Hello, August.

Sometimes, even when you've been headed on the right track for a long time, you need one final push to get you to where you need to be. For me, that push was a somewhat terrifying experience, but fear is the best motivator; fear opens your eyes to the truth.

And the truth can hurt, too. It can go against all that you've been insisting upon and surrounding yourself with for a year. It can scream for you to change everything.

So hello, August. This month will be for fresh beginnings, early mornings and regaining trust. For solitary walks on the beach, bike rides, and sketching. For film photography and dark chocolate and dinners with the best of friends. For complimenting strangers and filling notebooks with musings. For reading good books and discovering poetry and overdosing on music. For tennis and jogging and coffee dates with my grandma. For knowing that the most difficult path is also the most rewarding. For living without anything holding me back.

There are some things in life that, as breathtaking as they may be, can set your priorities out of whack. Things that halt your progress, freeze you in moments in time. You can stand there and enjoy the whimsical, warped, wonderful view, or you can break free and keep moving. I choose the latter, as difficult as it has been to walk away from something that has opened so many doors in my mind. I regret nothing that I have done, because all of it has taught me many invaluable lessons. But I've learned them, and it's time to move on.

I don't know where I'm headed, but the journey feels right. In a society that stands still, I consider myself lucky to be so open to change. I can't see my future, and I'm not particularly concerned with that fact. Nothing seems so important and magical as this moment in time.

I can't promise I'll be keeping up with this blog in the future; my time in this lovely corner of the Internet may have run its course. I enjoy it, but perhaps blogging isn't for me. At least not in this phase of life. I'm sure I'll be back with the occasional update, to share some artwork or some thoughts. But in the mean time, I hope everyone reading this has the courage to open their eyes to the truth and change their lives for the better. Because, really, nothing is worth sacrificing true happiness.

On a healthy lifestyle

Breakfast: mini everything bagel with butter, grapes, and limeade with a splash of pomegranate juice.

Did you know? Back when bagels were first invented, they were the size of today's mini-bagels. And have you ever wondered why juice is so many calories? Well, take a look at vintage juice glasses; they're meant to hold three ounces, not eight. Humans, in America especially, have super-sized everything, from foods to houses to people themselves!

This super-sized mentality leads to unhealthfulness in a plethora of ways. Portions are enormous; you're only supposed to ingest three ounces of red meat a day, and yet most restaurants sell ten- or twelve-ounce steaks and burgers. People looking to lose weight often don't realize that it's portion size, not the type of food they're eating, that's doing the most damage, and start eating processed diet foods that actually slow down the fat-burning process. Those taking the exercise route of weight-loss tend to over-exert themselves or even exercise to the point of unhealthfulness (yes, it is possible to have too much muscle). And let's not forget the legions of individuals who yearn for a healthier lifestyle, but are overwhelmed by what seems to be a ton of work to get there.

Let me tell you: being healthy is simple. You don't have to exercise three hours a day. You don't have to eat only vegetables and protein bars. It's quite easy, really. There are a few basic rules: stay away from processed foods, savor each bite, and get up on your feet as much as possible.

The key to nutrition is to eat real foods. If you can't pronounce something on the ingredients list, put it back on the shelf. Our body is not meant to process chemicals and synthetic sweeteners and lab-made fat substitutions. Take a look at the ingredients list before you toss that package of ramen or low-fat cookies in the cart. It may boast "100 calories!" or "Low-fat" or "Now with 75% less sugar!!", but you'd be better off eating a 400-calorie, fresh-baked all-natural muffin than eating those "healthy" snacks. So if you want a cookie, consider baking them yourself instead of buying processed Chips-Ahoy. It'll probably taste a lot better, anyway.

Humans have adopted to a sedentary lifestyle. The majority of adults wake up, sit in their car on the way to work, sit at their desk all day, and sit in their car on the way back, anxious to get home and--guess what?--sit down on the couch and relax. Pause. Rewind. What?

Even if you work a desk-job, you can incorporate a bit of movement into your day by parking your car far away, taking the stairs, even just taking a few short strolls around the office. It'll most likely even increase your productivity and put you in a better mood!  Exercise doesn't have to mean a grueling ab workout or a gym membership. This morning, I went for a jog around the neighborhood, and spent ten minutes jogging and the other ten walking. Even if you take a short walk every day, you'd be in a lot better shape than if you didn't! 

So try it out. Ignore the super-sized foods and the super-sized ads pushing them on you. Eat fruit. Walk around a bit. If you go out to eat and have a big meal, take half of it home and have it for lunch the next day. Don't wolf your food down, but enjoy every bite. Instead of spending your days off lazing about, work on a project around the house or go for a hike. It's not difficult to live a healthy lifestyle, and once you start, you won't go back!

Appreciating everyday life.

An aspect of blogging that I both love and hate is the selective nature of it. You get to present yourself at your best, with your most brilliant ideas, during the highlights of your week. However, showing only the organized, cheerful, exciting part of yourself is a little bit dehumanizing, and I hate that.

You know why? Because I love being human. I love my "imperfections". I love my frizzy, curly hair and my oversized men's t-shirt and the faded, smudged eyeliner left on from yesterday. 

Yes, I can make myself look really nice and fancy and done-up when I want to. But let's be real. I wear jeans or shorts and a t-shirt almost every day of the week. I'm still a bit of a tomboy, and I just can't be bothered looking nice all the time. To those people who actually can, well, you go glen coco. Four for you. But that's not me, and I wouldn't change that for the world.

I think a lot of people are scared to be vulnerable or ignorant or weak. And I'm not going to say that being those things isn't a bummer, but there's no reason to be ashamed. Each day is an opportunity for growth. A few people I'm close with are struggling with depression, and the most common phrase I hear out of their mouths is "I can't." So I tell them, yes, you can, you're just afraid. If you think you're a bad conversationalist, that's all the more reason you should take a public speaking class. If you think you're too weak to exercise, it's in your best interest to hit the gym. If you can't embrace something about yourself, don't sit there brooding, because you have the power to change it.

I've become a positive thinker by necessity. I recently clawed my way out of the big black pit of depression, and I have vowed never to go back. So I put my mind into training. I flipped every negative thought and complaint on its head. I took advantage of every moment of my day. I learned to find a balance in my life between productivity and relaxation, friends and family, work and play. I'm still working at it, but you know what? I love life. I love life so much that it makes me want to dance and sing and hug my evil cat and lay in the middle of my lawn probably getting a hell of a sunburn and sit here writing a blog post about all of this with the biggest, stupidest grin on my face.

This was going to be a post about making the most of life by doing things like sitting outside with your computer or exercising while watching TV or something like that, but it turned into a big sappy inspirational speech.

Typical.

Anyway, enjoy a black-and-white webcam selfie of my natural lazy-day face, and have yourself a wonderful Monday evening.

On admiration.

We all have someone we admire. Perhaps it is for their work ethic, or their confidence, or their superb sense of style, or their success... or perhaps just their happiness. Admiration is, I think, a healthy motivation to keep moving forward, but it can also be terribly counterproductive and even unhealthy.

As I said, admiration is healthy -- obsession and idolization are not. Often, when we discover someone to admire, we set them up on a pedestal. It seems they have no faults or flaws, that they never hit obstacles, and that they could not ever be anything but fabulous, all the time. This, of course, is utterly untrue. Even those people who seem like they really have their lives together stumble sometimes. For example, one of my favorite bloggers, a photographer with impeccable fashion and a great sense of humour, who always seems to be living a perfect life, recently posted about how her severe anxiety is turning her life upside down.

It's more than heartening to know that all of these "perfect" people I so admire have issues exactly like mine. But without that post, I would never have known -- in this way, the internet can be wholly misleading. Admiring someone you don't know in real life, such as a celebrity or blogger, is often a set-up for unrealistic expectations. If you knew someone in person, you would see them with less-than-perfect hair, or under stress, or failing to meet a goal. But if you don't, you're only seeing the little bits of them they've hand-selected for you and broadcasted. In this way, millions of people are mislead into thinking they are "not creative enough" or "not smart enough" or "not rich enough" or "not pretty enough" or "not happy enough" to be as successful as their role models.

Tied in with these feelings of irrelevancy, many people will try to be "creative enough" or "pretty enough" or "happy enough" by copying exactly what their role model does. This is where we get trends, and trends get boring fast. Not only will you not have success copying others, it hinders your own creative spirit and overall self-esteem. You are your own person, unique to everyone else, and although we all may share certain things in common, what makes you precisely happy, your niche in life, is different from everyone around you. It's up to you to take inspiration, figure a few things out and rush full steam ahead into your dreams.

Did you hear that? Your dreams. Not anyone else's. Yours. If you follow them, some day you'll become someone to admire, if you aren't already! There are plenty of "practical" people who will sneer at those who blindly follow their passion and intuition until they find happiness. And sure, your dreams may not be completely clear. They probably won't be easy to reach, either. But if you are committed, and are truly carving out your own path in the tangled jungle of life, you will succeed.

It's a wonderful thing, to have figures in your life you can look up to and aspire to be like. But think carefully on that: aspire to be like them. Not to be them. Everyone is flawed, everyone has bad days, and everyone successful had to climb a long ladder to get to where they are. So take inspiration and set some goals, but remember: as fantastic as it may seem to be someone else, there is no one more rewarding to be than you.

On living without borders

Humans can't stand the unknown. This is why we live in a society dictated by rules and neat little categories. We label, we judge, and even the nonconformists conform in a sense. It's a sad thing, but the majority of the world, myself included, feel the need to define themselves, pin themselves down. We read books about coming of age, and the implication is that as you grow up, you will come to know yourself and your niche in the world. In reality, the opposite is true.

It's hilariously ironic and difficult to accept, but the only thing you can ever be completely certain about is that you can never be completely sure about anything. The only constant in this world is change. This is why it's so absolutely absurd to try to define yourself or anything else. I don't know if other people feel the same, but in my opinion, every second I am alive leaves me an utterly different person than I was the last.

However, as creatures programmed to label, unable to cope without boundaries, this concept, once it has even been realized, is tremendously difficult to process. One of my greatest struggles and uncertainties in my life is my gender identity. I identify as gender-fluid, but my constant gender swings and in-between feelings are eating away at me; I feel too girly to be a boy, but too not a girl to commit to being a girl full time (disclaimer: I am not insinuating that my gender expression is a choice, at all, moreover I'm unable to cope with the constant flip-flopping and unidentifiable feelings and so feel the need to commit to one gender). I like girl clothes and my girl body too much to identify as female-to-male transgender and turn my life upside down, but identifying as a girl all the time would mean casting aside an important part of who I am. It's incredibly frustrating, especially because the constant gender-flopping confuses myself and those around me. I am hoping that, with time, I can come to accept myself more and potentially be appeased with simply being a tomboy on the days where I feel profoundly masculine. It's an excruciating process that adds a lot of strain to my life - but why must I define myself at all?

We weren't meant to be pinned like a butterfly on a cork-board, permanently lodged in one spot in society, into one personality our whole lives. We take in too much information every day to remain unchanged. We are always changing, and change is a beautiful thing! I personally cannot keep myself on a schedule. I buy planning notebooks and they end up forgotten in my bag in a few weeks. I organize my entire room only to re-clutter all my surfaces within the month. To be honest, I'm just a little bit lazy and forgetful, and also a little bit too adventurous to wake up and do the same thing every day of my life! I love learning, but school was always torture because of the way we all shuffle about when the bell rings like mindless drones, learning things because state requires us too, under intense pressure. Sure, some things in life are time-sensitive, but general schooling suppresses creative urges  and adds an amazing amount of undue stress to a person's life.

Society's expectations lead people, especially young people, to believe they have to do certain things. These assumptions cause people to live within boundaries, without even realizing what they've done or the world of opportunities waiting for them. I'm always a bit suspicious of people who have wanted to do the same thing since they were very young. Some people may have a genuine calling, but most are probably following the leader, rising up to expectations, and not considering all the possibilities. There are probably a million people out there with the potential to change the world, and maybe one hundred of them will actually realize their own power.

On that note, I present a challenge. I dare you to do one thing every day you would not normally do or don't think yourself capable of doing. If you're shy, a big step may be paying someone a compliment, or talking to someone you've been hesitating to talk to for a while now. If there is a skill, such as a form of art, that you admire but think you can't pursue, I challenge you to do some research and dive in... if you think you can't paint, then paint! After all, legends are made, not born. Any time the voice in your head hesitates or tells you there is something you cannot do, I challenge you to defy that evil voice! You never know, the stranger on the sidewalk may turn out to be the love of your life. I challenge you to live without borders and hold nothing back.

Inspirational quotes, anyone?

I love quotes. In fact, I have an entire notebook dedicated to quotes. I waste spend a great deal of time perusing the internet for quotes. And don't even get me started on what an ordeal it was to pick only one inspirational quote to paint on my wall...

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you all! If you have any amazing, funny, or thought-provoking quotes you think I'd enjoy, comment or email me!

Of course, I could rant on and on about these quotes and their significance. Hell, I could write a book on philosophy where each chapter is based off of a different quote (on second thoughts, that's not an awful idea...). But, I'll spare you. Enjoy these amazing quotes!

Plaque found on Etsy.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers

"Fairytales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." - G.K. Chesterton

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." - John Lennon

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." - Oscar Wilde

"There will be sleeping enough in the grave." - Benjamin Franklin

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, either way you're right." - Henry Ford

"If you cannot be a poet, be the poem." - David Carradine

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." - Albert Camus

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." - Milton Berle

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." - Vincent Van Gogh

"We do not sing because we are happy. We are happy because we sing." - William James

5 Things I've Learned in 2012

As I may have previously mentioned, I've watched myself grow more drastically and rapidly in 2012 than I ever have in my life -- and in a positive way! I've begun to look at the world through a whole new lens, and I thought I'd share a few pearls of wisdom. Perhaps I'll concoct (wow, that is a weird word to look at) a few more of these as the year progresses!

1. Everyone has something to teach you. This is a prime example of why one should never be close-minded to new opinions, people, and ideas. We are constantly learning, and by closing ourselves off to all the variety this diverse world has to offer, we are restricting our knowledge and overall happiness. No matter how young or old a person is, I promise that you can learn something from them. Small children speak as many words of wisdom as the elderly. Teenagers often have as viable opinions as adults. You could meet a person from any walk of life and I am one hundred and ten percent sure that they can teach you something you never knew or considered before. The more you expose yourself to culture and education, the wiser a person you become. In any case, if you can't find a seed of inspiration of how to act or who to be, you can always learn from example what not to do!

2. This is going to sound like the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard, but all you really need to do to be happy is choose happiness. And I'm not some blessed spoiled kid with a perfect life. Far from it. I've battled depression for four years. Two Novembers ago I was suicidal, and this past November I came pretty close again. I've struggled with self-harm, eating disorders, anxiety attacks, and a tangled web of complexes. I'm still, technically, manic-depressive; I can't change my DNA. But what I could change is my attitude. So, on the first day of this new year, I put my foot down. I said to myself, I refuse to let misery control my life any longer. And you know what? It hasn't. I've stopped all but one anxiety attack this entire year. I haven't spent one single day lying in bed for hours staring at the ceiling and mourning all the things I should be doing. I reconnected with my passions, I got in touch with old friends, I made new friends! I dared myself to step out of my comfort zone. I started trying again, really trying to be happy. I've gone to bed exhausted every night this year, but it's not the I-want-to-die depression lethargy anymore. It's an I'm-wiped-but-today-was-awesome kind of tiredness. And I bet a lot of people have it worse than me and happiness seems like an impossibility, but I promise you, if you refuse to let life run you down, you are invincible. Let me illustrate this concept with a picture you may have seen before:

Yes, it's really that simple.

3. When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world politely smile at the world and move around to face it.  I could this modified statement various ways, but my main point is that sometimes, you have to play society's silly game if you ever want to win it. As much as I love to learn, I honestly feel that today education system is doing me no justice. I firmly believe that I could be moving mountains if I didn't have to spend so much time on school and homework. But I can't just drop out of high school; I have my future to consider. I'd like to get my cosmetology degree before I graduate high school, and then go on to college and take classes with a focus on fashion, business, and perhaps photography. Without those skills, I could probably open up my own store for Repurpose, but, let's face it, if I have the opportunity for higher-level education, why do without? My parents are dedicated to making sure I have the best education possible, so it would be a bit stupid to say "oh, screw college, I'll be alright." Unfortunately, I have to complete high school to get into college, so I might as well use these bright brains I've been granted while I'm stuck here. That's the way life works; often we have to do something we may not particularly enjoy or go through a rough phase of life before the heavens open up and we're able to fully and completely do what we love. It may be hard, and it's sure unfair, but you just have to grit your teeth and bear it -- and, most importantly, don't resent it. Put your full heart into whatever it is you're doing, even if it's not your idea of what you'd like to do. As previously stated, you can learn from everyone and everything. Keep your eyes and ears open and plug on. You'll probably be the better because of it.

4. Learn to accept things the way they are. Sad as it is, the sun doesn't rise in the morning just to make your day bright. Every day, I see people griping and grumbling and stressing about things they can't control. If I look at my news feed right now, Facebook statuses include "I f***in hate this town", "The weather sucks, hurry up spring" "No Glee concert this year... oh look there's my heart shattered on the floor" and "Ugghhh Mr._____ is a b****** im gonna bomb this test!". Well, I'm sorry, but you can't control this town, the weather, whether or not Glee tours, or the workload your teacher assigns. So what is the point in getting upset about it? Complaining about the weather won't make summer come any sooner, so honey I suggest you put on a sweater, make yourself some soup and get over it. Life isn't easy and it isn't fair, but that doesn't mean life isn't good. It really is exactly what you make it. I, for one, don't plan to waste any more of my precious time worrying and groaning about the bad things. It's okay to let yourself have a pity party every once in a while, but after you wipe your tears you need to get up and do something about it. If you can change your situation, great. But if you can't, you're going to have to find a way to deal, because being sad isn't going to get anybody anywhere. I wasted so much of my life being miserable because I was depressed, always thinking that if I was put on meds, or if the weather got nicer, or if I didn't take such challenging classes I would be happier. Wrong. Once I accepted the difficult reality of life, I was much better prepared to take control of my own happiness -- and take control of it I have!

5. You really, really, really need to live in the moment. I don't know if you have a time machine, but I don't, which means every second I've been alive is a second I will never get back. People are always saying "I need more time" or "I don't have the time." Well, what are you doing with all the time you do have? Are you watching TV or wasting time on the internet? Busy, working people who want to get in shape often say they don't any time to go to the gym. Well, maybe that's true, but eating a healthy diet doesn't take any more time than eating a poor one. Doing a one-minute yoga stretch in the morning is not going to make you late for the rest of your day. So, prioritize and commit. I promise you, if you really want something badly enough, you will make time for it. To live an inspired lifestyle is to make the most of every moment. Laugh more often. Call that old friend you've been meaning to call. Multitask. Buy a planner and schedule your day, and then actually stick to it as much as possible. Write in a journal before you go to sleep. Never put anything off until tomorrow, because tomorrow isn't garunteed. If you want to be happy, you have to live today. Time is the most precious thing we have. So don't waste it. In the wise words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

And also, print out pictures more often. Looking at some photos from 2011 just now really made me smile. I'll share a few...

A conceptual photoshoot my dear friend Bayley and I had over the summer. Top left: me attempting a kid-like airplane stance on the swing and looking more like a corpse. Top right: Candid of Bayley being the adorable and beautiful person she is. Bottom left: "I'm a moose." Enough said. Bottom right: I just thought this was super cute. It was also the last picture taken before my camera Phillip sporadically fell off his tripod and broke, sending him to the shop for quite a while. :(

I love my friends to death. Top left: my friends Joe and Ricky with my darling Pete in the middle. We were going for a walk and I snapped a few candid shots when we were milling about in my backyard. This was the day I got my pixie haircut! Top right: Probably the best shot ever of my friends Ricky and Julia, creepily waiting for the pizza man to arrive at my house. I promise you we were sober, too. Bottom left: I was taking a picture of the beautiful Jaclyn when Joe walked by and made a face. I still think it's the best picture of him I've ever taken. Bottom right: Me, days before I cut my hair, and Ricky. He's the cutest thing. 

There are countless more, of course, that I'd love to share, but I don't feel like making a zillion more collages, so enjoy that glimpse into my 2011 for now! I laughed so much looking at old pictures. Just another reason to make the most of every moment. :)

I've noticed how I end every single post with a sentence beginning in "I hope," so I'm going to twist it up and say that I do quite wish you've all been well and you've enjoyed my rambling, preachy kernels of wisdom! Cheers! x

On overcoming inhibition

It's a commonly-known fact that we only use a fraction of the capacity of our brains. But every so often, someone comes along who seems to get something that the rest of the world can't. These are the people that start civil rights movements and make milestone scientific discoveries, who change the face of art, whose names echo around the world. Often, these people are seen as eccentric, radical, and occasionally even crazy. Crazy, but brilliant. So, are they really created with superior knowledge, or did they simply decide to toe the line and see what would happen?

In my not-so-humble opinion, progress cannot be made unless someone branches off into the unknown. We're curious creatures, but social and moral taboos restrict us to certain perimeters of knowledge. Our functioning brain capacity is restricted enough; why on Earth shouldn't we use everything we've got?! The answer is that people are scared. Scared to break the social "rules" and have assumptions made about them. But the organizations or governments who establish these often unspoken rules are scared, too. The only reason to restrict education on a certain topic is because people might disagree with the accepted social standings. They might even be able to prove them wrong.

Ever think about that? Because I do. I spend an enormous amount of my time thinking about that, and researching all the things that people whisper about but can't openly say. People are usually rather shocked. You were reading an article on what? Are you some kind of (fill in the blank with a controversial trait i.e. lesbian, stoner, emo, sex addict, etc.)? No. Just because I want to be educated about things that no one seems to properly educate themselves about doesn't mean that I practice those things. Reading a book in which the main character self-harms isn't going to make me slash up my arms. Watching an educational video about a drug isn't going to make me want to get twisted all day every day. What is there to fear from education? And yet, our society condemns it. Often we only know negative results of things without understanding why or how or anything other than the fact that it's "wrong" or "bad."

Well, who says? Who says we shouldn't explore? Do you think you'd be reading this today if Benjamin Franklin hadn't thrown his kite out in a storm and discovered electricity? Do you think people would live in all parts of the world if Copernicus hadn't hypothesized that the Earth is round? Do you think civil rights would exist to the extent that they do if Martin Luther King Jr. had decided that he'd better just play it safe and accept inequality? The world is where it is today because people defied the norm. We cannot learn anything if we refuse to explore that which is untouched. Even if a particular tabooed substance or practice doesn't contribute to society, some tweaking and deeper research can lead to all new, exciting, life-changing discoveries. There is no harm in education unless someone's got something to hide.


If you're human, you probably have some thoughts locked up in that brain of yours that you'd never dare speak aloud. Even if you're not going to let them leave the confines on your mind, my opinion is that those untouchable questions are the ones most worth answering. No one can arrest you for thinking something because, as of now, we can't read minds. So what is the harm in exploring what's nagging your subconscious? Maybe you know something isn't quite right in your life but you don't want to turn over rocks. I encourage you to do just that. You never know. You could be the next "crazy" person who changes the world.

A dash of anti-perspective.

Our society is governed by perspective. As mortal beings, we're incapable of looking at the world from a detached point of view. Our own memories, opinions, and circumstances warp our perspective into something biased and blind. We can't help it, and I believe it is both a blessing and a curse. Perspective offers diversity in the world, something we need to survive as a race, but it also blurs the lines between fact and fiction, right and wrong, good and bad to the point where one person's standards might be the polar opposite of another's!

This is one of the main reasons I have for a firm belief in education. I'm not talking about grades on a government-mandated standardized test, I'm talking about a well-rounded knowledge of all the information the world has to offer. As humans, we constantly take in information; I would just rather know about the inner-workings of an obscure middle-eastern religion than how much weight Snooki lost. Call me a nerd, but I love to learn. On the rare occasions I watch TV, I'm probably enjoying a documentary on the science channel with my younger brother. I'm never satisfied with just being told that something is the way it is and that's that. I have to know how and why. I believe that the more you know, the easier it is to see the world from a relatively neutral standpoint.

For example, in New York state you are mandated to take a health class in your sophomore year. On the first day of that health class, do you know what the teacher told us? 'Don't be stupid, don't smoke dope!' Well, that's all well and good, but "just say no" to a curious teenager doesn't mean anything. That whole speech was wasted on my class, partially because half of them are stoners already and partially because the other half have heard the meaningless words so many times they just tune it out. The best way to prevent ignorant or unacceptable behaviour is education. I don't know about you, but I don't want to make choices because someone told me to just say no, nor do I want to make choices because someone told me to just say yes! I want to know every side of the story, every positive and every negative. I don't feel comfortable making decisions without weighing out all my options and processing all the information. As a result, I am quite pleased to tell you that I honestly do not regret a single event in my life. Isn't that a better way to live?

I was raised with very sturdy morals and beliefs by my conservative, Catholic parents. They are wonderful people, and I thank them so much for instilling in me a thirst for knowledge because now, I've compiled a set of morals and beliefs entirely my own! As a child, I saw the world in black and white. People were good or bad, opinions were right or wrong. Now that I've grown as a person and been exposed to (and searched for!) a plethora of perspectives and cultures and lifestyles, I've come to see people as just people and opinions as just opinions. Despite the constant metaphorical comparison, life is not a game. No one wins. So why do we have to label everything black and white? We live in a world of dimension and color. Life is too complex to say that one path is the right path. Sure, if you're religious you trust that your faith will lead you to salvation. But just because your next-door-neighbor doesn't share the same beliefs doesn't mean that they can't find a salvation of their own. If you believe in a God, you probably believe that He wants you to be happy. So for the love of all things good in the world, don't do anything--anything!--for the sake of someone else. Research. Discover. Understand. The world is at your fingertips. If you're on the internet reading this right now, you have a planet full of information in the palm of your hand, literally. So take it and form your own values.

The only way a person can be doing something wrong is if they are not being true to themselves. So I challenge you to go out into the world and live. Learn ten new things today. Try to see an issue from both points of view, even if you don't particularly like one. The first step to living an inspired life is to let go of the concept of failure and truly embrace everything, the good and the bad, about being alive.

5 Ways To Sap Stress Out Of Your Life

Ello there! I'm introducing a new feature: 5 Ways. Every now and then I'll make a post similar to this, in which I discuss five different methods or techniques to do something. The topics could range anywhere from life advice, like this one, to recipe ideas involving a certain ingredient, to fashion designs and inspiration. Who knows what I'll think up? Anyway, enjoy the first 5 Ways!

5 Ways To Sap Stress

1. Unplug. We all fall captive of technology's clutches now and then. A two-minute excursion onto the internet to look up a definition can morph into and hour and a half of wasted time right under our noses. Often, the best thing to do when you need a stress detox or are falling into a creative rut is to power off those electronics! I know, I know, you've almost got a high score on Temple Run, and your BFF Jill just tweeted you something urgent, and omg, the new episode of Pretty Little Liars is totally on tonight, but trust me, it's really not that important. Let the texts and emails and  Facebook messages you're receiving go. Throw open a window, I don't care what the weather is like. Read a book. Catch up on chores. Take a bubble bath. Do something that doesn't require electricity. As much as modern technology benefits the world, we all tend to get lost in cyberspace and forget the things that are really important. So tell your friends you'll talk to them later, and take a few hours to unplug.

2. Start your day right. One fine day I stumbled upon this excellent list of morning activities that will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the oncoming day. I suggest choosing a few you like and trying to do at least one every day! If, like me, you're not exactly a morning person, I find that setting your alarm about half an hour before you actually need to wake up helps to ease the usual rush. After snoozing a few times, pulling myself out of bed and stumbling my way through the routine, I feel a lot more capable by the time I'm out the door than on days where I'm unable to snooze at all.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff. We often mutate little issue into complete catastrophes in our minds purely because we think too much. The solutions to this problem is, well, don't think too much. Everything is a lot simpler than it seems. Stressing and complaining about an issue isn't going to solve it. My advice is to try to catch your anxieties before they develop into something more sinister. You're having company over and the house isn't clear? Don't panic. Stuff your clutter in that hall closet and wash those dirty dishes. Your guests probably don't care if how meticulously vacuumed your floor is, anyway. You're feeling bitter because your friend is mad at you? Incinerate that trash-talk before it escapes your lips. Revenge is not the answer. Talk it out. Attempt to see their point of view and try to spot any misunderstandings that may have incurred this argument. Before you get too upset about anything, remember that humans are flawed beings. No one is asking you to be perfect, so for the love of all things good in the world, never expect perfection from yourself. I personally think a person's "flaws" are their most enticing and defining character traits.

Life is crazy. Things will go wrong. But take a deep breath. Mess-ups only become mistakes if you let them. It's all in your head. Your past will only define you if you focus on it. Don't allow the bad things in life to consume you! There's so much more to be happy for.

4. Prioritize. Sit down with some paper and pen and decide what's important to you. What are your ideals? What are you dreams? Now, break these things down into small pieces, because the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and all the rest of those clichés. The point is, setting small goals each month, week, and day will help you to work productively towards your dreams.

At the start of a new week, decide your agenda for the next seven days. Ask yourself what you need to do and what you want to have accomplished by this time next week. Been meaning to clean the bathroom? Write it down. Made dinner plans with a friend on Friday? Put it on paper. Promised your mother you'd call? Schedule it in. Hang this week's list somewhere that will be clearly visible when you  first wake up. Write this week's small goal on top. Each day, when you rouse from your slumber, decide what you can do today to achieve this week's goal. If you want to make a difference in someone's life, perhaps today is a great day to compliment everyone you meet. If your goal for this year is to lead a healthy life, then get up, get dressed, and take a brisk walk! Remember that nothing happens instantly. Life moves in baby steps, and the best day to start is today. Don't let yourself become discouraged. To remind myself of my own potential, I painted a quote on my wall that gives me the courage to pursue my passion and keep plodding on, no matter how tough it seems.

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

5. If all else fails, take a break. It's always a good time for a nap. Eat some chocolate. Count your blessings. Curl up with a good book, good music, or a good friend. Take a walk. Play a board game. Talk to an old friend. Treat yourself to some ice cream or decadent coffee -- you deserve it! Paint something, even if you're not an artist. In fact, finger paint something. Go on an adventure. Try something new. Life doesn't look so scary from the depths of a warm bath. Tomorrow doesn't seem so impossible when you let someone dry your tears. Often, we're so caught up in our sadness that we don't let ourselves have a happy moment when one passes by. I promise you, if you hold onto that silver lining, the clouds will melt away. Laugh. Laugh like you've never been hurt before. Life is hectic and wild, but it's undeniably beautiful. The road ahead may be seem like it's studded with mountains instead of pebbles, but take it from someone who's been suicidal and managed to pull through. Life isn't as hard as you think it is. Take a deep breath and let it all out. Relax. Isn't it so lovely just to be alive?

Stay happy, my friends.

The truth about the truth.

Religious groups as a whole are usually centered around one cause: finding the ultimate Truth. Religion was created in primitive times to explain the inexplicable, and grew into a defining factor of culture and the rise of society as a whole. Most people cannot live with the knowledge that there are thousands of unsolved mysteries of the world we live in and what happens beyond it: mankind possesses a ravenous curiosity unparalleled in any other species known today. We cannot simply accept that we don't know. So, we revert to the next best alternative: inventing a new Truth.

There exists a plethora of theories concerning Creation. Where we came from, what started it all, and what existed beforehand. Throughout the ages, humans have questioned and questioned, pushing past the limits of modern philosophies and hypothesizing about the meaning of life. Why we're all here. How we're meant to act. And, the most daunting question of all: where do we go when we die? Faith has the answers.  The trick, it seems, is picking the "correct" one.

I've always been fascinated by religion. As a lover of psychology and sociology, it's intriguing to sit down and research peoples' beliefs. There are so many different ideas out there, the believers of whom accept them as truth. But for a young soul searching for its place in the theological spectrum, how does one know where to begin? It's pretty heavy stuff, and according to most faiths, if you don't believe in the right things, you'll probably rot in hell. 

In my not-so-humble opinion, there is no such thing as one absolute Truth. There are too many different faiths that all make some amount of sense for just one to be correct. If there's a God up there, he probably just wants us to be happy. As for the "life rules," I kind of just figure it out. Be a good person, know yourself, reach for the stars. Of course, there's the whole moral question of what it means to be a "good" person, but that, my friends, is a separate discussion entirely.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with religion. Nor is there anything wrong with atheism or agnosticism. If it gives your life structure and purpose, I think having a belief system is a fantastic thing.  The meaning of life is to give life a meaning, so if you're firm in your morals and ideologies, rock on. There's a lot to be said these days for someone who stands for anything at all.