On Strength and Feelings

I recently read something that I found rather upsetting. It was a quote about the strongest people being the ones who don't show their emotions to the world, and I just wanted to say, I don't think that's true.

Call me cliche, but I believe there is an admirable amount of strength in being able to show people how you feel. Being able to cry your loudest, laugh your hardest, and speak out when something is upsetting you? There's something about that that says strength to me.

I'd also like to point out that I am getting mixed messages here. I've always been told, "be yourself" and "change for no one." But now I'm seeing messages that say to hide my feelings because it makes me strong. I can't help but wonder if people can really "be themselves" if they can't express their feelings for fear of looking weak.

The point I'm trying to make is that everybody has feelings. I'm not saying to hide behind them, but I think it might do the world some good if we stopped hiding from them.

On Lighting Other Candles

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." - James Keller

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "the greatest gift is a portion of thyself." Now, while I'm assuming that he's talking about love and giving your heart to someone, I'm going to put this into another context, and that is simply helping others.

Recently, I've noticed that I have a passion for motivating people. This "lighting another candle" thing... It really rings true with me, in the sense that when I feel like I'm helping someone else, like I'm inspiring them or motivating them, I'm also motivating myself. I lose nothing, and in fact, I often feel like I'm burning brighter. I feel energized and I feel like I want to keep going and work harder so that the people around me have something to be inspired and motivated by.

I think, perhaps, Emerson was right in saying that the greatest gift is a part of yourself. But that doesn't mean that you have to lose that part of yourself. I think you can easily give someone your drive, your dedication, and it's also a gift to yourself, because as a result, you feel more driven and more dedicated.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is, go forth and light other candles. What have you got to lose?

On Homemade Happiness

I don't have a whole lot to say today, I just wanted you all to think about this. It was a sticker on the wall at my Dad's place;

"Happiness is homemade."

This has been one of my favorite quotes since I read it four days ago, and I think, despite being only three words long, it offers a lot to think about. We make our own happiness, and I think that's a responsibility a lot of people kind of neglect - which is a real shame. Everyone deserves happiness, but we have to realize that how happy we are, often depends on how happy we're willing to make ourselves.

So, don't forget to treat yourself right.

Thanks for reading! <3

On The Little Things

Why do we stop being fascinated by the little things?

A couple of weeks ago, I was heading back to work after my lunch break, and I saw this child being pushed down the path in a stroller by his mother. A bird flew across the path in front of him and he had this look of excitement that I've never seen on the face of an adult. I couldn't help but wonder when the last time I experienced something so simple and enjoyed it so much was.

So I gave myself a mission.

I am determined to enjoy the simple things from now on. As often as it's said and as cliche as it sounds, we get one life to live, and I plan to squeeze out of it every ounce of happiness that I possibly can. I refuse to let my perspective on life be anything less than extraordinary.

Some things that I've noticed since taking note of little things:

1. Sometimes insects are too big to gracefully land on a flower and it is hilarious to watch a clover bend beneath a plump bumblebee.

2. Birds are everywhere and are actually amazing, beautiful creatures.

3. I have no shame in using my puppy voice in front of any number of bystanders (who often don't speak much of my language).

4. A sticky note can work wonders when it comes to brightening your day. (Further explanation: I have a sticky note above my mirror which says "Someone out there thinks you are beautiful." My best friend came over, and when I wasn't looking, crossed out "Someone out there" and replaced it with her name. When I finally noticed, I couldn't help but laugh. I left it up, because it makes me smile every time I see it.)

5. The people you surround yourself with are incredibly influential on your happiness. Surrounding yourself with negativity clouds up your perspective and affects the way you view things.

I encourage you to take a look at things in a different light, even if it's just once in a while, and think about how amazing this life really is. If you do, let me know what you come up with - I'd love to hear about your new perspective! After all, we only get one shot at this life. Don't settle for mediocre.

On My Learning Experience

I have studied abroad in the Netherlands for the last 11 months (for those of you who don't know, I'm from Canada), and over that time, I'd like to think I've learned at least a few important life skills and lessons. Because I am addicted to the internet, and also because I haven't posted anything on here in approximately a century, I've decided to share some of the things I've learned with you here.

1. I love starting over. Between August 31st, 2013, and now, July of 2014, I have reinvented myself about a million times. I've changed my way of thinking, and my outlook on life, and the way I interact with people. There are few things more satisfying in life than becoming the person you want yourself to be, and while I'm not quite there yet, each time I make a change for myself, I get a little closer than I've ever been.

2. I hate endings. As much as I love starting over, I'll always have bittersweet feelings about things coming to a close. I'm horrible at goodbyes (as some of you may know), and as much as I am an advocate for feeling everything and experiencing pain as well as sadness, it still kills me to say goodbye to the friends and important people that I've met over the past year. I get attached to people easily, and even when I know the end is coming, sometimes I will still cry for four hours when saying goodbye to someone I really, truly cared about... Not that that's happened recently. *cough*

3. Exercise is, like, really important. I started taking running a little more seriously back in April, and I have never felt better. I got to do the Color Run in Amsterdam with my best friend +Kayla Wolfe back on May 31st, and it was a great experience. I know not everyone is into running, but even 15 minutes of yoga is great. I just need to clear my head sometimes and exercise is such a great outlet.

4. You can open a beer bottle with pretty much anything. Seriously. Some of the things I have used to open bottles this year include keys, countertops, a picnic bench, my teeth, and a spoon.

5. It is so worth it to be passionate about things. As someone who has had to say goodbye more times than I'd like to remember over the past year, it would be easy for me to develop the mindset of "if I don't care about them, it won't hurt when we say goodbye." However, I don't like that mindset. I think some parts of life have to be hard, because that's what proves the other parts are worth it. I would rather be heartbroken and know that I cared about my friends and loved ones to the fullest, than go through life knowing that I made some acquaintances and Facebook friends. Caring about things is what gets me out of bed in the morning, and it's the reason I enjoy life so much, and if that means that I cry when I say goodbye, then so be it. Worth it.

So there you have it. Some things I've learned while studying in the Netherlands. Now get out there and care about things.

PS - Please don't break your teeth on a bottle(cap).

PPS - Happy birthday to my Dad. See you soon! <3

On Feels

Hey guys! I just thought I'd give you a quick update, considering I haven't done that (or anything) on here in a while.

So I've started my internship here in the Netherlands, and I'm loving it. I get to work with social media and Google Analytics and statistics and all the fun things that I love but nobody else seems to. It's been a really good experience so far and I'm excited to be doing this for the next nine weeks!

In kind of related news, I bought my plane ticket home from the Netherlands the other day. I'll be back in Canada mid-July, which is already bittersweet. I've made so many lifelong friends here in Europe, and I'll be so sad to leave. On the other hand, my lifelong family is home in Canada, and I do miss them and I'm excited to see them again. I'm putting some serious thought into coming back to Europe some day though, maybe a little more permanently...

In completely unrelated news, tonight is a good day to be updating this. I don't know if you guys know this (but at this point, you probably do) but I've been following Sean Plott (AKA Day[9]) for quite some time, and today I tweeted "In the words of @Day9TV I'm feeling more ninja stars than kittens today. #Rough" and he responded, telling me to "Hang in there!  You got this!" which is almost definitely not exciting to you guys but is definitely a big deal to me. (Side note: watch this video to understand the reference in my tweet - worth watching because Day[9] is incredible.)

Finally, I don't know how many of you are gamers or like watching people playing games, but I wanted to let you guys know that my little brother started streaming World of Warcraft on Twitch. You can check out his channel here. He's adorable and he loves to play, so check him out if you're into that!

That's pretty much all I've got for you guys right now. Thank you so much for reading, I love you guys! <3

On Serenity

If I were asked to represent the word "serene," I would roll out the grass around me and litter it with the daisies and buttercups that surround me. I would carve out that nearly-uprooted tree that somehow, even horizontal, still grows leaves beside me. I would pour the hazel water into the pond in front of me and I would cage it in with long, soft cattails, just as nature has. I would beam down like the sun in his sapphire sky, and I would whisper, like the gentle breeze, through the trees and flowers and grass and whatever else would listen, and it would be your name on my lips.