Five Simple Ways To Change Your Life

What if I told you that ten years from now your life would be exactly the same? Would you be happy? Would your heart be drowning in happiness or the sorrowfulness of regret? Do you find yourself leaning towards the latter (If you don't---girl tell me your secrets~)? Well I even have a bigger question to ask---why do we allow ourselves to regret when we have the choice to LIVE. Why do we struggle to change when we fear that very same remorse? Why do we let time trickle through our fingers as if it was mere sand when in fact we are letting parts of our soul slip by?

Dear dreamer, if you've asked yourself these questions before I may have the answers. It is quite simple really---we all have fallen into a trap. A trap of contentment, a trap of comfortableness, and last but not least a fear of change. At some point in our lives we stopped moving forward and instead we sit at a standstill with a conflicted peacefulness. Whether you have fallen into one of these traps or all three do not fear dreamer, because it is never too late to change---even if we must tiptoe to get there. In gentle ways you can shake and change the world.

1. FIND YOUR TRUE PURPOSE 
Whah, whoa Sylvia I thought you said simple? Well how does 20 minutes sound? Steve Pavlina may have discovered how to answer a question that usually takes us a life time to find right this very moment---that is if you wish to do so. His secret? Follow these three simple steps and you can be one step closer to making all your dreams come true. Seriously, it works. Don't believe me well then why don't you try it out for yourself.

How To Find Your True Purpose In 20 Minutes

1. Take out a blank piece of paper and write across the top:
"What is my true purpose in life?"

2. Write the very first answer that comes to mind

3. Repeat step two until your answer makes you cry

Whichever answer makes you cry is your true purpose.

2. START LOVING YOURSELF
Okay, honey let me break this to you as easy as possible---you only have one body, one face, one soul. One beautiful body. One beautiful face. One beautiful soul. You hating what you see staring back at you in the mirror is only filling that body with a dangerous poison. If you ever find yourself despising the temple that is your body I want you to stand in front of a mirror and repeat "I am beautiful" and name one one thing you like about yourself. It can be as small as the freckles speckled across your face or the one cute dimple you have when you smile. The trick is to say something new everyday. It may feel silly and challenging at first, but push past all of that---until you learn how to love yourself there will always be a disconnect between your body and soul.

3. SPREAD POSITIVITY 
You know the old saying "What goes around comes around"? Well as worn out as that saying is it's TRUE. If you struggle to think positively challenge your state of mind. Take the time to compliment strangers, show gratitude for the loved ones in your, you can even leave little nice notes in random places for people to find. Pay it forward and you will be surprised how quickly the world will change in front of your eyes.

4. BREAK THE CYCLE
We are all guilty of this---getting stuck in a routine. Yes, routines are good sometimes---it means structure and stability. But, every time New Years rolls around the masses of us have prepared a list of things as long as Saint Nicholas's good and naughty list. A list of things we wish to CHANGE. But, does it ever? Do we follow through? Most of us start with good intentions, but before you know it February is here and our New Years resolutions have long gone and put on the shelf to collect dust! So why do so many people fail to complete their resolutions? It's because of one thing---the cycle! They fail to break their precious cycle! That cycle is our security blanket---but if you want change, honey the blanket has to come off and don't wait for New Years to roll around either. Want to read more? Grab a book---any book and read just ONE page every day. Don't go out and buy the Harry Potter series thinking I wonder what the hoobaloo is about these books (which are amazing by the way!) until you can read ONE page a day. Want to start working out? Give me five jumping jacks at every commercial. That hybrid class you were talking about? Every time you have the urge to binge watch Netflix I want you to meditate for five minutes---yeah, that's right get out the zen music. I don't know if you're beginning to see a pattern here---but the trick to breaking your routine is starting off SMALL. I didn't tell you to go out and buy a series of encyclopedias or purchase a gym membership. No, you're just asking yourself to fail---teensy weensy steps first then the BIG stuff comes.

5. CRUSH YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Now don't get crazy ideas I'm not telling you to go in a plane and jump off (although sky diving has always been on my bucket list), because after all this is a list of simple ways to change your life not crazy ways---but if you want a list for crazy I can give that to you too. By crushing your comfort zone I mean I want you to challenge yourself to do something each day that you normally wouldn't, but have always wanted to. Before, you do this I want you to pin point the reason what is stopping you from doing the things you want? Find that reason and crush it! I obviously don't mean physically, but mentally of course---I want you to view that reason with a whole different perspective and try explaining out loud why it is an obstacle in your life. Most of the time you will find it is challenging to explain it aloud to yourself, because it is a fear with strong emotional attachments instead of logic. Ever wanted to show the people in your life more love and gratitude, but found yourself stopping yourself in fear of being misjudged or viewed as being cheesy? Well I dare you today to give your mom a hug at breakfast or tell your best friend she is simply amazing. Scared to talk to new people? Well smile at them instead---you'll be surprised to see that people smile right back! Take tiny mental steps until your "fear" zone is your comfort zone.

Let me ask you this question once more. What if I told you that ten years from now your life would be exactly the same? I hope one day you will be able to answer with a smile and say "Nothing".
Good luck dreamer.

"What if I fall?
"Oh, but my darling what if you fly?" 
                               -e.h.
♡

BBQ + Fireworks | Celebrating

Look at that lens flare~

I am so definitely late to this party, but---Happy Fourth of July! It's pretty sad when you English folks beat me to my own holiday. Yeah, I saw your independence outfits---ya'll were on fire! The American girl might have lost this round, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to invite you to an old fashioned BBQ and some dazzling fireworks! Unfortunately, this is a virtual invitation, but if I could I so would have transported your super rad butts (and the rest of you, of course!) over here to watch the fireworks with me~ Someone pretty please with a baby sea lion on top invent a teleporter! I'm begging you here~

Anyways, teleporters and sea lions aside---off to the festivities we go! My family and I decided to fire up the grill this year for some good ol' mean BBQ~ Fun story behind the BBQ: My dad and I stayed up all the night before assembling the grill. While my inner tomboy was grinning from ear to ear my father and I paid the Florida price---mosquito bites. Well I should say I paid the price, because my father miraculously didn't get a SINGLE bite. Not a single one! Me on the other hand. . .has the welts the size of baby eggs all over my legs. I have no idea how this exactly was "fun" story and in fact maybe it really grossed you out, but I felt you all needed to know my mosquito pain. I'm getting side tracked aren't I. . .

Oh, yeah the BBQ! I have a huge family (there's a total of SIX of us~) so every time we cook it results in a feast. We had kabobs, burgers, chicken, shrimp---all dat' good stuff~ We actually still have leftovers in the fridge! Sorry, I didn't take more food photos I got hungry and couldn't wait anymore! That probably explains why I suck at Instagram so much. . .

I think I've talked enough about food for one day haven't I? I bet your tummies are grumbling! Now you're probably wondering why I have no outfit posts or at least a candid shot of the family. Or maybe you're not---but I'm going to tell you anyways! Well, unfortunately right after the BBQ we got rained out. You had to see the sky! If I didn't know any better I would have thought it was night---the sky was that black! Summer thunderstorms can just be the worst. We were forced to become couch potatoes for the day---I swear it was the sky's fault! 

Thankfully, the storms cleared up and we headed to the city center that hosts the firework show every year. Before we talk about anything else can we please marvel at the perfect firework shot I was able to capture. That lens flare is just everything~ Anyways, I feel like many Americans including myself forget that Fourth of July is about celebrating our independence and not about pretty lights in the sky and good food. Uh, hello I'm about to become a bald eagle up in here and light up this place with my freedom! Joking aside it really is nice to gather with the community and celebrate such a holiday and its amazing in itself that we even have our independence to celebrate. We truly are blessed! 

What do you do on the Fourth of July? I was really surprised to see that people outside of America acknowledge the holiday and I would love to hear what you all do? Even if you just eat a slice of pie I won't judge you~ I promise!

♥

Beach Day

One day jet skis! One day!

The other day my family and I headed out to the beach to soak some sun! Unfortunately, when we arrived the beach was closed due to high tide, but that definitely didn't stop us from sneaking on the sandy grounds. Shhh don't tell anyone, okay? I know. . .I'm a rebel *sneaky smile*~ Actually to be frank my 'rebel' ways are quite the opposite. To get to the beach we had to jump from a hotel's parking area which was a bit of drop between us and the soft sand. My little sisters gladly took the leap like the warriors they are. One of them even slid down the railing like they do in the movies! Isn't she the little showoff?  Me on the other hand got stuck and clinged to the stairway railing for dear life until my dad rescued my puny chicken legs. Let me tell you I still haven't heard the end of that one. . .

Our sneaky efforts were at a loss though. It was so horrendously windy I could barely stand up straight to snap a photo. And let me tell you windswept hair does not look like anything like it does in the movies. Why the false hopes Hollywood?! Why?! Not to mention there were jellyfish everywhere and I was definitely not prepared to get stung by those pretty little buggers. So much of our time was spent sitting down admiring the ocean waters and chucking sand at each other. So maybe having the beach to ourselves wasn't exactly what we imagined, but hey family quality time is still family quality time even if your sister decides to kick sand in your eye, right? 

Do you like the beach? What kind of funny adventures do you and your family get into? 

p.s. By the way I would like to thank any of you lovelies who commented on my last post! It means so much that anyone would take the time out of their day to read my thoughts. I know this blog sometimes may be all over the place with beauty, fashion, lifestyle, or whatever else may be in my mind, but it means the world to me to share it with all of you and I hope you stick around for a while~

♥