cheryl

There’s something admirable about struggle. It’s something so stressful and unpleasant, yet so beautiful. Perhaps it’s the fact that at the end of every struggle there is: a lesson learned & an ounce more of strength gained. Through my struggles, I’ve learned the importance and the value of life—-i learned to cherish it; I learned to smile through the downs, and to forgive..

I don’t think I’d ever trade any of the pain or struggles that I’ve experienced, for a life of perfection. If I had a life of perfection, I don’t think I’d learn anything. There would be no excitement of what was to come—-there would be no spontaneity. Sure there would be perfection, but then, there wouldn’t be any challenges.

I’ve experienced so many changes these first few months. They’ve been overwhelming, but I know they’re necessary for me to keep moving forward. Instead of resisting the changes, I constantly tell myself that i need to welcome them. Because without change, i’d be stagnant & unproductive.

Change is a progression. And isn’t that what we all strive for—-to progress further & make something of our lives?

My mind is bursting with curiosity that can’t be contained. I would like to travel the world & explore the wonders of life because I crave knowledge. Not the kind of knowledge that can be found in books or learned in a classroom (although i enjoy reading & going to school). But im craving the kind of knowledge that’s gained through personal experiences & adventures.

“Easily influenced people are like leaves on a pond—-They respond to the direction of whichever way they are being blown, instead of staying firmly rooted to the tree they belong to”

Sometimes, it just depends on an individual if he/she is easily influenced by others or not. I think that the people you spend time with, will influence your life in one way or another though. Such influence could be large or small. For example, I’ve noticed that my brother, cousins & I influence how the other speaks. We talk to each other in a way that is unique to us. On a larger scale, people may change your: preferences, views on life, perception of right & wrong, etc

I admit to having committed some shameful deeds & establishing unhealthy friendships with people who weren’t good for my well-being. However, I feel that my mistakes are still valuable, learning experiences. Everyday I try to: make better decisions, maintain healthy relationships, & aim the quality of my life in a positive path. I feel that healthy relationships have a mutual understanding of support, trust and honesty——And are also filled with encouragement, in which each individual encourages the other to be a better person.

You control the quality of your life, do with it what you will.

I always remember people who have helped me along the way. Whether you impacted my life in a good way, or caused a lot of trouble in my life—-each of you have taught me something & helped me become the person I am today.

I wanna get up, but sometimes it’s a lot harder than I thought it’d be. Some days are easier than others. But I know I have to at least try. The strongest & bravest thing to do is: attempt to succeed and overcome the obstacles. The effort I put into my quest to rise above is more important, than wondering what the end-result could be..

You gotta keep your head up & have perseverance when facing adversity.

At times I feel like i am my own psychiatrist: i give myself words of wisdom & advice. For the most part, this system with myself keeps me going. But at times, i just need you to listen.

As I’m cleaning my room & going through my stuff, I’ve realized that I have clothes, cards, stuffed toys, jewelry etc.. that I will never toss out or give away because they hold great sentimental value to me. It made me wonder, why keep them though?..They’re just objects that don’t even serve a purpose. But actually, I feel that my sentimental possessions symbolize: evidence of my past, what I once was, and proof of my accomplishments. I think that sentimental objects are important pieces of me, and have contributed to who & what I am today. I ask myself, how could I abandon a piece of myself? People may think that keeping too many old things means that you’re living in the past, and neglecting the future. However, I’d like to view it as acknowledging how the past will shape my future. 

Because I think if you lose sight of your past & where you’ve been, you lose sight of who you are. And if you lose sight of who you are, how will you be able to see your future and where you’re going?

Some of us tend to be over critical about appearance. I know women with great bodies (may it be full & curvy, or long & slender) going to the extremes to “fix” themselves to achieve perfection—-when I think they had nothing to fix in the first place. Reality check——there’s no such thing as a perfect look, but everyone does have their own perception of what’s beautiful.

I think its hard to be satisfied with what we have though. I struggle with it too. I wish I had bigger boobs and nicer lips, lol! But most of all, I’d rather just appreciate myself and be happy with what I have. It all boils down to: our self-perception, our mentality and not being insecure about ourselves. 

I think some of us could go for a mini-mental-makeover because insecurity is not a good look on anyone.

Remove yourself from all the bullshit. Even if it’s sad & hard at first, you’ll eventually feel so much better. You know how you feel like you can’t live without someone…believe me, there will come a day that you’ll realize that you canlive without them. And you’ll be telling yourself like, “damn..i cant believe i was such an idiot and seriously thought i couldn’t live without this person.” Sometimes you just need to fall apart to see if you’ll come back together. 

Relationships get ill and, it sucks when it gets to that stage. And some people unfortunately, never change. And if he/she isn’t going to change…then you have to be the one to make a change. Either you accept how they are, or you leave.

Life is filled with joy, illness, sadness, anger, love, betrayal, rejection, disappointments, etc. And some people cant help but complain about the littlest things in life. They just pity themselves & wont try to make the best out of their situation. Then there’s people struggling with an illness, yet they continue to fight for their life without any complaints. Or people that have lost their jobs & homes, but they have hope that everything will be okay. I admire those types of people. I feel that everyone can be happy—-it’s just a matter of how you handle the situations that you’re in.

Although I try not to be, I’m guilty of complaining & having the urge to just give up. But if I focus on the negative aspects of my life, i’m just causing stress for myself & purposefully making myself unhappy. Therefore, I cant let the bad energy consume my life. Instead, I should set my sights on the brighter side of life. If something negative occurs, I know there’s a lesson behind it that will contribute to my growth as a stronger person.

I’m no guru or wise person whatsoever, but I’ll always try to give my insight and help you however I can. It’s amazing how small words..or not even saying anything, but just being there & listening, can be huge to another. 

When I’m feeling down, I turn to reading quotes & such for inspiration because sometimes, a simple sentence or two is all I need to uplift me. I try not to complain about my situations…sure, i vent—-but I know complaining & whining aren’t going to get me anywhere. I have to put in some sort of work to get the issue resolved. When I’m going through a tough phase, i remind myself that it’ll pass even if i feel like I’m at my lowest.

One of my favorite quotes: “Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia.”

I can appear to be normal to the untrained eye, but that’s just a mere disguise. A mask that hides so much more. You may have your own opinions of me, but it’s not a one way window; i can see you, too

Everything affects & contributes to the type of person we become: How we’re raised, our environment, our genes, our culture, etc. Everyone’s perspectives are unique. We all see through different eyes. Yet my patience runs dry when people just don’t understand that idea. When individuals talk so high and mighty, in such certainty. When individuals point out other’s faults and mistakes, but don’t acknowledge none of their own. 

No one is perfect. I do make mistakes and I do learn, just like everyone else. So maybe you should be wise & fix your instabilities, before you begin to start criticizing mine.

There are some people who just can’t help, but to get on your case. If you wanna talk your shit, feel free to do so. I’ll listen because I actually care to understand your point of view. But I think it’s pretty lame that you’re gonna attack me for expressing my opinions; put me down & force me to agree with you. Just because I don’t see things the way you do, or other people don’t see it the way you do—-does not mean we’re wrong. Who’s to say that: your “taste” is the correct “taste”…or that my ideas aren’t profound enough as yours. Excuse me, but not everyone has got the same taste. 

You hold your own opinions. I got mines. Don’t be so quick to judge; not everybody likes your taste.