alone time and slip into an overthinking cycle. In the following paragraphs, let's explore the advantages of spending time with others. The primary benefits of interacting with others are: the feeling we get for being appreciated, the support we get to pursue our goals, the new sense of perspective we get and the possibility to add value in other people's lives.

First, there is something special about having a circle of family and friends close to us. They are the ones who know our flaws, our strengths and what makes us different from others. They appreciate our presence in their lives and these are positive vibes we must cherish. Sometimes, we may feel that we are good for nothing but the truth is that we are worth more than we think and we genuinely matter to some people. That's why when someone values us, we should reflect on our positive attributes and look for the good in us. People with whom we spend time bring the best in us and unconsciously, they are the ones motivating us to become a better version of ourselves and to be an example for others. Speaking of myself, when I feel appreciated by my surroundings, I automatically stop focusing on my weaknesses and I take a moment to be more kind to myself and be grateful for having such amazing people who believe in me.

Second, having a supportive network of people can open new doors for us to make our life journey more meaningful and interesting. No success has ever been achieved alone and therefore, exchanging our preferences with other people may someday provide us with opportunities that are crucial in the life path we are aiming for. Not just that but we need close people to share our success with. On the other hand, if we fall down, then we need people on whom we can count so that they can help us get back up. Obviously, we do not need to confide our goals to every single person we meet but once in a while, we meet trustworthy and reliable people who may encourage us to pursue our goals or to set new goals in life. It's such a privilege having people in our lives who care about our journey as well. To be honest with you, there aren't many such people in this world but the ones I have met, I have kept them very close to me. I may see them once a year and they are continuously pushing me to go for the best opportunities available.

Third, people we spend time with may give us a new sense of perspective on life. As we unknowingly remain in our comfort zone for a long time, we may not be paying attention to different opportunities that are around us and sometimes it takes another person to make us see things from a different angle. We have two ears and one mouth. We should use them in that ratio. We learn more when we listen than when we talk. Sometimes, it is enriching listening to other people's life journey and adventures as we may be inspired to follow their good gestures or we may learn from their mistakes. Once again, it's a blessing in disguise if we have people who understand our point of view and try to make us understand that there is another way to do or see things. As we expand our thinking, we are the winners as we gain more resources to make the best of our life journey.

Fourth, there is no better feeling than offering a part of our heart to and investing our time for others. We are usually focused on our needs that sometimes we may not be realizing that we could be adding value to someone else's life or simply brightening their day. Making others feel special and letting them know that we appreciate their presence in our lives are little gestures that surely increase our worth and make us feel good as well. I personally don't believe I should be kind to everyone but there are people in my life that I want to be there for during their best and difficult days, and that's my definition of kindness. I love celebrating my family and friends' joys and similarly, I embrace their vulnerability when their days are filled with clouds. We are blessed with more than we think, so if we are in a situation where our efforts and time could help someone or add value in his or her life, these are the opportunities we must not let go.

At last but not least, one must always remember that we become who we spend time with. So be cautious! Sometimes we just don't click with certain people whereas with others, we feel the strong vibes coming in our direction. If that's the case, then these are the people with whom we should build a connection and the previously listed reasons will emerge. Spending time with people can benefit other people as much as ourselves, it goes in both directions. Energies are contagious, so always beware of the energy you are spreading around. Everyone wants to have the best for themselves. Therefore, when people are drawn to us, it is most likely because they find something appealing in us and they are also willing to share their spark with us. This is how we grow, build memories with people and make the world a better place to live in. 

Benefits of Spending Time Alone

Moderation is always good and today's post is exactly about why time spent alone moderately is beneficial for growth. The reason why I decided to write on this topic is simply because I feel like most people associate alone time with being lonely and I wish to shed some light on how spending time can be good for ourselves. In the following paragraphs, I will be discussing the main advantages of spending alone time which are: clearing our mind, reconnecting with ourselves and developing more self-confidence.

First, alone time allows us to relax ourselves and recharge our batteries. One may argue that this attribute describes mostly introverts but alone time can surely benefit extroverts from time to time. Being part of today's society has made many of us believe that we must always go after what we want and keep moving on to the next goal set. We have yet to learn that resetting our focus is the key to be productive and proactive in order to achieve a goal. Not doing anything does not mean that we are wasting our time. Not doing anything means that we are not pressuring our brain to think for a task that needs to be completed. Instead, we are letting our brain relax and empty any irrelevant information stored in. This type of relaxing is crucial to clear our mind. We can also slow down if we have been carried away in a fast paced type of life. Renewed energy is key to keep moving forward in life.

Second, the biggest advantage of alone time is probably getting the time and space to reconnect with ourselves. Alone time means we get the time to think about things happening around us and to think for ourselves without any distraction from the outside world. When there is peace around, we get to listen to our inner voice. We get to connect with the real person inside of us. It's the time when we do not need to think about pleasing or worrying about another person. We are free to do whatever we like and to ponder what we dislike. There is no one around to judge us whether we are listening to an unpopular music, watching a cartoon movie being an adult or wearing a pair of cartoon pajamas. It's a privilege having the chance to think for ourselves. Also, there is no competition involved when we are alone so we get to set the pace at which we want to do something. Alone time allows us to explore the endless possibilities we have for ourselves. Afterall, we are the CEO of our life journey.

Third, alone time helps to develop more self-confidence. We also learn to require less self-validation from others. It's one thing to be socially approachable and another one to be dependent on others to make the most out of our lives. From real life to social media interactions, we unconsciously grow up thinking that getting approvals and praises from others is what we need to have our existence validated. However, that is not true. We must believe in ourselves first as often as we can and not build our confidence on what other people think of us. Alone time teaches us to detach ourselves from others from time to time. We then get to reflect on how we feel about ourselves and to work on ourselves so that we can feel good in our skin. Once again, confidence plays a big role in helping us shape the life we dream for ourselves so we must make time and work on building our confidence.

To conclude, I hope this post has helped you understand the key benefits of spending time alone. This must not be confused with feeling lonely which is being surrounded by people and not having himself or herself understood and/or his or her presence acknowledged by others. Alone time allows us to relax, think for ourselves and helps us build our confidence. As explained in one of my previous posts, balance is the key to a successful life. We definitely live in a world where interacting with others is necessary but it is for us to make a switch to some alone time so that we can balance out alone time and our interactions with others.

Ten Reasons Why I Love Running Outdoors

Summer, my favorite season of the year, is here and I am delighted to share with you a post unlike others about my passion for running outdoors. I am not an athlete but as I believe precaution is always better than cure, I have made running an important part of my lifestyle. In this post, I will be listing ten reasons why I love running outdoors and hopefully I can inspire you to start adopting a new habit so that you can also lead a healthy lifestyle.

1. Growing up in North America means to spend most time indoors due to the cold seasons and the bad weather conditions that may happen in spring and summer. Furthermore, the way the school system and the corporate world work in buildings mean more time indoors. That leaves me with very little time to be spent outdoors so I have chosen to invest a part of that time in running outdoors. Afterall, life is not meant to be spent indoors all the time.
   
   
2. Exposure to the sun allows our body to meet some of its needs for the vitamin D. Thus, when the sun is out, there is simply no excuse to not go for a run as being under the sun has some interesting health benefits. Sunlight deficiency can be bad for health and for those interested in more details, I definitely recommend the following articles:
   a) https://www.sunsprite.com/blog/9-ways-a-lack-of-sun-is-killing-you/
   b) http://www.lifeadvancer.com/sunlight-deficiency-deadly-smoking
   
   However, it's important to apply sunscreen before going out to run under the sun as sunscreen helps to protect our skin against sunburn and from ultraviolet radiations (UVA and UVB rays) that can cause skin cancer.
   
   
3. Being in a green area allows to connect with nature and that is a privilege. For those for whom nature is important, being in a green environment can significantly increase the level of their happiness.
   
   
4. Running is an excellent type of cardio exercising. While the treadmill might be doing a part of your job, running requires 100% of your effort. Frankly speaking, fifteen minutes on a treadmill/cardio machine will not even make me feel as exhausted as fifteen minutes of running outdoors. Try it to believe me.
   
   
5. Running increases energy and decreases tension, anger and all sort of negative emotions. Some days, I happen to wake up with a bad attitude. Then, I decide to go for a morning run and later on, I don't even realize it but my bad attitude disappears and I am full of positive energy for the rest of the day. Basically, running helps to reset and recharge batteries.
   
   
6. Running outdoors allows to breathe fresh air which is vital for the human body. Fresh air is much better than air-conditioned air found in the gym or any indoor places.
   
   
7. Running is a solo activity meaning that you are your only competitor. You can set challenges for yourself based on your performance and you can go at your pace.
   
   
8. Running helps to sleep better. For people who can not stop thinking, running definitely helps to shut the brain and get the required 7-8 hours of sleep everyday.
    
9. Running helps to concentrate better and to develop creativity just like any physical activity. As you engage yourself in a physical activity, you will learn to focus on that activity and that will definitely help you focus on other aspects of your life and this is how you learn to achieve other goals in life you set for yourself.
   
   
10. Running for great causes can help to raise charity funds. Since there are no gym membership fees associated with running, signing up for races happening in your hometown city (or even another city) is an excellent way to set a running challenge for yourself and to contribute to great causes.

To conclude, I hope the above reasons have inspired you to acknowledge that engaging in a regular physical activity has various advantages for ourselves. I hope that you are able to find your most preferred physical activity and that you make it a part of your daily life and hopefully you start noticing the quality of your life improving. Committing to regular physical activity can also help to prevent diseases. I believe precaution is always better than cure, so don't risk your health. It's always hard to start but don't underestimate the power of your small efforts. Every step matters and remember that no one ever regrets getting physically active.

Authenticity Is The Key To Stand Out

No matter how much we deny it, we live in a world where there is non stop competition. We compare ourselves with our peers instead of looking at the individual progress we have made from the past. We find our motivation through affection from people around us, achieving new goals and milestones that others don't have the potential to set for themselves, etc. In between, how much authentic do we feel about ourselves? In order to be the best version of us for ourselves and to win people's faith, we must feel good and true inside of us. This post goes hand in hand with my post of January 2016 on gratitude. Authenticity is one of the most powerful keys to make peace with your life regardless of what kind of circumstances life throws at us. 

Being authentic is about being able to live in and appreciate the present moment. As human beings, we are constantly focusing on moving forward in life that our present barely gets the attention it deserves. However, our thoughts, our behavior and our attitude towards the present can be a huge indicator of how our future will be shaped. Chances are if we are not enjoying the journey right now, we will not appreciate the destination. Therefore, it is important to be mindful about the present and to acknowledge that we are exactly where we are meant to be. By committing to the present, we are most likely going to be authentic to our other commitments such as life goals and relationships. 

Being authentic is to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses. It is okay not to be perfect. Once we identify our strengths and weaknesses, nobody can use them against us. We may not be noticing the little progress we make day after day but in a year from today, we will not be the person we are today. Thus, it's important that we accept the fact that we are not a "finished product" but rather a "work-in-progress human being". In order to help people around us, we must be able to recognize what we can offer without willing to impress too hard or fake something that we can not offer. It's easy to impress people with the superficial but when we're comfortable being not perfect, we leave something more for people to remember us: we are sincere and we will be appreciated for being genuine.  

Being authentic is to remain faithful to our values. Our family background, the friends we hang out with and our past journey are an interesting package that allows us to choose the values we believe in and that we want to carry wherever we go in life. It's important to have values because they create something unique out of us and they make us different from the rest of the people. It's good to get pulled out for a change once in a while but sticking to our life principles and not letting external factors or circumstances take away our main moral values show that we are resistant and resilient. Being loyal to ourselves goes beyond being honest. The latter just means that if we did something wrong, we confess it to ourselves and we usually feel guilty about it whereas being loyal is being thoughtful about the steps we take while keeping our values in mind.

I believe authenticity is a concept not widely spread or enough emphasized in today's world but when we are looking to make connections with people either on a personal or a professional level, a person who is authentic will always outweigh the one who isn't being his or her true self. It takes lots of courage along with vulnerability to present an authentic version of ourselves to others because nowadays most people are concerned more by the superficial than depth. Hence, we may not attract a high quantity of people towards us but we will attract the right quality of people towards us and that is more than enough to be at peace with our life and to make the most out of our life journey.

Balance: The Secret To A Fulfilled Life

In today's society, things are changing so fast that people don't get enough time to reflect on the changes happening around them. It seems like life is a race and most people are living their days according to the principle of "life is short" when in fact our time on Earth is determined by our thoughts, our actions and the energy we disperse around us. Balance is the secret to a successful life. In the following paragraphs, I will present five ideas on which you can hopefully reflect and make the changes, if necessary, to make the best out of your life journey.

There are notions, circulating on today's social media, that a human being should constantly be happy, live life with no regrets, etc. According to me, those are very destructive ideas.  Human beings were created to experience all kind of emotions from joy to sadness (you may refer to my post of February 2016) while social media is bringing the idea that we must suppress our unpleasant feelings. Being able to feel various emotions and having different moods are what make us genuine and real. If we are not happy, then that does not mean we have to chase for new happiness but rather we must face our current emotions. Having regrets can help us protect ourselves for next time such as by not repeating the same mistake twice in life. We are human beings and we do not need to behave as robots with a constant smiling face. Sure, at times, a smile on a face is the best way to hide our pain if we cannot explain it in words to others. Otherwise, when we are able to show people that we are vulnerable, it's a sign that we are strong, confident and aware of our emotions and our worth. 

As for resources, we all know that they are unfortunately not equally distributed on Earth. While some human beings are struggling to get access to water, food, clothing and shelter to survive, others are feeding their mind with the idea that they can get more than the luxurious life they have. Have you ever stopped to think about taking only what you need and letting other people have their share too? Be humble. It's not because we are given more of something that it necessarily means that we have to take all that is accessible to us. When we can acknowledge that what we have is more than enough for us, that means that we are blessed. And either way, the more we get, the more we want and the more we have to lose. In fact, "the more a person limits himself, the more resourceful he becomes" (Soren Kierkegaard) and this would be definitely an interesting challenge to take in our life journey. 

Have you ever been torn between "if it's meant to be, it will be" and "if you want it, go get it"? I believe we have all been there or at least I hope so. Now, think about how bored we would be to just sit down home and wait for everything to come to us without us doing a single effort? Or how drained we would feel for always having to chase what we want? Either way, we would not be feeling good on the inside. So instead, a mix of "if it's meant to be, it will be" and "if you want it, go get it" is what makes life more interesting. Living under these two principles would allow us to feel both peace and excitement. Sometimes we have to let life surprise us, not rush anything and surrender to that flow. Other times, we need to set challenges to stimulate ourselves and make the efforts to achieve our goals. Once again, today's society always encourages people to go after what they want instead of being grateful with what they have and let some events unfold at the time they are meant to.

Another questionable concept circulating in today's world is the one of being kind to others under all circumstances. Nowadays, not being kind is often translated into being either a mean or cold hearted person when in fact it could simply mean that someone is trying to take care of himself or herself first instead of being a people's pleaser or that he or she disagrees to support the other person because their values are in conflict. At some point in our lives, we have probably been torn between "treat others how you want to be treated" and "treat others how they treat you". Both of these ideas are good for real life because the first way allows you to offer the best version of yourself to others and the second way allows you to respond to the energy provided by others either by being a blessing or a lesson. By always being kind or wanting to be a blessing to people all the time, we sometimes please people who may simply want to take advantage of us and that is wrong. We are not less than anyone in this world. Thus, it certainly is a good thing to be kind but we should not let others step all over us. 

At last but not the least, I think the most dangerous concept in today's world is "do what makes you happy and don't care about what others think." I believe you may agree with me that people today focus more on short term happiness instead of long term happiness. All that seems to matter is the present because we are here today. We are encouraged to not think about the future because we may not be there tomorrow. However, what kind of world are we going to leave for tomorrow's kids? We need to learn that sometimes our actions affect other people. What we do is not just about us. We are all trying to make the best out of our lives by learning from each other, sometimes by not repeating the same mistakes others have done and sometimes by setting challenges for ourselves that others have taken for themselves. Our actions of today can be the echo of the actions someone else may take tomorrow so we must be careful in what we do and what we say. Then again, this does not mean we should always think about others before our own desires because there is indeed a challenge sometimes in walking on a path alone without anybody's support. It's all about finding the balance between doing what makes us happy and inspiring others to do good in the world.

To conclude, I hope this post has shed some light on how today's society is trying to impose certain ideas to people making them believe that it is how today's generation thinks. Real life is about balance. We deserve happy days but we must feel sadness at times. We can take what we need but we must let others have their share too. We can set goals and work hard to achieve them but we must believe that what is meant for us will not miss us. We can be kind to others but we must not let others feels that their needs come first and ours in second place. We can do what makes us happy but we must keep in mind that our actions affect others. Balance in life is achieved when the mind and the heart are in harmony with each other. The mind may seem tough while the heart is usually softer but both are essential to guide us in life. Beware of the energy you give out and remember that the secret to a fulfilled life is balance!

Who Are Introverts And How Different Are They From Extroverts?

For this one, I will refer you directly to my post published on Learning Mind's page at: http://www.learning-mind.com/differences-between-introverts-and-extroverts/

Understanding The Importance Of Emotions With The Movie "Inside Out"

When all seems to fall apart or you are confused with life, it's always a good idea to watch kids' movies. There is so much to learn from those movies and sometimes all we need is motivation to start back from square one. Today I want to share some of the realizations I made after watching the movie "Inside Out" (Walt Disney Pictures, 2015). My blog indeed focuses on the idea that we need to be positive to lead a happy life. However, it's important to acknowledge that life is made of ups and downs. It is ok to feel negative emotions at times. We learn to appreciate the good in our life because we go through the bad. In the following paragraphs, I will try to explain the importance of the five main emotions used in the movie "Inside Out": Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust and Sadness.

First, we have joy, which is a feeling that leads to great happiness. Without joy, we would be having a depressing life. Joy is indeed a positive emotion and I believe joy is what triggers the feeling of gratitude in us. Life is meant to be lived one day at a time, so if we are having some better days than others, we must acknowledge that we are blessed with joyful days and it's really up to us to go store those joyful days in our long term memory. If our joyful days are meaningful, there is no doubt that these good memories will replay in our mind in the future to make us feel good and/or grateful.

Second, we have anger, which is some sort of strong feeling that makes us upset or annoyed. I think anger acts like a self-defense emotion, and that's essential because there is no better person than us to defend ourselves. Anger can sometimes engage us into a conflict with someone else, which is healthy for us at times and it can also push us to take action to make things the way we want. However, as it's mostly a negative emotion, we can end up taking the wrong steps and this can lead to bigger problems when in fact we just wanted to make a way for ourselves to be happy. Therefore when we are angry, it's important to be aware of this feeling and remind ourselves that the action plan that the angry emotion is creating for us may not be a suitable/wise plan we'd follow if we'd have a cooler mind.

Third, we have fear, which is the feeling of being afraid and/or worry about something bad or unpleasant. Fear is usually the result of our insecurities. Fear is an emotion that I believe is built from our thoughts and it's a way for our mind to protect us from a disastrous scenario if it were to occur. Nevertheless, once fear is gone from our mind, it's almost like we have made some accomplishment. Simple example: When a kid is afraid of going to school for the first time because of the unknown but eventually, the kid gets familiar with his or her teacher and makes new friends, the feeling of fear gradually vanishes. Fear is a special type of emotion: a negative one which can turn into a positive one if we step out of our comfort zone.

Fourth, there's disgust which is a strong feeling of dislike for something. Maybe, disgust was too much of a strong emotion in the storyline but I'll leave that to the director of the movie "Inside Out". Since we're not robots, it is normal to have dislikes. Being aware of our dislikes protects us from what may cause unhappiness to us. Having preferences is what makes our standards and what makes us humans and therefore we should not be ashamed of our dislikes as they don't make any less of us.

Fifth, there's sadness which is a feeling of grief or unhappiness. Just like Joy in the movie was continuously pushing away Sadness from Riley's memory, I realized that I've also been wondering what the purpose of sadness is in life? I found my answer in the movie. Sadness is to alert others and ourselves when we are overwhelmed and that we may need help. Sadness teaches us to be compassionate towards others and have sympathy for others. Sadness allows us to connect deeply with people; please remember that a person, especially a kind hearted one, will find you more valuable if you are present for her or him when s/he is sad than you being present when s/he is joyful. To understand others who may be going through sad phases, it's crucial for us to be sometimes sad so that we can relate with other people's sadness to eventually help them let go of that sadness.

I hope this post helped you understand that all five emotions mentioned, whether positive or negative, all somehow contribute to help us achieve happiness. Joy does not equal absolute happiness. Each emotion from joy, anger, fear, disgust and sadness, has its purpose. The human mind is more complex than these five emotions actually. Being aware of the emotions that dominate us in a particular situation can help us understand ourselves, make the necessary changes in our thoughts and find a way to better deal with certain difficult situations in life. I believe it's important to embrace our emotions because they are truly what make us unique from others and we're all special people in this world.

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude‏

Happy New Year everyone! The past two years were some kind of roller coaster years for me that I could barely focus on my blog. That being said, 2016 is a new year and I truly want to make the best out of it and of course encourage people to do the same. It's a blessing for me to be able to think positive and share it in writing, so let's get started.

The concept of gratitude was unknown to me about a few years ago. Now that I've learned what it is, I think it's such a valuable key for anyone who wants to achieve a happy life. Gratitude is more than its definition of a feeling of appreciation or thanks. It's a state of mind and a positive vibe to spread around. Life then rewards us back in unexpected ways at unexpected times. 

As human beings, our focus is usually on what we want because we know that life goes on and we must keep moving forward. Sometimes we get discouraged as we still have a long way to achieve what we want. In that instant, we need to pause and look back at what we have achieved and how far we have come. It's important to take that present time to reflect on the efforts we have put and the good feelings that the past achievements have given us. It's a little step that shows that we acknowledge the good that life has offered or offers us. When we are grateful for what we have, we realize that we are blessed with more than enough and this type of thought lets us achieve a peaceful mindset which then allows us to think about the efforts we need to put to achieve our next goals. Basically, gratitude is an attitude that makes us feel good inside, it's that simple.

Let me give you a small personal example. I was and am constantly torn between "If you do not go after what you want, you'll never have it" and "What's meant to be will be." Just a couple of months ago, I felt like life rewarded me for appreciating what I had. I was in my world, giving my best and one day, a little reward knocked on my door. At first, I could not believe that such a day would come because I considered myself just an average human being. It was a minor accomplishment and I reflected on the attitude I had just days and weeks before. That's when I realized that weeks before, I was genuine to myself and had said something along the following words to some people: "I got a lot [of happiness] in my share, I don't need more for now..." I think this attitude of mine just made life reward me later on somehow. For me, it was all the power of gratitude. At that time, I was so happy that my mission of positivity is not just a dream in my mind but rather life itself is helping me make the best of my journey.

There's a saying "Happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." I probably first read that three years ago and did not know back then but now I know that's exactly what gratitude is. If we don't take the time to reflect on what we have, we will never know what we truly have, we'll take for granted what we have and we will always want more and that's not the right attitude. We should not wait to lose something or the privilege associated to it to understand its value. We need to learn to cherish the good things we have and we get no matter how small they are.

When I say that we have to be grateful for what we have, it also applies towards the dear ones we have in our lives. We all know that people come and go whenever they want and not everyone is meant to stay forever in our lives. This may seem difficult to do, I am still struggling sometimes, but it's important to let people know at times that they matter to us. When our dear ones are nice to us, we must have faith in the positive vibes that they send us. We need to trust ourselves and listen to our inner voice that makes us acknowledge that these people bring the good in us and help us to be good human beings. Similarly, we have the power to make them feel special. Complimenting others is some sort of gratitude too!

I did and I am still doing this exercise of writing down each good thing that happens to me in a line and by the end of year, I easily find about 100 good things that happened in my life over the year. This helps me realize how blessed I am and to shift away my attention from the negative thoughts. For those interested, I invite you to try to do the same. Gratitude is an attitude for you, not to impress anyone around. We have nothing to lose with this attitude. When we are genuinely grateful for what we have, life just gets better and surprises us when we least expect it. Keep the faith in gratitude and watch the small changes that will add up in your life! Make the most out of 2016!

Your Thoughts Create Your Reality

One of the realizations I made in my life journey is to think positive which then attracts positivity towards you. I may be wrong but I still see a lot of people’s opinions about how this fact is not true. However from my experience of just a year ago when I decided to get on this positivity mission, I have to admit that most of the good things that happened to me were based on my positive thinking. Today, I would be really happy if I can help anyone to change the quality of his or her life by simply starting to have positive thoughts in mind.

Reading positive quotes everyday has made a major impact on my life. It’s unbelievable how often I happened to read an inspiring quote to calm down myself for every little negative issue in my life. Or I would just have a dear one sharing an inspiring quote with me just to make me feel better and/or to have me keep going on in life. Then instead of focusing my energy on my problem, I was rather carried away to think deeply about the positive quote and this then just led me to find a peaceful solution to my life’s issues. They always say that you should do what makes you happy and not what you think is right. I believe there’s something in between these two and that’s peace. Being happy and sad is part of life and sometimes, it’s just not doing things that make you happy but doing things that make you peaceful can also take you to happiness. Therefore, next time when you see a positive quote, take a moment, breathe and try to see if what you just read can solve a current issue in your life, can help you think more positive or can help you become a better person than who you were yesterday. This advice may seem useless but remember that every minute spent on thinking positive adds up to a lot of positivity in your life, so have faith in this little mindful exercise.

When it comes to your goals whether they are on a personal or professional level, having a positive attitude can help a lot. Speaking of myself, I used to doubt myself a lot in the past as to whether I’ll achieve my goals or not, but I always put as much effort as I could and I stay focused towards them. This way, my combined positive energy has outweighed my fear of not succeeding and this has eventually led me to the doors of success I have been looking for.  I still look back at my achievements and still acknowledge the fact that what seemed impossible turned out to be possible. Do not mistake having a positive attitude with being over confident. Giving your best or trying as much as you can does not necessarily mean you’ll always reach success. It’s very important for you to be flexible and understand that in the case of failure, you shouldn’t over-think about your efforts going into waste, just let it go as you cannot control every single thing of your life. Some things are just not meant to be and we cannot have everything we want the way we wish for. Therefore, take the time appreciate what you achieve and be proud of all of the little efforts you put in towards them. Having a positive attitude towards your goals can be actually translated as to how you value your goals and how much you care to put the necessary work to reach them. Be honest with yourself and set goals that make you happy on the long term.

One of the most beautiful things about life is that we are surrounded by people and as they say that your travel destination is not important but rather who you are with makes a huge difference. If you want to be treated nicely by others, start by treating others nicely. Don’t wait for the other person to do a kind gesture for you first because the actual winner is always the one who makes an initiative. I’ll share a personal fact about myself here. I genuinely enjoy lifting up people’s spirit because I like to make people feel important in this world and at the same time, I acknowledge their presence in my life. I compliment others and I remind them regularly about the good human beings they are. I also take the time to be happy of their progress in life when a new chapter of their lives starts. The reason why I do this is because some of them have inspired me to be like them (develop more confidence, be open-minded, stay relaxed, etc) and I am aware that life is just not about me and in fact, everyone has a right on their share of happiness, so why not emphasize on their efforts for their personal goals as well?

A lot of people seem surprised when I have nice words to share with them but I try not to over-think about them thinking that I may be just spreading those words to make myself look good. I try to choose my words carefully (but I’m not always successful) and if it makes a positive impact on that person, I call that a “win” because when I’m given a compliment, I acknowledge it and try to ensure that quality stays with me as it’s part of the good human being I strive to be. On the other hand, I have people in my life who do thank me for constantly encouraging and/or complimenting them because they need those reminders at times to keep going on. I can totally relate myself with them because it’s not the attention from the others that I seek but it’s rather that every kind word from others motivates me to try to become a better human being day after day. That being said, be positive towards others and you will see most of them will give you back that positive energy and you’ll be just filling each other’s lives with positivity. As for those who can’t acknowledge your little kind gestures, don’t hate them (negative energy), let it go (positive energy that can be used to make someone else happy) and hopefully those who can’t appreciate your presence in their lives will get a lesson from your absence (or rather the absence of your kind gestures) in their lives one day.

One rule of thumb I want you to remember in all the ideas I have shared is that this exercise of “positivity attracts positivity” will only work if you believe in it. It doesn’t hurt to try. Forget the person filled with negative thoughts that you were if you have been one. Just get started whenever you want to and think about happy things as often you can, say positive words, turn negative thoughts into positive ones. You've had a bad day; just remind yourself that it’s just a bad day and not a bad life. The quality of your life will only change if you are positive toward life. Our thoughts have a lot of power, more than we realize it and that’s why it’s important to fill our mind with as much as positivity as we can. I’ll bring up another simple personal example: I grew up thinking that I was unlucky for contests since I was a kid and before every draw, I’d tell people around that “I never win in these things.” When I stopped carrying the idea of “I never win contests” with me about a year ago, it’s silly but I have been winning prizes at different draws, and people around were amazed and would tell me that I am one lucky person. I really don’t know if it was luck or not but I did realize that the more I think in an optimistic way, the more I allow positive opportunities to catch me. It’s just that simple!

I think I have covered pretty much the main ideas I wanted to share about how your thoughts create your reality. It’s not an easy exercise, it takes times and if you are honest to yourself, chances are that you’ll get the positive life you dream for yourself. Being positive does not mean that you should be always giving away positive energy around. Know your limits and if something does not work the way you want it to be, try not to have negative thoughts about it or if you do, remind yourself that you have to let go of what you can’t have full control over and it’s time to move on to the next page. Your thinking will always play a crucial role in the unfolding of events in your life, so don’t underestimate the power of any little positive thought. Also distance yourself from any negativity. To sum up everything in one line, I’ll refer you to Marcus Aurelius’s words: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” Change your thoughts for the better and then just watch your life changing...

Get Inspired By Your Parents... And Keep Going For Them

Have you ever had a day or been in a phase where you just felt like nothing around you was fine and as you get drown in your thoughts, you felt like you have no energy to keep going in life? I don’t know the depth at which you’ve had such emotions but recently I got questionned as to what would be that one reason why I’d not give up on my life. I answered “my parents” to that. I am aware that there is negativity going around in real life and sometimes we think that just because we are far from how the average society lives, we think that giving up on our life is the solution. It’s really not. Life will always have its ups and downs but as the saying clearly states: the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why (by Mark Twain). To find out why you exist, you need to keep going in life, show patience toward life and believe that you exist here for a purpose.
Meanwhile, I believe your parents should be that one reason you move forward in life regardless of whether you have them with you or not. I won’t go in the details of how your mother might have carried you in her womb for nine months and/or how your father had to take care of your mother so that no harm was made to you as you breathe through your mother’s breath. We all know that that’s one huge struggle but what’s even bigger than that is all that your parents, two ordinary individuals, gave up to give you a life and to dedicate all their time and energy on you even before you were born. I know I am not the only one in this world but as years pass by, I realize how my parents really had to forget about their own wishes and give most of their time to raise me and take care of me and this goes on for a lifetime. Sometimes, parents forget "who they are" and how they want to live their lives just to give the best from the best to their children. Don’t think about giving up on your life when things get hard, think about what your parents gave up to make of you the person you are today. Always keep in mind that your life belongs more to your parents than you actually owning it.
I know that as we grow up, we tend to push ourselves away from them because they sometimes act like obstacles when we want to try certain experiences on our own and this sometimes create such big rifts between us and our parents. Nonetheless, behind this love-hate relationship we develop with our parents, the latter never wish for our bad, cannot see us falling down in life and will also cover for our mistakes at times because that’s really how parents show their love to us. We’re all growing, so are they. We need them so much when we are new to this world until we learn to become independent. As we distance ourselves from them, their thoughts about life change and it’s no longer what they sacrificed to bring us in the world that matters to them but all they want is to stay near us as they grow old.
It’s a privilege for most of you who have both of your parents. It’s a real blessing to have both your parents and you can trust my words because you cannot imagine how much I dream I had my father to see both my parents standing next to each other and to be able to make them feel that having me is one of their biggest rewards for all that they sacrificed for me. Even as of today, I feel like I get less sad about not having my dad but it hurts me much more when I hear that someone around is behaving like a stranger toward one or both of his or her parents. This is a situation I could never control because in trying to do so, I’d be an obstacle in their way and it’s supposed to be none of my business. It’s sad unfortunately. So if you can get the essence behind what I just tried saying, don’t take your parents for granted. There are so many, including me, who would trade their life just to get a life with both their parents.
Regardless of whether you have both your parents or just a single one, there are tons of ways to let them know that you realize what they mean to you. I feel slighlty guilty for advising this because I know that my mother and I almost never say “I love you” to each other because I sometimes tend to create trouble to her and I kind of carry a hate love relationship with her. Nonetheless it’s what I do more than how I express myself via negative words that counts and I do share a healthy and safe bonding with her. I don’t know how your circumstances are but I find that my situation is complicated and sometimes I feel like I need to confide my feelings about my mother to a third person, most often to my neighbours who share my mom’s age, and it’s only through them that my mom really gets to find out my genuine feelings for her. My sister, on the other hand, barely causes trouble to my mother, so my mother responds more positively to her in terms of communication. And as for my brother, being the kid he is, it’s easier for him to hug and kiss my mother anytime he wishes. We’re three siblings, loved by one mother and all three of us just convey our love in three different ways, and that’s it.
I could carry on and on on this topic because there is just so much to get inspired from our parents’ journey. When you get disheartening thoughts on your life because of whatever reasons, try to forget your insecurities and put yourself in your parents’ shoes. If you can feel their pain, I am sure you wouldn’t want to add more pain in their lives, so learn to take care of yourself at least for their sake. Take care of them, love them and show them that you’re not missing anything to be happy in life. Nothing makes parents happier than to see that their children are having a good life after all that they sacrificed.

Building A Positive Attitude To Engage On Social Media

“Welcome to Facebook. The place where relationships are perfect, liars believe their own bullshit, and the world shows off they are living a great life. Where the enemies are the ones that visit your profile the most, your friends and family block you, and even though you write what you are thinking, there is always someone that takes it to the wrong way.” I don’t know who came up with this and why but the first time I read it, it entertained me a lot. The second time I read it, I found it sarcastic. As I read it over and over, I felt like there was more negativity in it yet it describes  a lot of today’s reality. Social media is starting to take too much space in our lives. As much as there is positivity circulating on it, there is unfortunately that much of negativity on it also. My purpose in writing this post is to hopefully help some of you control all of what you've been absorbing from these social media networks.

Social media has its advantages when it comes to sharing information. You might be using it for good reasons such as getting updates on your interests. If you like to get the latest updates on sports, celebrities, fashion, seasonal activities, etc,  go like/follow those pages! They are well designed mostly because of a professional staff handling them. Using social media to gain more information on what you like is a good motive. Speaking of myself, social media has played a big role in my life because of its usefulness when it comes to discovering more about things that are of my interest.

I believe the biggest reason why social media is here in today’s world is obviously to make it easier for us to connect with people. That surely doesn't replace the human interaction you can have with people but if you can respect a friend’s time and thoughts dedicated to you as he or she connects with your virtually, it’s probably the least you can offer to someone if both of you are busy in your respective world. If you are one of those who always gets your way to see the ones you want to see, then good for you. You can stop reading here. Otherwise if you are busy among your personal issues and responsibilities, I don't see anything dramatically wrong in connecting virtually. I know that I connect with people virtually as I feel the need of it at times and I do satisfy myself with that if I am really not in the possibility to meet up with someone in person. That being said, it’s not because some people are not in my present that I don’t think about them. On the other hand, I’d be still thinking about them regardless of social media existing or not, but if social media can help me let them know that I think about them, I don't see why I would stop myself.

As for what’s presented to you via social media from friends, I think a lot of people don't understand or misunderstand that they're just getting the highlights of how people are living in their little world or at what stage they are in life. Nowhere are you getting other details related to those updates posted by your friends. People are not plugged 24 hours on 24 on the web to post their updates every few minutes. So there is absolutely no need to assume that people who share their happiest moments have a perfect life or are just showing off how much of a good life they have. People's intentions as they share their updates can be so much different than you just judging them for having intentions of showing off. 

As a matter of fact, I know that social media has affected some people around me negatively because they absorb too much on what’s presented to them and don’t really think about the hidden details behind someone posting happy updates. If you are living a happy life, then why would you need to compare your happiness to others? And on the other side, why do you need to judge others by thinking that those who are posting their happy updates are just showing off? I know this is easily said but might be tough to do it and that's why I want you to think on both ends and for you to understand that you shouldn't have to compare your happiness to others whether it's to put yourself down or put others down. I look for positive intentions behind people’s happy updates just because there is enough negativity in the real world, so why spread negativity on other people’s posts via social media? As much as there are chances of someone faking their happiness on social media, there are that many chances that that person is sharing his or her genuine moments. Why act like a hater?

Another of today’s unfortunate reality is that sometimes people are just waiting to create problems with one another on social media. They won’t make much efforts to truly appreciate your good posts or dedicate any genuine good thought to you but will take the wrong meaning by some of your posts. Instead of really staying away from your page, they will simply not miss any opportunity to write a sarcastic comment on your page sadly. This can be a frustrating situation for anyone as it's hard to control people's negative thoughts. I don't know what the best solutions are to deal with this but I definitely recommend the following: either to ignore the comment or to turn that sarcastic comment into something positive by replying to it in an entertaining way if possible. Social media is just not the place to create problems with anyone or to behave mean with someone. If your problem with someone is a real life issue, then try to resolve it by contacting the person in real life instead of clicking the "like" button or commenting for sarcastic reasons. Keep in mind that real life relationships should not be messed up via social media.

To conclude this post, I would just like to remind you that when you engage yourself on social media sites, it’s primarily your responsibility to pick what you want to absorb and what you don’t want to. Don’t destroy your mental peace because of social media. Don’t use it to put yourself down or to silently hate someone; use it with a good purpose such as for healthy entertainment. Also remember that being on social media is not at all an obligation to live in today’s society. There are still people who are not at all on any of these social media sites. I hope you are fortunate enough to have at least one such person in your life because that person will be enough to make you realize that he or she doesn't exist on Facebook for anyone and yet is making a living outside of social media. Enjoy social media safely!

Happiness Is A Choice

The key to be happy in life is to think happy thoughts. It's such a simple statement and yet it may take years or decades to get it right. It's alright. Take your time if you want. Once you'll grasp the idea behind it, you'll be in a new world. As we often hear, the happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything. Ask yourself this question: Do you feel happy with how much you have as of today or do you constantly feel like you're missing something to truly feel happiness wherever you are. If your answer is the first one I stated, then you are definitely someone who knows how to make the best of what you get no matter the circumstances in your life. Otherwise, if your answer is the second one, you need to stop looking at what you can't get control of and learn to appreciate what you have. I think one can find happiness through life's experiences and with people who belong to his or her world.

Experiences are those that enrich us throughout life. There are different stages in life to go through. Each of them is filled with ups and downs and you go through a bunch of emotions like feeling nervous, excited, relaxed, sad and happy. All this helps you learn about your likes and dislikes. The adventures that bring pleasure to you are most likely going to be experiences you will want to re-live or move forward with the next ones. For those that don't go well, too bad for them. One of the best things in life is that there is so much you can try out and that list is endless. You just have to be willing to give your mind the peace and satisfaction by trying out what you want. As they say, if you don't try, you'll never know. I don't know if it's right for me to say but we all have desires, needs and wants. Sometimes, little efforts can make us achieve the experiences we dream of.

I'll bring in a personal small experience to explain what I am trying to say. There were and still are so many things I could have done at a younger age but sometimes due to the direction of my life and/or lack of motivation, I couldn't always take every opportunity that would knock on my door. As I grew up, a second chance was given to me. The decision was mine: take the opportunity or let it go. I think the last of my best experiences in 2013 was to take part in a group dance performance of one minute in front of 900 people of which I knew about less than 25 people. It was just a one minute challenge and yet it required a few hours of practice, motivation, enthusiasm and passion. I got very nervous on the actual day and was carrying the feeling of fear throughout the day. I managed to smile while I danced but it's only at the end of my performance that I could feel that tremendous happiness I was waiting for. That one minute dance turned into such a beautiful memory for me to cherish for the rest of my days.

As for the people who surround us, the good part is that we obviously love those who belong in our present. There's no doubt about it. One thing that is crucial to live a happy life is to understand that we'll only have people in our present that we can contribute to their happiness and deal with their pain and similarly they are the ones who can contribute to our happiness and support us in our hard times. Speaking of myself, my present is all about my mother, my siblings, a few of the elders from my mom's family, a few younger cousins, some good and sincere friends and my coworkers. These are the ones with whom I share my daily little joys and sadness and vice versa, they share theirs with me. We always try to make each other feel better because that's the way to a positive spirit.

Then there are people who are not part of our present but had once been part of our life. They happen to cross our paths once in a while and our perception towards them can totally make a difference in whether we want to stay happy and on good terms with them. From my observations, I've had some situations where I ended up being just a complete stranger for someone just because I was no longer part of their present as my priorities had changed along with the stage of life I was at. That's fine. I had to move on, so I did and instead of getting hated or hurt by someone, I have usually ended up accepting being a "nobody" for such people. However, there's always the possibility of happiness on the other hand if we decide to stay on good terms with our good old buddies.

I have another personal situation to bring here: when things are under control in my life, I truly love being part of people's lives whether they belong in my little world or not. There's always energy in me and I get excited for any occasion from small to big because being able to add any sort of happiness to someone's life always makes me happier. With all the daily and typical issues in my life, I take whichever opportunity I get to give happiness to whoever I can because that is the least of a positive spirit that I can spread. As I grew up, I realized that there is absolutely no guarantee as to how often I can be there to create happy memories with others, and the best thing I can do and that I have been doing since about more than a year with sincerity, is that I put in my whole heart wherever I am and with whoever I am. There's nothing more unpleasant than being surrounded by people who are not enthusiastic when there's a get together whether it's between two people or more. Happy memories are created between people by putting everyone's positive energy and passion all together. 

I know I cannot speak on behalf of everyone and that's why I am nowhere imposing you to live by my words but this is just my perspective on how I see people who are not part of my life on a daily basis. Sometimes our priorities in life can be so different from someone else because of the different stages of life we are at, but that shouldn't mean that we have to say goodbye to each other. I chose happiness and I put the minimum efforts I can to not make any of my well-wishers feel like outsiders in my life. However, I will admit that when I am in situations where I do take a few initiatives and someone has that attitude that he or she doesn't care or that they don't see my good intentions behind my initiatives, I respect myself enough to no longer make those initiatives and obviously stay away from his or her zone of happiness. As much as the other person has a right to be happy without me, I allow myself to be happy in my world as well.

Happiness is a choice. There's no one better than you to know what's best for you such as the wisdom certain experiences can bring to you and what type of memories you want to create with the people in your life. Be optimistic. When life gives you a second opportunity, take the time to understand that second chance, listen to your instinct and go after it. Build happy memories with people even if it's for five minutes of your time instead of looking for reasons to create issues with them. Let go of what you can't control. Be happy. Make that choice. As you'll recognize and appreciate what you have, you'll attract more happiness in life. Just start believing in happiness...

What Appears To Be The End May Really Be A New Beginning

Happy Friday The 13th!! They say all good things come to an end and here we are, 2013 is about to end. I have mixed feelings today and I will be sharing with you my realizations of this year. Ups and downs were both part of my 2013 despite the fact that I had filled my mind with countless positive thoughts. As many of you would have already noticed, I enjoy writing and describing in words how I feel about every new experience. They say happiness comes in small packages and I truly believe in it and I was given the great opportunity to have witness it throughout this year. I don’t know if it’s right for me to say this but I feel like I got much more from life than I actually deserved. I am not trying to say that I wanted to suffer instead of having all these good things coming to me, I am just trying to say that it’s the first time in life that I felt like I have more than enough to live a good life and I really shouldn’t take for granted what I presently have.

This year was a beautiful one for me because my life wasn’t just about me; it was also about the people who were part of it. I can’t deny it but I did accomplish a lot of things this year because of the encouragement and the love I got from my family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances. I felt like as if I was just a little princess and everyone around me had their best wishes for me so that I make my life as beautiful as I’ve always wanted. I was really surrounded by selfless people and I always wondered if I’ll ever be able to do for them as much as they did for me. If not, then I hope God takes care of it and gives them some more happiness. For now, I just have my best thoughts for them when I think about them.

One of the best things that happened to me this year was to have more than one person telling me that “Hard work is paying off”. I don’t know how many people in my life find me genuine as of today but I am grateful to those who were happy for the life I finally got because of all the hard work I did the past years. I was glad to be an example of “Hard work pays off” because sometimes I thought of myself as good for nothing and the only hope I had at those times was to give my best so that I get rewarded one day for my hard work. It makes me happy that I was or still am an inspiration to those who are younger than me. “Hard work pays off” is just not a myth that we hear. Almost everything I have as of today is because of my sacrifices and struggles.

One of the mistakes I often made in the past years was to hold on things and people who were once part of my life. I never thought my thinking would change about that but this year as I repeated over to myself that by letting go, there will be room for better things and better people to come in my life; I have witnessed all of that coming to me. It’s crazy, I am not even joking. I had to share this one with you because it does take a lot of courage to let go of things that guarantee you comfort and to let go of people you love and care for and that they loved you so much once upon a time. If we want to try out new things, we have to step out from our comfort zone. As for the people who come and go from our lives, I can only say that you can’t hold anybody even if it’s a friend who was so close to you for years. The wise lies in keeping his or her best memories with you and to move on. You can’t force anyone to make time for you or to have that enthusiasm he or she had once when he or she was part of your life.

Just about few months ago, there was this thought that hit me: Am I as great as I seem to be throughout my blog posts? The answer turned out to be “no” and I was glad that I was that much honest with myself. Today I decided to clear that out here because there is indeed a difference between the writer of this blog and the Priya I am in real life. Blogging was one of my best accomplishments this year because it helped me distance myself from the bad experiences I had earlier in my life and to avoid all the negative thoughts. All the positive quotes and sayings I was reading throughout the year inspired me to write my blog posts and to build some peace in my mind. And it really did make me feel better. When I had no motivation, I would read my own blog posts and cheer up myself and even that worked out.

As of today, I don’t have all solutions to overcome the struggles that come to me. I could be wrong but I do feel sometimes that I have too much on my shoulders than I can actually carry. I really don’t feel inferior to anyone for saying this because I recognize how much I can do and what I can’t do. My mother and my siblings have always been my priority and I think they are the only ones for whom I would cross oceans. As for the closest friends and family I have, I don’t think I have ever jumped a big puddle for them but if they are still with me today, it’s probably because of their big heart, their patience and their trust in me. It’s a big realization and I acknowledge that those who are with me today are my biggest blessings.

My blogging journey of 2013 ends here and I really thank all of you who’ve read my posts even if it was only one throughout the year. I took lot of time to write these and I tried my best to share as much positivity I could because this way I attracted a lot of good things to me this year. I value your time for reading about me and I was very happy for all the positive feedback I got as my efforts didn’t go to waste. For the upcoming year, I wish you lots of new experiences and a lot of peace. Ups and downs will be always there but learn to make peace with yourself. You can’t have all at the same time. Make resolutions because they will make you feel like you have a purpose in life. You may not accomplish all of them to the degree of satisfaction you will wish to have but, you will then realize that you achieved far more than what you didn’t make it to. Don’t over-think, just let go of what was, appreciate what you have today and believe in what will be. May 2014 be a better year than 2013!!