You can tell she takes care of herself in the way most people should. A woman of style, sass, and a whole lot of grace – contemplation floods her eyes like memories clouding up a perfectly blue sky, only to leave the feeling of peace, no matter how cloudy any day may seem. The fear of the unknown no longer phases her, as the crashing waves of her own sea have seemingly met the shore sooner than she anticipated. She is a girl with dreams and passions and guilty pleasures just like everybody else. Playing guitar, cooking, reading, and being with her sorority sisters bring her joy. And the little things matter to her, like the mini succulent she holds that was given to her as a gift that day and how she savors the Cajun chicken taco in front of her that doesn’t make her feel sick. Where there is pain, there is relativism, and where there is darkness there is bound to be light. Finding positivity out of disease is not always easy, but I was gently reminded recently how no matter what you might be going through - pain is relative. For Camille Goodale, a now junior at Colorado State University, battling a serious illness was the last thing she had ever expected to happen to her as a sophomore in college. Being 19 and diagnosed with leukemia is not exactly what you think the doctor is going to order for you. But for Camille, she had no choice. One moment she thought she was anemic and was kicking her ass at the gym to get in better shape. The next moment, she was on the phone saying, “Mom, I just got a call that I have leukemia.” That day - April 25, 2016, dramatically changed Camille’s life as she was quickly headed to the hospital to begin her treatment. She was two and a half weeks away from finals and summer break, and had just dyed her hair a pretty bright shade of blonde. The heart wrenching news shook Camille into bursting tears as she thought it was some sort of a death sentence. Dying at 19 was not an option for her; she began to think, as negative emotions increasingly rattled through her thoughts after the shocking news. “I was so naïve, I thought I was going to the hospital for like three days,” Camille says. But those three days turned into 37. They were long, depressing and sunless days, filled with many visitors and a never-ending assortment of chemotherapy, a “chemo-cocktail” as Camille likes to call it. “I didn’t realize there were so many different kinds of chemo. I thought it was just chemo,” she says. Attending an out-of-state school to try something new away from her home town in Washington and create a new set of memories in Colorado, seemed to be a chapter in her life that she knew she was entirely ready for and could not wait for the best four years of her life. But just as the seasons change and chapters have their highs and lows, as do our lives. And she was quickly realizing that. “When you’re 19 and a sophomore in college, you don’t think you’re going to get cancer,” Camille says. “Cancer is for old people, and for cats. I’m 19, what the heck.” Now 20 years old and about eight months after the shocking news, she sits wide-eyed and attentive, naturally relaxing into her chair across the table as she honestly and humbly continues to share a chapter of her unexpected story. Her sincere strength shines through her dainty and gentle stature and her beautiful blonde hair flows over her shoulders as her eyelashes flutter to the satisfaction of the quaint local taco joint and appetizing food in front of her. To my surprise, the long, thick and perfectly groomed hair that lay on her gentle scalp held more significance than I had ever imagined, or at least thought to think about at the time. She lost her hair around the beginning of summer 2016, and I simply could not believe that her hair was not real. “It was so traumatic,” Camille says. “I had recently just dyed it blonde and I was so mad." Admiring how real her hair looks and dancing around the topic of hair for a while she expresses her true sadness for losing such a vital component to a woman’s image. She laughs as she says, “I paid a pretty penny for this wig, let me tell you.” She can do whatever she wants with her hair and after getting over the weird sensation of washing it, she says it’s not so bad. “You know the feeling when you come home and take off your bra after a long day? That’s how I feel when I take off my wig,” Camille chuckles. “I can just throw on my beanie and it feels great.” The doctors gave her treatment after treatment, medicine for the nausea, more for an increased appetite, and just about everything in between. “I lost a lot of weight because I wasn’t eating and was so nauseated,” she says. “Medical marijuana wasn’t even working anymore because I was getting too accustomed to it.” Nothing sounded appetizing for a while and she has had to get accustomed to a specific eating schedule in order for her to not get terribly sick in the middle of a work shift. She works at a coffee shop on CSU’s campus, and at the Nordstrom Rack as well, working about 25-30 hours a week – all while battling cancer, trying to stay as active in school and her sorority and being a recruitment coach this past year. “I try to do as much as I can and I’m still trying to be as active and as normal as I can, but I hide it very well and I make it look pretty damn easy, not going to lie,” she says. A co-worker of Camille’s at the coffee shop, Rachel Branson, says she is completely inspired by Camille and her strength. “Some of my favorite things about her are her sarcasm and that she’s real,” Rachel says. “Some people could use something like cancer as an out, but she doesn’t really tell people unless she has a reason to. She didn’t just quit work and she doesn’t use it (leukemia) as a scapegoat, she appreciates the fact that she can still go to work.” Camille’s positivity radiates from within as she talks about cancer like it’s an easy thing. She is not one to feed into the negativity she says. “I figure, if I can push through, it’s eventually going to be over,” Camille says. “Like, why would I feed into it, you know?” Rachel points out that Camille uses the mundane as a treat and that they bring her back to her center. “It makes me appreciate the little things more too – it really puts it in perspective for me,” Rachel says. Being young and active helps to heal and there’s no doubt that she is doing all the right things to help kick cancer’s ass. A mentor of Camille’s from the Natural Resources school at CSU said to Camille that there is a scientific reason she got cancer, but that she thinks that a lot of the negative things Camille was holding onto deep down and was suppressing, manifested into cancer so that she could come to terms with all of it. “My mind was so blown, I was like you’re so right, this is my body telling me you have shit to figure out,” Camille says. Going beyond inspirational by having the mindset that she has and approaching her sickness in such an incredibly positive outlook is admirable. Most people question cancer and all of the reasoning behind it, what causes it and why. But Camille has seemingly stopped questioning and begun to reflect upon it all. “Cancer is kind of, okay not kind of, cancer is a huge part of my life, and it does influence a lot of the things I do,” she says. “A lot of the things I say and how I act.” She somewhat jokingly states that she obviously wished it were the flu or something else that her body could have manifested, but she is a woman who knows that life doesn’t really work that way. “It’s weird because I actually somewhat enjoy life now, even though it is kind of terrible in a sense,” Camille says. “But I am a lot happier than when I was angry and in [my old major] equine science.” Waking up and sleeping have become easier for her if she stays positive, and she admits she has finally gotten over the whole “fomo” (fear of missing out) part of being sick. She used to go out a lot she says, but that there is more to life than getting drunk every weekend. Perspective has encompassed much of Camille’s thinking, bringing outlooks that have set her a part from a lot of people she once thought she was closest to. “I feel a hell of a lot more mature,” she says. “I do view things a lot differently than most 20-year-olds.” She lights up as she reflects on the positive things leukemia has done for her, like bringing other positive people into her life and reminding her what is most important, like her newfound friend Nicole who was going through a similar kind of leukemia. “If cancer was a positive thing, it gave me Nicole and it brought back my friends that I’ve kind of drifted a part from – it brought them back into my life,” Camille says. Going through a life-altering change like battling leukemia has also brought upon a very insightful takeaway by Camille of that which pain is relative. “You can feel the same amount of pain as I feel about losing my hair, as you might feel about getting an F on a test that you studied really hard for,” she says. We are all allowed to feel pain, Camille reminds us. These events change you, they make you a different person, and there is one thing for certain – she has inspired many. There’s something to be said for the fact that someone who is battling leukemia can say that pain is relative. We can all learn from that kind of person, as she knows it’s not easy, but worth it. “It’s hard, let me tell you,” she says. “But there are silver linings in everything, and here I am.” “If I can at least influence one person, inspire one person, than I have done my purpose in life I think,” Camille says. “Life has definitely been different for me. So I take every day like it’s my last – because it could be.” Camille, thank you for sharing your radiance. You are an inspiration.
xo, Alex.
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Light is given in the most unexpected ways sometimes; often when we don’t know exactly where it is or how to receive it, but it’s there nonetheless. Grown from a valley, filled with the most fearless and free-flowing flowers, this light has given hope and strength to every single being it has touched. ______________________________________________________________________________________ It was a late Sunday evening, finals were approaching in just a few short weeks, and the campus was buzzing as students were trying to successfully make a close on spring semester and welcome the warm weather of summer. Ski season was still underway as the snow didn’t seem to stop falling and ski resorts kept pushing their closing weekends back further in April. The balancing act of life was at one of its highs, and everyone was ready to start another week of going through the motions. But as the universe tends to shift and the earth continues to take its trips around the sun - as do our lives. It was that Sunday evening, April 24, 2016 when a day that seemed to be just another day on the mountain in Breckenridge, turned into a night filled with unexplainable emotions by the loved ones of 20-year-old Colorado State University student, Catie Abeyta. Since then, time has passed. Much slower and harder for some, but there is one thing for certain – her legacy has only strengthened. The amount of love and light that has been shed on such a tragic event is something that should never go unnoticed, and what a better way to share such a beautiful life that Catie lived, than to create an event in honor of her. This fall, the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter of Epsilon Beta at Colorado State University honored their sister Catie by creating a new philanthropy - Kamp Kappa, to raise money for the Catie Abeyta Scholarship Fund. “We hope to impact the community by coming together and spreading kindness. Being able to raise money to support someone will forever impact a life – like the way Catie impacted all of ours,” said Maty Montoya, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The event was held at the chapter facility in Fort Collins, Colo. on Sept. 15, with about 200 people in attendance and 50 people showing up within the first five minutes. Demi Connelly, one of Catie’s best friends and former roommate, said she felt that the event “brought our whole community together, and visually seeing how many people attended the event really put things into perspective; it showed how much the community cared about our cause.” There is a light within the community that has brought people together because of Catie, and the impact and legacy she has left behind at CSU is far beyond anyone’s differences. Demi said, “Yes, what the event was focused around was obviously sad, but it impacted people in such a positive way that it was a friendly reminder that good things can come from bad situations.” Kamp Kappa’s s’mores station, hot dog bar, and twinkling lights surrounding the backyard were fitting for Catie’s love for the outdoors, and being surrounded by only good energy. She was passionate about skiing, school, family, friends, and meditation. “It’s hard to describe Catie in a few brief words but I would say Catie was lively, goofy, open-minded and motivated. She was adventurous and was always down to try something new, and was incredibly reliable when it came to following through with plans or keeping up with people,” Demi said. Celebrating someone extraordinary, filled with an abundance of light, and surrounded by so many beautiful flowers can’t be easy, but the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma found the perfect source to fill the community with her love. “The chapter has been very half and half, bringing a lot of emotions for some this week, but others are doing okay,” said Megan Agras, the Kappa Kappa Gamma President. “But everyone grieves in different ways.” She gave light to the fact that the event has brought the chapter together and made their sisterhood and the community so much stronger. “It’s truly amazing to see all of the endless support that we have received through last semester and this event,” Megan said. They have raised over $6,000 and their goal is to create a lifetime scholarship in Catie’s name - giving hope to another woman to have the chance to be a part of an organization and community that was so impactful for Catie. "My goal was to raise $6,000 and I was over the moon when we were able to reach that goal. I felt like Catie was looking down on us during the event. It would be something she would want because she was so genuine. I was so emotional at the end to see how my vision of Kamp Kappa came to life and how successful it was." - Hannah Persichitte, Philanthropy Chairman Maty reflected how, “There were so many smiles and laughs at the event. Catie really lived and she showed us how to live, and by coming together at Kamp Kappa we are reminded to live the way Catie did and take care of each other.”
After the event, Catie’s mom led a meditation for some of the girls at the house, just as Catie and her mom used to do together all the time. They shared a deep connection through meditation, and the girls who were able to participate in the guided meditation were amazed by the power of silence in the room. “It’s amazing how something as simple as silence can make you feel so close to the people around you,” Megan said. LeAnn, Catie’s mom, explained to the girls that she and Catie used to FaceTime at least every week and meditate together. Catie used to go to the Oval on CSU’s campus and just sit there while they meditated together. While meditating after Kamp Kappa, sitting in the most special room in the house for the Kappa Kappa Gamma sisterhood, LeAnn said that Catie was stuck in between two houses during recruitment. After meditating about it she decided Kappa was going to be her home away from home, because she felt in her heart that this was where she would find her people. “Getting to meditate with her mom was a wonderful experience since she shared her deepest connection with her daughter with all of us,” said Megan Agras. “It felt like everyone was breathing the same breaths and united in that moment.” Catie found her home away from home at Kappa Kappa Gamma almost two years ago, and will forever illuminate nothing but light against the darkest of walls for the whole community. To honor such a light, and give the praise and remembrance to where it is due doesn’t necessarily take something extravagant, but rather something so profound in the simplest of ways. Kamp Kappa is for someone who will never be forgotten in the valley of flowers, and only help us grow into the genuine individuals we are each meant to be. I think that’s what she was called here to do – to love people. And that light filled with love will only continue to prosper, as it is but a mere reminder of the beauty that is within, and a gift we can each learn from such a beautiful flower and light we were so lucky to know. ______________________________________________________________________________________ I looked around daily on the subway wondering how these people do it every day – how they drag them selves around such a huge city that tends to suck up so much energy out of you. I would see moms carrying strollers up the subway steps and herding their other kids to keep up, homeless people begging for money every other corner, and wafts of heavy smells that you don’t tend to experience in a lot of other places. But above all of that, I was able to see why those people do it every day and why it is made out to be such a fabulous place that sometimes isn’t so fabulous, but somehow worth it.
Coming into my summer living with my sister in New York City, I honestly didn’t quite know what to expect, but I knew that I needed to experience it as some point and now was my chance. Since having been back in Colorado for a month, I have grown towards a much deeper appreciation for my summer experience and I have to admit, I beam with so much excitement every time someone asks me how my summer was. To be in a city so invigorating, fast-paced and talented gave me this sense of hope for the future. It also sort of scared the shit out of me for what’s to come after I graduate college, but it made me more mindful and thankful for the journey that life brings, no matter how many days might feel like treading through water. The cobblestone streets, the street art, heavenly restaurants, musicians and dancers in the subway, an abundance of places serving avocado toast, yoga on repeat, and the never-ending photo-ops made for a summer that I will never forget. But beyond everything that was so incredible to marvel over, my summer in the city simply would not have been possible without the radiant human being that I am so lucky and grateful to call my sister. A light beyond all lights in this world, someone who gives me the motivation to be a better individual and work hard for what I want, and a best friend who pushes me to see the possibilities in every situation – that is only beginning of describing the beautiful sister of mine. I am thankful for mornings with coffee in one hand and a smoothie in the other, curled up on the dark blue velvet couch and using the stool for a table as we laugh over dreams and complicated avenues of our days ahead. The loud sirens passing by letting us know that the city is there and the day is already underway. Strolling through the farmers markets, gathering bags of fresh veggies to cook up for the week, and admiring the puppies and babies wandering by. Spending time in Whole Foods giggling and slap-happily sauntering through every aisle. Sweating through inspiring hot yoga flows and yoga in the park. Being burnt to a crisp on our way back from Fire Island while we rode the freezing cold train home. My fulfillment of this summer has come from all of my adventures and aimless exploring, getting lost and getting on the wrong trains, the growing appreciation for air conditioning, and the endless flavors to try. But more than anything, the fulfillment of my summer has stemmed from the constant connection that my sister and I have been able to give to one another. The balance of work, play, and relaxation. The push to find our centers even in the loud moments. And realizing that we literally do everything in the same way, and it is beyond satisfying to have someone that just gets your every move and reason for doing things. Regan Jules Lee, you are the nourishment for my soul and inspiration in life. I wouldn't be half the spirit I am today without your kindness and gentle approach to living. And as life goes on and we all find our places in the world, I am beyond thankful for a sister that is willing to seek happiness as much as I am, and more importantly seek growth. You push me to create, express, and pursue. And simply encourage me to just be me. Thank you for making me feel more full and making days that much more colorful. We are always trying to find the answers to things - within ourselves and also in others. But life is a little un-answerable at times, and for reasons that don't necessarily need to be explained right now. Questions can be so broad and repetitive sometimes, how are we supposed to know everything in our life right at this very moment? The theme of questions has been tending to drive me a little nuts recently. What are you doing for your internship? Do you have any boys in your life? Can you see yourself being in New York after you graduate?
Granted, people probably do actually care to ask, but then again maybe they don't and those are the questions that are the status quo of what should be asked. Something I have recognized to be a theme in my life, is that those repetitive questions that people ask me are typically bothersome because they fall in the areas that I am not too concerned with or the most confident in at this point in my life. Why does everyone think that we all need to be in a relationship with someone else to be fully happy? As if being in a relationship is going to tie life all together and all of our problems are going to magically disappear. This is the one that gets me the most. No, I do not have a boyfriend, nor do I have to in order to be fully content with my life. I am in a serious relationship with myself right now, a time in my life where I can and need to be selfish sometimes. Not to say relationships aren't good and beautiful, but I am at a point in my life where I am focusing on my own personal growth, and there is nothing wrong with that. There's something actually very profound in being alone and learning how to express yourself within your own surroundings. It's so easy to get caught up in the questions people ask that we tend to forget that we are each on our own unique journey. Perfection is nothing but a mere perception. Everyone struggles, and everyone has their downfalls and successes. There's no need to be jealous about another's life, but rather use it as an inspirational tool to do better and be better individuals - and most importantly use it as a tool to treat each other better. The thing with questions for me, is that they tend to come off as competition sometimes. As in if you don't answer correctly, the other might mis-judge you. But the harsh reality is that we all judge, we all place competition within ourselves and others, and we are always comparing. Being in New York City for the summer has felt like a repetitive circle at times and it has been hard to see the growth that I have endured. Having two un-paid internships is hard, especially when you live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Luckily my sister has so graciously taken me in for the summer, and I could not be more thankful for everything she has given me this summer and throughout my whole life. But it's hard nonetheless, and when those questions constantly have you feeling like you're not doing good enough - it makes life seem a little more confusing than it should be. But I think these questions are also a good thing, because it presents us with things we individually need to work on and encourages us to have a little more fire underneath us. I struggle more as I get older with days when I'm not productive, especially in this city where productivity is one of the main aspects I witness all around me. But that rush has encouraged me to get out there to network more, research companies, and get my foot into the real world before I actually have to graduate. I've been asked more times than I can count whether or not I will come back to New York after I graduate, and it's a tough question because I honestly have no idea. A lot can change in a year and although I love a lot of aspects about this city, it's also incredibly depleting at times. They say you should be happy wherever you go, and as I believe in this very much I also believe that your environment is everything. Let's encourage one another to find our fire, fuel it, and push through the sometimes uncomfortable and annoying questions that life brings us - whatever they may be. Without them, there wouldn't be life's vital aspects of learning and growing. It's been a minute since I have felt the need to blog anything, as I have honestly just had a lack of inspiration this past year - as every artist, and person for that manner, goes through at some point in their development of work and creations of some sort. I began to think I was the only one with a lack of motivation for creativity in my path in journalism and in life, but the more I have opened up about it the more I have realized that I truly am not alone. It's just unfortunate that being in a community of about 30,000 other students, feeling alone is something that reigns so true for many alike individuals, and it's like pulling teeth to try and get the deep stuff out of people sometimes.
We get so caught up in the mundane of our daily lives, and I too am equally guilty of being too 'on to the next task' kind of person, as so many people are in our world today. We get one thing done and we move onto the next, just mindlessly going through the motions. But since suffering from so much unnecessary anxiety throughout college, this semester I have been trying to make an effort in taking time to learn more about what my mind is actually thinking and feeling, and not being so hard on myself. I have been learning a lot about a program by an incredible teacher, Joey Klein, and his work with Conscious Transformation that some friends and my brother have turned me onto. It is something that has been making life a little more manageable this semester and is this notion of striving towards thriving, rather than merely surviving - through programs in mastering the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual states. My classes this semester have really been challenging my inner work and motivation for a betterment in my spirituality and clasp on my emotions - in which we all have, but I wonder why is it that people are so afraid to open up about their emotions? It's something that has really gotten to me this past year, and I'm not sure what pushed me to be open about it today, but I just feel this sense and desire for openness lately. I long for connection and the desire to have incredible relationships with others, but I also strive towards a power in knowing myself wholeheartedly and being the most inspirational person I can be, through my future journalistic career and in my own personal life as well. So how do we find that balance of interaction and inner reflection? I was challenged this week with the idea of community, and how we as moral beings are in nature 'social animals'. I have always thought that having a community has been something so incredibly valuable in life, as we can all help one another grow into the person we are meant to be. Granted why I joined a sorority, why I find so much value in family - no matter the disfunction behind it all - and the ongoing search for truly supportive friend dynamics. But I also have such a respect for people who can truly do things on their own, and be on their own, recognizing that personal growth is different for everyone but a completely vital aspect to contentment with oneself nonetheless. I'm not exactly sure my purpose of this today, but I just am longing for something in this incredible life and it has started with developing a vision for oneness within myself and with others. Stemming a lot off of that concept, but feeling a deep sense of connection that often can be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of this crazy life sometimes. Training for a half marathon, trying to make more of an effort for daily meditations, and being proactive in a way that attempts to eliminate anxiety of the future, are a few tactics I've been using - but sometimes it's just hard to find that inspiration and motivation. I have just noticed such a disconnect in our society lately, and I just feel like it's time we start lifting each other up rather than tearing each other down, getting off of our phones every once in a while and looking up, and sometimes talking about the uncomfortable - because that's where growth begins. When I think of where I live or where I come from, my thoughts automatically go towards family. Family is everything, but the roots behind it all are just now starting to intrigue me. The roots of what has brought us to where we are now. "Know your roots, know where you came from." - Trevor Hall I then begin to think of all that inspires me: exploration, journaling, photography, yoga, music. There is too much to list when I think of what inspires me and what motivates me every day to learn from the past by building up my future. When we think of who we are, I think it's easy to go to terms such as gender, sexuality, economic status, educational backgrounds, or occupation. But there is so much more. Through one of my most favorite inspirations right now, the new Trevor Hall album - KALA, I want to dig into the depths of the ideology and hegemony terms that I am currently learning about in my Multiculturalism and the Media class, and correlate the value of both with a twist to inspire. I posted one of my favorite songs from the album in a post below here, so feel free to give that a good listen - it has an incredible message, as do every single one of his other songs. I see such inspiration in his new album. I see his heart and soul and everything he has gone through lately being represented in such a beautiful way. Kala, meaning 'time' in Sanskrit embodies the theme of his musical and spiritual journey, which I think is such an incredibly powerful thing. "Mama well she told me, time is such a wonderful gift." - Trevor Hall Too often I find our society wrapping ourselves up in the concept of time. Rushing from place to place, trying to make deadlines, having a timeline of where we are "supposed" to be right now or in the years to come in order to be considered a part of the social norm. We tend to understand that the people dominating our society are those in high power, those who contribute to the idealisms of a successful life. I believe that how we live and come to understand and relate with one another is slightly skewed in todays culture of being so wrapped up in time. Not making time for those we love and sending a text here and there rather than finding time to make an old fashioned letter or phone call. Giving into the stresses and social media alienations. Most importantly, not often making time for ourselves in the way we truly need.
Through this album, I hear such passion, wisdom, compassion and love through his beautiful voice. I think he wants to inspire others and create a more harmonious society. He connects with others through his music, but more importantly - I think, through his messages. He wants to impact others to be better and see the beauty in the simplicity of all that is life. He doesn't focus on the typical cultural norms that America centers on, which is what I love so much about him. It is just pure peace. He uses ideology and the power of hegemony in his own way to explain the world around us - rather, he explores the little meanings that are received to us every day, knowingly or not, and gives that out so freely and openly. Trevor Hall gives us a world of possibilities, just as Stuart Hall proposes in his dicourse concept. He focuses his energy on the good, and he gears that energy to uncover wisdom and spiritual attainment. I believe that these concepts correlate well to ideology and hegemony through his powerful usage of cultures all around him and what he has gained through all of his teachings. Trevor Hall is my inspiration. Every single day. And this album so perfectly captures his beautiful soul and what he wants to spread out to the world. Take a listen, this song is truly so perfect in so many ways. Couldn't have said it better myself. "Time is such a wonderful gift. You're not running out, you're really running in. Confusion clouds the heart, but it also points the way. Quiet down the mind, the more the song will play." - Trevor Hall Have you ever noticed how we are all kind of taught to be like each other? That we learn to be like every one else, and then begin to compare and judge one another, competing for something that - I'm not even exactly sure what... How about instead of competing with one another, we actually helped one another grow? We could give each other more gratitude and compassion, which would go a lot further in life than judgement and comparison. To our creator (in whichever form you may believe) - "Help us to accept others just the way they are, without judgement, because when we reject them, we reject ourselves. When we reject ourselves, we reject you." -The Mastery of Love This quote really stood out to me, because I oftentimes mindlessly bring upon those judgements, and I really wish I didn't. We are sort of brought up to believe that judging others and ourselves is normal, that it is something that will always be there so we might as well accept those judgements. Well, I'm here to seek a heart that eliminates those judgements, regardless of what the status quo tells us. This summer, it is my goal to grow. I mean - throughout my whole life I hope to be continuously growing, but for now I am focusing on right here, right now. This is a summer of growth and I hope you'll join me. In the book I just finished, The Mastery of Love by don Miguel Ruiz, there are messages that shouldn't just be read once, but reminded to ourselves and others every day. "Happiness can only come from inside of you and is the result of your love. When you are aware that no one else can make you happy, and that happiness is the result of your love, this becomes the greatest mastery of the Toltecs: The Mastery of Love." We can only constantly be building our own individual selves up in order to fulfill our other relationships. We have to be strong and secure with who we are before we can truly give our love to others. Nobody else can truly make you happy besides yourself. And at the end of the day, we are the only ones that can make that happen for ourselves. I want this summer of growth to spark conversation with others on how we are actually doing. No sugar coating, no fears. Oftentimes, no matter what layer of love it may be, people let fear block their ability to love openly and fearlessly. We've become so closed, and I want to change that stigma. We go into relationships to ultimately share, and how can you share when you don't truly know yourself? True and beautiful relationships come when each person takes care of their half, and then come together to share and ultimately grow. We all have a purpose here, and I believe that everyone is capable of doing so with love, deep connections, and knowing yourself. Nothing that anyone ever does has to do with you, everything you do to other people has everything to do with you. What they are going through, what you are going through - it's all a reflection of how we react and communicate. So, I don't know about you, but I love friendships that can dig deep and build off of one another, not compete with one another. I am starting this movement for myself - Summer of Growth - but for each and every one of you as well. Only you know what you need in order to help yourself grow. I'm just trying to encourage you to do so. "The heart is in direct communion with the human soul, and when the heart speaks, even with the resistance of the head, something inside you changes; your heart opens another heart, and true love is possible." #summerofgrowth |
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December 2016
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