(A Small Portion Of) Blogs That Inspire Me

Sometimes we all need a little inspiration; some of us can go to conferences and surround ourselves with people who just get us, but not everyone has that luxury. Sometimes inspiration comes from the smallest things.

Quotes.

People.

Pets.

Blogs.

Since I started this blog, I’ve been lucky enough to find some great blogs that I consistently turn to for inspiration. If I listed every single blog that inspires me, you lovely readers would be here for days. But here are a few that I think are definitely worth mentioning.

Liv Light

Image Copyright: Liv Light

Liv Light is a personal self-help blog run by Alivia Hall. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her, but I love her writing! I stumbled across her blog when I saw her guest post for Tiny Buddha, and I’ve been following it ever since.

What I absolutely love about Alivia’s blog is that she uses personal experiences to talk about the lessons she’s learned in life. Every post is a wonderful reminder of the important things for us to remember, and the stories make her blog so much more unique.

So before you open your mouth and start to argue that every blogger uses their personal experiences to make their blog unique, I’m going to say that yes, it’s true. But Alivia’s blog has a special place in my heart because it was one of the first blogs I found that resonated with me while talking about so many difficult things in life, things people tend to gloss over.

Sometimes her blog posts come along at just the right time. I look at my News Feed in Facebook and see the words NEW POST from her, and sometimes I see a post dealing with the exact problem I’m facing.

Like how to accept my body. Or how to stop letting other people influence your thoughts. Or how to handle negative feelings.

She’s refreshingly honest and candid, something I respect in any person, not just a fellow blogger.

As a fellow dog lover, it also doesn’t hurt that her puppy is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. And yes, that includes my puppy.

Because let’s be real, who doesn’t like puppies?

Strong Inside Out

 

 

Valorie Curry has called the author of Strong Inside Out, Amy Clover, an “expletive-spewing Care-Bear.”

Having had the pleasure of meeting her (and making it through her workouts), I can say that Amy is definitely that.

I came away from her workouts cursing her in my head and dripping enough sweat to make a mini pool. And she loved it.

She uses fitness as a tool for recovering from depression and writes about it every step of the way. Her posts are practical and thought provoking. I mean, who else but Amy would connect driving on the freeway with seizing our dreams?

 

As You Evolve

Image Copyright: As You Evolve

You know those times when you just don’t get a concept? You’ve had people explain it to you a billion times, but it still isn’t clicking? At some point someone will come along and explain it to you a certain way, and it will just click.

Kristen was that someone for me.

She was able to explain so many things to me in a way that I just understood it. She had a way of sensing where I was, relating to it and breaking the concept down in ways that somehow resonated with me.

Watching her evolve on her journey of self-improvement as an entrepreneur has been great for me. Not because I have any plans of switching to entrepreneurship anytime soon, but because I love her perspective on things. Her perspective might not be for everyone, but it was my cup of tea.

Who knows? Maybe it will be yours too.

This Flooded Sky

 

 

Image Copyright: This Flooded Sky

I stumbled across Marielle’s blog when Camila nominated me for a Liebster Award, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love that her blog is a mixed bag; she writes about travel and racism, plastic surgery, gender socialization and feminism. Before you ask, no, I did not start following her blog just because she is a fellow Asian-American blogger.

It’s refreshing to read so many blogs and get the perspectives of so many different people all over the world.

What are YOUR favorite blogs? I’d love to read some of them! Let me know in the comments below!

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How To Turn A Bad Day Around

 

You know those days where everything that could possibly go wrong actually does?

You roll out of bed past your alarm. You spill coffee on your work clothes. You can’t find your keys. And when you finally do find your keys, you go to work, only to lock yourself out of the car. You’re sitting in traffic on the way to the airport. You miss your flight. The days where you constantly find yourself thinking, This is not my day.

 

We all have them.

 

I just had one a short time ago. Except this time, it wasn’t an endless ring of fiery hoops I had to jump through. I created this obstacle course with one mistake that could have been easily avoidable.

 

Not even finding a very uplifting post from one of my all-time favorite blogs could cheer me up. And this was while I was listening to music.

 

I was playing the “should have, could have” game for a good while. But we all know that that doesn’t do squat.

 

 

Let Yourself Feel Frustrated

 

You might say, “So you missed a flight. Big whoop.”

 

Actually, to some of us, it DOES seem like we were crushed under a boulder, thank you very much.

 

Sometimes it’s hard to let things go. Sometimes the littlest thing can seem like the end of the world, especially if you’re a sensitive person like yours truly.

 

It took me a good half hour (or more) of writing in freehand to free myself from the grip of a panic attack. And even then, my old insecurities surfaced. And I let myself feel them.

 

You could say that the universe was trying to teach me something. And maybe it was. But in those moments of frustration, sometimes the last thing you want to hear is a cheesy line like “Everything happens for a reason.”

 

Because it’s hard to find a reason when you’re immersed in the moment, riding an unwanted emotional high. Actually the word “hard” is an understatement. It’s beyond difficult. It just sucks. You feel like an ant that’s been crushed under someone’s heel.

 

It’s going to take time to let your emotions pass through you. Sometimes you’ll feel better after an hour. Other times, you can take the whole day. Let yourself take that time, no matter how long you need.

 

Once you let the emotion pass through you, you’ll feel a little better. And then maybe you’ll be able to shift your perspective and focus on the good things in your day. You have to feel bad before you begin to feel better. Yes, it sucks, but unfortunately, there’s no beating your way around the bush.

 

 

Don’t Add Salt (Or Give Someone Else A Chance To)

 

 

Who would want to add salt to that yummy cappuccino?

 

Sometimes the things people have to say just aren’t what you want to hear. Sure, honesty is great, but there’s a time and a place for it.

 

That place is not when you’re having a bad day.

 

You might come to realize the value of what someone is saying after sufficient time has passed.

 

But rubbing salt in a wound and pointing out the obvious is not the way to support them.

 

Know who you can trust to give you encouragement and pull you out of your rut. Cut unsupportive people out of your life if you can. If you can’t, try to distance yourself from them or find a way to interact with them in a way that doesn’t open all your old wounds.

 

Learning how to support yourself is key. Relying on other people to dictate your emotions places the power in their hands. It’s like handing over a puppet and its control to someone else.

 

I’m not going to say that there’s ONE WAY to learn how to support yourself because I’m not going to pretend to speak for everyone else out there who may have different coping mechanisms. Do what feels right for you.

 

You aren’t a puppet. You’re human.

 

 

 

Appreciate Little Things

 

Yes, even if you don’t feel it in the moment.

 

It feels GOOD to get a text message from your best friend saying that she believes in you.

 

It feels good to hear the flight attendant say tell you that you’re not the first person in the world to miss your flight once you calm down enough to turn the drama queen switch off.

 

Appreciate those things. Focus on them. They’ll make your day so much better.

 

I promise.

 

 

What do YOU do to get over a bad day?

 

 

 

The 3 Most Important Things You Can Learn From Trying To Live A Remarkable Life In A Conventional World

 

Who was your favorite Disney character growing up?   Yes, I know I’ve asked this question before; I know I’ve said I wanted to be Ariel. But Beauty and the Beast always had a special place in my heart.   Yes, part of it was because I wanted to live in that giant library in Prince Charming’s castle (because let’s be honest, what bookworm doesn’t?)   But it was also because I found myself relating to Belle, even when I was 5. I knew there was something more for me out there. I knew there was “something more than this provincial life.” Enter 2013, where I finally found a conference called the World Domination Summit that attempts to answer the question: “How do we live a remarkable life in a conventional world?”   A conference that answers this question? In my favorite city in the United States? Yes, please! I went. And it was magical. So naturally, I had to go again.

And boy was it a roller coaster ride. Last year’s conference taught me a ridiculous amount. This year was no exception.

 

Expectations Usually Make Things Worse  

 

I admit it: I had impossibly high expectations going into this event. And then the structure changed. Not drastically, but enough to throw me. I kept comparing things from this year to last year. And although I loved the quiet time the big breaks allowed us (and the opportunity to go around my old stomping grounds), I wasn’t able to stay present, and enjoy the ride in some instances.   You would think that after my trip to Australia in 2012, I would have learned to expect the unexpected, but I guess the universe decided I needed another lesson.   So thank you, universe.    

 

People Want To See You Succeed  

 

I had always been afraid to say what I wanted. You could chalk it up to growing up in a bilingual house. In Japan, it’s not considered polite to be direct. There’s a lot of beating around the bush. And despite the fact that I don’t live in a place where there are bullet trains and cherry blossoms every March, I absorbed some very collectivist values.

On one level, I was not afraid to tell my friends what I wanted.

My friends know that I want to:

a)    Work and live in London as a content creator.

b)   Travel internationally and live abroad (in cities like Portland, Melbourne, London and Tokyo and other international locations) inspiring kids to believe that they can overcome any sort of obstacles they face, especially in the realm of mental health

c)    Use writing and media for good to help erase the stigma surrounding mental illness and build kids’ self-esteem.

d)   Be paid to do all this.

It’s one thing to tell your close friends about your dreams when they know that you’ve been traveling since before you knew what a passport was. But to tell every person that you met when they asked “So what do you do?” was a little different, even if you believe that everyone around you was just a friend you hadn’t met yet. I was floundering in my head for a good answer.   So rather than just going with the title that I gave myself on my business card, I told people what I wanted to do: I wanted to be paid to use writing and other creative mediums to inspire kids and help erase the stigma around learning differences and mental health all over the world.   That’s a lot more interesting and inspiring than just telling people what you do, don’t you think?

In the words of Elise Blaha Cripe (and I am fully aware that I may be paraphrasing): If you make a bold statement (like the one I just made above), it’s on someone else’s radar.   And if it’s on someone else’s radar, chances are that when they come across something that could potentially help make that dream a reality, they’ll pass the information on to you.   But you have to say your dreams aloud for that to happen.   And if you wait until you knew what you were doing, you would never do anything.

Because according to Amy Poehler, great people do things before they are ready.

At the very end of the conference, Chris pulled several people up on stage and gave them some incredible resources to make their dreams come true. He gave one attendee who wanted to write a book in 6 years the opportunity to meet with his literary agent; he gave one attendee 12 cameras for his non-profit. After hugs from the 6 attendees on stage, he closed with the following line (again, pardon the paraphrasing):   “We can’t make everyone’s dreams come true; but we have the responsibility to help each other get a little closer to the life we deserve.”  

I wholeheartedly agree.

 

Things Are Never The Same The Second Time Around  

 

They could be better.   Or they could be worse.   Chris Guillebeau and the rest of the team behind the World Domination Summit made some changes this year; for me, some of them stuck, some didn’t. But as Jadah Sellner would say, not all the pieces of spaghetti you will throw at the wall will stick.   The magic was just different in comparison to what I had experienced last year when I was grabbing at everything like a kid in a candy store with no expectations. Change is inevitable when you’re trying to improve. Sometimes those changes make lasting improvements; sometimes those changes make you backtrack. Some people will love the changes that you don’t really resonate with.   You just have to be insanely curious and find what sticks, and what doesn’t.   And if that means admitting that something isn’t working, that’s perfectly fine.   But taking imperfect action is better than doing nothing. You learn something new every time. Jadah Sellner summed this up perfectly in her speech when she said, “Letting go is hard. But holding on is like falling back on jet skis and being dragged around the lake.”  

I’d rather let go than be dragged around a lake, wouldn’t you?

 

These lessons weren’t the only thing I took away from the conference: I can now add World Record Breaker to my list of awesome, since I was one of the 808 people who baked themselves in the middle of Pioneer Courthouse Square in the process of breaking a world record.   I was lucky enough to find my tribe in a city that I love, and an equally supportive group of friends to keep the spirit alive, even a few thousand miles away from the Pacific Northwest. For the past two years, I’ve had amazing people come into my life from all over the world. You may not have found your people, but they are out there. Keep looking, and you’ll eventually find them.   It’s worth the wait, I promise you.

What have YOU learned from hanging out with your tribe?

How To Feel Powerful & The Hard Truth About Overcoming Negative Feelings

“It is doubtful that we came to feel undeserving on our own. We were helped to feel unworthy. We were taught it in a thousand ways when we were little, and we learned our lessons well.”

 

I think all of us would agree. We’ve all felt like the lowest thing on the planet at some point in our lives.

 

Not good enough. Not capable enough. Not pretty enough. Not [insert your word of choice here] enough. The list goes on and on and on.

 

In case you’re wondering, I am in the process of doing this. Every week, as per my coach’s instructions, I’ve been doing 2 things a week that make me feel more powerful and capable.

 

Here’s the kicker though: It can’t be something I would normally do. So even though lifting weights at the gym makes me feel powerful and capable, she wouldn’t count it because it’s been part of my normal routine for a month now.

 

Yes, I was groaning loudly when she said that.

 

What have I learned from this experience, you ask?

 

 

There Is No Easy Way About It

 

 

So how do you go about feeling more capable/good/pretty/fill-in-the-blank enough?

 

You do things that make you feel that way.

 

No, sorry. There is no way to beat around the bush. There just isn’t. I wish there was, but if it were easy, none of us would ever feel like a fly on the wall. It’s just like overcoming a fear: you have to do the thing that you’re scared of so that you build a new association with it.

 

Do 2 new things every week that help you build that feeling that you feel you’re lacking.

 

Want to feel more capable and powerful? Do 2 new things every week that make you feel capable and powerful.

 

 

Go Easy On Yourself

 

What makes someone feel powerful varies from person to person. Your version of powerful might be doing something small (like connecting with someone you’ve never met over social media) or it might be something big (like lifting 300 pounds over your head). Acknowledge what you’ve done, even if it seems insignificant. What’s important is that it’s significant to YOU.

 

 

The Little Things Count

 

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: acknowledging yourself for the little things is important.

 

The things I did that made me feel powerful may seem insignificant to others.

 

For example, I tagged a celebrity in a post on Instagram, and they commented on my photo (the closest I think I’ll ever come to having a fangirl moment-see if you can find it!). Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the girl with posters of celebrities plastered on their walls, losing my voice screaming at concerts. (One concert in boy-crazy Japan was enough to cure me for more than a few lifetimes.)

 

I’d say that counted as going outside of my comfort zone.

 

It made me realize that I could do little things and still realize that I could stretch myself. It proved that I am capable of taking a risk.

 

And that made me feel pretty darn powerful.

 

What do YOU do to help get over negative feelings?

How To Be Okay With Being Different & Accept Yourself For Who You Are

Watching the documentary Bridegroom made me cry because the documentary is a harrowing example of the power of love; it’s also proof of the fact that some people just don’t accept others for who they are.

 

Seriously. Watch it if you can.

 

I’m no expert on this stuff, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in this journey, it’s that you have to love and accept yourself before you can do that for someone else.

 

Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, but it’s worth noting that EVERYONE deserves acceptance. I don’t care if you’re gay, straight, lesbian, bi-sexual….okay, I’ll stop before I go into rant mode.

 

Accepting yourself can be hard. Hard with a capital H. People may look like they have everything together, but the reality is they’re probably just as confused as you are.

 

Which is why accepting others for who they are is just as important.

 

There’s so much pressure in today’s society to look a certain way, think a certain way, do things a certain way. And if you don’t do it the way you’re “supposed to,” you stick out like a sore thumb.

 

Being different (with a capital D) is one of the hardest things to do, particularly when you’re in school. Don’t tell me you don’t have those middle school/high school horror stories.

 

I’m going to own up to it: I’m still working toward accepting myself for who I am. I’d be hard pressed to find someone who’s completely happy with who they are, someone who’s just stopped evolving.

 

And I doubt you’re that person. Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this right now.

 

 

So what do you do in order to (start to) accept yourself?

 

 

Go With Your Gut (And Put Earplugs In If You Have To)

 

You’re going to be told what you want to do is just wrong sometimes. There are no ifs and buts about it. You can’t get everything right in your life.

 

Sometimes those reality checks are warranted. Like when you’re inches away from doing something drastic. Like making permanent decisions based on a temporary state of mind.

 

But severe issues aside, the truth is that you know yourself better than anyone else in the world. Yes, that list includes your best friend that you’ve known since you were 5 and your parents.

 

They may not understand why you do the things that you do; but the important thing is that you follow your inner compass.

 

Because sometimes the places you take yourself are better than where you thought you’d end up.

 

“I really regret going with my gut.”

 

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve NEVER heard anyone say that.

 

 

Look Back On Your Accomplishments

 

Or if you can’t think of any, write out a list of the awesome things you’ve done/ are doing.

 

My friend (read: second career coach) made me write out a list of all the cool things I had done in my life. And even though I filed it away in the depths of my laptop, I pull it out every now and again when I need a reminder.

 

Because everyone needs a reminder of how awesome they are.

 

This is not to say that I stare at this list for hours and let my head inflate; it’s just a nice reminder to have to bring you out of the cyclone of negative experiences we can get ourselves into.

 

We’re all human.

 

The accomplishments don’t even have to be accomplishments. They can be highlights of your life.

 

My list of awesome includes (condensed and shortened for personal reasons):

 

• Getting a college degree.
• Studying abroad in Australia.
• Traveling abroad to England, Ireland, China, Japan, and Mexico to expand my horizons
• Recovering from childhood trauma
• Meeting Olympic gold medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

 

Keep adding to it as you get older. I have a feeling you’ll realize that you are a lot more awesome in real life than you are in your head. Your list of highlights won’t be the same as ANYONE ELSE’S. That’s pretty cool, don’t you think?

 

Find Your People And Surround Yourself With Them

 

For those of you who have been following the blog for a while now, you’ve probably gotten sick of hearing me say this, but it makes a world of difference.

 

 

You feel validated if you’re around people who you relate to. Your dreams don’t sound impossible.

 

And that’s one of the best things in the world.

 

Because when you’re with people who all feel different, you don’t feel that different yourself, right?

 

 

We’re all different in our own ways. That’s what makes us human. We all deserve love; it just takes some of us a while to realize it. As the documentary says, “it’s not a gay thing. It’s not a straight thing. It’s a human thing.”

 

 

Use Your Story To Help Others

 

I’ve said it before: You may not believe me, but your story matters. It does. It doesn’t have to define you. You can use it as fuel.

 

It takes time to find out how your story can help others, but it can.

 

I used mine to start this blog. Shane Bitney Crone uses his story to be an advocate for equal rights. Demi Lovato uses hers to be an anti-bullying and mental health advocate.

 

I can’t speak for either one of them, but I can say for myself that the people who have reached out to me with encouragement, and said that I’d helped them in some way through my writing, is more rewarding to me than anything.

 

And that sense of accomplishment, of giving back, has allowed me to begin to accept my story, and myself, that much more.

 

 

What have YOU found most helpful in learning to accept yourself?

 

Image Credit: Demi Lovato VEVO Youtube account

 

The 3 Most Important Lessons I Learned From The Land Down Under

When you think of traveling, what do you think of?

Do you think of wandering local restaurants and avoiding tourist attractions like the plague so you can really immerse yourself in your experience?

Do you fantasize about falling in love with a local like the protagonists did in those cheesy 90’s movies?

Are you the kind of person who has to plan every hour of every day of your trip? Or are you someone who just likes to let things unfold?

 

I was the planner. But now I’m not so sure; I might be inching toward the latter.

 

And it took the me going to the land down under to start the inching.

 

You could say I came away from Australia with an appreciation for nature, TimTams, and some local lingo. And in some sense, that’s true. But I will always be grateful to the land of the Aussies for teaching me these things (and taking me out of my comfort zone again)

 

Expect The Unexpected

 

I had been dreaming of spending 4 months in London, interning abroad, using the internship as a way for me to start building a base for an international career.

 

Well my dreams of walking along the Thames and taking the Tube to a fantastic internship were dashed with a single e-mail.

 

I have no shame in admitting that I was crushed. I was burned out from exams, and the earthquake and tsunami had just hit Japan. The thought of the possibility of going to London for 4 months was the only thing that kept me going. I held onto the idea with an iron fist; I knew it was mine. It had to be.

 

And then it didn’t happen.

 

But after I had somewhat recovered, I realized that I had two choices:

 

a)    Don’t go abroad (and regret it for the rest of my life and wonder “what if”)

b)   Go abroad (and experience new things and be open to new possibilities.)

 

You know which option I went with.

 

Taking chances is always scary. There’s no way around it. But sometimes the things that seem to be the worst things on the planet turn out to be the best things ever. I didn’t expect to fall in love with TimTams (I can never eat Thin Mints again), try kangaroo meat or Vegemite, interact with aboriginal Australian people, or feel like the little mermaid as I swam in the Great Barrier Reef for class credit.

 

Regardless of your situation, there are always twists and turns in life; as the quote goes, a smooth sea doesn’t make for a skilled sailor. Planning can be good; but it can also prevent you from experiencing the things that might turn out to be the best memories of your travel experience.

 

 

You Never Know Unless You Try

 

One of the things that made me balk at the idea of going to the land down under was the idea of outdoor activities. I’m the kind of girl who likes a cup of tea and a good book. Hiking and camping just didn’t appeal to me.

 

But then I tried it.

 

And even after hiking part of the border of New South Wales and Queensland (which was pretty amazing, might I add), I know for sure that I am not an outdoors-y kind of girl.

 

The best thing is that I can say that I tried it. Yes, my legs were burning even though I was slogging along at the very end of the line, but I still did it.

Trying things gives you an idea of what you want, but it also gives you an idea of what you don’t want. We’ve all had that moment where we claim to hate something, try it a second time, and end up loving it.

 

Or you might end up realizing that your first impression was indeed correct; that you really don’t like whatever it is you tried.

 

And that’s still okay.

 

 

The Scary Things Might Not Be That Scary When You Actually Do Them

 

We’ve all had those things. Those seemingly insignificant things that we’re terrified of.

 

In my case, mine was traveling alone. I mean really alone. No family I knew, no hotel reservations, no guidebook, no itinerary.

 

Enter Melbourne, Australia, which became one of my favorite cities.

 

 

There was something liberating about winging it. After years of always being a planner, having structure, I realized how good the opposite can be. This is not to say that I kicked the habit of being a planner to the curb, but I learned that having an open mind can make life so much easier.

 

Don’t let anyone tell you that your fears are stupid; there’s a reason for them, and they vary from person to person. It’s just that once you bite the bullet, you may find that the things you feared are actually things you like to do.

 

What are YOUR favorite foreign cities that you’ve traveled to? What have you learned from conquering your fears abroad?

 

 

How To Keep the Demons (And the S – Word) Down

 

“Don’t get too close; it’s dark inside; it’s where my demons hide.”

We’ve all had those nights where you’re wide awake at 4 in the morning. The ones where you’re sweating like a hog in heat. The nights where none of the tricks you use to fall asleep seems to be working.

 

Because those demons creep in.

 

Don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about. Those critical voices, the voices of childhood bullies, the ones that tell you that you’re not going to amount to anything.

 

The voices that tell you that you “should.”

 

Should be getting out more. Should eat healthier. Should be stronger. The list goes on and on and on.

 

You might look around you and think that everyone around you has it together, that they know what they’re doing because it seems like they’re navigating life with a map highlighted with Day-Glow markers. And there you are in the corner trying things that don’t seem to be working.

 

The truth is, we’re all in the same boat; the difference is that we just deal with it differently.

 

Not all of us decide to broadcast our woes to the world via Facebook status updates, and what we read on those channels might not necessarily be true. We can edit, water ourselves down to portray ourselves a certain way.

 

So how do you take the bullhorn away from that lizard that keeps saying the s-word?

 

Create Your Own Standards

 

Easier said than done, yes. But you are not your BFF who has a Day-Glo highlighted map to life. You are you. And if a good day for you means putting in just one job application and working out for an hour instead of the person next to you who puts in ten applications a day and bench presses more than 100 pounds at the gym, you have the right to celebrate that.

 

Find An Outlet

 

I’m not here to tell you that there’s ONE WAY to rid yourself of that lizard voice. You have to find a way that works for you. For me, it’s writing in a journal and kickboxing. For you, it might be something else. There’s no shame in saying that what works for one person may not work for you. Find that thing that helps you relieve stress. It could be one thing, it could be two things, it could be multiple things. But finding an outlet for pent-up energy always helps you get out of the “should” trap. It allows you to vent, focus on something else. And I’m pretty sure you’re not too keen on letting that lizard yell the s-word through an invisible bull horn in your ear.

 

Tone Down The Media Consumption

 

I know, I know. You can’t live without your phone. I’m not saying to lock your phone and laptop in a safe or anything. It’s no secret that the media feeds the s word. Since I’ve stopped reading magazines and tabloids, I’ve been much happier. This doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped keeping tabs on what’s happening in the entertainment world (because let’s be real, there’s no real way to escape it). This doesn’t mean that NOT flipping through those glossy pages will make you a happier person within the first 24 hours. But without the extra fuel for the s word, without comparisons, you can focus on improving yourself.

 

Don’t Play The “What-if” Game

 

Now before you go off, I know what you’re thinking: this is the hardest thing ever. This is especially true if you’re a planner like yours truly. But what if the thing you actually end up doing is even better than the thing you had planned?

 

I’ve said before that you don’t have to take every opportunity that comes your way. But sometimes there are regrets. Sometimes it’s better to just bite the bullet and jump into that handstand even though your head is saying that you’ll fall over into the person next to you.

 

We’ve all played the “what if” game, but sometimes the what-if game can cripple us.

 

And I don’t think we want to live our lives as cripples.

 

What strategies do you have for dealing with the s word?

Photo Credit: PicJumbo