Blog
I add NEW blog posts every week! Topics range from personal stories, current events, and new perspectives! I do not wish to share opinions; I only hope to share my thoughts with those who need it.
Click the banner at the top of this page to sign up for the weekly email so you are the first to know when I have posted something new!
Thank you for stopping by! You are beautiful!
4/21/2017 marked the 4 year anniversary of my arrest.
In this post, I write a letter to the girl I was four years ago, and if I could give my past self any kind of advice, this is what I would say to her.
In one of my most personal pieces to date, I share my most unflattering photo with the world, and I tell you the truth about the girl in the mugshot.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
We all define success differently, but the question is, are YOU defining it correctly? More times than not, we feel pressure to make the most money, have the nicest things, and live, in what one could argue, an unattainable lifestyle. So, where do we draw the line? And at what point does success no longer mean happiness?
In this blog post, I will challenge you to define what success means to you, and I will offer you a new way to answer the question, "What do you do for a living?"
So, I did it. I moved out of the area that I have lived for 95% of my life, and during the process, I learned a handful of things about myself.
In this post, I talk about my experience through packing up my life, and moving away. I share some of the truths I learned through this process, and I discuss my reasons for moving to a new city. Read more, and share an experience in the comments that you have had through the process of moving your life to a new, undiscovered, place! Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
In this post, I talk about the importance of who we choose to surround ourselves with, and I beg the question: Are there people in your life that are holding you back?
To become the best versions of ourself, the company that we keep has a lot to do with that. Their influence on our behaviors, and the way they lead their lives, will impact us either positively, or negatively. The good thing about this, is that we always have a say in who we decide to be inspired by. If there are toxic people in your life, now is the best time to start separating yourself from anything negative. So, I must ask you: Is the company that you keep, hurting you, or helping you?
Do you worry too much about the opinions of others? Are you constantly comparing yourself to what the media considers to be 'beautiful'? I don't blame you, because it is damn near impossible not to be bombarded with societal pressures every single day. So how do we see past our imperfections, and the little things that make us feel less than?
In this blog post, I discuss how we can go about living out our days loving who we are, and how to be...ourselves.
Sharing my story through various platforms has helped me heal others, but most importantly, it has allowed me to heal myself. I decided a few years ago that I was no longer going to hide from who I am, and that included who I was to those around me.
So, when I was asked to speak to student athletes about my story, I was nervous; extremely nervous. It was one thing to type up my story and allow anyone to read it, but to actually stand in front of a room of people and let all of my walls down, that was an entirely new experience; one I hope to experience again.
Why do we do that? Why do we spend so much time thinking about the past, and stressing about the future? Why can't we just enjoy the moment we are in right now, and recognize that these are the moments that shape us?
We can't change what has happened, and we can't predict what the future holds, but we can choose to focus on what we are doing right now. What we spend our time on, and what we choose to allow in our lives, is what we should concentrate on. Your past has shaped you, your future is up to you, and right now is how you will get there.
So how do we do it?
Are you afraid to challenge yourself because you don't know if taking the risk for what you want is worth it? Are you holding yourself back because things are going smoothly, and you are content with the way things are?
Your comfort zone can be a scary place if you choose to remain there, and nothing changes if you aren't willing to get a bit uncomfortable and follow those dreams of yours. We must take chances, and risk certain things so we can learn what we are capable of. I have come up with 10 reasons why you should be afraid of your comfort zone, and why you should never settle for less than what you deserve.
Being alone should never scare you, in fact, it should excite you. For so long, I thought worth was something you found when loving someone else, but this is just not the case. What I found was loneliness, and it was because I didn't know how to be alone, and what that truly meant. So I tried it, and what I learned through this process was how to make myself happy. Too many people think that their existence is validated by another person, but I am here to tell you that you are the only person who can define your worth. You need to know the difference between being alone, and experiencing loneliness. One can hurt you, while the other will heal you. Get to know who you are, and find out that you were so much more capable than you ever thought possible.
Alicia Cook is a writer, an activist, and a friend. She is someone I have grown to admire over the years, and she is someone that I believe everyone should take a moment to get to know. Alicia has spent a large chunk of her life helping raise awareness on recovery, addiction, and the affects of drug addiction that so many people are having to live through every single day. She is just one person, who is making a world of a difference in so many lives. Read more about Alicia in a special interview I did with her, and get to see why I have grown so fond of this beautiful human.
Is there something in your life that you could probably use less of? Whether that be technology, alcohol, caffeine, or prescription drugs, there are so many of us that have formed bad habits, that we no longer recognize what we have lost control over. Moderation in all things in life is an important thing to learn, because as I have gotten older, I have learned that too much of anything can be bad. Lack of balance can lead to addiction. So at what point does a habit become a problem, and at what point do we need to address it? Moderation is a good thing to practice at all ages, and in everything we do.
I just returned from a long awaited trip to a location I have never been, but for some reason, have always wanted to go. What I learned while traveling alone is an experience I wouldn't trade for the world. Getting out of my comfort zone, trying new things, and exploring a city whose motto is to "Keep Austin Weird," was definitely a trip for the books, and a blog post that had to be shared.
Something had to change, so I changed it. Although hard at first, this year of my life was so important for the growth of who I am as a person. This post may force you to question some of your own actions, but it just might force you to see that something needs to change. Don't be afraid of getting to know yourself. This is how we learn, this is how we heal, and this is how we become the best versions of who we are.
Is there something you are holding yourself back from? And more importantly, are you treating yourself fairly?
Are you holding yourself back from accomplishing your dreams? Are you stuck in a 'comfort zone' that you are trying to get out of? Are you worried that your own success will cause insecurities within other people?
A lot of people are guilty of this; including myself. Why do we do this? We all have the potential to be something greater, so at what point do we follow our dreams, and at what point do we stop being so afraid?
