Hi all! Just letting you know that I created a new blog called "For The Love." Feel free to find the link below and check it out! To be clear, this isn't a replacement blog, just another for a different subject. Sometimes we have things that we just want to get off our chest, or feelings that we want to tell someone, but can't. That is what my new blog is for. So stop by and have a look, maybe you'll be able to relate and know that we're in this together, you're not alone. Peace. :)
I was looking through old pictures from a year or two ago remembering everything that's happened, & it's crazy how much I've changed, physically and personally. I may only be 19, but I really never thought I'd make it this far in life.. I've managed to stay strong through struggles that I thought would defeat me. So today, I'm very happy to say that I'm proud of the person I've become. I've gotten healthy & lost over 50lbs thanks to Herbalife, & I've managed to grow and develop so much as a person. I have high hopes for the future, and this just shows that you must never give up. No matter how hard a situation might be, there is something better on the other side of it. Just keep going, keep pushing forward, and you will bring yourself to the life you've always been waiting for. :)
I just remembered how I would constantly be singing this song when I was little... & how I wish I could go back and warn myself of everything that was to come and take my light away... I was once very innocent and naive about people and what they could do to me. I've been put down and pushed around and taken advantage of. I developed depression and anxiety. I became an angry and sad person. I was too afraid to stand up for myself, and was pressured into many things that I really didn't want to do: lying, cheating, smoking, drugs, alcohol, sex... I didn't know who I had become. I would look in the mirror and not know who I was. The horror of feeling so lost in your own skin, always leading to self-destruction, in more ways than one. The constant battle of debates in your head, fighting against your thoughts and what is reality. Trying to find something to give you hope, to keep you wanting to be alive, but only resorting back to the very things that made you feel so helpless in the first place. The cycle is hell. I honestly cannot tell you how I escaped the cycle, however. It seemed like such an impossible thing to do, living in that darkness and desperation. But the truth is.. my light was never taken away. It always remained inside of me. And each second, each minute, each day, each week I was able to stay away from the pressure people put on me, the stronger I became. The darkness lessened and my light shown closer to the surface. I used my light to block out the negative influences, while slowly discovering who the inner-me really was. It was a great struggle and took a long time, but eventually, it was clear who I was supposed to be. I am now able to stand up for myself and do the things I want to do, and refuse the things I don't. I realized that this is MY life and I only have one, so I am going to live it MY way. You can never give up, and you can never give in. You have your own light inside of you. You must keep searching and stay strong, and you too will find yourself. Embrace your light, and let it shine.
Starting this morning and every morning to follow, I plan to wake up in time so that I can see the sunrise. It is such a beautiful and powerful part of our lives that is so often overlooked. It is no wonder to me why people wake up in bad moods, struggling to get out of bed, and dreading the day ahead of them. It makes me wonder how different the world might be if we all woke up maybe 30 minutes earlier to watch and be amazed as the colors slowly change in the sky. To sit and think of all the world that is waking up, getting ready to face the day, of all those we share this beautiful scene, and this beautiful life with. Us humans take so many things for granted and always end up complaining about how nothing is going right, how many problems we have, and how unhappy we are. But I swear, if we all took just 30 minutes each morning to sit and rise up with the sun, we would realize how small our problems really are, and how little the details really matter. The big picture is amazing and beautiful, and rising up with sun each morning can bring us one step closer to realizing the true beauty of the nature of our lives.
A morning experience - June 26, 2012
"Have you ever stayed up all night and morning just to watch the colors of the sky shift with the sunrise? It's beautiful. Like droplets of paint dispersing in a jar full of water. One strand of the rainbow melting into the next. It makes one wonder what other magical parts of the world we often overlook. So as you get up this morning, don't just get out of bed... Wake up & Live. :)"
I've been having some frustration and confusion lately towards girls who just present themselves like trash. The way they dress and the way they act says one thing to me: they have no respect for themselves. They are merely presenting themselves in that way just to gain attention from people, who will most likely end up not respecting them anyway because of the way they dress and act. I know that this is true with at least one person, because the only people they talk about are multitudes of guys... This is all a case of being Classy VS Trashy. It is so not necessary to dress in a certain way to gain attention or for people to like you. Just be yourself and the right people will come to you and stay by you. And while you're at it, dress so that others have to use their imagination a little, instead of letting it all hang out... please.
Hello again, blogging friends! It has been forever since I posted on here. So much and so many changes have happened in my life, but guess what... I found my dream! These past 4 years I had been searching so hard for something that could help bring me happiness and positive energy and I finally found it! So it turns out that the college thing is not what I wanted, I was not happy at all, and so miserable being stuck in the same "school-path" for those last 13 years. I decided that it was time for me to do what I needed to do for ME. I didn't care what anybody thought, I knew people would be disappointed and might look down on me, but I couldn't care less. In February, in the 2nd semester of my Freshman year in college, I dropped out. YESSSSSS!!!! OMG I WAS SO HAPPY!!!! For the first time in a long time, I finally felt free! I was doing what I wanted to do and not what everyone else, in my family, my friends, & society, had expected me to do. It felt great! After I dropped out I had a time period of 2 weeks where I did nothing. I sat around my house, regrouping from college, getting resettled in, and just breathing and relaxing. But in the 2nd week, my parents were getting on my back about getting a job and finally getting my driver's license and doing this and doing that. I could feel the stress coming back and had a bit of a hard time handling it. I started getting negative again and looking at everything that was wrong. However, I stuck to what I wanted and didn't give in to what everybody else was telling me. I had more changes that I needed to make and I was going to focus on taking care of ME. I had a friend who I would talk to here and there when I was in college. I would really just vent all the time about everything that was going on, but he would listen. Every once in a while he would tell me about his work and what he did. He is a Wellness Coach at a nutrition club in my area and helps anyone with achieving their health goals. I never really paid that close attention to the details of things he told me back then, but it was always in the back of my mind. I saw a post he put on Facebook of a smoothie he made at the nutrition club, with all the nutrition facts and how much protein & vitamins were in it. I then decided that I had to go check out what he had been talking about all these months. On the Thursday of that week, I attended the weekly Open House that they have at the nutrition club. I learned about what they do there, the products they had, and met more coaches. Everyone was so friendly and positive, I got such good vibes as I was sitting there listening! After the presentation was over, I met with my friend/coach, we sat down, & discussed how I've been wanting to lose weight, but more importantly, how I just wanted to be happy and feel good about myself and my life. I got a free wellness evaluation and he recommended some healthier choices I could make. After that, I talked with another coach, & this is where my "lightbulb" turned on. This coach asked me what I wanted to do, since I wasn't going to school anymore. I told her that I wasn't really sure, but that I wanted to help people. She mentioned that I could even become a wellness coach, myself, if that area was something I was interested in. Well, because of the the amazing positive atmosphere I had been surrounded in that night, and seeing people with great results, and so many caring and encouraging coaches, I just knew that was what I was going to do. After 2 weeks of healthy choices & being on the weightloss shakes, I lost 10 pounds, and then made the decision to become a wellness coach! Those 2 weeks were the happiest weeks that I had in such a long time! I was not only losing weight, but I felt so great, had energy, and was so happy and positive. I decided that I had to share with people how they could do this too, and feel as awesome as I did. That next month I officially became a wellness coach and now I have been helping people ever since! I am also down 47lbs after 4.5 months and am still feeling as great as ever! :) I feel so awesome to have found my dream "job". I really don't consider it a job, because it is my passion. I love what I do! Everyone is so positive and happy and excited about what they do too, and this is just the greatest thing ever. I could continue to go on and on, but this post is already long enough. To keep up with my Wellness Coach news, please visit and like my page: Elizabeth Gaunt - Personal Wellness Coach! Feel free to message me about any questions, with my story, what I did, and how you can also get healthy, and even how you can become a wellness coach too! Being able to put a smile on someone else's face is incredible, there is no greater feeling in the world. :)
I hope to come back and post every now and then, so keep your eyes peeled! Peace!
Just a quick thought I had last week in response to other people's response about the violence and problems in our country...
I'm so sick of everyone hating on the President for everything they think is wrong. He is not the only person who has power to make changes. There are so many people involved in the process, and guess what, you can be too. If you don't like something, don't send out negative hate messages. Promote what you want & love instead, positively & peacefully. If you want the violence to end, saying "I hate Obama" or other people and things only creates more anger & negative energy. What this world needs is love, so start promoting that instead of bashing what you hate.
My New Year's Resolution: Promote Peace, Love, & Happiness :)
"Sometimes what you're looking for comes when you're not looking at all."
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Recently, this has been so true. Every now and then things seem to run on a downward path. Some things don't go right or the way I'd like them to, and I get disappointed. Sometimes I just lose my sense of purpose. But as I start to relax and lose concern about the tiny details, good things start to happen! I might receive a random compliment from someone at school, come across an uplifting article online, or re-discover one of my favorite songs. But most recently, an old friend from highschool contacted me, who I thought I would never talk to or see again. I hadn't talked to him since graduation, almost 6 months ago. It was very surprising. It just made me feel good that I was actually remembered, by someone who I hadn't talked to very much in the first place. Things like this help restore some hope in my life.
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This all makes me realize how important it is to have patience. We all need to learn how to "let go" more, and release some of the control we have on our lives. Sometimes, if you want something, and you try really hard to get it, nothing comes around. Sometimes, waiting is the only thing you can do. Waiting kind of does what sleep does to the brain. It gives time to sort things out. Let's face it, not all of our problems can be solved in one day, can they? You have to have patience. "Sometimes what you're looking for comes when you're not looking at all." This has happened to me. Great people have come into my life, when I least expected it. I wasn't searching for them, but they were waiting there, right under my nose. They appeared at a perfect time, and I am so thankful for them. :)
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Just something to add.. a cover of Jack Johnson's "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" by The Gaslight Anthem's (one of my favorite bands!) lead singer, Brian Fallon. Enjoy. :)
After a short weekend spent with my best friend from high school, I really realized how much life has changed. It has been a little over a month since I moved out to college, and so much has happened. So many connections have been lost, while many new relationships have been formed. As I go back and forth between home and other familiar places on the weekends, it seems like I am in a different world. I am seeing the same things, places, and people, but it all appears to be changed in some way. While I have been at school, studying away, the rest of the world has been transforming into something that's almost.. strange. The memories will stay, but the here & now of those places will never be the same.
This makes me see how true it really is that "time flies." If you don't live in the moment, it will be gone forever. So from now on, I am really going to try to live each day to the fullest, and follow the saying "carpe diem." Seize the day! I don't want the world to just go zooming on by while I'm sitting here doing nothing. Of course, I won't be able to capture and keep track of everything that's going on, but I want to be more involved in life! There is so much outside of this tiny dorm room that I am missing everyday. I will not miss a chance to discover something new, and most importantly, I will never lose track of my friends and family.Everything goes by so fast, but I am going to make it worth it, and make it last. :)
Hello, blogging world! I have not posted anything over the summer, but I am coming back! I just completed my first week of college! That seems like such a major step in life, but to me, it hasn't really felt like it. During orientation weekend, I was very surprised with myself with how nervous I wasn't. I wasn't scared. However, I wasn't all that excited either. Somewhere in between, I found a perfect medium. Time was not wasted, nothing important missed, had a lot of fun along the way; everything just felt like it was meant to be. Each moment was recorded, & will be remembered always. The feeling came to me that I am truly "living life." I am happy. Today, now, this is the moment that is occuring, and I am going to live in it.
This is what I try to tell myself everyday. No matter what happens, it happens for a reason. What is, is. You can't go back in the past to change anything, so just live today, and live it well. You don't know if there will be a tomorrow.
"I do not regret one moment in my life. Some days are better than the rest, but what has happened has happened. And it's happened for a reason. That's all that matters, that I am living life." :)
This is something that I've kinda been struggling with recently. I heard what another person thought of me, and I became self-conscious about everything. I felt that everything I did was stupid, and that that person was constantly watching me and judging me. But in reality, you have to realize that people really don't care that much. They are not going to remember every single little thing you do, that to you, seems so big. And most importantly, you shouldn't care! Why does it matter what that one person thinks? Because it doesn't! Don't change anything about yourself just to "fit in" or be accepted by someone. People should like you for who you are, not some fake character you are playing. Always be yourself. Do what makes you happy. Do what brings Peace to your life. If you are happy with yourself, people will be happy along with you. Go out there and show them the way. :)
~Yesterday, I went for a walk and just sat in the grass. There is a special spot I go to, surrounded by trees and beautiful rolling hills, covered with long grass and dandelions. It takes my breath away every time. I like to go there and just sit or lie down, and stare at the clouds in the sky. It is so relaxing, and makes me feel at peace. At peace with the world and at peace with myself. As long as I am on those hills, there is nothing that could remove my happiness, or give me any worry, or make me feel like I don't belong. It is like I am being protected by the nature surrounding me. Mother Earth is watching over me, keeping me safe.
~Be kind to nature and it will be kind to you. Show the world love and it will make its way back. Find Peace in Nature, explore this amazing world, and find the things that make you happy. Keep them close, in body, mind, and heart. Never let that feeling of great bliss you once had go away.
~My task for you is to go out into nature, take a deep breath, and feel the comfort of nature's peace fill up your lungs and reside in your heart. Treasure it forever. :)
This is another quote, not necessarily just pertaining to Buddhism, but about learning to control your mind, and the great effects it can have. And always remember to just breathe.. :)
"When the mind begins to become still, we then begin to truly see it. When you first try to stabilize and pacify the mind, initially it will become very busy because it's not accustomed to being still. In fact, it doesn't even necessarily want to become still, but it is essential to get a hold of the mind to recognize its nature. This practice is extremely important. ... Eventually you will find yourself in a state where your mind is clear and open all the time. It is just like when the clouds are removed from the sky and the sun can clearly be seen, shining all the time. This is coming close to the state of liberation, liberation from all traces of suffering. ... The truth of this practice is universal. It isn't necessary to call it a religion to practice it. Whether one is a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian or a Buddhist simply doesn't matter. Anyone can practice this because this is the nature of the mind, the nature of everyone's mind. If you can get a handle on your mind, and pacify it in this way, you will definitely experience these results, and you will see them in your daily life situation. There is no need to put this into any kind of category, any kind of "ism." ~Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche.
I found this inspirational quote and picture on a blog/website that I follow: KindOverMatter.com I love it. In order to have the best day of your life, you need to create it, you need to be in control. Don't let anything or anyone stop you. You have one life to live, so live it! :)
"The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins." ~Bob Moawad
This is a pretty cool, inspiring video that I found on YouTube, titled "The Power of One." It has a great message, saying how much power we each have, and that each of our lives do matter. If you can dream, believe, hope, inspire, listen, learn, and create, YOU can make a difference!
