MONDivation: Finding Yourself

My life has definitely gone in directions I couldn't have predicted.  And though I am happy with where I am at this point, I always have that voice in my head asking me... Where are you headed?  What does the future hold?  Are you on the right path towards achieving your goals and dreams?  Will you be "OK" in the future?

Modeling was something I wanted to do since I was a child and the fact that I now do it full time and spend my days traveling and meeting all sorts of new and artistic people in all sorts of places is thrilling.  But I can't help but think about the fact that it is a job with a deadline.  With the way the industry is changing I can hope that it is something I can do for longer than just my 20's... actually, I'm fairly certain I can, but I know I want to do even more than just being a model.  I want to do something that I can really use my personality, creativity, and people skills to the fullest.  I want to be a host.  I want to have a talk show. I want to be able to help people achieve their own dreams.  I'm sure I'll "want" many more things.   I wouldn't say I'm completely lost by any means but I would say I am in need of some restructuring and re-prioritizing in my life.

I think it is important every now and again to step back and analyze where we want to go and how we are going to get there.  It is easy to get distracted by all that is happening in our lives but even if we don't know exactly where we are going, we can at least focus our energy in the general direction and trust that we'll get there eventually.

Happy Monday!

MONDivation: Do Your Best

I tend to be really hard on myself when it comes to my expectations for just how much I can get done.  The last few weeks have been hectic and I needed a little down time for myself.  Some time to online shop, browse pinterest for hours, turn on the TV for the first time in months, and just relax with friends.  I did it at the expense of some of my usual responsibilities, and when I realized I hadn't produced blog posts, answered emails, and cleaned my room in days, I began to beat myself up a little bit.

And with all this newfound time to think, I realized that as long as I do my best, then that is good enough.  I can't expect myself to work 18 hours a day, every day.  I can't expect to release original content that I am passionate about day after day without getting burnt out now and then.  I can't be mad at myself if everything doesn't get done right, right now.  I do my best with the time and energy I have... And that is enough.

Have a wonderful week!  Do what you can do and when you're done be pleased with what you did get accomplished rather than what you did not.

MONDivation (For your Tuesday): Right Where You Are

I hope everybody had an awesome, fun-filled, extravagant, Labor Day weekend!  I spent Friday in Los Angeles then headed down to Newport Beach, CA, where my parents live and where I grew up, to attend a friend's birthday party and the Pacific Music Festival.  I saw a ton of old friends and met some lovely new ones.

It is very important to always push yourself to be better, but doing so makes it easy to criticize ourselves when things don't seem to go exactly as planned.  I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and it can be hard to remember that things often fall apart so that other things can fall together.  Try not to worry too much about the little details in life and recognize that you are exactly where you are meant to be at this moment.

Have a great week!

MONDivation: Be That Person

I think we all know at least one person in our lives that this is the case for.  That person who is consistently kind and genuine and doesn't say a bad word about anybody else.  Even if that person wasn't there to defend themselves from a negative comment said against them, you would know the truth of the matter without any need for further explanation.

I think this is truly such a wonderful thing to aspire to and I am so glad to see it put into words.  I will 100% be printing this and putting it up on my wall (my real wall... but probably my facebook one also) to remind myself daily to strive to be this person.  I know life can be tough and people can disappoint us and let us down but if we remind ourselves that everybody has bad days and nobody is perfect, we can look past all of our own, as well as other's imperfections, and speak and act with nothing but an honest, positive, happy heart... And people will certainly take notice!

I will definitely start striving more to be that person.  Have a beautiful week!

MONDivation

It's often hard to realize that some of our failures or struggles are actually blessings in disguise.  More often than not I have noticed that in order to improve ourselves and our lives, we often have to let go of certain things, in hopes we will gain more from whatever may take its place.  We have to make a lot of choices in life and the answers are not always clear as to what choice is best.  I think the greatest thing we can do is follow our gut and our heart, and it will lead us to wherever we need to be.

So start making that lemonade or I'll just continue throwing lemons at your face!

I also have to give an honorary mention to my friend Caitlin who shared what I thought was a genuine and refreshing perspective on how we often compare ourselves to others.

It's important to remember this when we look at media, magazines, social networking sites, and even the strangers around us in our everyday life.  All we need to be is the best versions of ourselves.

Hope everybody had a fun weekend! I know I did!  Happy Monday!

MONDivation

Lately I feel like my life is moving at a rapid pace.  I love this as I truly get pleasure from working and if I'm working it means I am busy making progress towards some of the many goals I've set out to accomplish.  I've been feeling that there are never enough hours in the day and any minute wasted tends to disappoint me.

That being said, one of my best friends had her Bachelorette Party this weekend and we spent Friday evening thru Sunday morning at Lake Havasu.  We stayed at one of her family friends' home and it was a huge, beautiful, desert oasis.  Complete with massive guest house, perfect lake views, and the coolest man-cave/garage I'd ever seen.  I know the word "Bachelorette Party" doesn't normally go hand in hand with the word "relaxing" but this trip was just that.  We spent time floating in the hot sun on the lake and riding around on the pontoon boat, eating home-cooked meals, and watching movies that involved Ryan Gosling in any way possible.  It was the first time in a while I let myself just hang out and do... nothing.  It was so refreshing to just relax and spend time with good friends and to shut my computer and brain down for at least a few hours.  I'm going to try to force myself to slow down more often and just enjoy the little things in life.  I am trying to remember that doing something good for myself and taking a break now and then is far from wasted time.

Here are some pictures from Lisa's Bachelorette weekend in Lake Havasu, Arizona...

I hope you found some time for yourself this weekend like I did!

Happy Monday!

MONDivation

I'm a big believer in positive energy and the idea that we have the power to draw things to us if we truly want them.  Some may think it's cheesy but I have a vision board with some of my favorite quotes, photos, and anything that inspires me, and I read it daily.  Mondays are always a little tough so some weekly Monday motivation seemed like a great routine to start, and I know exactly the quote I want to use.

When I recently decided I needed to get back into writing/blogging again, I had gone through several month of what I guess I would call neutrality.  I was happy and things were good but I found myself at a place where I wasn't quite sure what my next step should be towards achieving the many goals I've set out for myself.  After what felt like ages of contemplation and brainstorming, I started writing and building content for my new site, and one by one, things started clicking into place.  I've started taking Hosting and Improv classes, moved to a great new apartment just steps from the beach, am taking efforts to grow my modeling career, and finally feel like I have an avenue to truly express myself.  I feel inspired and passionate and I know the road ahead is bright.  I've never been so excited!

Whatever your rare talent is, take it for all it's worth and be a ROCK STAR!

Happy Monday