In this video, I discuss why you should accept who you are, ways to take care of yourself while highlighting the importance of staying physically active, how setting goals for yourself doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and the power of showing compassion.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
In honor of the final episode of the most brilliant show in history, Breaking Bad, my dachshund Dallas decided to wear his Heisenberg hat as he patiently waits for 9:00 to roll around.
For me, there’s nothing like wearing a pair of colorful shorts, a bright tank top, and comfy flip flops while spending the long days beneath the shining sun. Maybe drink some fresh-squeezed lemonade after taking a walk along the ocean, collecting seashells, then winding down at a backyard barbecue, followed by roasting marshmallows around a firepit beneath the glistening stars.
But it’s time to let those summer dreams go because today marks the first day of my second favorite season on our pretty earth: fall. Or autumn, as some of you may like to refer to it as. First of all, let me just say that I’m a fall baby — I trickled down to Earth like a leaf in November — it’s embedded within who I am. Right behind summer, so super close to it, just a tiny little nudge away from it in my heart lies my adoration for this gorgeous-stricken season, and here’s what I love most about it. Read More
Some fascinating photography of my two favorite animals, the wolf and the cheetah. These images are not mine, though I wish I was lucky enough to have taken them myself (from a safe distance).
What I admire most about wolves is how they work together as a unit, how they’re social and emotional like we are. I think they’re capable of love, like most pack animals, and I respect their wild beauty and power.
Cheetahs are graceful, though tough for their fragile build. I think they’ve got the most skill in the savannah for being solitary hunters. They can reach up to 75 miles per hour (in short bursts), and have the ability to accelerate from zero to 62 miles per hour in three seconds. I find that absolutely amazing. I also think they have one of the earth’s most stunning patterns. 
And of course I’d love the chance to meet a wolf pup or a cheetah cub.
Just some cool super powers I wish I could have.
Teleportation – Being able to be anywhere in the world (even beyond the world!) in the blink of an eye would be absolutely astounding. I could see so much without the hassle of planning and getting on a plane or a boat or a crazy super rocket ship and at no cost. Just think it and explore it. If I’m running a little late for something, whoosh, not anymore!
Flight – Who wouldn’t want to be able to take off into the blue? Flying at your own pace would be so peaceful and freeing. The closest I’ve been to flying was when I went skydiving, and the rush was incredible. Once the second parachute was pulled and we slowed down, the view was breathtaking and having the time to let the experience sink in was phenomenal. So if I want to just casually fly to a friend’s house, I can float over, see what’s going on below, and enjoy the ride.
Time Travel – Nothing like learning about something than actually being there or doing it yourself. The big bang, dinosaurs, and maybe those aliens (shh!). I’m not sure how I feel about sneaking into the future though. That would be unfair, but definitely helpful, when it comes to certain things. But it would probably turn the world into a mess. So let’s only time travel to the past. Educational purposes only.
Healing with a touch – A sick person or a wounded animal, right in front of me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. If I could heal with a touch, I’d be able to restore them to their healthy self and we’d all be happy. Then comes the thought of extreme over population, but in a world of super powers where there’d be invisibility time travel and teleporting off the planet, it would be fine.
Having the perfect amount of money when I need it – $26,000 for a Toyota FJ Cruiser, $60,000 for a Master’s degree, $60 to fill up my gas tank, $28.73 for dinner and drinks, how about some giant cannolis? No matter how much something costs in this money-run world, I wish I could have the exact amount I need at that very moment.
What do you think? Which super powers would you like to have and why?
I received the Liebster Blog Award from Jane Fritz. She always has something meaningful to read on her blog, which focuses on her lifetime experiences and thoughts. I’m honored that she chose me and I’m more than happy to know that there are people who enjoy my work.
The Liebster Award is for bloggers with fewer than 200 followers and is meant to encourage them to keep writing.
The rules of this award are as follows:
1. Thank and link back to the giver.
2. Answer the giver’s questions.
3. Nominate five other blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
4. Ask five questions for one’s nominees to answer.
5. Post it on your blog.
Jane’s questions:
(1) What is it that you like about blogging?
I’m able to express my thoughts and showcase my work. That’s meaningful to me because these feelings and words are mine and they come from deep within. I can write, share it with others who have similar interests, and receive feedback. It’s something I’ll always appreciate.
(2) What is your favorite time of year and why?
When summer fades into fall. The air is crisp and refreshing, it’s warm but not hot, and there’s a soft breeze. It’s the perfect weather to admire the scenery or to go out and have fun in.
(3) If the Internet didn’t exist, and hence the possibility of blogging, would you still write? If not, what would you do instead to get the same satisfaction?
Of course! I still write with a pen in my diary at least once a week. I can’t escape putting my imagination and experiences on paper to preserve, and I don’t want to.
(4) What’s your biggest weakness/indulgence?
I see others my age who are successful and on their own and I’m nowhere near that. My weakness is being too hopeful about my future in writing. It’s what I want to do and I have to push myself to get that dream out of my head. I think I’m better off working in another field so I can fund my life. But there’s a big part of me that says to never give up.
(5) If you won the lottery next week, would you make any major changes in your life? What?
Definitely. I’d be somewhere warm, in a city where I have a better shot at my career. My college loans would be paid off and so would my brothers’ and my boyfriend’s. I’d get my parents to where they want to be, I’d adopt a bunch of dogs, and I’d certainly go traveling all over the place.
I nominate these blogs for the Liebster Award:
My five questions:
What inspired you to start blogging?
Out of all your posts, which is your favorite and why?
What stimulates your imagination?
Is where you are in life where you saw yourself five years ago?
Out of the twelve months each year, which month best represents you and why?
I doodled on some shells I collected at the beach for my friends. These two are my favorites.
Author Unknown
I cut this out of a local paper a few months ago and kept it on my desk so that I’d be reminded of the important things. This is something worth reading.
1. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams.
2. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life completely.
3. Don’t judge people by their relatives.
4. Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.
5. Remember the three Rs:
Respect for self,
Respect for others,
Responsibility for your actions.
6. Don’t overlook life’s small joys while searching for big ones.
7. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
8. Be the first to fight for a just cause.
9. Remember that no time is wasted that makes two or more people better friends.
10. Never say anything uncomplimentary about another person’s dog.
11. Don’t think expensive equipment will make up for lack of talent or practice.
12. Memorize your favorite love poem.
13. Do the right thing, regardless of what others think.
14. Judge people from where they stand, not from where you stand.
15. Life will sometimes give you a magical moment. Savor it.
16. Don’t confuse comfort with happiness or wealth with success.
17. Be the first to forgive.
18. Spend some time alone.
19. Be an original. If that means being a little eccentric, so be it.
20. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
21. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
22. When you say “I Love You”, mean it.
23. Watch your attitude. It’s the first thing people notice about you.
24. Remember that the more you know, the less you fear.
25. Be humble & polite, but don’t let people push you around.
26. Don’t let weeds grow around your dreams.
27. Remember that how you say something is just as important as what you say.
28. Read between the lines.
29. Don’t think you can fill an emptiness in your heart with money.
30. Remember that the shortest way to travel anywhere is to have good company with you.
31. Take criticism and praise with equal grace.
32. Remember that what’s right isn’t always popular & what’s popular isn’t always right.
33. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
34. Never risk what you can’t afford to lose.
35. Remember that ignorance is expensive.
36. Learn the rules, then break some.
37. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
38. Don’t confuse foolishness with bravery and kindness with weakness.
39. Life is too short. Eat more pancakes than ricecakes.
40. Follow your own star.
41. Remember the ones you love.
42. Follow your dreams.
Nicole DiGiose 