Strength

What does strength mean to you? Merriam-Webster provides nine definitions for this term, but each person has their own meaning of strength. Nonetheless, I want to focus on the first definition, the quality or state of being strong: the capacity for exertion or endurance. An individual can be physically strong, but mental strength is the key to overcoming any adversity. As James Conant once said, “Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.”




Without taking that risk, enduring our problems or exercising our will to push through these issues, then we would not consider ourselves strong people.
Now that we know the definition, let us consider what strength is not. Strength is not when you run away from your problem. It is not when you let them sit there and fester. Moreover, strength is not when you hand all your problems over to someone else so they can fix them for you. It just does not work that way. You have to be involved in the process somehow, and it is completely different when that individual is there to guide you.




Do not get me wrong, I have made the first two mistakes numerous times in different situations. Where did it get me? Nowhere. By the time my issues were all said and done, I had an even bigger mess to clean. Let us take not paying your bills as an example. Sure, you can use the money to go by other things, but your bills will still be there waiting for you. If choose not to pay them, you will rack up an insane amount of late fees. Eventually, this bill will be sent to a collection agency. Then, these people will become your enemies. They will call you five or six times a day about your bill, if not more. They will harass you, call you dirty names, and do whatever else it takes to get their money.




Maybe, just maybe the bill will go away after seven years. However, it is highly unlikely. Those individuals will take this even further by issuing you a subpoena. Then, you will end up paying for court costs and risk the possibility of your check being garnished. This horrible cycle that affects everyone around you. Granted, I am defending bill collectors because some of them are just unethical, but that is not the point of my blog.




My point is you have to think about resolutions. How are you going to move past the issue that has been created? That will become a testament to your strength. When I hear people tell me I am a strong person, I sometimes brush it off because I never thought of myself like that. Nevertheless, each individual encounters various problems and handles them in a different manner. The problems I encounter might be similar to another individual, but they may choose a different solution. It does not necessarily mean you are not strong person, but it means that each person has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. So if you have a problem that is bugging you, get off your butt and do something about it. I am in the process of resolving mine at this very moment, but I will save that for the next blog.




Until the next time….

Decisions, Decisions

Decisions: we make them every day. They range from what we are going to wear to what we want for dinner. Then, there are the decisions that can change our lives - what exactly do we want.

To me, that's one of the hardest choices I needed to make. In high school, I went from wanting to be a journalist to desiring an advertising career. Now, I have been working towards public relations and event planning. These career paths are all similar since they consist of writing, but they are also very different.

Writing is what drives me because I know words, thoughts, ideas and opinions fuel our world. If you can talk, speak, think, then you can write: Everyone has a different style. So now I want to ask you, what do you want? Are you doing what makes you happy?

Have you taken the right steps that will lead you to the path of happiness? I know those are difficult questions to answer because everyone has a different definition for the term "happiness." - but set all those other viewpoints aside. If you think about someone else's definition for too long, it will drive you insane. Then you will constantly be questioning yourself.

Think about your desires and your dreams: what makes your heart beat faster; what makes you smile and what makes your eyes sparkle?

Once you have figured that out, develop a plan to get there. You may have a destination, but it is pointless when you do not have a map to guide you. For example, that's why I started this blog: I want people to hear my thoughts and opinions. While you are reading this, I am trying to make my dream happen. I am constantly thinking about ways to re-invent myself and my writing.

I don't want to settle for something that does not meet my definition of happiness or success. Sure, I could be happy with what I have, but it is not "me."

My last comment is do not let fear overcome you. It happens to the best of us. I know there are other bloggers out there who have the same idea as me, but I cannot let that stop me. There will always be competition; it's just a fact of life. Just keep striving for your goals and eventually you will end up on the right path.

Freewrite

You could say I have been wanting to write this awhile, but I never really took the time to finish my thoughts. I hope everyone enjoys my crazy thoughts!


He told me to write – just write. But what do I write about? Do I write about love, hope, inspiration or nothing at all? I wanted my blog to inspire others, but how to I convey that idea? Why do I over analyze topics and not listen to my heart?
Many people, including myself, forget that inspiration can come in different forms. However, words are my inspiration. Reading how others formulate a sentence and how it flows always amazes me. Sometimes, I feel as if my writing cannot compare to other writers, but I forget others feel the same way about me. Ultimately, it is the thought that matters: it is how everyone can relate to it.


The other day, I was watching my favorite anime, Bleach. I read the translation of Inoue’s thoughts about how she wanted to be strong for her friends and how she did not understand why they came to save her. The words, the thought and the flow were pure genius – maybe this is the romanticist in me.


Listening, or I should say reading, to her thoughts gave me insight as to who I am as a writer. Passion and frustration are the keys to my writing – this may be true for anyone’s writing. I cannot write while I am happy. All of my poems – I wrote them while I was sad or frustrated. Romance and passion did not enter my life until the ladder years, but I feed off of those feelings as well.


In fact, I truly believe this is how everyone operates. It’s when we let go of logic and let our hearts’ thoughts consume us. Living through our feelings can be dangerous; however, it can help certain individuals become creative geniuses.