Cleanse

 Chambray: Nordstrom B.P. | Denim: Aeropostale | Shoes: Steve Madden | Bag: Marc Jacobs | Sunglasses: Loft 

This week I decided to try and purge the negativity from my body after impulse buying a juice cleanse (it was half off...I couldn't resist). After being explained the intensive process of no eating solid foods for a whole day (which was not so great granted that I love food), drinking one of six juices every two hours, and having lots of water, I was prepared to take on the day. When I woke up, I could tell that I would have a good morning. That is most likely because the juices were a type of memento to me that I would get the chance to flush out all the toxins in my body. I paralleled that idea to getting rid of negativity from my life. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice thought, but it takes more than one day and a few drinks to do that; It is a whole process. Anyway, the morning went smoothly as I did not pay much attention to peoples' complaints. But after I had my third and least favorite juice, everything got mediocre from there and life became the same old same old it had always been. That feeling of having a good day just vanished. Afterwards, I realized I could not hold one item or thing accountable for how I feel. Instead, it needs to be on me.
It needs to be on ourselves to make an effort everyday, even when we do not want to, to make each day a little more extraordinary. That can being in the form of spending some alone time with yourself, having a bubble bath, enjoying nature and going on a walk, or reading a portion of a book. Find one thing in everyday that make you smile. Find your silver lining. That way everyday can be a special one where you do not need to count on anyone or anything to make your day better...like juice.

Letting Go

 Flower Crown: Handmade DIY | Top: Zara | Shorts: Macy's | Bag: Vintage | Sunglasses: Loft | Shoes: Nordstrom Rack

Letting go of anything is difficult... and usually, is not encouraged. But when you continuously ask yourself if this person is worth having in your life, what do you say? Most likely the answer is maybe because it is so heart-achingly difficult to let go of someone when you are so incredibly close to them...or were. You don't want to let go of them because they are like your sibling and each of you knows everything about the other and you have incredible memories together. But the moment you seriously begin doubting your relationship should be used as a red flag that you may want to end your relationship as should continuously feeling neglected by them after telling them how you feel. If you still are unsure if they are worth having in your life, keep reading the rest of these red flags: they bring you down, are passive aggressive, do not spend any time with you, you no longer feel safe or comfortable around them, they don't respect you, and they are not supportive of you, should also be signs that your relationship has gone downhill. And while everyone wants so desperately to go back to the way things used to be, it most likely never will. I know, it is a sad and pessimistic thought. But while you may be wondering if this person is truly still your friend, you should first try everything in your power to try and salvage your relationship, as should the other person. If all else fails and you are still wondering if you should end the relationship, do not be afraid to do so. Because, at the end of the day it will lead you to far better things, darling.

Kindness

 Romper: American Rag via Macy's | Shoes: Tilly's | Bag: Marc Jacobs | Watch: Michael Kors

A few weeks ago I witnessed something truly inspiring, one girl helping another which she had barely known. Not only did the girl helping make the other girl's day brighter, but it also inspired everyone else in the room that saw the exchange want to pass on the kindness and make someone else's day a little bit more cheery.
The concept of kindness is quite a simple one- be nice and respectful. But the idea can quickly turn sour when people become passive aggressive, are your "frenemy", and so on. So, I challenge you to step away from being the person who turns kindness into a game of passive-agressivness and genuinely try to help someone who is having a rough day. It can be as simple as trying to gossip less, inviting the new kid to sit with you, or even just making someone laugh. As long as you do one act of kindness-wheather it be big or small- I am sure that both you and the receiver will feel much better and will also inspire others to pass on the movement.
Because we all need a little bit more kindness in the world.
xox
Leah 

Commitment

 Jacket: Denyl | Top: Macy's | Belt: J. Crew | Denim: American Eagle | Boots: Steve Madden 

Committing to something is huge-wheather it be having a dog, choosing what college to go to, buying a house, getting married or all those New Year resolutions we promised ourselves.
Three years ago, I started this blog with my main goal being to remember what I was wearing each day. Deep, right? But now it has transformed into a project of sorts where I am trying to figure out who I am and becoming a better person. I was not sure what would come from this blog, but I knew it would take commitment, something that scared me deeply. Sure, you can always drop what you commit when you want, but when you make a life altering choice (or perceive it to be a life altering choice) then the whole commitment thing gets elevated to a whole other level. The stakes are raised and so are you (that was an absolutely horrible version of me trying to sound like a TV host).
Anyway, how can you be sure that the decision you are making is a good one for you now and will lead you to future happiness and success with whatever you do? Honestly, I have no idea. But, you know that feeling you get where all you can do is smile when you the the said person, place, or thing? I think that should help you make you decision simpler when you are stressed. After all, you do know yourself the best and whatever choice you do make is the right one for you. Remember that.

Worthwhile

Intro (by Leah): This week I wanted to do a different and unique type of post, so I asked the incredibly wonderful Ellen, from the blog Elleosophy to write a post to inspire my readers (as she has done onto me). Ellen is an Aussie Uni student with an incredible outlook on life and the desire to pursue a career in fashion. Not only that, but she is a spectacular human, one of which I look up to. If you have ever read her blog, you know she is a sage and wise beyond her years. Ellen is a very deep, thoughtful, kind and is an inspiring woman whom I would hope can also give you some inspiration. If only we lived on the same continent... *sigh* 

Here is her post: 

Being positive isn’t something that happened overnight for me. In a melodramatic way, I had a series of negative moments that built up to a climax where I had this massive and genuine life-changing realisation. Oh, and those negative moments? They ranged from being simple and petty to serious and personal. I was 100% unbiased when it came to what I chose to be negative about. It was like a switch had been flicked and if I could be negative about it, I would. 

I was a negative person, surrounded by negative energy and people and it was horrible.

Before this moment, I never realized how appropriate the saying “misery loves company” or “you get out what you put in” was. When I found myself in a bad situation, I’d mellow in it to the point where nothing made me happy for longer than a few minutes. It was toxic. I also didn’t have someone to tell me I was being negative—because I kept it internal. It was my own little negative world, but on the outside, everything was positive and happy. 

I used to imagine that people who were positive had it in their DNA. That they were made this way, it was their destiny, and that they didn’t know any different. Firstly, I was quite ignorant and bitter, and secondly that is not the case. I woke up one day and decided I was sick of being negative and that I could (and as equally important, deserved) to treat myself better by getting rid of that negative energy and mindset. Being positive is something I work at every hour of the day. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. So I figured I’d share five things that help me start and have kept me going.

My Mission Statement

This is something I came up with in January. I use it as a foundation of my beliefs and values. Every day I strive to live this statement. I wrote it specifically aimed at what I struggle with in life and I read it often as a reminder for what I’m now striving towards.

Mission Statement

I shall be kind in both thoughts and words.

My kindness will not discriminate.

I shall be myself and be unapologetic about it.

Grief and regrets will be used to teach me wisdom, not to plague my heart or mind.

I will remember that there are always stars in the sky.

The value of food, love, and laughter is richer than what is in my wallet.

Silver Lining

Stuart Little takes all the credit for this one. I never paid much attention to the philosophy of it until much later in life (try nineteen years later), but it seriously works. When I find myself in a bad situation, I always try to look for something to be happy about. I made a mistake at work the other day by handing the phone to our big boss (who I had just met) when it was meant for someone else and was actually my co-workers mum. I freaked out. But you know what the silver lining was? It was no big deal. It was just a misunderstanding and our big boss didn’t even care about it two minutes after we’d solved the problem. Regardless, I spent the next two hours thinking “idiot”, but after those two hours were up I let it go and moved on.

Affirmations

I used affirmations every morning when I woke up to help get my mindset right for the rest of the day. I chose five cards out of a deck and repeated them to myself twice, ignoring and blocking out every other sound or distraction. Sort of like hypnosis or meditating, but all for good reasons!

Put the Phone Down

This is something I did without the intention of it attributing to my positive mindset, but I’ve found it works wonders. I’ve taken the habit of leaving my phone on the opposite side of the room when I go to bed and I only touch it in the morning to make sure nobody from work needs anything. The TV is off when I eat breakfast and I don’t touch any of it for at least the first hour of my morning. 

Eat Healthy and Workout

I got into health about two years ago when I first started university and found that small things like walking up a slope to my car with my textbooks made me more tired and sore than what it should. Since then, I’ve strived to keep my body health by eating well and working out and to be honest with you I’ve never felt better. 

It’s hard, it takes effort and sacrifice, and not everybody understands what it’s all about. But it is probably one of the only things in life that I think nobody will ever regret at the end of the day doing. 

I certainly don’t anyway.

Live well and fully,

Ellen. 

Say It

 Top: Madewell | Denim: Hollister | Belt: Hollister | Shoes: Steve Madden | Socks: Puma | Bag: Marc Jacobs | Sunglasses: Loft

Grief and regrets will be used to teach me wisdom, not to plague my heart or mind.

That is one of the lines from my mission statement.

This past week I realized that I have finally had enough of being too kind to people and allowing them to walk all over me. It has been happening for a few years now, but after having a trip ruined because I was unable to speak up for myself,  I realized I need to do something about it. At first I tried keeping last week's resolution of not complaining...but that failed big time. I was consumed with being upset and how I wasted two days of my life. But now as I write this, I realize this is a great learning opportunity, and I hope my hurdle will also teach/inspire you to stand up for yourself. While I have yet to confront the individual for making me so sad, I plan to talk to them about it next time they want something from me. I also plan to find the strength in myself to say no even when my voice is trembling and my inside is in knots when I feel like what I am doing is mean. In reality, it is not mean. By not speaking up for myself, I hurt myself, and that is not fair. I need to put my feelings in front of everyone else's feelings, something that I have trouble doing. Hopefully now that I have recognized my problem, I  can fix it. If you have any suggestions on how, I would love to hear them!

More next week,

xox

Leah

Marc

Hat: Forever 21 | Sweater: Ann Taylor | Romper: Vintage | Boots: Steve Madden

Have you ever felt that you could change the world? That you could make a global impact to make the world better? I haven't, but I know people who have. First, you find an issue that you are passionate about and stick with it. You become a leader. Nelson Mandela said that the key to becoming a good leader is to lead from behind; follow those who have the same drive as you and show them the way to go. I had the privilege of attending We Day, an event celebrating young people who've made a commitment to improve their communities, and the world. Many inspirational speakers, actors, singers, and accomplished individuals spoke including Eileen Collins (the first woman commander in space), four Ugandan girls who created Afrigal (an app that help see if a person has stickle cell), and J.R Martinez (motivational speaker, bestselling author, and winner of DWTS). What all these people had in common was that they are all regular people who had the courage to stand up for what they believe in and pursue it.
One of the main takeaways I got from this event is that your job is not a destination, it is a journey. You find what speaks to you and go with it. You believe in yourself, make progress every day, reach your goal, and become unstoppable. You place your mark on this world. Another important thing I learned is that woman need to be empowered, not to put down or shamed. We have to tell girls that they can do anything they put their minds to and that they are not bossy but instead are the boss. I personally want to live in a world where woman support and inspire one another, not compete or hurt each other. So, I challenge myself and you (if you are willing) to instead of feeling jealous that someone else got something you wanted, that you congratulate them instead of dwelling in the negativity that can devour you. I know, it is really hard and does not happen over night but I think a good first step is to try going one day without complaining. Then two and so on. So far it has worked for me and by focusing on what I want for myself, my friends can support me and I can support them.
More next week
xox
Leah