dream big

A few days ago I was thinking about the prompt: DREAM BIG

So, I'm a huge planner/goal setter. Not saying that I am good at sticking with them. No. But I love the feeling of having something to work towards.

A few semesters back I was re-reading The Secret and The Success Principles and I decided to make a Dream Box. Inside I put pictures of things that I wanted to have, do, or be. I have pictures in there of everything from a pair of TOMS to a a gondola in Venice.I even have trinkets of things like business cards and foreign coins that remind me of things I want as well.

 

I hadn't looked in that dream box for quite a while and I was only reminded of it once I read that days prompt. So I decided to open it up and have a look. A few things had actually come into my life, which I thought was really cool but the best part was that I had forgotten I had put $30 in there to remind me even when situations might be dire financially, things always work out. You don't know how much I needed that $30. What a blessing. 

What I gained from this is that, dreaming big doesn't have to be elaborate. Even our small dreams have a way of making life wonderful. So don't forget to make goals and dreams, you'll never know when you'll need them.

just give me a reason

I seriously cant stop jamming out to this song. 

Cant.... stop.....

have fun

This last weekend's purpose was: HAVE FUN

I know that sounds super simple but, at times it was actually quite difficult. Last week was super busy for me because of classes, work, and other projects and even though I had the prompt in mind, I found it hard to have fun while not feeling like I have time to do so. 

I find that I struggle with that in life. I need to be more apt to seeing the fun in the day to day or I'll be always focused on the weekends that tend to pass too quickly anyways. 

I also realized through trial and error what is actually fun and is not for me. A few friends and I went to a techno concert this last Friday and it was fun. Just not quite the kind of fun I'm into anymore. Back when I was first out of high school, something like that would've been the highlight of my year but now, even though the music was awesome and the people were so very nice, I don't think it's really my scene. 

(Sara, Kyle, and I at ABOVE & BEYOND concert)

On Saturday there was an open mic night at the Compound (two houses across from Hukilau Beach with a fire pit in the lawn in between them) and afterward we had a group over to watch "Taken" cuz Jodo and a few others have never seen it, which of course needed to be fixed. It was such a blast. I love music, especially when people I know are playing/singing, and I love movies. So that, to me, was fun. 

Speaking of FUN I thought we could listen to a little bit of it:

laugh/dance for no reason

Yesterdays purpose was: LAUGH OUT LOUD
and todays was: DANCE FOR NO REASON

Both of these are pretty self explanatory but I had kind of a hard time with both of them. I'm not the type of person that really wants to stand out at all, I completely fine with sitting back and letting others have the attention. Therefore I've never wanted to be the type of person that laughs all the time or feels the need to bust out in random dance moves that make people feel uncomfortable. But after thinking about it a bit, these are not prompting me to try and pretend like I'm a wild and crazy person, they are to make me realize that life is fun. 

If I feel the need to laugh, I should laugh. If I feel the need to bust out a crazy dance move, I should dance. Not for attention but for me. Plus both being expressions of happiness and joy, lift my heart just a little bit each time. 

Here's a little something that makes me laugh

... and here's a little something that makes me want to dance

it aint paradise

Last night I performed at Open Mic for the first time in my life. I was so super nervous. 

My friend James joined me, and helped me turn my original song into awesomeness with his impromptu lyrical skills. 

Here is just a clip of it. Now, no making fun ;)

embrace authenticity

Todays focus: EMBRACE AUTHENTICITY

Now, no judging, but I have to look up the word 'authenticity' in the dictionary to understand a little bit  more. In there it says that authenticity is something that is genuine, something that is not a copy or fake. 

There are not many things in life that are truly authentic, things throughout time have progressed and developed to the state that they are now. Take technology for example, back in the day people had to write letters to each other that were delivered on foot which could take months just to say hello. Whereas now we have the happenings of other people's lives in our faces all the time with email, cell phones, and social media. 

But I think this focus was perfect for a Sunday, because what is more authentic than our Savior, Jesus Christ? In a world where authenticity is hard to find, I know that he can be our rock and our foundation. 

Just the other day, my roommates were talking a woman who had attempted to restore an old painting of Jesus Christ. I don't know what she was thinking when she did it, but it went horribly wrong and turned into, what is now called, the monkey Jesus. 

Now, people all over the world are making fun and making light of this painting. But, to me, it's just sad. Why must we feel like everything needs to be made new and improved. Though the original painting was damaged and worn, it was absolutely beautiful. 

I think that's what is meant by embracing authenticity. It's being appreciative of the wonderful things people before us have left behind, it is recognizing the genuine efforts of the people around us, and it's stopping for just a minute, without the hustle and bustle of today's world, and being thankful for all the beauty around us.  

celebrate life

I know I've posted this picture before but I absolutely love it. The other day my friend James was trying to describe me and the word "hippie" didnt quite do me justice so he settled on "free spirit"... 

and I kinda like it. :)

So, in order to live up to the expectations that have now been placed upon me I've decided to follow this How To. It's like the epitome of good advice. 

And its the perfect time to start thinking a little bit differently. 

I'm at a point in my life where I feel like I have no clue about what's to come, I graduate in April, finish up classes in June (maybe August) and then ... who knows what. There's a quote I found on Pinterest the other day that says: "When nothing is certain, anything is possible."

I'm going to figure out what's my possible. 

Today's focus was: CELEBRATE LIFE

You know what I did to celebrate life? I slept in, skipped class, decorated my walls with pictures and Cambodian scarves, read a book on the beach and made Oreo Truffles :)

Maybe not exactly what they had in mind... but then again maybe it was. Life is about loving where you're at and making the day-to-day monotony interesting. Therefore... HAPPY ALOHA FRIDAY! lets all forget our responsibilities and have some FUN.

Here's a little jam to get the weekend started.  

(Wait until you get to 1:45... so awesome!)