#82-Unconditional Love

Love is definitely a beautiful thing, but what happens when you love and get nothing in return? You can love someone, but when they don't love you anymore, treat you badly or have given up on that love, does your love still flourish? These are questions that I have been faced with in the past few years. It is just like the saying, "Love your enemies." That is easier said than done. Sometimes when you are in a relationship with someone who is angry with you or has done something you don't like it is very hard to still love them in the midst of it all. I feel like that is the pure definition of unconditional love. You love someone no matter what. You love them even when they have shown a side of them that you don't like. Usually when you give unconditional love to someone who hasn't shown you that love back , they are often surprised. That is not what is typical human behavior. Wars are built on enemies combating each other, not giving love. I have in the past year learned to unconditionally love people, even when they show me a part of them I don't like. Even if someone has done be wrong, I am trying to still have love for them. Just because you have love for them doesn't mean that you don't have a right to send them on their merry way. Of course I am talking in general statements. Every relationship is different. Though what if we loved people without expecting any love in return? All I can say is this world would be a different place!
-M

#81-Ignoring the Masses

Today there was an article going around on facebook about a change in our astrological signs. Basically, something about the planets changing, therefore you may not be a different astrological sign. Now instead of being your favorite astrological sign, you are the one you hate. According to this article, I am now a Scorpio. I definitely look at my horoscope about every day just for fun and I love being a Sagittarius. My whole life has been based on being a free-spirited, commitment phobe! My first thought was how dare they change my sign? After a while, I realized that I don't have to accept this. I can completely ignore this article and stay a Sagittarius. It feels so good being a rebel because you don't have to do what everyone else says to do. I realized that if I want to be a Sagittarius, I can still stay my favorite astrological sign no matter what anyone else says!
-M

#80-New Knowledge

I have come to the conclusion that I am either going to repeat titles on this blog or have nothing to write about some days. I am learning to actually be okay with that. Some days I am not going to have anything to write about and I will probably just randomly pick things. Some days are good and some are not, that is life! Anyway, today I learned a lot of new things today. When we got into the car today, the notice for low tire pressure came on the dashboard. My husband and I went to the gas station to put air in the tires and he taught me how to check the tire pressure. He first asked me did I want to learn and my know-it-all self at first resisted. Then I realized that I should learn and gave in. I was so proud of myself for learning and listen how to correctly put air in the tires. In the past I usually just put air in the tires and I usually go by how they look. I am glad that I decided to open myself up today and learn something new. Now I know how to do tire pressure for everyone!
-M

#79-Challenges

While I was in school, I was a mediocre student. I did well in some subjects, but in others I wasn't so great. I will say that I was a little lazy, even up to college. I probably could have been a great student if I was pushed more and challenged more. I thrive on a challenge. I love when someone tells me that I can't do something, because I will try my hardest to do it! Lately, I have been contemplating what my next career step will be and this has definitely been a challenge for me. I have been out of school for a while and while my other friends were in grad school, I was working my butt off. I felt great working in the real world, but I would love to learn something new. I would love to conquer a new challenge. The real issue about a challenge is all the obstacles. I find myself now knocking down obstacles like dominoes, one by one. I realized that I can't let obstacles get in my way. If I did then I would never achieve anything or even step up to a challenge. My next challenge is a little scary, but I am up for it, otherwise I should just sit down and shut up!
-M

#78-Reminders

Remember back in the day when people used to tie a string around their finger to remember something? I am glad that we have Blackberries, paper, computers, and other technological device to help us remember things. Today Verizon reminded me via text to monitor my data usage. I recently switched to a plan that allows me less time to mindlessly scroll through the Internet. Thanks to Verizon and their reminder text it made me slow down on using my Blackberry to research random things while I am watching TV. I am so thankful for having all the high tech reminders we have today. What if we only relied on that string around our finger? I wonder did people attach a note to that string because I would have never remembered what I was supposed to remember. I am still a little old school and I love writing things down on pieces of paper and I love posted notes. If we didn't have all these things to help us remember we may forget appointments or paying our bills. We all know that we can't forget to pay our bills, those late fees are crazy!
-M

#77-Lists

Lately I have been making a grocery list every time I go to the store. I heard on a TV program that you should make a meal plan for the week and make a list of all the things you need. This will help you save money by not buying things you don't need. I actually have been making a two week meal plan and it has worked well. We have saved money and I don't buy the junk food so I am getting closer to my target weight. When I go to the grocery store I love crossing out the things on the list. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something for the day. To do lists also help me finish things that I couldn't do with just making a list in my head. Whether it is on a piece of paper or on my phone, that little bit of organization keeps me on track. It also helps my day to run smoother. Now onto another list!

#76-Sanity

There have been times in my life in which I really felt like I needed to talk to a shrink. I needed to talk to someone who didn't know me and was unbiased. When I would walk in New York City people would talk to me out of nowhere. Soon they were talking about their problems in life and I just listened. I walked away and had to basically shake it off. I had to shake off all of their problems, so that I could deal with my own problems of the day. I wonder is that what a psychiatrist does everyday. Do they need to shake everything off so that they can deal with their day? Well, just because you want to speak to a psychiatrist or mental health counselor doesn't mean you are insane. But I will say with all of the people going crazy and shooting people, I am very grateful for my sanity. I couldn't imagine waking up everyday and hearing another person's voice or having an addiction problem. My biggest crisis is usually an argument with a loved one. So I am thankful for my sanity and if I ever become insane, please give me the health insurance to have a shrink to talk to because I wouldn't want to bother random people on the street!
-M

#75-Creativity

We are all creative beings. We love to make new things or learn a new instrument. Most people don't like monotony and creating something always gives us a way out. In the past few months I have been very creative. Even though my job for the past few years have been to basically be creative with film and theater, I will tell you that I didn't feel very creative for the past few years. There were moments of creativity when I would work on a show or do a movie, but I always felt I had to think about the next job. I thought about the audition I was going to next day, but I never felt like I had an open book to be creative. I would look at people who would do things like scrap booking and I would always think how did they find the time to do that. I think it is because for the first time in my life, I do have the time to be creative and to also give myself permission to be completely free. I do wish that I gave myself that freedom a long time ago. Well I can't change the past, but I can work with the present and future. I am thanking myself today for giving me creative freedom!
-M

#74-Still got it going on!

Even if you have the best self-esteem in the world, there is nothing like someone giving you compliments. When other people give me compliments it makes me feel like I still got it going on! Since I am approaching 30, I am starting to feel thirty. I am starting to feel like I can't stay up as late as I used to or party until all hours of the night. People used to tell me that I look really young and I am starting to kiss that goodbye. Though what happens when you aren't feeling like your best and someone does give you a compliment or even flirts with you? I don't know about you, but it makes me feel good. It doesn't matter if it is construction guys whistling at you, at least they are whistling and not running away. Someone told me once to just take a compliment and simple say thank you. Well thank you to that person today who gave me a little boost of confidence. Yes I still have it going on!
-M

#73-Trying something different

Today I decided to try something a little different and do a video blog. Trying something different is kind of scary. You never know how it will turn out or how people will perceive it. I told myself before even starting this blog not to care about what others think. It is easier said than done. Well, I hope you enjoy something a little different and maybe it will inspire you to do something different today!
-M

#72- Ideas

I love my generation! My generation is so interesting because we realized that just going to a job and making money for someone else wasn't that important. I am sure that they will look at our generation years from now and say that we didn't save for retirement and lived for today. Hopefully that won't be the case, but I know so many people my age who are living for today and not thinking about when they will be old and gray (Oh I made a rhyme). They have come up with great ideas to make money for them and they have taken it to amazing levels. Take the founder (or founder of founders according to rumors) of Facebook for example. Mr. Zuckerberg basically gave higher education the middle finger and decided to start this company with the idea to connect millions of people together on one network. Everyone has ideas floating in their heads, but few people take it into action. The best thing about ideas is that they have no filter. They usually just pop up and take your dreams to new heights. The other part of your brain just destroys them and tells you that idea was stupid. Someone gave me an idea to write all the ideas that pop into my head in a notebook and just keep the notebook for future use. One day when you are feeling ambitious you may go back to that notebook and realize that those ideas weren't so stupid. More than likely someone already came up with it and is on TV making an infomercial about it. Ideas are there for a reason, they are the beginning to our dreams and wishes. It's all about who has the guts to do them.
-M

#71-Dancing

Don't you love the way dancing makes you feel? Whether it is in the club or at your favorite dance class there is something about moving your body to music. Sometimes instead of going to the gym, I might turn on music and let loose. It also burns a lot of calories for you exercise fanatics. I used to teach a workshop for parents and usually their children would show up. The concept about the workshop was to let loose and have fun and to experience free activities for the family. I watched as the parents made up their own routine by making up an eight count movement. Each parent would add on a different movement and poof there you go, choreography! The kids would always shy away from doing the activity, but the parents loved it! They felt like it was something different for them to do from their normal daily activities. They left feeling better and just having fun. I hope that everyone takes the time to let loose and dance a little. Even in the privacy of their home with no one around. I don't know about you, but it just makes me feel better. Let's dance!
-M

#70-Shutting up

I have a tendency to talk too much sometimes. I can be quiet sometimes, but I have realized especially in 2010 that is it better to sometimes keep your mouth shut. When you give advice to people they can feel like you are intruding in their world. They feel like they are the only ones who know who they are and what is going on in their minds. I always feel that way when people give me their advice. Unless it is advice that I usually agree with. I have learned lately to just shut up and listen to someone. Most of the time people want to just share what is going on in their life. If they ask for your advice, then give it to them. The conversation usually ends better that way. It has become a win win situation. They got something off their chest and you listened to them without feeling like you offended someone. Of course there are times when your opinion does matter, especially when it involves a person's life in danger. I look forward to keeping my mouth shut in 2011 and letting go. Everyone will eventually find their way that is just how the universe works!
-M

#69-Being YOU

Remember all those movies about robots taking over the world? The robots always look like humans, but they have one flaw that sets them apart from humans. Sometimes they don't have our emotions or they have some sort of kryptonite that kills them. Scientists create these robots to mimic humans, but they can never be humans. At the end of the movie, the humans always win against the species or at least they kill them until the next sequel. There is something about just being yourself and not like anyone else. You may have qualities like that person, but you might not cry the way the other person does or obnoxiously chew your food the same way. We were all created with individuality for a reason. I have heard people say that they want to be just like someone else, usually a celebrity. Children will always make this statement and I always want to tell them that you can take the things that you like about that person, but you want to always be yourself. There is something amazing about each one of us that no one else can duplicate even with advancements in technology. The real question is: Why would you want to be like someone else? Since you can never duplicate someone, why not just invent a better you? Trust me there is no one else like you and that's a good thing!
-M