Now.

The past is the past. All that exists is the present moment, and the only thing we can change is the moment we are living.

But the past at one point was the present; it did exist. It now occupies our mind with valuable insights, lessons learned. These can serve us, as well as others, in the future; to learn and move on from here. I definitely have my fair share of experiences-a combination of mistakes and challenges that could maybe help someone going through similar obstacles.

My nieces and nephew are what I think of most when writing something like this. I think about myself growing up, wasting my years away focusing on the future that was years and years away and not living in the moment. Always wondering about the “what ifs” and “someday” instead of focusing on what was essential in that very day. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes that I did, I want them to life a fuller live earlier on than I did. I want to teach them first hand, share those special moments and inspire them to live in the moment and never be afraid of challenges that will lie ahead.

 

I know that making mistakes is essential in learning the way of life, necessary for them to grow strong and self-sufficient. I am okay with that; I am looking forward to guiding them through struggles if they decide to come to me for help. I can help improve their lives by implanting in them what I know now; holding their hand every step of the way.

This blog goes out to the fact that YOU can create real change in the world right now, if you decide to. Don’t let others convince you that you can’t make a difference- whether in your own personal life or the lives of others around you.

Take a second to look around you and you’ll find more than your fair share of stories of life- transformations and self- realization. I feel lucky that I stumbled upon a more conscious path myself and was able to change for the better. 

A quick note on Regret:

It is natural to look back on our lives and think, “I wish I had known that back then.” But this can sometimes lead to a strong sense of regret, a time where we persuade ourselves that we’ve somehow “wasted” our lives up until then. Regrets come from a deep place within our own insecurities; we question our own self-worth. Once we overcome these insecurities and stop feeding into them, we won’t have regrets- we are confident in who we are and the decisions that we make. Together we have to break the cycle- It’s your life that’s at stake- you don’t want to look back in another 20 years and have even more regrets, do you? 

So I dedicate this to anyone who is restarting their lives or for someone who is learning to live for NOW. 

1. The world is open to you- 

This is probably the most essential point.  You can open a business, you can be a brain surgeon, you can travel, and you can even write a beauty blog if that’s what you dream of. You can do anything that you set your mind to. You can do so much more than just go to college, get a basic degree and work 9-5 for the rest of your life. This is truer today than ever before. It may not always be crystal clear how you can make these dreams happen, but if you get creative enough you can find a way to follow whichever path you choose. Don’t give up. The limits are endless- the world is your playground.

2. Value your friendships-

 I always appreciated the friendships around me; always. It is not easy to find a genuine good friend, but when you do, hold onto them for dear life. Treat your friends like family, and above all else do not hesitate to let them know how much they mean to you.

3. Don't stop living because of someone else- 

I see it time and time again: two people would get together and they'd stop all personal goals and basically all of their dreams. They would literally stop being themselves. Many of them distant themselves from their friends; the most important people. This will always result badly; even if the two people stay together. Don't lose yourself in someone else; don't be a fool for love. 

4. Be careful who you take advice from- 

A lot of people will try, but you need to be cautious of who you listen to; especially for important life decisions. Everyone has an opinion and a lot of people will think their opinion is the right or best one. Do some research, see if the advice makes sense, and see if it’s what makes you happy- can you benefit from it? Don’t act while angry; step back from the situation, cool off. You don’t want to regret saying things you don’t truly mean. You are better than that. 

5. The young life is temporary-

I spent what felt like my whole 23 years worrying about growing up and my future. I craved being an adult just so that I could get married and have my own family and again; I rushed through my youth years because of it. I imagined and fantasized about this "perfect" life and where has it gotten me? Enjoy every single day that is responsibility free! Before you know it you will have car payments, insurance payments, credit card bills and insurance to pay for. Trust me, growing up has its perks but it isn't what I imagined it to be. 

6. Let go-

Don't hold grudges, apologize, be the bigger person. Life is far too short to dwell on silly arguments that truly meant nothing. Do we really care that we weren't invited to go out that one night? NO. What is the point; you are wasting your energy avoiding people and staying angry is creating more stress for yourself. Why waste time away from people you love for something so petty. Be an adult; move on. Let it go. 

7. Appreciate the struggles- 

Don’t run from things that challenge you. If it weren’t for them you wouldn’t be able to find peace and wouldn’t even know what joy was. It’s like you can’t be at peace unless you have pain and suffering- everything in life has an opposite parallel with something else. You don’t need to erase the challenges in your life to find peace and happiness; in fact you couldn’t if you tried. You simply need to learn how to live with those challenges and transform them into positives.

8. TRUST yourself-

Imagine that you have an internal GPS system. The GPS keeps you on track, forward on the direction that YOU set for yourself. You make a wrong turn and the GPS is going to go haywire and start telling you different directions to go; your going to get flustered and disoriented; you just want to get back on track. Your GPS will eventually re-calibrate and set you back on your track. TRUST in yourself and your dreams. Yes; we are going to get sidetracked and life will get tough. I question myself everyday and I still wonder what I want to do when I grow up-- but I trust that I am on the right track. YOU are in control of where your GPS takes you, no one else can punch in that final destination but yourself. 

9. Live simply-

I don't mean necessarily move to the mountains and live off the land or anything, but I do mean to control your relationship with technology. I admit first hand I am addicted to social media; and YES I mean addicted. You try and go 2 hours, hell even 1 hour without refreshing your twitter feed. This is a serious problem that we all have and I am going to really try and work on it. I want to feel more connected to physical relationships, stay connected with nature and slow down. We are too busy going a mile a minute; lets quiet our minds. Focus on what is really important. 

10. Lower your expectations-

Life isn't like The Notebook; that isn't real life. Things don't happen like that in real life and unfortunately we expect them too. I am a hopeless romantic; I believe in a true gentleman (a country gentleman) but I have came to the understand I will never find EXACTLY what I am looking for. It is just in my imagination. Not only when it comes to love but in the workplace, your social life.. everything. Lower what you expect from others but never settle for less than you deserve. THAT is the key- don't settle just because it is "all you can get", be patient. Timing is everything. 

11. Be yourself-

I am weird. I am 110% confident in how weirdly funny that I am. Don't you ever change who you are just to make someone happy. The world is huge; I bet there is someone out there looking for someone like YOU and all of your weirdness. 

12. Make someones day-  

People feel invisible sometimes. Maybe it has been a while since someone gave them a hello, eye contact, or even just a smile. It is not hard to cheer someone up just by acknowledging them with a smile. That is all it takes and you can see their eyes light up; so happy, no longer invisible. I do it because I see someone who needs it more than anything I need at that very moment. 

So get out there and live. Live today; live in this exact moment. You will learn that life isn't really that bad, it is beautiful out there... open your eyes and see it, capture it. Breathe it all in and take advantage of every minute we have here. The moment we are sharing right now; with me writing this and you reading it is complete peace. Think about it. 

Take a deep breathe, close your eyes and let go of the past.