2015.

Welcome to 2015! This year is full of new possibilities and opportunities and it’s our job to seize these with everything we have! Last year seemed to be a tough year for a lot of people. We’ve all had to go through some bullshit this year – but for the most part it seems we are all trying to head on the right course.

I have blogged before about the DIVINE FEMININE, so I want to take this chance to mention masculine energy. It’s been a wonderful year of progress. All around me I see my friends and family progressing. Some of the most REAL growth I have seen this year comes from the men of my generation. It has been a seriously beautiful process watching my male friends, whom I have either known for ever or are very close to now, transform into these gentleMEN. So much respect exudes from the males of this community. I commend you. This shift from a dominant masculine energy to a balance of feminine and masculine is among us. We are able to recognize the importance of our equality in the world.

This being said, I want to get to the actual point of this entry. This dominant masculine energy is still running rampant around the world. We are still fighting wars and innocent people are being lost due to the greed of those in power. This grey energy is doing it’s best to take over. I came to this sad realization tonight as I sat in my car and listened to this song:

As I pulled into my driveway I sat there and listened to the song in it’s entirety, and it brought tears to my eyes. This is the reality of so many families and men and women of this country. Not just our country, but the world. There are people that wake up everyday and go fight for the country they live in. And a lot of them die. And a lot of them don’t exactly know what they are fighting for.

I give so much love to the men and women whom serve our country to ensure our freedom and rights that we have in the United States. And my heart is in tatters to think of how many innocent lives are lost in these wars; wars we DON’T REALLY KNOW the cause of. It’s a very sad reality to me to think that greed can overpower the lives of so many.

Greed literally murders millions each year.

I may not agree with my government at all, but to begin this new year I want to give gratitude to all those that serve our country, REGARDLESS of some of the shitty decisions that are made. My head hangs low for loss, but HIGH for those that have given it all to help keep us safe.

THANK YOU.

TOGETHER.

Let me begin by saying, I am eternally grateful to have been born in the United States. I have been given privileges and advantages people can only dream of. I have fresh, running water, food – all easily accessible to me. And most importantly, I have opportunity. So many opportunities and chances to do something special with this life.

 That being said, my heart BREAKS for my country. Tears roll down my face for my fellow countrymen. What in the HELL are we doing? SO many things are already planted firm in our hands or just barely out of reach and we choose to continue letting our country go in this direction. Police brutality, discrimination against sexual orientation and race, war mongers, corrupt corporations, ethnocentrism, propaganda, OVERALL bad manners…. We are living in the LAND OF THE FREE, and yet, I feel so trapped by the views of my country.

 Before anyone gets offended, I know it feels like this is a direct attack… it’s not. I know a majority of us see this, feel this, but we feel like we cannot do anything to change it.

“My VOICE means nothing…”

“I won’t be heard.”

“MY VOTE DOESN’T EVEN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

 But the way I see it, at this point, we have no choice but to stand up. If we don’t stand up, who will?

 There are countries all over the world leading revolutions and making change. For example, since 2008 Iceland had been working on overthrowing its government due to a banking fraud scandal. They wanted to prevent corporate greed from destroying their country. And guess what? They succeeded, and since then the citizens of Iceland have rewritten their constitution (*). (I find it amazing that our media didn’t have any mass coverage of this). Regardless of how we feel about some of the revolutions around the world, they are happening. Countries such as, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Yemen, Syria, Jordon, the list goes on. And there are plenty more on the verge of revolt. Including us.

 So this brings me to the point of my rant…

 I don’t expect any of us to stand up to the military of our country, I don’t even expect us to overthrow our government. All I ask is that we STAND UP for what is right. If we, as citizens of the United States, see something that is morally, ethically, JUDICIALLY wrong, we must STAND UP. We can’t just sit behind our computer screens anymore and watch these brutal videos and think there is nothing we can do to prevent them. We have the ability to make a video of a cat riding a vacuum go viral. The ability to hoax an entire nation of a celebrities death. The ability to share a video of a man being choked to death by the police after pleading for his life (**). That’s what we have, THE ABILITY. We are able to reach out and communicate with each other in ways unimaginable to those before us. Can we please start harnessing this tool in a positive way?!

 Next, OUR FOOD SUPPLY. Why are we choosing to feed ourselves poison? Everyone, as much as some would like to deny, knows that the majority of food being pumped into our citizens is either jacked up with GMOs, preservatives, MSG, and on and on. Large corrupt companies are slowly trying to take over the food and water supply of the world. (***) Who in their right mind would want to deny someone their basic necessities to live? This world has plenty of resources and options to live sustainably. The media, once again, prevents us from hearing about alternate choices for food and energy. We are constantly having a mask put over our eyes by the people supposed to be guiding us in the right direction. We can no longer let GREED fuel our lifestyle. The world is hurting. The people of this world are hurting. Instead of being a beautiful being of evolution we are an infection to this planet.

 (****) (side note article/video: what about the bees?! Poor babies.)

 I challenge all of us, as BROTHERS AND SISTERS, to begin to be the change in our individual lives. Our individual life, in the sea of millions, creates a ripple that affects the whole ocean. Stop sitting back and thinking the voice of one can’t be heard by the ears of many. If something is going on that isn’t right STOP IT. Don’t be afraid anymore. The more people that are part of the SOLUTION, and not part of the PROBLEM, the closer we will be to living harmoniously in an incredibly fruitful country. We need to stop thinking that OUR individual opinions outweigh the opinions of others. We all believe in different things and it’s not our place to judge others for their differences. We need to start working TOGETHER if we ever want to survive together. Make an effort to be the change everyday. Whether it be by recycling, helping an old woman across the street (that happens to be a different race), preventing a police officer from wrongly treating a citizen, STOPPING political officers that have greedy motives, being the voice for someone who cannot speak, STANDING UP for someone with a different sexual orientation, random acts of kindness, telling someone their beautiful, helping someone step away from the edge. The smallest action can cause a GIANT reaction…

 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can we become the country we all WANT.

WE ALL WANT IT. Why can’t we do it?

(*)

http://guardianlv.com/2013/12/icelanders-overthrow-government-and-rewrite-constitution-after-banking-fraud-no-word-from-us-media/

(**)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ka4oKu1jo

(***)

http://www.naturalnews.com/032826_monsanto_seed_supply.html

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2013/05/31/monsanto-trying-take-over-both-food-supply-and-government

http://www.organicconsumers.org/old_articles/gefood/countrieswithbans.php

(****)

http://e360.yale.edu/feature/declining_bee_populations_pose_a_threat_to_global_agriculture/2645/

http://vanishingbees.co.uk/about/

Why is the rum always gone?!

So sorry for the delay in posts – I don’t ever really get a chance to sit down and divulge. But now, I’m sitting on an 8 hour drive to Semuc Champay from Flores, Guatemala. It’s a foggy and rainy day but the drive is gorgeous. It’s like something out of Jurassic Park. Our bus is slowly working it’s way around the windy mountainous road and I’m finding it really difficult to try and pass out.

So, where do I begin? Last I posted I was in Caye Caulker, Belize about to hit up snorkeling… And my, was that ever an amazing experience. I swam with at least 40 sting rays, just as many nurse sharks, TURTLES!! SEA TURTLES the cutest things in the sea!! 3-foot EELS, for all you Vegas kids reading this 🙂 it was by far one of my favorite experiences thus far on my trip. Plus, I got to go sailing for my first time that day. The boys went out on a fishing expedition with our new local friend Rasta Earl. They came home with 20 fish and grilled it up for us! Talk about spoiled 😉 We spent our last couple of days on the island drinking rum and swimming in the ocean. Overall my experience in Caye Caulker was incredible. We left with so many new friends and memories. I can definitely see myself going back to spend some serious time there.

Next, we headed to San Agnacio, Belize. I really enjoy staying in all these hostels because they usually have a kitchen and we really enjoy throwing down some delicious dinners. My trip thus far has been highlighted by the best food. And rum. So much rum. Haha our days in San Agnacio consisted of getting drunk on our rooftop overlooking the city.

We hopped on a bus to Flores – which means I’ve made it to Guatemala – my main location I wanted to visit in Central America. The border crossing was easy… It was an interesting ride over though. We had to ride a chicken bus, hop onto a taxi, walk across the border, than jump in a different taxi. It took us about an hour to get to the island of Flores from the border. And talk about a cute little place!!

Guatemala is so BRIGHT and vibrant. The colors are amazing and they fill the streets. Upon our arrival the island was gearing up for a celebration! We still never figured out what holiday it was but the town was hustling and bustling with music, vendors and street meat! The following morning, we took a boat across the bay to a massive rope swing. Oh yeah, and we drank more rum. It was overall very successful, until my last swing, when I basically slid down the entirety of the rope, hitting every knot with my thighs on the way down. Needless to say, I have two MASSIVE bruises on my inner thighs that are quite painful. During the late hours of the night we were on a new bottle of rum adventure, walking down the cobblestone streets, when a musical parade began walking by. We were in an alley way, when all of the sudden there was an explosion right in front of us. I hit the deck, Dana flew against the wall, and I look back to my Canadian, Chris, slow motion falling on his face. Turns out, it was just a firecracker, but seeing my friends scatter like they were gunshots was pretty damm hilarious. That morning, we were supposed to go to the 3 a.m. sunrise tour to the Mayan ruins of Tikal, but thanks to the rum, only 2 of our 6 made it. But this might explain why:

Everyone else, besides me, went on the later adventure that day to the ruins but I stayed behind. I spent the day exploring Flores. I enjoyed the most amazinnng lunch overlooking the water, sipping a bottle of Coca-Cola. I really fell in love with the beauty of that small island. We were staying at Los Amigos, the greatest hostel in Central yet. There were trees growing through the ceiling and hammocks perched everywhere. Not to mention the food, of course, was so so good. We spent a lot of time just soaking up the vibes and meeting other travelers at Los Amigos. I would definitely reccomend it to anyone heading down to Guats. That evening, 10 p.m. rolled around and we got word there was a pub crawl going on. So we headed out to the first bar to find everyone dancing with their shoes off to a popping live band. The no shoe party ended quickly when someone shattered a beer bottle on the dance floor. Blood everywhere! Haha we moved onto the next bar, where immediately a mountain of shoes began to form again. This continues to every bar we entered. There was limbo, beers, music, and a WHOLE lot of us ripping around. The pub crawl ended at a rooftop bar over looking the water. It was a seriously, seriously epic night. The following morning, once again, I was supposed to hit the sunrise set to Tikal, but once again, I missed it… Haha damn. But thanks to Ronald, the ever helpful tour guide, I was able to go to Tikal around noon. And wow, I would have been SO disappointed in myself if I didn’t go. Seriously such an incredible place. The tour guide had explained to me, that in it’s prime, Tikal was a city buzzing with almost 120,000 people. Comparatively, the entire country of England during that time had around 14,000-30,000 people. That blew my mind. Realizing they built these amazing structures with simple tools- and their knowledge of architecture and geometry was endless – incredible! I really felt like I was walking with history. All the feet that walked where mine had. Completely different ideals on how life is -then and now. Pretty unforgettable.

I returned to Los Amigos to find my friends relaxing in hammocks. We finished the night with good ol’ Toy Story, and went to bed relatively early in order to prepare for this bus ride.
So that brings me back to now. We are on our way to Lanquin with the next few days booked full of white water rafting, cave swimming, and (hopefully) a massage somewhere along the way ( I must add Mama D has really been hooking it up in the whole massage area already though, thanks my witch doctor)!
I will try and update more frequently, but we know how that goes! Adios for now!

P.S.
My lesson for this segment: Family is what’s important. Let go of miniscule things and allow yourself to forgive for the little bullshit in life. We are all on our own adventure and it’s better to share in our lives then always try to do it alone.

P.S.S.
We actually made it to Semuc Champey today… Words cannot even describe the beauty… I was legitimately speechless for a majority of the day. We began our tour through an underground cave, rippled with pressure made waterfalls/slides (which we got to careen down)!! and candlelit walks through dripping caverns. We entered ther depths of the cave and were able to jump from the jagged edges into the dark emerald pools below. Our tour guides were full of energy and super comforting through the pitch black. We then proceeded to the dopest of dope rope swings followed by floating down the river. The day didn’t end there… We decided to jump off a 50 foot bridge into the water below as well. Then the treacherous hike began up a 1.5 mile grade to the view point. Minus my minor heart attack it was thoroughly worth it. Below we could see the blue water. Semuc Champey actually stands for “water that passes under a bridge.” When we finally made it back down to these blue lakes we were literally standing on a land bridge with water flowing under our feet as well as under the bridge. Two rivers flowing different directions. The boys did some tree climbing slash tree jumping as we waded in the pools below. By far the greatest Monday of my life. We are heading back there today to enjoy some swimming again.

#fuckingbueno!!!!

You better Belize it!

Wow wow wow! All I can say is I’m in complete awe as I make my way around Cayekaulkre! This beautiful island is so full of life – whether it be the wide variety of flowers and trees, the kids riding their bikes, or the Rastas exchanging smiles on the beach – I am in love!

The first few days of our journey were trickled in rain but that didn’t stop us from submersing ourselves in the culture and introducing ourselves to the locals. We spent all day yesterday fishing with hand lines and were able to catch enough fish to make an amazing chowder. Now, as I prepare for my snorkeling trip the sun is shining brightly and the music is playing loud. Today it’s a swim with manatees, sting rays, and sharks day! Cannot wait 🙂

But one of the most beautiful things I’ve encountered thus far is how genuinely happy everyone is with EXACTLY what they have. Between my fellow backpackers and the locals, materialism is NOT an option. It’s amazing to me that I can live in a society that thrives so FULLY on competition. My challenge for everyone back home: LET GO of one material item today. Something that has been a constant item in your life. Just LET IT GO. Don’t allow the constaints of what you “think” you want to hold you back.

This is all I have time for today! It’s breakfast time and I have to run and catch the sailboat! Bon voyage!

OUT WITH THE OLD. IN WITH THE NEW.

Woooh and another year for the books! Wasn’t it just the end of the world or something?! Well here I am welcoming 2014 with open arms, preparing myself for the grandest adventure yet. As my departure for Central America approaches I have been taking time to reflect on this past year as a whole. What a whirlwind, to say the least. I must admit, this year has been particularly brutal and impeccably beautiful for me.

I learned some valuable lessons in 2013..

To begin…

1. Nothing lasts forever. The energy of love and loss is constantly being transformed right before our eyes, everyday.
2. Dont ever hold on too tight.
3. Learn to LET GO. Don’t hold onto anything or anyone that inhibits you from reaching your fullest potential.
4. FORGIVENESS. I have never felt pain quite like the heartache I went through this year. But, I must remember to forgive, not only the people that have hurt me, but also to forgive myself. Forgive myself for not understanding the things I cannot change. And most importantly forgiving others for the wrong they have done to me.

I FORGIVE YOU.

5. Life is so fragile. The most beautiful humans in the world can be taken from us unexpectedly. So don’t forget to be completely honest with people about your feelings. If you love someone, tell them. Don’t hesitate, soon it may be too late.
6. Speaking of honesty, BE HONEST. Lies cut a thousand times deeper than the truth. If you messed up, ADMIT IT. If you fall out of love, ADMIT IT.
7. Just be REAL. Be real to the people you love. If you’re unhappy, dont allow yourself to bring others to that level. Change what needs to be changed before you hurt someone else.
8. Learn to live with the consequences of our actions. We can’t live our lives just sliding along, thinking we can get away with whatever the hell we want. Reality check, this is real life, and every action we put out will get a reaction. So think before you act.
9. Fall in love everyday. Whether it be with food, your lover, the wind, anything. Allow your heart to be open to all the beauty around us.

10. Broken hearts do heal.

As we plummet head first into the new year don’t ever forget to be grateful for what you have. Sometimes it will seem like our glass is half full, somtimes, half empty… But remember life is kind of like an arrow, sometimes it pulls us back, just to shoot us forward. And as hard as it may be, BE GRATEFUL for all the chaos in your life. These terrible lessons we go through only make us stronger.

So with that, CHEERS my friends. Remember that whatever you want in this life, you CAN HAVE! Work hard, play hard. And constantly be making moves for improvement.

Here’s to 2014.

BEAUTY.

What a beautiful day! I am so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing and creative souls. They truly are an inspiration.

On that note, I spent  today in Chico, California romping through apple-blossom orchards and an old abandoned plantation. As my friends and I posted on some broken down stairs, the sunset created the most breath-taking canvas in front of us. I truly felt the beauty of my friends and the Earth in front of me. Nothing beats that feeling.

All around us – the blooming mustard flowers, a dog rejoicing over her newly found stick, shadows being cast from the silouhettes of people – the Earth is trying to speak to us. We should do ourselves a favor and listen.
Don’t ever hesitate to stop and smell the flowers or enjoy the simplicity of a bubble floating in the air. If you see a tree and feel the need to hug it – you damn well better hug it! 🙂 That tree feels your energy just as much as you feel it’s energy.
All too often we can get caught up in our busy lives and forget to stop, breathe, and just take in what’s around us. Feeling connected to your enviroment is key to maintaining a balance in your life.
Take a gander at the stars or actually feel the water as it runs through your hands. The simplest things in life can be the most rewarding for you mentally and emotionally.

“The mountains are calling… and I must go….”

Challenge yourself to be with nature everyday. Give yourself that ten minutes to breathe Her in. Watch the birds as they fly over your head or the fish as it swims in the stream. All of these living things want to share with you.

GREATNESS.

To begin, I must state my belief of evolution. I believe that, even though we are singular individuals – our individuality is dictating something much more grand. Because through our individual lives – we are creating progress. With each page we write – a LARGER page is turned. Each of us, being the best we can be in our individual lives, are helping the development of the UNIVERSE’S future. By achieving greatness on an individual scale we are ultimately creating greatness on a universal scale. So, it’s important to remember that we must ALWAYS be making progress in our lives. We must push to be the greatest we can be because no matter how tiny our pebble, the ripple can go on forever.

So – today I ask – are you surrounding yourself with people that are helping you achieve greatness?

It is important to constantly build yourself up – but if you’re surrounded by people who are constantly tearing you down – where does that leave you? My mother shared with me an incredible metaphor a woman had taught her:

Everyone in life is given a cup. It is our duty to fill our own cup, but it is also our duty to fill the cups of others. Through this mutual sharing – our cups should remain at a constant volume. What you give, you shall receive, right? But sometimes – it can feel as though we are the only ones pouring out of our cup. We can be pouring a little into someone’s cup every day – but if no one is pouring anything back into ours – our cup will become empty quickly. Soon – people will be sucking the corners of your cup with a straw – until there is nothing left. It’s pretty hard to be the only one filing an empty cup when you have nothing left to give.

So my task to you is to re-evaluate the cups in your life. If your constantly giving and never receiving from the people in your life (no matter how simple or complex; a smile or a thoughtful word) you will be on empty QUICK. And it’s pretty hard to be the GREATEST you can be on empty  (and remember, being your greatest is the goal)! Sometimes it can be hard to recognize a relationship that is bringing you down. Sometimes you may love someone so much it may be difficult to realize they’re the ones sucking your cup dry. But – the challenge – learning to let go of these people because they are no longer teaching you anything.

The definition of progress is the movement or advancement toward a higher stage. In order to move to a higher stage we must constantly be surrounded by people who make us want to do better and be better. We should be surrounded by people that keep your cup at that constant “half full.” We should always be learning from our peers and lovers. Once we stop learning, we stop growing, we stop seeking that greatness. So it’s up to you to recognize whether the relationships in your life are helping you move forward. And even though you may love someone with your whole heart, sometimes you can only learn so much from them. The difficult task will be realizing that you’ve learned all you can from them. You will never forget the important place they held in your heart and you should be grateful for everything they have taught you – but life must go on.

So I ask again – are you surrounding yourself with people that are helping you achieve greatness?

“Don’t wait for the world to recognize your greatness, live it, and let the world catch up to you.”

DIVINE FEMININE.

Last night, I had the honor of partaking in a women’s circle during the rise of the full moon. This group was created with the intention of reconnecting to our divine feminine. A sacred space, we intertwined hands and gave thanks to Mother Earth and Father Sky. This sparked within me a real connection to these women, most of which I had just met for the first time. I could feel the energy between us as we breathed in and out slowly, our hearts beating to the same rythym.
No matter if you are female or male, the connection to the divine feminine is very important. Balance must be made between the dominant male and the often pushed-aside female. It’s crucial to stimulate that right brain, allow the creative enery to flow freely, and most of all, BE SENSITIVE. Open your heart to the emotions that are making themselves known. The beauty of being human is our ability to take perceptions and turn them into feelings. We are all submersed in a society that tells us being tough and strong is the only way to be. But actually allowing yourself to FEEL (they must be called feelings for a reason, huh?) is the greatest healing property of all.
Woman are blessed with being “extra-sensitive.” Some men may laugh at this and shake their head, but deep down they are completely capable, if not already, of feeling the EXACT emotions women share. The only difference being that men would be considered “weak” if they shed light on anything other than being masculine. This is where we must make a change. Being sensitive is a GIFT. Having the ability to recognize what makes us sad, happy, angry – these are all things that CONNECT us. Sharing feelings and emotions can only make our connnections grow stronger. The more we feel human, the more we will feel whole.
Allow yourself to be free of the constraints society has put on you regarding how we must act and feel. Break free of the chain of bullshit thats been wrapped around you too tightly, for too long. One of the most amazing gifts we can share with someone is telling them EXACTLY how we feel. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Use your feminine power of thought and feeling to dictate your emotional life. Tears shed out of happiness, or sadness, are still a weight being lifted. Give yourself permission to feel vulnerable.

“Fall in love. Dream big. Drink wine, eat chocolate. Spend quality time with great friends. LAUGH EVERYDAY. Believe in magic. Learn more and be creative. LOVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART.”

BELIEVE

“i believe…that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. and just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do love each other. i believe… that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change. i believe…. that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. i believe… that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. same goes for true love. i believe…. that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.. i believe… that you should always leave loved ones with kind words. it may be the last time you see them. i believe… that you can keep going long after you think you can’t. i believe… that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. i believe…. that either you control your attitude or it controls you. i believe… that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. i believe… that money is a lousy way of keeping score. i believe… that my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time. i believe… everyone has something to offer. mostly good things.  i believe… that sometimes when i’m angry, i have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel. i believe… that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated. i believe… that sometimes it is always enough, to forgive others. sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself. i believe… that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief. i believe… that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are; but, we are responsible for who we become. i believe… that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. it could change your life forever. i believe… two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. i believe… that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you. i believe…. that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you – you will find the strength to help. i believe… that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. i believe… that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.” but mostly, i believe in living in the moment. do what makes you happy. you are beautiful, and you are meant to share it. BE FREE, my beauties.

LIGHT

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”

Often times, we forget to just breathe. The most simple thing, a gift granted to us at birth, is something we all too often take for granted. That simple inhale and exhale is LIFE. And the saddest part – people can go their entire life without actually being ALIVE.

We are surrounded with constant reminders that life is fucking hard, reminders that grab us by the neck, throw us down, and step on us. But, we must remember, that when the universe hands us a dose of that terrible medicine – we must swallow it down because in the long run, it will heal us.

“It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

And although we may run and try to hide from life – it will ALWAYS find us. But that is the beauty of it. If we stop running and embrace every thing that is thrown at us – those burdens will actually feel a little less heavy. Have faith that everything is happening for a reason and that you will end up where you are supposed to. Take every single thing that has happened to you thus far as a lesson – all of those things had to happen to get you exactly where you are right now.

Whether its happiness or sadness that lurks at your window – remember you put it there. We must learn to control our emotions and not let them control us. Recognize the negative qualities about yourself and rather than try to abolish them, seize them! Hold onto them tightly and let them be a guide as to who you truly wish to be. These negative things are actually what make us human. Jealousy, greed, ego, anger, hatred – all these emotions and many more are what lead us to destruction. If we, as humans, learn to recognize these emotions in ourselves and choose to take the latter of love and joy and happiness – we will truly find what we are looking for.