Category Archives: Self

Why Self Care Is Especially Important During the Holiday Season

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While the holidays can be a fun and festive time of the year, as we all know, sometimes the holidays can bring upon different levels of stress between planning events, putting some strain on your finances, dealing with family members you might not want to see, etc. That is why it is important to still take time for self care and to not forget about yourself as it is very easy to do so during this time of year. Meaning that you should not neglect your daily self care regime and feel that you have to take care of everyone else without taking care of yourself.

If you are used to working out, still make time to work out whenever you find any time that you can do so. If you need a massage to relieve some tension, then you should go ahead and book an appointment. Be sure to find ways to always clock in enough sleep each day and to continue to a nutritional diet. Of course it is understandable to indulge if you’re at a holiday party or a special event but moderation is still important to keep in the back of your mind. The things that make you feel good and that relieves any stresses in your life are the things that you need to prioritize along with all the other things that are on your holiday list. Trust me, you will never regret taking care of yourself! 🙂

The Greatest Risk In Life Is Not Taking Enough Risks

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There is the common saying, “no risk, no reward” and I have to say that this is a valuable statement that applies to life. Think about it, if you always stayed in your comfort zone and did not take chances in life, not only would your life be very boring but it would stay stagnant. There wouldn’t be much change and if there isn’t much change, then there wouldn’t be much personal growth or wisdom to gain along with any potential rewards. It is for this reason, that you should embrace taking risks from time to time. You need to put yourself out there and chase what you want in your life, even if that means that you might not get that golden opportunity (don’t worry, our abundant Universe has a ton more to offer to you 😉 ) or that the chance that you are taking doesn’t work out as planned.

While taking risks can make you feel uneasy because there is no guaranteed outcome and it can sometimes bring upon rejection or a hurt ego, taking risks is a necessary part of life, both on a personal and professional level. Rejection is okay and shouldn’t be viewed as a negative thing because rejection builds resilience and can ultimately propel you to try even harder the next time. You would not make any gains in your life unless risk is involved. Most successful people took a ton of risks to get to where they are today and did not let failures or setbacks stand in their way. Remember that taking risks is a part of the process and that it is a win/win in the long run even if you do not receive your desired results immediately because it takes time to achieve amazing results and to manifest everything that you want in your life. It is more risky to do nothing and not take risks than whatever risk that is presented to you that you are not taking. So take your chances and do not be afraid to take risks–you might not only be surprised by what comes of it but you will also get much further in your life by doing so!

It’s the Day Before Thanksgiving – Take the Time to Show Gratitude By Doing This One Gesture

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Thanksgiving is not only a time to enjoy some amazing food and be with your loved ones but it is also a day to feel gracious and to take the time to be thankful! While practicing gratitude should be an everyday practice, it is especially nice to acknowledge the people who are closest to you. Why not express to them how you feel at Thanksgiving this year?

I recommend taking the time to hand write a letter or card simply to show your gratitude towards at least one person or a few people whom you really care about. You can give specific instances in which they have been there for you and/or write about the qualities that you value most about this person. It can be short and sweet or you can take the time to write a longer message. Remember, it is the quality of the content and the effort that you took to write a message that will mean most to the other person. It may be a simple gesture but it is a gesture that holds meaning, makes others feel appreciated, and a great way of practicing gratitude! 🙂

As always, I love to practice what I preach and will go ahead and write a gratitude message below to my readers this year!

Dear Readers,

I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to read my blog! This is a place where I like to share empowering messages, spread positivity, and provide enlightening wisdom about life! Whether or not you tune in regularly or once in a while, just know that I appreciate all of you who spiritually invest their time reading my content! Blogging is a rewarding hobby that allows me to express my creativity and innermost thoughts. Thank you for being a part of my world!

To all of those who celebrate Thanksgiving, please cherish these moments with your family and friends. Please also take the time to self reflect and count all the lucky blessings that life has granted you up to this point along with focusing on the manifestations that will come into your fruition within your future!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
Meli – “Make Up the Life You Love”

The Importance of Turning Burdens Into Blessings – Life Is About Staying Positive and Personal Growth

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I just randomly stumbled upon this saying, “turn burdens into blessings” and although this might sound cliché to some, it was actually the first time that I read this and I could not agree more with this statement which was why I wanted to touch upon it within my blog. Although we cannot always control the highs and the lows that life throws our way, the truth of the matter is that we can choose the way in which we navigate our emotional response in regards to what happens to us in our lifetimes. For example, while one might get very upset over a breakup (which FYI is normal and justified)–another person might look at this “burden” as a “blessing” where they feel liberated to start fresh or maybe take that time to focus on self development. My point is, whatever it is that you perceive as negative, it can very well be translated into something POSITIVE. For all you know, it can open the door to a better opportunity later in time or be a necessary experience that will set you up for something even better. Seriously! I know it is easy for someone to say, “Everything is going to be okay” when you feel miserable and you are entitled to feel sadness, frustration, or negative thoughts from time to time but it is important to look at the bigger picture and to pick yourself back up and shift your mind into a positive one. I truly believe that facing adversity and challenges from time to time are what actually contributes most to our own personal growth. If things were great at all times, people would never pick up any spiritual lessons and life would remain rather stagnant with no motivation to make things better.

Also remember that the people who on the surface you might perceive to have a better life than yours or perhaps have been born into better circumstances than yourself might face their own unique set of challenges and problems that you are not aware of. No one’s life is perfect so it is important to continue to focus on your own personal path and develop your own coping mechanisms when you are faced with a challenge. At the end of the day, it is up to you to build the inner strength that you have the mental capacity to overcome anything because guess what–you can and you will as long as you have the positive mindset to back that belief up! 😉

Learn To Love the Body You Are Born With

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While there are societal pressures to look a certain way or to have the “perfect” body, realistically, we all know that there is no such thing as a perfect body. What one might perceive as perfect might vary from another person’s definition of perfect so we should not care so much about what other people think and focus more on how we perceive ourselves. If you learn to love your body, it will build your confidence levels and help in developing an overall positive body image. Aside from visual aesthetics, everyone should proactively opt to live a healthy lifestyle which means incorporating a healthy diet along with daily exercise. There are endless benefits when you take the time to take care of yourself and this most certainly includes taking care of your body.

It makes me sad when I see people go through extreme measures to look a certain way or to feel good about their bodies when people should genuinely be grateful for and embrace the body they were born with. It is natural to find flaws but it should be just as natural to look for one’s own personal assets because everyone is born with something to be proud of. It is what makes us unique as individuals and we are all born with our own special set of DNA. We should not feel pressured to conform to unrealistic beauty standards which oftentimes is an illusion and/or try to look like someone else. While I understand that some might find the need to turn to plastic surgery in order to make the changes to feel good inside, some of these procedures can be dangerous to one’s health over time and do not really fix the inner problem which comes down to a self esteem issue. Before making any dramatic decisions in regards to one’s appearance, it is much better in the long run to work on the INTERNAL issues by working on building self esteem that can be generated by things other than one’s outer appearance such as expanding a career, starting a new hobby, and/or pursuing new goals that can bring success, happiness, and personal growth in life.

Quiet Confidence – Why It Is Attractive AF and How to Obtain It

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Many people associate confident people to be the ones who make a grand entrance and/or stand out amongst a crowd. They might enjoy seeking attention from everyone around them along with being very popular. While these people can be labeled as confident, the truth of the matter is–that might not always be the case. These same people might be in desperate need of social validation in order to feel loved and good about themselves which shows that underneath the surface, they are actually deeply insecure individuals.

This leads me to the topic of what I call “quiet confidence” where someone is confident but might not come off that way because he/she does not have a showy personality and is quiet by nature. You won’t hear this person brag or try to show off to others that they are attractive, smart, etc. because they already know inside that this is the case so there is zero need to flaunt it to those around them. That is not to say that they don’t acknowledge their successes and greatness to others, it is just that they have a more modest approach to life and do not need to be the center of attention in order to raise their confidence levels. Personally, I find people who are quietly confident to be super attractive. They actually stand out more to me and pique my interest because they are not trying as hard to obtain validation from others and are not the loudest people in a room. There are definitely ways to become more quietly confident that can be shared here.

Eliminate Bragging to Others – As I pointed out earlier, a person who has amazing qualities does not need to say so because it goes without saying. In other words, let others be the ones to point out why you are awesome as opposed to trying to sell to everyone that you are because it can come off that you do not truly believe it yourself which is why you need to prove to others that you are a certain way or on the other hand, that you are a conceited individual.

Don’t Overshare Your Life – I never like to be judgmental but if I have to be honest–I find those who constantly feel the need to overshare what they are doing all the time and who go out of their way to showcase how perfect their lives are tend to either be a total narcissist or someone who is attention seeking which are both rather negative traits to possess. It is nice to share some highlights but overdoing it can come off the wrong way and also show an emotional neediness which is far from being quietly confident.

Focus on Your Own Personal Path to Happiness – People tend to be so influenced by what they see other people doing which detracts from their own personal path to happiness. You need to ask yourself, “what brings me joy?” and then actually go out and pursue those things. Who really cares what everyone else is doing, it matters more what you are doing and how you choose to steer the direction of your life! Those who are quietly confident just do their own thing without really caring about impressing others while they continue to follow their own path because they are confident about their life choices and where their personal path leads.

Don’t Be Too Outcome Dependent – 3 Ways to Prevent This From Happening

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It is natural to set goals and to get attached to the final outcome of the things that we desire most. While you should continue to focus on achieving your goals and manifesting everything that you want in your lifetime, it is important to not become too outcome dependent where you feel let down or disappointed when you do not immediately receive what you want. This can cause people to give up altogether or to feel bad inside because they are not getting the results that they are asking for. The truth of the matter as I point out time and time again–most valuable things take TIME! If you understand this basic principle, then there is no reason to feel bad about yourself or that you have to quit working towards your goals. Instead, you should feel more EMPOWERED knowing that what you want is on the way. Here are some tips to help prevent you from becoming too outcome dependent while also possessing the mental strength that is needed to help you continue to turn your desires into a reality.

Practice Patience – It is essential to stay patient and if you find yourself losing patience, take this as an opportunity to work on this area of your life. Be proactive with your intent to enjoy the present moment while practicing patience. You have to cherish your present life as it unfolds into your future and be patient knowing that your future is getting brighter each and every day. Sometimes that means that you might encounter a few setbacks along the way or there could be moments where it feels like life is stagnant but never let this mentally cloud your mind into believing that what you want is out of your reach. Again, all amazing things do very well take time so be extra patient when it comes to the time it takes in reaching your manifestations.

Consistent Action – If you do not take any action, you are never going to progress or get any results. That is why you need to be super consistent with your efforts and take the action that is needed to get what you want. Even if that means that you are not seeing any progression at the present moment, remember that if you continue to keep doing what you are doing, it will all lead to the greater good and eventually lead to the results that you are looking for. It is important to keep showing up and staying self motivated when it comes to doing whatever action that is necessary to get to your end goal. If you want something bad enough then giving up is NEVER an option!

Continue to Trust the Process – I know I preach this concept quite often but that is because I find that most people fail to trust the process and are clouded with lots of negative thoughts along with uncertainty. Uncertainty is the OPPOSITE of trust. It is natural to feel uncertain in regards to different areas of your life and the rate in which it is progressing but you need to stay mentally strong and TRUST that everything is okay and that you are on a path that is leading to your most desired outcomes. As I put it, you need to mentally believe that whatever it is that you want is “in the bag” meaning that it is inevitable that you will possess it–no matter how long it takes. Don’t forget that when you “trust the process” that you are CERTAIN that whatever it is that you are looking to receive will arrive within your future.

5 Tips for Choosing the Best Photos For an Online Dating Profile

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When it comes to online dating, there is no denying that people are going to scroll through your photos and base their decision on whether or not you appear to be a good match simply just by looking at your photos. Some people won’t even take the time to read your content so that is why you should put some effort in choosing the best photos that not only highlight your best features but also convey what you are like in real life. It can be hard to determine which photos are best but here are some helpful tips to help you put your best face forward so to speak if you decide to pursue online dating.

Make Sure Your Photos are Current – I personally believe that people should only post photos of themselves from the past six months. When I used to have a dating profile, I made sure everything fell within the six month mark because the best representation of yourself is your current self. How often have you or have you met someone that said that they went on a date with someone who looked nothing like their photos or that their photos looked like they were taken as far as a decade ago? I understand most people tend to look their best in their younger years but it is always best to display images that are recent so that if you ever do end up meeting in person, you are still recognizable from the photos that you shared.

Feature a Mix of Face and Full Body Photos – Although it might go without saying, many people often fail to showcase photos of themselves that include both their face and their full body. I think it is important to show both to convey transparency and so that people have a better sense of how you look if you were to meet up in person. If you are not in as good shape as you used to be, it is still better to show what you look like now than before so that the other person does not feel that you falsely advertised what you look like.

Choose Photos that Convey Your Interests – It is a good idea to post photos with backgrounds to show your interests and passions in life. For example, if you love to ski, then think about posting some photos of yourself during your last ski trip. If you love music, it doesn’t hurt to post photos of yourself from a concert that you went to. Chances are, someone with the same interests will be more intrigued in getting to know you better just based upon some of your shared interests.

Avoid Overly Revealing Photos – It is common to see people post revealing photos which can give off the wrong impression along with sending the wrong message to anyone who is looking at them. It can convey that a person is attention seeking or just looking for a cheap hook up. Even if that’s not the case, unfortunately, that’s how it can be interpreted. To avoid sending mixed messages or giving off a negative first impression, it is much wiser to shy away from posting those types of photos in its entirety.

When in Doubt, Ask For a Second Opinion – If you are unsure if the photos that you are posting are good enough to post, it does not hurt to ask a friend or someone who you are close to for their honest feedback. A photo that you might find flattering, someone might point out that you can post an even better photo which is why it never hurts to ask for a second opinion.

Cardio or Weight Lifting? – What Would I Choose if I Could Only Pick One

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When it comes to fitness, there is no denying that daily exercise has many positive effects on your life including extending your longevity, preventing serious health problems, boosting your mood, enhancing your physical attractiveness, etc. I cannot say enough positive things about working out and have been dedicated to living a healthy and active lifestyle since I was a teenager.

Not everyone has the time to work out everyday or as often as they would like; however, if you make your health and wellness a top priority, you can definitely find a way to incorporate it into your lifestyle whether that means waking up earlier to squeeze in a workout or maybe at night after a long work day. Remember that whatever that works for you is great and that it is extra beneficial if you can be consistent with how often you exercise. The question is, what is better for you–cardio or weight lifting? The obvious answer is BOTH! I think that it is important to put in time to do cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, biking, etc. in order to keep your heart healthy and to prevent excess weight from accumulating over time. However, the weight lifting aspect of working out is what keeps your body lean and tight which ultimately sculpts your physique so that you have nice curves and more developed muscles. So although I will always preach to do BOTH, if you have to choose one to focus on more than the other, I would absolutely always choose WEIGHT LIFTING! Of course, keep in mind that everyone’s health goals and bodies are built differently but regardless, I don’t think you can go wrong with adding weight lifting into your fitness routine. Personally, I find weight lifting to feel good both mentally and physically. I know women often worry about bulking up but most women’s bodies are designed to actually become more fit and lean as opposed to men who are able to bulk up more easily. Keep in mind that your diet is also a huge component when it comes to staying in shape, so do not forget to pair your workouts with a good food schedule and nutrition plan which will only enhance your results and all your fitness efforts!

Why I’m Not Influenced By Influencers

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It is funny to me that we live in a world that is so influenced by the outer world, more specifically by social media platforms. Oftentimes, people will find complete strangers and people that they do not know in real life to follow their every move. If this influencer buys a certain product, then the follower is more inclined to purchase it too. This is why there is a lot of money to be made if you are an influencer with an abundant following because companies know that their followers will most likely purchase what they promote. It is for this reason, I do not really buy into what influencers are promoting. Most of them are selling products to earn an income so who really knows if they use these products or are just talking about them to make a living.

There is nothing wrong with following people and having an interest in what influencers post on social media; however, I think people should work on their own self development and think more independently as opposed to caring so much about what others are sharing. As I mentioned previously, it is hard to really know if they are sharing content to make money or from a genuine place. It is much better to follow your natural inclinations and to think for yourself than to put all your energy into what other people are doing. Think about what your goals are and what makes you happy because that is ultimately what counts most above anything else. At the end of the day, be your own influencer and stay true to your values, desires, and path.