Wishing

 Bralette: Victorias Secret | Top: Juicy Couture | Shorts: Nordstrom B.P . | Shoes: Keds

Lately I feel like I have lost the ability to change. Maybe because it is difficult to change old habits so quickly and I have sort of lost my motivation. It is easier to succumb to your old ways than to change...not good. So, in order to combat this, I think I need to begin exercising and dancing more often. (I love dance parties...a lot). Exercise helps give people a happy endorphin and also gives people the motivation and mindset to live a better life. The hard part, for me at least, is to find time. I know I have plenty of it, but I just got to do it. So I will!
Also I wish it was spring right now too. I have been trying to trick myself into the next season but it does not work that much. It keeps raining or getting very cold. I wore this outfit on a semi-overcast day in hopes that the sun would peak out but it did not. Sneaky little sun.
That is all for this week!
xox

Character

 Sweater: Ann Taylor | Dress: Lulu's | Shoes: Steve Madden | Watch: Michael Kors 

Character. The single most important thing that defines everyone. At least in my opinion. Your character is made up of who you are, your influences, your favorite music, your hobbies, talents, struggles, and everything else in this world. That's what makes people special. Everyones character makes them unique and that is why everyone matters. You matter. I matter. We all matter because we all have the potential to do something great with our lives and to make a positive impact in other peoples lives.
I bring the topic of character up because I realized sometimes people make choices you don't like that defines who they are in your eyes. For instance, my sports team and I had a team dinner with each other and one of my close friends is on the team. We were all able to chose our own restaurant to get take out from but for the fear of being independent, and straying away from the crowd, everyone went to get food from the same place...except for me. I thought my good friend would come with me too because I could tell she did not want to go where everyone else went, but she did anyway. And I was alone. It probably is not a big deal but I just thought people would stand up for what they want even if it is as minor as what to eat. And then the next day the same friend insulted me about the person I used to be and that really hurt me. You don't expect your friends to use you mistakes as ammunition to hurt you when they are annoyed at you so that really shocked me. Do I let something like this go and confront her if it happens again or should I tell her now? I don't know what to do.
However some people have the most wonderful personalities ever. One of my friends who lives on the other side of the country is one of the most amazing people I know. She also writes her own blog with some very amazing stories. I recommend checking out her most recent article about the difference between sympathy and empathy. People like my friend Sydney (the one whose blog I just linked) bring people up, do not tear them down, support others, and help others through their struggles. She is an advocate for many different causes, has many spectacular experiences and through that learns a lot about herself, something I hope to accomplish.
That is my thought on character.
As for my dance, I won't lie, I cried before leaving. I think I was overwhelmed with everything going on around me that at first I had a difficult time enjoying the moment. But once I got to the party bus, my friends continuously tried to cheer me up and it didn't work. I realized that in order for me to have a good time, I need to make an effort for myself, so thats what I did and it worked. So I danced for three hours straight in my heels because my dress was too long and somehow my feet managed. As for the whole date situation, after following Ellen's advise, I decided not to take a date. Although I was unsure of my decision at first, I think for me it was a good one because for now I need to focus on myself and at the end of the day we all danced together and it didn't matter who came with who.
Thats all for now. Thank you for reading this loong post!
xox
Leah

Trying Something New

 Scarf: Nordstrom | Jacket: Zara | Top: Hollister | Belt: Hollister | Jeans: Hollister | Sandals: Steve Madden

This past week I have been giving myself and others one compliment a day. When I say something nice to others it makes them smile, but after giving myself a compliment per day I did not get the same effect as the people who were receiving my compliments. I think that might be because when I give myself a compliment it either may not be sincere (sometimes) or it is just very repetitive. But whatever the case, life is a bit less dull because of it. I am also trying to stop complaining- and it is very tough. I get technical with myself and ask my friends if what I am saying is negative or if it is just a statement like"I am so tired." Any idea? It is also difficult to always stay positive because there will always be people around you who say mean things, are downers, and complain a lot. Although it is inevitable to not cross paths with people whose predominant characteristics are negative, in your eyes, there are ways to decrease your interactions with them. For example you can cut those people out of your life and surround yourself with positive, supportive, helpful, and happy people. Sometimes this is hard too. I know all the best things in life are hard to get, that is because it requires care, effort, and persistence. This is a hard thing to do when you go to a tiny school with cliques everyone is to scared to come out of, when you don't interact with others, and when you lack the bravery to try something out of your comfort zone. All very difficult things to get out of. But my cousin told me the best thing to do is to always say "yes". Say yes when someone asks you for help, to go out, and anything else. That is one thing I am going to try and do this week in addition to staying positive and not complaining. Hopefully it will turn out well!
Also, if Ellen from Elleosophy is reading this, I just want to say thank you so much for your advise last week! For those who do not know, I had a question last week regarding if I need a date to a dance to have fun and Ellen helped me make a confident answer. So thank you very much. The dance is tomorrow so we will see how it goes (insert nervous face emoji here). If anyone needs and guidance or wisdom, Ellen is your girl. Her blog is seriously filled with so much inspiration and for those who want, I definitely recommend checking out her site if you still have not done so.
That is all for this week!
xox
Leah 

Reinventing

 Hat: Forever 21 | Jacket: Denyl | Scarf: Vintage | Shirt: My mom | Belt: Hollister | Jeans: Express | Boots: Steve Madden | Bag: Marc Jacobs

Life has always been about reinventing yourself...and love. But for now I am going to focus on reinvention. Trying to find out how to become a better, more happy version of myself is the way I want to change. Within my first week of trying to become the woman I want to be, I have already been struggling and feeling uncomfortable- with myself and others. Trying to change it is really hard and involves loving myself first. That is how to be happy; because you will be spending your whole life with yourself, it is worth it to get to really know who you are. But how? I have talked to a few people about how to become your own best friend and they said it is about loving yourself. As we all may probably know, we are our own harshest critics. In order to help combat this, we can start by giving ourselves and others one compliment per day. You can also read self help books (if any of you know some really good ones I would love to read them), and say one thing you are proud of- whether it be acing a test, spending time with family, or becoming the best version of yourself. That is, what I think, the first step to reinvention. Because I just learned about this yesterday, I haven't really had any time to put these practices into place, but next week I will share my progress on that with you.
Random thought- would you regret not having a date to your last formal dance when almost everyone else has a date? Would that make you feel insecure or uncomfortable or strong and independent. I am not sure how I feel about this so I would love to know your thoughts on this as well. The dance is next week and I am debating if I should ask anyone because that means I have to be with them the whole time and cant actually dance (I love to dance). But will I feel left out if I do not bring someone? I really have no idea what to do so knowing what you would do in this type of situation would really be helpful!
Thank you so much for reading!
xox
Leah 

Becoming Me

 Hat: Forever 21 | Necklace: Banana Republic | Shirt: Loft | Jeans: Hollister | Shoes: Tildon | Watch: Michael Kors | Hair Tie: Nordstrom Rack | Jacket: Nordstrom B.P.

Growing up has always been a fear of mine, just like Peter Pan. A big one actually. That is because people change, you lose friends, you gain some, people leave, you are on your own, you need to be self-dependant, and it means you actually have to figure out who you are, what you want to do with your life, and who you want to spend it with. I have been having a difficult time figuring out who I am right now because I never really thought about it; I just have been living life one dull day at a time...this sounds cynical. But there have been some incredible days and some not so much so. In order to combat this dull life, I have compiled characteristics and so on to help me become the woman I want to be. I got this idea from Diane von Fustenberg's book The Woman I Want To Be. It is fitting because it is a new year and I want to strive for a better me. Some things I hope to become this next year include being kind, self-reliant, curious, courages, loving, non-judgmental, strong, proud, important, and resilient. Lately I feel like I have lost my way, so these traits will help me pave the path to my future. While I recognize I definitely cannot do this all in one day, I do plan to work on it day by day with a good support system to get me to where I want to be. I have my friend helping me right now and I am very thankful for that. I will accomplish this through daily activity, interacting with people, and having positive thoughts to change bad situations into good ones. To keep with the theme of New Years Resolutions, I would like to share with you my mission statement for this new year. I have gotten this from Elleosophy, a blog written by Aussie student Ellen. Her blog is beautifully written and if you would also like some inspo, I definitely recommend checking out her site!  So here is our 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.

Beautiful, right? So that is what I am striving for this year. Do you have anything you want to improve upon this year? I would love to know! I also plan on sharing this journey with you through my blog posts as the year goes on. Thank you for reading!

xox

Leah