Tag: life

  • Interview With My Idols

    Interview With My Idols

    For my interview piece I wanted to talk to some people who I take inspiration from everyday because of their unwavering resilience, love, and passion for life. These people inspire my creativity, push me to be my best self, and are always there for the people they care about. I trust their truths and opinions and know that they can always be real with me, even when I don’t want them to. If it weren’t for these women being there for me while I go through this transitional period of adulthood, there is no way I would even be here right now. I introduce you all, to my best friends. 

    First is Giselle, a Virgo from Sheridan, Oregon. We met because of a mutual friend. Our friendship was a slow burn, but once we were past that surface level friendship her personality was magnetizing. She is really great at giving advice and being truthful and upfront when you most need it. She is currently working towards her license in dental hygiene and her hard work makes her personality ambitious and authentic. 

    Next is Alyssa, a Leo from Portland, Oregon, whose friendship I did not ever expect to be a part of my life. We were teammates in highschool but that was only about as far as our friendship got then, but we reconnected when I started my first year at the UO. She was there for many of my college firsts and continued to be until last year when she graduated. She has a fiery personality and is always down for a good time. She just moved to a brand new city halfway across the country, and has shown me the importance of being open to new people and experiences. 

    Lastly is one of my oldest friendships, Riana, a Virgo from Hillsboro, Oregon. We have been friends since highschool, but since we became roommates our first year of college we have become inseparable. This woman has experienced things I could never imagine going through making her one of the strongest and most resilient people I know. She’s endured many excruciating circumstances and still continues to be one of the most kind and cheerful people I know.  

    I hope you enjoy and trust their opinion as much as I do. All three of these girls have gone through experiences that others couldn’t even imagine while only being in their early twenties. Today, I talk to them about their experience going into adulthood and their advice for other women going through the same. 

    1. What do your 20’s mean to you? 

    Giselle– My 20s to me means making mistakes, learning, growing and trying new things.

    Alyssa– To me, my 20’s have meant learning how to slow down and be okay with not knowing. I feel like a lot of pressure and uncertainty comes with being in your 20’s in regard to decision making during this transition into adulthood. I think it’s a period that at times will feel really uncomfortable or really exciting, but quite often will feel like both at the same time.

    Riana– To me my 20’s means to experience life to its fullest and find what brings you happiness. This is the time where you should start to feel like there’s something you want to focus on or something you want to pursue. I think that in your 20s it’s the time for you to have the most fun and enjoy life to the fullest. Your 20’s is where you find yourself, your friends, and maybe even your soulmate.

    1. During this decade, what do you hope to achieve?

    Giselle– During this decade I hope to graduate and become a registered dental hygienist, have a weenie dog or two, own a new car, maybe own a home and have at least one goat.

    Alyssa– During this decade, I hope to try tons of new things and take advantage of opportunities that may be out of my comfort zone. I want to continue to learn about myself, my interests and the things that make me feel fulfilled with my life. I hope to allow future me to be able to look back on this decade as one full of experiences. 

    Riana– During this decade I will set goals for my future and work on achieving those goals. I want to be able to find a steady career that I genuinely enjoy and want to go to. I hope that I am able to find pure happiness in my life and set dreams that I would never have thought about before. I hope that I can achieve personal growth with each year that comes and I can withstand all of the negativity from our world. 

    Alyssa, Riana and I’s first football game together.
    1. Give a review for how your 20’s are going so far.

    Giselle– So far my 20’s have not been what I expected but I’m motivated. 

    Alyssa- If I had one word to describe how my 20’s are going so far I would say unpredictable, although neither in a good or bad way. A year ago I was in college with my best friends and still able to push the idea that it would all eventually come to end in the back of my mind. On the other hand, post grad felt much like a sink or swim situation as I finally came to understand how different things were really going to be. Although scary, navigating through such drastic changes has also shown me that I have so much freedom which has been fun to figure out what I want to do with it.

    Riana– I feel as if the past 2 years have been eventful and exciting. I have learned so much in these past 2 years especially with being in college and having different experiences with friends and family. I think while being in my 20’s and as I keep getting a year older I realize how scary the real world is going to be and how hard the government is trying to make it for women to experience life to their full potential. 

    Our most recent excursion to The Gorge.
    1. What advice do you have for other women entering their 20’s?

    Giselle– Do things for the plot but don’t be entirely stupid.

    Alyssa– My best advice for women entering their 20’s would be to remember that things don’t always work out and that is okay! Life in your 20’s changes so much and so fast, it’s okay to not know what’s next. I would always advise to try things at least once and if you end up hating it you are nothing but one step closer to finding your path and what’s right for you. I think the most important part of being in your 20’s is your happiness and if that happens to look much different from the life you may have imagined for yourself in your teens, who cares!

    Riana– My advice for women in their 20s is to not give up and keep pushing, things are going to be challenging and feel scary but the hardest part is to allow yourself to fail and keep going. There will be many times where you feel like giving up or things aren’t working out but I would advise to just let go and focus on your friends, family and things will fall into your lap. My main piece of advice for women entering their 20s is to not focus too hard on finding love or finding a partner but spend time focusing on yourself and your own self love and then love from another individual will come at the right time. 

  • My Keys to Happiness

    My Keys to Happiness

    Happiness is simple. Genuinely. And I think I’ve figured out the code to it. 

    There’s things I do everyday, things I’m working on over-time, and things I tell myself everyday to ensure my own happiness. 

    My everyday things:

    • Routine: Having a morning and night routine ensures I’m getting all of the things that make me happy, done. For example I always make sure I have time for the gym, have my meals planned out, and I always make sure I have time to get myself ready for the day in the morning, and unready at night. A while before bed I put my phone on Do Not Disturb, and don’t go on it until the next morning, and when I get under the covers I will read some of my book or write in my journal. 
    • Limiting social media: You don’t have to make a huge shift and delete the apps all together, but start small. For me, I’ve put a screen timer of four hours on my social apps and I’ve noticed that I rarely hit that time, allowing me to make my limit shorter. By limiting my screen time it’s allowed more time for me to do things that actually fulfill me. When I have bad days of constant scrolling I notice the detrimental effects it has on my mental health which motivates me to abide by that limit. 
    • Movement and sunlight: Which is exactly what it sounds like, everyday I make time to move my body; whether it’s by something intense like weightlifting, or something a bit lighter like a walk. Either way, movement ensures that I’m helping myself to stay fit and releasing those endorphins. Also being out in nature or in the sun in some way is also essential to feeling grounded to mother nature. I’m a big nature person so this is essential to my everyday life. 

    What I’m working on:

    • Self-appearance: Being content with the way I look is something I feel everyday, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t think I couldn’t look better. I am already confident in the way that I am, but I know I could be more confident if I worked on myself in some ways physically. Some ways I’ve been working on my appearance is by weight lifting, having a skincare routine, learning how to do better makeup, and figuring out my style. I also enjoy the fact that with this approach it is a way for me to get creative with myself. 
    • Self-identity: With the rise of social media, I believe that knowing yourself and being unique to that has become a rare trait. To avoid that I’ve committed myself to learning about myself. I try new things, read, practice mindfulness, journal, and overall make time for myself. 
    Playing around with different makeup looks helps me express myself

    Mantras I tell myself everyday:

    • It’s okay to mess up
    • I constantly grow
    • I can make it
    • I am capable
    • I have everything I need at my fingertips
    • Everything (especially money) always comes back around
    Buy yourself the flowers. Every. Time.

    I hope that these tips can help you on your journey to achieving your own happiness. Remember to take things day by day, and that this process cannot be rushed. While on this journey please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help. Love and happiness to all.

  • Being Your Own Significant Other

    Being Your Own Significant Other

    If you aren’t comfortable spending time with yourself that’s a problem.

    If you constantly need to be filling your time with other people or with substances like social media, that’s a problem.

    Being able to sit with yourself and your own company should be the most satisfying, fulfilling and rejuvenating time. Spending time with yourself is essential to restoring your own energy. If you can’t be comfortable in your own presence, I need you to get comfortable in the discomfort and learn to find support within yourself. 

    Think of your dream significant other. What do they do for you? How do they treat you? How do they talk to you? And become that for yourself. If you can’t be the best version of yourself FOR yourself, how can you expect to find that person who will also add that same value and more to your life? Otherwise you’ll just be grasping at weeds trying to make a garden that will never happen. 

    This is why our current generation is so content with the “situationship” mindset because we haven’t been told that we need to be better for ourselves first. If we aren’t meeting the standards that we set for ourselves it makes it so easy for us to accept when others also don’t meet our standards, which is why we end up letting them into our lives which they tornado through and end up wrecking. 

    Me crying over a past “situationship”

    Once you start to do these things for yourself and treat yourself that way, finding someone who meets or doesn’t meet your standards becomes much easier because you are already used to that type of treatment so you can easily weed them out. And in the meantime whether you’re looking for that person or not you still have yourself. Your own person should be your biggest priority and biggest comfort. 

    I do things daily that help me find comfort within myself and they all stem from what makes me happy and help me feel fulfilled, and none of my hobbies benefit other people, only me. 

    For example, when I want to relax I will journal or read. If I need some grounding, I will meditate. If I wanna feel strong or accomplished, I will exercise. If I want to enjoy my presence in nature, I will go on a walk. If I want to appreciate myself, I will buy myself flowers or treat myself to dinner. 

    Do you see the pattern? When I want to appreciate myself my hobbies include doing things that  when done with a significant other are considered a ‘date’ or are what we would expect a significant other to do for us. So start showing up for yourself and continue to do so. Every. Single. Day. 

    If you need some ideas on ways to take yourself out, read this list of 99 options: 99 Solo Date Ideas- The Good Trade

    If you want some more help practicing self love/care, take a look at this article: How to Actually Practice Self-Love- Wondermind