Monday, September 29, 2014

☺ Motivational Mondays! ☺


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We're taking back Mondays!!!
"Motivational Mondays" are fabulous tips to get you excited and pumped for the week! 
Feeling low? Moody? Down on life? Well, that's what these posts are for! Time to feel awesome again and get some Positivity rolling! Just because it's Monday doesn't mean you can't have fun, smile, and enjoy Today! Apply these tips to your week and try to tell me that you don't start to see an improvement in your life! ;)
It's all about You! Change your perception, change your attitude, love your life! xo

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Wooohoo! It's Monday! Happy Happy Happy Monday!! 

Law of Attraction Tip: Pay attention to what is reoccurring in your life, what is present currently--for both the highs and the lows. Those are the things you talk and/or complain about the most, that is why they show up in your life. If there is a lack in your life in some area, then pay attention to what it is you speak and think most about. Thoughts become things! Turn it around with Gratitude--the best key in the world!   
Love Love Love! Spread Love. Be Loving. Express only Love. When in doubt, ask yourself: "what would love do?" "Am I being loving?" (loving means both to yourself and the people around you--don't exclude yourself out of the equation!                  
Go on a Photo Expedition! It's fall, it's beautiful! The leaves are changing colour and fluttering down from the treetops, fresh to be kicked around and played in. Get outside and go on a photo expedition. Take photos of the leaves, the sky, the trees, the people, the animals, and any random opportunity along your way. Make it a little adventure this week! 
Be Proactive About Your Happiness! I recently did a video blog on this topic, because I have a lot to say about it ;) I also wrote a "life reflections" post somewhat on the topic. Being proactive about your Happiness means getting off your butt and doing something about it. Misery is easy, but so is happiness--it requires the same energy, it merely takes that push and motivation to get on the happy side some times. If you want to be happy, then Do Something about it!      
Don't Forget to Dance! I like to think of dancing as dance therapy some days. It's the perfect mood lifter, the perfect opportunity to shake off some negative vibes and be a little extra silly and spontaneous and fun. How can you not smile when you start jumping around, busting out dance moves? I know I can't! So don't forget to take plenty of dance breaks throughout your day, whether it be one minute or an hour, get yourself hoppin' and movin'! ;)                     
Take Action in Your Life. It's easy to feel stuck in one spot when inaction plagues you. You go back and forth a million times on what to do, what course of action to take, or simply make a mess by running around in circles within your own mind. Break out of the cycle by taking action. Often we're afraid that we won't make the “right” decision, so we do nothing. Instead, think of it as a stepping stone to a place ahead of where you currently are that will give you new information that you can use to take more actions. 
"The challenge is not to try and force life to unfold according to our whims, but to grow in trust,wisdom, self-love, and self worth so we become capable of surrender." 


Wishing you a lovely fall day! Get out there and share your smile with the world and yourself! :) 

Much love from me to you! 
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Saturday, September 27, 2014

{life reflections} - Life is What You Make It


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{life reflections}
 Weekly thoughts and rambles. A glimpse into my mind and world. 
Entries that I might jot down in my Happy Diary; the release of thoughts to flow uninhibited. Reflections from the soul. 
Reflections of life.  

I hope to leave you inspired. 
If you want to share your own reflections of the week please leave a link to your "life reflections" entry in the comments for all to find and see.
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Life is What You Make It

Happiness has come much more easily these days, especially when I compare current state of affairs to the first half of 2014 and the later half of 2013. Oh the turbulence! I still cannot believe how many people I know (or, actually, just about Everyone I know) who are going through Huge life changes, rocky dilemmas, and ordeals of varying degrees and depths. What a strange year this has been. It continues to blow my mind. So many life-altering changes shaking our foundations and encouraging us to build new ones. Life is truly magical, if not incredibly trying at times. Chin up! Things are getting better for most of the people I know; I heard this crazy mercury in retrograde, or whatever other cosmic blame we have handy, is on its way out and things are bound to become more stable soon! This is the little bit of reassurance I wanted to pass along to anyone still enduring the turbulence of this year. That being said, reassurance is nice and all, but reassurance is nothing if you don't take a step up and take control of your own life. 
Ordeals happen. All the time. They can cripple us, or they can build us up. Your choice. People hate that this is their own choice. Hate, hate, hate. Taking responsibility for your own life can feel like such an arduous task. I mean, who has time for That?!… *extended pause*… Everyone should make room to better their lives. I don't care how busy your life is, squeeze in that sprinkle of happiness, that lesson on self-worth, that practice from all those life lessons you've read about. It's all in our hands. Well, that is: Our own Lives are in Our Own Hands. Only you are responsible for the make or break of your own story. You are the author, the poet, the artist, the dreamer and believer of your own future and present. 
Look at it this way: when we are handed a life ordeal, it is like being handed a sticky piece of playdoh. Sometimes when it is handed to us it has the shape of something unlikeable, perhaps even terrifying. Sometimes it's a bit tough to mould, or sometimes too sticky. But, despite any of that, what we do with that unlikeable shape is up to us. We can mould it into something new and beautiful, or we can keep poking it with a stick or ignoring it, and hope that it just fixes itself. Life takes work; but it's a good kind of work. The situations you are handed in life are malleable, so long as you Choose to do something with them. Every ordeal holds a lesson, and therefore something to allow you to grow. Working on your own sense of happiness and fulfillment is the most important work you will ever do, so don't neglect it! Be pro-active about your own life, circumstances, relationships, and situations. 


These are not new words for me to teach--or preach, if you choose to see it that way ;)--but they are valuable beyond measure. I speak them particularly at the moment because I can see what being pro-active in my own life has brought me (perhaps in comparison to some people I know who are less pro-active, or times in my own life when I was less pro-active). I have worked hard at my life; the happiness and state of mind that I have achieved did not happen by accident. I was a suicidal, depressed, self-loathing girl, constantly blaming everything outside myself, wallowing in my problems, and feeding the self-misery for years. The decision to change and be happy is the biggest one you will make, because if you make it with conviction and from the heart then things will start to fall into place; perhaps gradually and with much struggle in the beginning, but fall in place nonetheless. All of that pro-active work I took within my own life lead me to be as strong as I am today. I'm not perfect by a long-shot; it still takes me forever to make the right decisions for myself, I still cry, I still hurt, I still stumble and fall flat on my face. The biggest part that changed, I do believe, is my optimism, my resilience, and my persistence. During downward swings I can still manage to smile; and after however long it takes me in any given situation, I remember that I am Worthy, Valuable, and that I Deserve Happiness. That remembrance fuels the heart back into passion, and when we fuel the heart with that kind of fire, solutions begin to present themselves. 

If someone had told that depressed suicidal girl where I would be today, I would not have believed it were possible. At all. And even today, if someone had told me four months ago how much my life was going to have changed in this moment right now, I would not have believed them either. There are many parts in my present life that I desired for a long time, either close to the surface, fully aware, or in denial somewhere in the subconscious. But I wanted these things. I have them now. And I couldn't be happier--or mind blown. During these last three months I have moments of awe and disbelief about how dreamlike my life feels right now, of the man I am currently with, of the dreams I am achieving, and the life I am living. I have these moments multiple times Daily! That is how blessed and grateful I feel right now--and how much my mind is blown away by how much things can change! 
  
Life isn't perfect, however. There will always be ordeals, huge life bumps, curveballs, and challenges--again, such things never cease to amaze me, especially when they seem to come out of nowhere. Something in particular happened to me this week that caused a whirlwind of emotions. I went back and forth between negative emotions and being optimistic again like a swinging pendulum. This lasted a few days. In spite of this, I was still able to remain level-headed and focus on what I had to be grateful for. Even though it was a trying ordeal, I didn't allow myself to wallow in self-pity or any other emotion, for I don't leave room in my life to stay stuck in those sorts of emotions anymore. But they come up. Frustration and emotional distraught still bounce back and forth--and they should--while you come to terms and face any ordeal. It's a game of ping pong, but you always have the choice to keep batting away the negative emotions with positive ones until the positive ones win and the calm returns to your life. Gratitude is absolutely your best weapon in any trouble--I recommend using it all the time in every single situation that comes across your path. In the end, once we've allowed ourselves to feel the full spectrum of emotions, we can only accept what has happened and make the best of it. There is no point in dragging out or holding onto negative emotions, so practice letting them go! Remember: Optimism and Gratitude, use them liberally and they will change your entire life, I promise you! 
  


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Friday, September 26, 2014

{this moment} - and the weekly {Smile-Up}

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"There are no ordinary moments." ~Way of the Peaceful Warrior

{no ordinary moments} - Photos capturing moments from the week. Simple, special, extraordinary moments.
 -  using Daily Gratitude to see the world as anything but ordinary. -

Served with the weekly {Smile-Up} - gratitude practices to love and appreciate your life. 

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' and 'smile up' in the comments to share with the world.
. . . . . . . . . . 

{no ordinary moments} 

{my week of photos - 365 Grateful Project}


{Smile Up}:

Decorating and settling into my New place! ^_^
My new bed frame 
"Helping" my boyfriend finish up the bed frame at my place  
Seeing family, seeing my Grandma before she headed back to England 
Nights with Lyla back on my bed and waking up to her cute lil face :3
Getting to workout again and getting super healthy again!   
Skype dates cuz I miss my man ♥ 
Having someone I love so much that I miss him when he's gone--feeling very fortunate.   
Planning our fun coastal trip with le boyfriend! Excited! 
Filling my soul with gratitude    
Blogging and grounding outside ^_^ 
Drawing lots on my cintiq again 
Independence; the joy of having my own place and doing my own thing  
My new bed, canopy, and twinkle lights 
Sewing again! Woo! 
Dying my hair again. haha
Walking everywhere! 


Loving: Fall Leaves and Colours • Fall in general • Fun Fall Layers • Cozy bed space • Braids • Fun Hair • Skype • Cintiq • Kitty Cuddles • Pinterest Inspiration • 

Interests for the week:
Reading: "Black Spring"  
✯  Current Anime/Manga: Noragami (anime)
✯  TV Shows/Movies:  none
Music Playlist: Random mixes on youtube
Food Faves: Waffles and PB Ice Cream Mangos Healthy Paradise Smoothie   Veggies Daiya Cream Cheese Black Bean Brownies


Lessons of the week: 
 Everything happens for a reason. Not overreacting/freaking out; maintaining a calm in any situation and making the most of it. Remember: whatever you are grateful you receive more of; whatever you complain about you also receive more of.   The power of Daily Gratitude! Insecurities come and go, pay attention to how you feel in your heart and trust everything is amazing--because it is! ☀ 



Wishing you all an amazing day and plenty of magical moments! 
So much Love and Hugs! 



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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

☆ The Cost of Cheap Fashion ☆


 Just this morning as I was sipping on my morning smoothie, scrolling through my Facebook feed, an ad popped up. It was a sponsored ad which a few friends had liked. It was an ad for some super cozy looking sweaters. Visually enticed, I clicked through the link. After all, they looked so cuddly warm and pretty and I just couldn't help myself for curiosities sake. The cozy looking fleece-lined hoodies were $15, And free shipping. $15!? AND free shipping?! Too good to be true? Absolutely! And for so so many reasons. Allow me to explain… 

While prices this low may seem like an amazing deal, in the long run, in the outlook of human workers, in the outlook of the planet, in the outlook of anything morally right in the world, these low prices are Not. In the words of a lovely Care2 article: 

"Cheap goods equal a not so cheap global footprint. Even though you’re probably not thinking so rationally while being bombarded with club-thumping music and eye-catching merchandize, try and restrain yourself; the planet will thank you.

A new book by Elizabeth Cline entitled Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion critiques the mindless, shopaholic culture permeating modern day society and takes the reader on an eye-opening journey behind the name brands and store shelves and into the depths of the economics, resources and labor required to make your clothes.


Cline explains that the clothing industry is able to maintain such incredibly low prices due to sheer volume of production.  In order to further cut costs, clothing companies have resorted to cheaper materials and, as a result, an overall loss in quality. Have you ever noticed that those new jeans from H&M didn’t last very long?  Perhaps holes in the knees developed sooner than you’d prefer, or maybe that shirt from Target felt thinner and lighter in quality than you’d like?

This business model is by no means accidental and it’s bad news for human rights and the environment as most high volume, low price clothing stores employ cheap labor and promote extreme turnover and waste. In fact, we throw away “68 pounds of textiles per person per year,” according to Cline, which leads to overflowing closets and thrift stores now bursting with low-quality items.  It’s a vicious cycle, particularly for those who can’t afford anything better.

With respect to market extremes of super low prices (think big box stores) versus super high prices (think Madison Avenue), Clines states that “There are very few middle-market brands and retailers and everything has become very cheap or irrationally expensive on the other end.” Leaving little room for quality products that don’t cost a fortune, most of us fall victim to clothing items we know aren’t the best sourced, yet we buy them anyway. There’s often simply no other financial choice and going naked obviously isn’t an option.

So how can we balance the need for affordable clothing with labor rights, a local designer economy and a healthier environment?  Cline reiterates the need for more independent fashion designers who use and promote sustainable products.  Check out Fashioningchange.com if you want to learn more about sustainable comparable clothing alternatives.  Also, and most importantly, be sure to choose quality over quantity when given the choice. Although initial sticker shock might dissuade you, the handmade dress that lasts for 10 years is worth much more in the long-run than five t-shirts that will last a summer."


Now, adding to this lovely piece of writing… 
Absolutely choose independent designers. It actually really isn't that hard. There is a Huge marketplace full of ridiculously talented designers who offer their goods at totally reasonable prices. Okay, so a pair of leggings may not cost $10 when they're handmade, but, as stated above, there is a reason for cheap fashion and those leggings will fall apart within the year while something bought from an independent designer will last years! Cheap fashion is cheap for a reason. 

I cannot even fathom how a fleece-lined hoodie could only cost the company $15, what when shipping is probably almost that amount, you know they must be paying their employees Nothing and the fabrics they are using must be absolute garbage! The fabric alone if I were to make such an item would be More than $15!!!


Cons of Cheap Fashion: 
Environmental impact: think 68 pounds of waster per person annually; the chemicals, water loss, and mass pollution from factories (and quadruple it because they keep pumping out more garbage every day).
Unethical Labour: Yes, I'm sure you're familiar with the reality of underpaid workers and children in China and other countries making your clothes. Yes, you pay more for ethical fashion for a reason! 
Garbage: As already mentioned, those cheap clothes will last you a season of wearing them at best. It may look cute at first but chances are it will fall apart in no time. 
Cheap Fabrics: The online shopping world is forever expanding (as mentioned at the very beginning of this post) and that means more bargain deals at steal-of-a-deal prices! That $15 hoodie you may never receive because of poor customer service, you'll probably get sent the wrong one (again, poor customer service), and the item will Not look even close to what you actually order--due to fancy looking photography that makes the item look appealing when that's not what you're actually getting. 

Again, cheap fashion is cheap for a reason, so try to restrain your initial temptations for cheap clothing. Don't get me wrong, I get it, I've been there and fallen victim to the cheap clothing. Again, so not worth it. It's actually cheaper for me to buy that cheap clothing than to make it myself, so I feel your struggle. And this is not some shameless post to get you to buy My brand of clothing either--it's simply a reminder to what most of us already know but like to ignore: that there is a huge cost to cheap fashion. 
Support local independent designers--again there are Tons of them out there! Places like Etsy are fantastic to browse if you're unsure where to start--all artisan made! You support a better planet, someone's actual livelihood, you'll have clothing that won't fall apart, and you can keep your conscious clear. Wins all around! 


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Sunday, September 21, 2014

Ⓥ Healthy Paradise Smoothie Ⓥ



I have a lovely habit of adding nut butters to everything, especially peanut butter. I also have a lovely habit of adding cacao to most of my smoothies. Either one of those I find offsets any of the green taste from the tons of greens I like to add to my morning smoothies. However, change is good, moderation important, and eating too many nuts isn't allll that good for you anyway. So, this has been my latest super healthy smoothie craze! 
Hope you Enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Came out perfectly, and who knew? Don't need the nut butters or cacao! You could use any combination of greens, but I find that collards and swiss chard don't have an overpowering flavour in comparison to kale.   
The greens and lemon are also alkalizing for your body, so super healthy to boot! 


vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free/ 

Super Healthy Smoothie

1/2 a Mango
1/2 a Frozen Banana
1/4 an Avocado 
2 Large Collard Green Leaves
1 Large Swiss Chard Leaf
1 scoop Vanilla Vega One Protein
2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds 
2 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
¼ cup ice
Water
Hazelnut Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency, and less or more sweetener to your desired sweetness. 
Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 


*I make my smoothies in either a Blendtec Blender or my Nutribullet -- both are amazing blenders that make smoothies super smooth and creamy!* 
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  Vega One Starter Kit now $6.99

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Friday, September 12, 2014

{this moment} - and the weekly {Smile-Up}

. . . . . . . . . . 
"There are no ordinary moments." ~Way of the Peaceful Warrior

{no ordinary moments} - Photos capturing moments from the week. Simple, special, extraordinary moments.
 -  using Daily Gratitude to see the world as anything but ordinary. -

Served with the weekly {Smile-Up} - gratitude practices to love and appreciate your life. 

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' and 'smile up' in the comments to share with the world.
. . . . . . . . . . 

{no ordinary moments} 

{my week of photos - 365 Grateful Project}




{Smile Up}:

My New place!!! Wooo!!!  
Setting up my new place and getting my creative space back! Super happy about this! 
Having my lil Lyla back living with me! Yay kitty cuddles!  
Finally finishing a new art piece! 
My lil sister's 7th birthday -- having all the siblings together ^_^
Playing on the playground with my sister and niece, getting to be a big kid ;)
Mornings getting to wake up next to the most amazing man Feeling so incredibly in love and lucky  
Meeting each other's families--lots of family dinners with my man  
Seeing my Grandma (first time in 6 years) and Aunt (first time in 18 years) from England 
Fixing broken relationships--feeling very blessed about this.    
Surprise visit from one of my best friends! Super happy about that! ^_^ 
  Random beach evenings and moments with my handsome 
New opportunities! 
Learning to stick up for myself and no longer being submissive
That my boyfriend is building me a bed frame! Yay! 
Small local shows -- live music for the win! 
Tea dates -- as always    


Loving: Sunshine • Stripey shirts • Thigh-high Socks • Twinkle lights • Layers • Family • Nutribullet • Luna Light • Free furniture • Pinterest Inspiration • 

Interests for the week:
Reading: blogs  
✯  Current Anime/Manga: None. :o
✯  TV Shows/Movies:  clearly not much media going on lately!
Music Playlist: In Flames. sMAshEArth. Puscifer. Sia. The Birthday Massacre. Plumb. The Invasives.
Food Faves: Daiya Pizza Coconut Ice Cream Apple Plum Crumble   Squash Vega Protein bars ♥ 


Lessons of the week: 
 Learning to stick up for myself and not be so submissive. Fully stepping into the fullest version of myself and not "filtering" myself (blog post from Thursday on this topic!). Healing broken relationships when the time is right. Everything can come full circle.   The power of gratitude is always a good reminder. Loving number synchronicity and paying attention to signs from our "guardian angels". ☀ 



Wishing you all an amazing day and plenty of magical moments! 
So much Love and Hugs! 



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Thursday, September 11, 2014

☺ Being Your Unfiltered Self ☺



Whenever there is one of those moments of life-realizations that jumps into my world it seems to become a reoccurring theme. Perhaps it's because my awareness has been tuned onto such an epiphany, or perhaps because it is something that I feel I really need to work on; more so, I believe it is because it is something that I Want to work on and situations begin to surround me to provide such opportunity to grow and learn. Regardless of reason, the topic of our "filtered" selves has been my recent reoccurrence. 

When you choose to be fully yourself, you often times can run into confrontational viewpoints from others. When we step into ourselves it's not always something that fits society, and therefore can make people uncomfortable, jealous, envious, or questioning. Even if it's not something that goes against the typical "norm" of society, society still teaches us to filter ourselves, that there are parts of ourselves that we should hide, that we should behave a certain way, that our emotions are often wrong. 

For myself, I am covered in tattoos, currently have pink hair, and have several piercings on my face; I dress somewhere between hippie, steampunk, punk, and casually "normal"--being a designer no doubt has an influence on my sense of ever-changing style. Because of these things, I'm not exactly a "normal" fit into our traditional bland society. For the most part, I embrace these sides of myself headstrong, positively, and with the upmost joy. And then I got to thinking… I Do filter myself. Even though I am covered in tattoos, when I am meeting certain people I start to dress differently. I love showing off my tattoos, not because I want to be showy but because I feel in my element and completely myself in the summer time wearing what I want when I want. But I filter myself around certain people. I might choose to wear something "pretty" or a little more "conservative" to offset the brash tattoos, piercings, and pink hair. It's not that I don't dress this way on some days regardless--it's not a "fake" side to me--but, in certain situations, I do so to seem more "normal". So, the realization dawned on me: I filter myself because all of a sudden I become self-conscious about Who I Am. My tattoos, my piercings, how I choose to dress may seem outward, even egotistical to some people, but for me they are self-expression (and I believe this is the same for many artistic, wondrous individuals). So why would I filter any part of myself because of another person? Fully stepping into Who I Am is important to me, it is something that I watch some people do seemingly so flawlessly (and perhaps people think I am the same way from the outside, I'm not sure), but I am envious and I strive to be so confident and comfortable. I filter myself when I think I need to try to impress someone, or downplay another person's perhaps more "traditional" or "normal" comfort-level of what people should look like. But that's not who I am. A filtered self is not who I want to be, it is not who I strive to be. 

Why wouldn't we want to step into our fullest selves? While the mentality of filtering ourselves may be automatic, perhaps even without too much thought, I invite you to realize that filtering yourself in any way is counter productive. Think about it. We tend to sensor ourselves when meeting new people, because we think we need to make a good impression--but that's not showing our true selves, and we should only want to be around people that want our true selves; and if we are stuck around people that don't, then we should embrace ourselves regardless. Plenty of times people filter and sensor themselves in new relationships, because we believe we need to be more "tame", perhaps not "crazy", to impress them. But what's the point? In the long run, you're lying about Who You Are, and in any case you should only Want to be with someone where you can be entirely and completely yourself. This goes for any kind of relationship: friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, family, work, etc. 
We spend so much of our time filtering the things we say, the way we act, the way we look in order to make the people around us more comfortable. We filter ourselves out of a need to not hurt anyone's feelings , offend anyone, or to avoid confrontation. While in our heads this may seem like a good idea, showing our shiniest, most well-behaved sides, this also gives us the mentality that our own feelings are second to everyone else's. 
On top of that, it also doesn't show people the Real You. And you should always strive to be the Truest version of yourself, because life is too short to be anything else or to surround yourself with people that don't embrace the True You. 


Now, I should clarify… Filtering ourselves doesn't mean you're not still feeling like yourself, it just means (and feels like) you are not the Fullest Version of Yourself. It's not that the behaviour is fake, it just means you're putting forth only the "good stuff" so to speak. I struggled with this for a long time when I strived so hard to have a Positive Mental Attitude at all times; believing that any negative feelings were not good and that I should not show those sides of myself. It began to feel as if I wasn't allowed to be negative ever. I since learned that lesson, especially in such a social-networking platform as both my blogs. People need to realize that we are all Human. People have All different sides to themselves; and that includes the people you are trying to impress or sensor yourself around. By being fully yourself, you also encourage those around you to do the same; and, again, life is too short for anything else. You are human, just as the people around you are, just as I am. Yes, sometimes we are glowing balls of energy and light and beaming smiles; other times we have sad thoughts and irrational thoughts, we get angry, jealous, envious, and hurt, and sometimes we get depressed. All of our emotions, all of our wants and needs exist whether we show them or not, and they are just as important as the wants and needs of the people around you. This is why filtering yourself is counterproductive; because it leaves the impression that those wants and needs aren't valid. Essentially, you devalue yourself.  


There are several problems with devaluing yourself, mostly because it attacks your self worth and can leave you feeling unworthy of the people and situations around you. The behaviour of filtering yourself is also not healthy because, in the end, you are only building walls around yourself and against the people in your life. The encouragement in this is to remind yourself that you Are amazing, and you don't need to filter yourself for Anyone. The more you embrace your own self-worth, the more people will embrace it as well, and the less you will feel the need to filter yourself anyway. Allow yourself to be vulnerable--because that's certainly how it will feel at first--so that you can have a healthy relationship with Your Self again, and therefore healthy relationships with the people around you. This is a step in personal growth, and it is still (in my opinion) one of the greatest ones to learn: the more love you have for yourself, the more love you have for life and the people in it. 

I know it's not always an easy thing to do; I, for one, have come to realize I have a bad habit of this. Inspire and encourage yourself to be the Fullest Version of Yourself at all times. Remember your own self-worth. Remember that to embrace yourself fully means to embrace life and happiness more fully. Life is too short not to fully accept, embrace, and value yourself, those around you, and life. 



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