Tag: being happy

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Fabulous living

21 Wishes…

Another year, another birthday, another milestone…tomorrow I am turning 21! I am very excited not only to celebrate another year on Earth but also to join the big kids club. Haha! I’m the youngest out of most of my friends, so I am looking forward to going out with them to celebrate. If we are being honest, I think they are more excited than me. LOL!

I’ll be heading to Pittsburgh in a few weeks to celebrate with my friends, but for tomorrow, I am celebrating with my family. Last year, I shared 20 things I learned in my 20 years of life, you can read it here. Today, I’m sharing 21 wishes I have for this next year of life.

Cheers to 21!

1. Surround myself with people who lift me up and motivate me to be the best version of myself.

2. Make every moment a memory.

3. Live in the moment and don’t get distracted.

4. Stop dwelling on what happened in the past, and focus on the future.

5. Graduate College.

6. Get a job in my field.

Always looking to the future

7. Be happy where I am at in life and not where I think I should be. 

8. Travel somewhere new with friends.

9. Listen to more podcasts and learn from every opportunity I get.

10. Be spontaneous and try something I’ve never done. It’s okay to step out of your comfort zone.

11. Go to more concerts.

Finding the joy in the little things in life

12. Spend money on experiences, not material things. Those will create the real memories.

13. Truly enjoy and take advantage of my last semester as a college student. 

14. Be more vulnerable when it comes to opening up to friends and family about things that are bothering me. If you listen to your friends, they will listen to you.

15. Forget the schedule/routine and just see what the day brings.

16. Be more intentional with my time spent with family and friends. Put down the phones!

17. Pick up a new hobby.

I know I’m where I’m meant to be

18. Have more conversations with people instead of just sending a text. Quality over quantity.

19. Turn my passions and dreams into realities.

20. Show more appreciation to the ones I love. If you love ’em, tell them you love ’em!

21. Be open to whatever the future holds for me. 

A smile is the best accessory

Some are more realistic than others, some will get achieved while others will be things I’m constantly working on. At the end of the day, I want to make these days count. We often get caught in the day to day life that we forget to stop and appreciate the life we are living. Cheers to 21 and to living my best life!

Que sera sera
Categories
Fabulous living

Slowing Down and Self Care

Happy Tuesday. How was your weekend? Restful and relaxing, I hope.

We are down to the final countdown for summer and I can’t wait. Between classes and work, I am ready for a break. That brings me to today’s topic. Taking care of yourself, even if it means saying no. Kinda ironic, last week, I shared the importance of saying yes and stepping out of your comfort zone, but today, it’s the opposite. I often find myself  getting run down and tired this time of year, that’s why self-care is important now more than ever. Between finals, projects, and summer activities upon us, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stressed out. The same goes for parents, school is winding down, which means trying to figure out summer plans for children along with summer schedules.

This past year, I got very busy, between classes, work, and maintaining friendships, I was running myself into the ground. I realized I had to take care of myself so I could be the best version of myself.  I have carved times in my schedule to set aside for myself. For example, every Sunday, I try to take a break from homework and spend time either reading or watching a movie or whatever I wanted, unscheduled. I always like to leave from 2:00-4:00 open for myself, it doesn’t always happen but I try my best to make it work. These two hours gives me time to recharge myself for the week ahead. If you don’t have two hours to block out for yourself, don’t worry. Maybe block out 15 minutes of your day everyday. Or give yourself a half hour in the morning or before bed to unwind without distractions. However long, be sure you are taking care of yourself.  Also, you can’t be helpful to others if you aren’t taking care of yourself.

I found myself committing to many things during the week and weekend that I was left no time for myself. I will admit, I am a Yes women. I am also the queen of over committing. Don’t believe me? Last week I booked myself from 10:00 am  to 8:00 pm solid. It wasn’t the best idea, but I made it through the day successfully. It’s all about having balance in your lives. I had made plans to hang out with friends around 9:30, but by the time it rolled around, I was exhausted. I wanted to spend time with friends, but I knew I had to recharge. I am so glad I did, I slept like a log that night. Our bodies know us better than we think. Sometimes, even if we don’t like it, it benefits us to say no.

A few ways I unwind are:

  • Watching movies or catching up on my favorite series
  • Reading
  • Facetiming my bestie from back home
  • Taking a walk
  • Doing my nails

We all need to take care of ourselves even if it means saying no. We may not like to say no, but it will benefit us in the long run. With the changing of seasons, make sure you put yourself first sometimes. It may help you more than you realize.

Have a great week.