Good.. Better.. Best!

Good, better, best. Never let it rest, til your good is better and your better is best!

I learned this little phrase when I was in the second grade. It is one of those things that I have for whatever reason just always remembered. But this week it really hit home for me. I have had kind of a rough week and have been struggling with things in my life concerning the good things I have and the better things that can ultimately lead to the best things in life. I realized that no matter how good something might be, if it is just good, it is not good enough, we need to be actively pursuing the BEST things in life. This life has so much to offer, and if we settle just for the good, then we aren't living life to it's fullest potential. With some of the things I have been struggling with, it was a debate on whether or not to pursue something in my life. This thing I have been thinking about pursuing is a good thing, it's not a bad thing by any means, BUT it's not the best thing. There are other things that I can and should be chasing after if I want to accomplish my goals. Today I heard quote that I really liked, and that is so true. It went something like this... The enemy of the best, is the good. or something to that effect. Basically saying that good will stop us from becoming better which stops us from becoming the best we can be. We ALL deserve the best in life, and we can have it if we really truly put our full energy into it. Life has so much to offer and we can truly accomplish it all.

One of my most favorite quotes is by Miss Marilyn Monroe...

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can
learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right,
you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself,
and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

I love this quote, because it sums up life pretty well. But my favorite part of it all is the last line. "sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." Just because something in our life is good, doesn't mean it is the best. And just because something good falls apart, doesn't mean that there isn't other things out there. Life is so good and we truly can have the best if we really want it. It is all about setting our goals and never settling for less than we deserve! May we all pursue the BEST things life has to offer!

Good, better, best. Never let it rest, til your good is better and you better is best!

Life is a PARTY!!!

Simply put life is a party!! haha okay so maybe not, but it can be. Life is tough and it has its ups and downs, but you have to make it fun! If you don't make life fun, than you will never enjoy anything you do. You will be stuck in a life of day-to-day monotony. Doing the same things over and over. And what fun is that. Don't get me wrong, life can't always be partying and fun stuff. But you can make anything you do fun. My co-workers and I have this down to a science. We work at a bank, so it's the same old thing day in and day out. Five days a week I go to work for six hours and do the same thing, BUT I love my job because we know how to make it fun. We know how to laugh, and enjoy the things we do. And that is what life is all about. Making life worth living. Throughout our lives, we will experience some crappy things, things we never wanted to have to experience, or never thought we would. Whether it was a choice we made, or something that just happened, we all experience them. BUT if we have a positive attitude and try and make the best of every situation, we will enjoy life so much more. When life gets tough, if we get down on ourselves and start thinking that life sucks... it will. We won't be happy and won't see the good things we do have in our lives. No matter what comes our way, we can choose to be happy :) Life is so good, and there is so much to enjoy. Keep life positive and make everything you do a PARTY!

Not For Me .. But Thank You!

So, yesterday I was reflecting with a friend about guys that I have dated. The good, the bad ... the ugly. The way they treated me, the way our relationships ended, and the relationships that never actually happened. We decided that I should write a book because I have had quite the luck with guys... or not!I have had a lot of fun dating experiences good, bad, and embarrassing. I have had so many good times, but I have had too many painful experiences as well. But as I was talking with her and reliving the memories of the past I realized that as crazy and full of drama my dating life has been as of late, I don't regret any of it. Because each and every guy I have dated has taught me something. I have learned exactly what I want in a guy even if it was learning everything I don't want. It reminded me of the song "Not For Me" by Marshall Crenshaw.

Yeah I know what happened last time
And someday you'll wake up to find that
You've be waiting around
for something You'll never see

I don't have to wonder I know definitely
That it's just not for me

So I know what not to do
Cause I learned it from you yeah
Now I feel sorry for you
And I hope that someday I can thank you

So, to all the guys that I have ever dated... the good and bad...THANK YOU! I say thank you for everything you taught me. Even though I can now say that you were not for me, you have made me a girl who is smarter and stronger than before. You have helped me so that maybe the next time around I will get it right. I am a girl who has laughed, cried, and loved, who has been broken, played and lied to, but ALL of these things made me STRONGER! Even if I did have to learn things the hard way. :)

Defining a New Me

"Life isn't about finding yourself, its about creating yourself."

A common phrase that we hear as an answer to a question about one's life is that they are trying to "find" themselves and who they are. I never quite understood this answer, because I grew up knowing who I was and where I came from, but nonetheless, it has provoked a lot of thought over the years. Questions always came to mind like "How do you "find" yourself?" "Where would you look?" and "How will you know when you have found yourself?" Then, I found the quote that i shared above, and it summed up how I felt perfectly. All the time and energy people spend trying to find themselves, they could be using to create themselves. Instead of trying to search for something we are not sure of, why not create something we are. We are all given different hardships and trials that we have to face, but that is not what defines us. It is how we react in the situations which we are placed that does. And each and every reaction, for the good or the bad, defines who we are. Through the way we react we create a definition for ourselves. If we are faced with extreme difficulty and walk away because we think it is too tough, we are defined as weak. If we stand and endure everything that comes our way, we are defined as strong. Who we hang out with defines our "popularity", what we wear defines our fashion. And although these definitions most often come from other people, we are the ones who create the basis of the definition. Everyday, we label things. We are human it is what we do. BUT, just because others are the ones placing the labels, doesn't mean that we can't be the ones to write them. We are in control of the way we handle the situations that we face, we are the ones who choose what we wear and who we hang out with, and whether we like to admit it or not, ultimately we are the ones who define the labels we are given. If you are given the label of stupid, are you going to go along with it, or are you going to prove them wrong? No matter what the label, whether positive or negative, we define who we are by the way we act.

So, in my efforts of bettering myself, I have decided that I will I will define who I am in a new way. I will live up to the positive labels that I have been given, and disprove the negative ones as well. And in the end, people will still think what they want, but I know that I will have defined myself in the best way possible. I will not let labels restrict and prohibit me from achieving my dreams and my goals, and I won't let them intimidate me either. Because in the end I define who I am. I am the one who will decide how I will handle a situation, or portray a desired image. I decide who I am, and because I do, no one else can.

No Regrets, Just Life Lessons!

Some of you that know me, know that I live my life by the motto "No regrets, just life lessons." There are many times that people ask the question, "If you could go back and relive part of your life, or change one things, what would it be?" When I was younger, I would respond something like "oh when i was younger I did..." but after thinking about it for awhile I realized that I wouldn't go back and change anything. Because as I reflected on my life, the trials I faced, the decisions I have made, and the things that I have done, I realized that the things that I learned when going through all these things made me who I was today. The lessons that I learned are priceless to me. I would not have learned them if it weren't for my trials and decisions. Even when I struggled, or made poor decisions, I came away a better person. Life is way to short to have regrets. Every trial we face, every decision we make is an opprotunity to learn. Every day we are presented with many chances to learn somthing new and to better ourselves. It all depends on our attitude, we are the ones who have to open our eyes and look for the lessons that can be learned. There are lessons in everything, it is up to us to see and learn them.
We all make mistakes and do things that we aren't proud of, but why live life regretting something that you can't change, when instead you can learn from and make sure that you don't make the same mistakes in the future.

So, my motto is "No regrets, just life lessons," and I strive to live by it everyday. Life is way to short to have regrets, we can be so much happier when we choose to learn lessons from our mistakes instead of living with regret for the rest of our life.

"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, take. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."

Because I Was Taught To Dream

"And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big"
"Dream Big" Ryan Shupe

Life is tough, life is hard. But, when you have dreams you always have something to work towards. To help you through the difficulties of life. Dreams are goals to work towards. There are no better goals than your life long dreams.

I have been told many times before that I am a dreamer. That I often hope for things that are beyond my reach. That the things I want are unattainable. And to the people who tell me that, I say that is not true!! One of my favorites quotes (because all my quotes are my favorite) is "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt. I love this quote because it is so true! When you believe in your dreams, the future truly is yours. You are in charge of the out come of your life. If you believe in your dreams pursue them. Don't let anyone or anything come in the way of you achieving them. So many people today don't believe in their dreams, or the dreams of others, and they go around trying to get people to give up. But, if everyone gave up on their dreams, where would our world be today? People everyday are living their dream. There is a client that comes in to my work on a regular basis, and every time you ask him how he is doing he replies "I am great, just living the dream." We all laugh, because he says the same thing every time, but I have learned a lot from him. He is a very positive, happy guy. He has his struggles and what not, but he really is living the dream. He is living the life that he chooses to. We can all do the same thing. We can all "live the dream" if we really want to. It is up to us. We can believe in ourselves and accomplish great things, or we can let others tell us that what we want is impossible to achieve.

I have set some big goals for myself. I know where I want my life to be, and although I don't know exactly how to get there I know I can. I don't care what people say, I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I am a dreamer, I have dreams, and I will accomplish them. Life is meant for fulfilling and living out these dreams. We are given no other time to live. Our time is now. I believe in myself, and know that I can do it. I know what I want in life, because I was taught to dream!

Some of my Favorites

So if you don't know already, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE quotes!! I have quite the large collection of them, and refer to them frequently. Well I was talking with a friend the other day about quotes, and decided that I would share some of my favorites. Quotes that define me, my life, and what i would like to become.. So, here we go.

"Love me or hate me, I promise it won't make or break me." -Lil Wayne

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

"I believe that everything happens for a reason, people change so you can learn to let go.
Things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they are right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

"Happiness is not a goal, but a way of life."

"Decisions determine destiny."

"Life isn't about FINDING yourself, it's about CREATING yourself."

"Either you define the moment or the moment defines you."

"Pain is weakness leaving the body."

"Character is not made in a crisis- it's exhibited."

"Whatever you are, be a good one." - Abraham Lincoln

"Wherever you go no matter the weather, bring your own sunshine."

"I have made mistakes in my life. I've let people take advantage of me, and i've accepted less than i deserve. But I have learned from my bad choices and even though there are some things i can never get back, and people who will never be sorry, I'll know better next time, and wont settle for anything less than I deserve."

"Letting someone help you doesn't mean you have failed, it just means that you aren't alone."- Messer "Life As We Know It."

"Cinderella is proof that the right pair of shoes can change your life."

"Everyday may not be good, but there is good in everyday."

Those are just a few of my favorite quotes, I have so many it is hard to choose from, but these quotes have definitely helped me through trials of mine and help define me as a person, and life in general. There are so many quotes out there, which ones define you?