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: Good At Heart

I do.  Like really.  I think that we can all be influenced at one time or another to believe, behave, or just be a less than ideal version of ourselves.  But amongst it all, I think kindness and goodness lies within the roots of each and every individual.  We may act out of fear or worry or just plain confusion on occasion, but when it really comes down to it, I believe we have a true desire for goodness.

As I move along in my life and have the pleasure of building new relationships with fascinating people, I have realized just how truly generous human nature can be.  The desire to help others achieve their goals, to wish happiness on those around us, and to support each and every person as we'd hope to be supported.  I am constantly reminded of this by the wonderful people I call my friends, and even those I have never met.  We are all guilty of becoming jaded or selfish at times, but I don't think it ever stems from an evil place.  I wake up every day excited to be alive and eager to learn more about myself and all the wonderful people whose paths I am privileged to cross.  I think that if we all can look deep down and recognize that there is true goodness within each soul, then the world will prove to be an even more beautiful place to live.

Now Be Good.

MONDivation: Dreams Work When We Do

I probably have a collection of at least 30 quotes and images that say some version of the same thing.  To sum them all up, we must take action towards what we want if we truly expect for our dreams to come true.  Goals must be achieved or they won't mean much to you at all.  We must work for what we want rather than sitting around and waiting for that lucky day to come upon us.  If we don't move forward, we're always in the same place. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But it is true.  Every single version of this statement, no matter how it is phrased, talks about putting our goals into action.  Making the necessary moves or taking the crucial steps that will draw us one step closer to the goals we set for ourselves.

I have, of course, been guilty of sitting around and waiting for things to happen, but as I get older and learn from my experiences, I learn each day that we can't wait for anything or anyone to call us up, offer us our dreams, or sweep us off our feet... without putting in some form of legwork in the meantime.  I've quickly learned that if I want something to happen, then I need to take the necessary steps in the direction of that dream.  Oftentimes, the universe finds a way of helping us out along the path and drawing the right people to us.  From what I know so far, as long as we take a few tiny steps each day, we can really only be moving forward!

MONDivation

Lately I have been even happier than usual and I am almost positive that part of the reason for this is that I have been using my blog as a creative outlet.  I have been making a lot of my ideas come to life and have been noticing along the way that it brings me so much happiness to do so.

I put off launching my blog for a while.  I was so focused on quality and putting out the "perfect" content, that it ultimately hindered me from doing anything at all.  I changed my thinking and instead went into this telling myself that it didn't matter if nobody was reading what I posted, that it was a great creative outlet for me and to value it for that first and foremost.  I don't think I realized just how important that was or how much joy it would bring me, but I am certainly realizing it now.

If I can bring some of my strange ideas to life and make people laugh (at or with me, no preference) then I have achieved one of my greatest personal joys.  Making this weeks Sunday Worship video about Flamin' Hot Cheetos was a huge task but I cannot begin to explain the amount of happiness I felt when it was all said and done and I could share my creativity with those around me.  Please check it out if you need a good laugh!

http://danikabrysha.com/sunday-worship-flamin-hot-cheetos/

Have an inspired and creative week!

MONDivation

One of my friends, Dustin Farivar, was in town for a day this week and as usual I learned more from him in a few hours then I usually do in weeks.  He has taught me so much regarding social media, branding, and building relationships, and is no doubt somebody to pay close attention to.  I wake up daily to an inspirational "morning quote" in my email box and usually a few articles that are relevant to my goals and interests.  One of the many things we discussed during this most recent visit was the idea of setting goals for ourselves and knowing where we want to end up, even if we have no idea how we will get there.  I truly believe that if we want something badly enough, and we put it out into the universe, that we will both subconsciously and consciously do whatever it takes to move closer to that goal.  Dustin compared it to a GPS system.  We have to know where we specifically want to end up but we don't have to know exactly how to get there.  There are many different routes we can take, some longer than others, but they all will eventually get us there if we know where it is we would like to be.

I've been very fortunate in life but there have certainly been many times where the odds were far from being in my favor and I somehow beat them anyways.  Just because something hasn't been done before, doesn't mean it can't be done.  In my opinion, it actually makes it more appealing to achieve.

I have wonderful parents who taught me that I could be anything I wanted in life and I credit them for the amount of drive and passion I have today in whatever it is I am doing.  No matter how many people are telling you that you can't do something, always remember that if you want something badly enough, your opportunities are endless.  The only person that needs to believe in your success is you!

I hope everybody had a great weekend and that you spend this week beating the odds!

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

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