Gratitude | A Dynamic Mentality

The Mother-Daughter Relationship

May 13, 2018 / karennx9728 / No Comments

Hello my lovely readers! It’s been quite a while since I blogged on here. I had finals left and right and I graduated yesterday, which is just too surreal.

Today’s blogpost is dedicated to all the mothers on this beautiful day. You are loved and you are amazing. You are our first cheerleader and our number one counselor.

But more specifically, this post is going to be about my mom and the many ways in which she is awesome.

My mom is my best friend. She is the most kind and loving mother. Shes been there for everything: my first days at school, boy problems, sticky situations, my teenage years as a whole, move in day, etc. My mom is my rock, she is the one person I can turn to in a time of need.

But it wasn’t always like this (for the most part it has, but let me explain). I remember being in my teenage years and thinking, “what does she know, She’s a MOM.”and every time I thought that, I was always proven wrong. My mom is the wisest person I know. She’s actually been the inspiration for some of my posts (like here and here).

From learning how to cook and learning how to navigate situations, my mom is #1 when it comes to teaching and listening. I can never push anything past her. Seriously. Anytime I feel down, she always asks me “what’s up?” and I go, “nah I’m fine” and she’ll say something like “no seriously what’s up” and it’s like she has a 6th sense, so I eventually tell her what’s up and she’ll tell me, truthfully, if I’m overreacting or if I have a valid reason to feel a certain way, she’ll sit with me and give me advice regardless.

She is literally nominated as the “cool aunt” by my cousins. At first, I never really saw it, because, well I was on the outs with my mom, but I see it now. She reminds me everyday (in some way, shape or form) that a day without laughter is a day wasted.

Even though I get my looks from my dad, I get my creative mindset from her. Shes always pushing me to be a better person and I cannot thank her enough for her constant guidance and lessons. She is my favorite person.

She’s one of those people who sees the good in every person, she saw potential in me, even when I was depressed. She gave me confidence and has impressed on me the importance of things (good and bad) happening for a reason.

For that, she’s my superhero.

Happy Mother’s Day, ma! And to all the amazing women who are doing everything for their children!

As they said at my graduation yesterday, “It is never too late to be a better daughter, a better mother to your children, a better son, a better person”

sending love and light your way,

Getting Uncomfortable

March 24, 2018 / karennx9728 / No Comments

Hey guys! So it’s been quite a while since I blogged on here… I’ve been going through some pretty bad writer’s block these past couple of days. It’s like I have all these wonderful ideas that come to mind and I know how I would start each one of these ideas, but the problem comes when I have to come to a decision of which idea I should write about first. Does anyone else have that problem? If, so let me know how you deal with writer’s block in the comments below!

Alright so, today’s post is going to be about getting uncomfortable, but with more of an emphasis of what the positives are in being uncomfortable in new situations or around different people.

Has anyone heard of the quote “Get comfortable with the uncomfortable?”

Well basically it’s one of the many quotes that says what it means and means what it says. We live in a world where we can modify our preferences to see only what we want to see. In other words, things we are normally comfortable with, like adorable animals standing on their hind feet, your favorite singer announcing their tour dates, a status update from your role model, etc. are what drive our news feeds on social media sites.

If you think about it, we’re tuning in more to what we agree with, issues that get us on a spiritual level, and tuning out to things that we don’t believe or agree with. So what this causes, is it causes a drastic rift between a lot of people. No one is willing to hear the others beliefs, because if they’re not the ones they hold dearly, God forbid they can’t be your friend or someone who you can talk about an issue with.BASICALLY… People are becoming friends with other people who believe the same things that they do.

My one question about that is: WHERE IS THE GROWTH?!

If you’re around the same group of people, with the same views and the same experiences, then your reactions to most things would be identical and frankly that ish gets boring.

If there’s one thing about me, it is that I am more than willing to be friends with just about anyone, regardless of your political and religious views. So long as those beliefs are within reason and don’t infringe on a human’s right to live. What I’m saying is, I wouldn’t be friends with someone if their purpose was to intentionally hurt me or anyone else*.

For the record, I wasn’t always this open and extroverted where I felt that I could be friends with anyone. There was a point in my life where I held a lot of high expectations of the friends I had and who I associated with. It wasn’t until I hit high school that I was surrounded with people who held different views. I went to a Catholic high school in my area and it was nothing like how I expected it to be.

My expectations prior to attending Parochial School:

That students had the same, if not, similar views on education
That students would have a faith in Jesus.
That students would respect the sisters who taught some of their classes
that students would give a damn about volunteering as a fulfillment of the spirit and not for individual gain

My Reality:

Many students did not care nearly as much about their academics (considering that their parents were spending well over 9 grand for tuition!)
Many students I knew didn’t have a faith in God and turned to other things that filled their soul
Not a lot respected the sisters
Not a lot cared about doing service, many felt like it was an obligation from their respective sports teams

Now this isn’t here to throw shade at anyone who went to this high school or Parochial schools in general. I actually enjoyed my 4 years at a Catholic school, there were some pretty rewarding qualities that I got from such an institution. For instance, I got exposed to where everyone came from; a lot of people came from various socioeconomic backgrounds, different towns, some went to catholic schools their whole lives, some just went because of how well the academics were, and so forth. The list could go on and on, but what I am trying to say is that these experiences helped me understand different viewpoints and while I didn’t particularly enjoy a lot of the conversations about their views, I had to learn that I couldn’t live locked in my little treasure chest of like or similar views, believing and agreeing with things that I was comfortable with.

I had to grow. An experience like going to a new school, while it wasn’t easy, was a first step towards me getting uncomfortable in a new situation and helped me grow as a person. This would then begin a series of other experiences in my life where I was pushed out of my comfort zone, like flying alone for the first time, dorming for the first time, partying for the first time, etc. etc.

Fast forward to now and I have a pretty diverse group of friends.

One of my best friends is an Atheist, but they’re really chill, are more than willing to hear me talk about my faith from time to time, and tells me what their beliefs are. I found that we have the same outlook on Karma and on how the universe works.

My significant other likes the guy who is president. They have taught me how to listen to opposing views and provide me with some insight to some things, I would have never given any thought to.

Another one of my friends, is a feminist, they provide me with some very interesting insights about history… I could go on and on. But one thing is for certain: we can’t shut down a belief if we haven’t heard it loud and clear.

Too many times we listen with the sole intent to respond. We don’t allow ourselves to listen to other view points. We don’t “let it sink in”. We speak before we even understand what the other person is talking about.

Imagine how much better the world would be if we actually spoke to each other and had a dialogue going about our many diverse beliefs. Would we then find a common ground in this mess?

We need to be better communicators with each other and realize that each of us has something valuable to contribute to the world. Understand where people genuinely come from. Each of us has had different opportunities and different walks of life that leads up to what our beliefs are and what our stances are on a wide range of issues. The closer we get to having dialogues and to listening to each other, the less disparities there are and the more hope there is for a world that can focus on the good.

Find your perfect Spring Dress here!

‘Cause Baby You’re Worth It

March 9, 2018 / karennx9728 / 6 Comments

Hey guys! I’ve been so busy getting all my assignments in for midterms (only to find out that most my classes have been cancelled as a result of this snowstorm). Before I begin, I’d like to wish a Happy Belated International Women’s Day, to women of the world. May we love them, respect them, and learn from them!

One day, I was driving home from school and was listening to the radio. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE to turn up the volume on a good song!

Has anyone heard of Fifth Harmony’s song “Worth It”?

I freaking love listening to this song and even though it has been played more than a million times on the radio, I still jam out whenever it comes on. On the day that I was driving back, however, I paid attention to the lyrics more than ever.

Give it to me, I’m worth it
Baby I’m worth it
Uh huh I’m worth it
Gimme gimme I’m worth it

These opening lines are so empowering. I know that this is in reference to a girl telling her man that she wants a specific thing, but to me, it means so much more. This sassy vocal in this doesn’t play around or beat around the bush. The singer knows what she wants and isn’t going to question it. I feel like that is what we all aspire to be.

How many times do we say “I’m going to be more true to myself” or “I’m tired of being afraid of who I am”? I mean, we are entitled to what we want and it’s up to us to articulate that. We DESERVE that, because baby, we’re worth it.

I’ve spent most of my life being afraid of who I am and who I wanted to be. It took me awhile to find my worth and that’s something I want to share. From a pretty young age, I remember feeling pretty shitty about myself. Then again, it wasn’t just me who felt this way towards me.

I often gravitated to the people who were “popular” or people who never really shared similar beliefs in terms of academics and success.

enter 13-year-old me.

I surrounded myself around people who never even bothered to see my worth. What’s even crazier, is I thought that they would, only because I didn’t see worth within myself.

It took me a long time to get to where I am today. I’ve been dying to write about something like this but have not yet had the right words to describe my experience- or battle, if you will- with this, until now.

Looking back, I’ve always been outgoing, sassy and sarcastic, but only with the people I considered my friends and close family members.

out with my cousins

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It wasn’t until I got to college that all of that changed. One of the main things that I wanted to do was step out of my comfort zone. After all, I noticed a significant change in my mood, thanks to the anti-depressants I was on. While I was at college, I made a ton of new friends and I felt a sense of ease because I realized that I could be me. I could be me and see the load of worth I found in myself throughout my recovery.

The moment that you find your worth, is the moment that things start to come together. For example, when I set out to find a group of friends who shared similar beliefs and were people I could have fun with, life gravitated me to that.

I became this very outgoing sassy person and I loved it! I’m still this way today, but now I let it radiate through to everyone I meet, which is an amazing feeling.

Cindy and I!

A squad that studies together, succeeds together! Spring 2016

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the past and how it has lead me to now. There have been certain things that have definitely set me back, but now I’m getting into the mindful habit of not letting myself be stuck in the past. Instead of being stuck, I’m learning from the past because it serves as a big lesson in life.

However, I get that it’s so much better to ditch the past because who cares, right? The thing is though, sometimes the past serves as a lesson. When you notice something, like a pattern or even a habit you get into, from time to time, you become more aware of your own short comings.

For example, I had this unbearable habit of talking smack about my friends behind their backs to people they were close to. Time and time again proved that I cannot always trust people who are close to these so-called friends of mine.

But when life throws us a lesson, do we make the effort to listen to it and learn from it?

More than half the time, we don’t. Before we know it, we’ve fallen victim to the same thing.

Or like whenever I would engage in self-depreciating behavior, I remember holding myself up to a standard and putting all this pressure on myself to be the best. I thought that if I fell below that, it meant that I wasn’t deserving of all the good things in life.

It took me a long time to realize that I can never be perfect. The only one who is, is the big man upstairs.

Now, I am more conscious of being mindful whenever I make a mistake. In fact, I’ll do one of two things: laugh it off or just say – to myself – any of these phrases, “the more I know”, “good to know”, “well, you didn’t know, but you know now for the future”, etc etc. Even if I feel myself come to have self-deprecating thoughts, I stop it by saying “okay, so lets not get self deprecating up in here, let’s look for a solution to my problem, instead.”

It also boils down to whoyou surround yourself with and what you surround yourself with to feel worthy. Make sure that both your who and your what are positive things, because if you think about it, these two things are interdependent of each other.

If your who involves people who are toxic and feed off of your energy, then most likely your ‘what’ is going to involve some self-deprecating behaviors.

not at all saying that drinking is bad, but if you’re doing it to fill a void of worthlessness then check out my post on voids

The same thing goes with good things too. If your ‘who’ are people who motivate you, make you feel at ease, then your ‘what’ is going to be some mindful behaviors that are productive and help you work towards your goals.

Bottom line: Find your worth and see where it leads you. Engage in behaviors that promote mindfulness and allow you to grow. Look to the past and learn from it.

“Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.”- 1 Corinthians 10:6-11

Sending love and light your way!

Go shopping with me on Amazon!

10 Gift Ideas For The 20-Somethings In Your Life

December 22, 2017 / karennx9728 / No Comments

Hey everyone! This post is not Christmas gift ideas, but rather gift ideas for people whose birthdays are AFTER Christmas, like mine (Aquarius in the houuuse!).

Are you tired of walking around aimlessly in brick and mortar stores looking for the perfect gift to give your sarcastic 20-something? Well look no further. I got just what you need and you don’t even need to set foot out the door!! So let’s get started!

So all of these things are going to be quick amazon buys that you can access from your tablet, smartphone, or computer.

Number 1: If you know your 20-something and they aren’t the greatest with placing things in their place, like their car keys, house keys, etc. you should definitely get them the Tile Mate-Key Finder

With this Tile Mate, which can be clipped onto your car keys, you can actually set it up with an app that is similar to the find my iPhone app. It’s the same concept but if you know your 20-something is always missing something important, you should gift them with security from Tile.

Number 2: I used to drop my phone a lot and it wasn’t until I realized the consequences of that were pretty bad. I ended up getting a new phone and the one thing I made sure I had was a PopSocket

There are so many colors to choose from and they are so easy to use! All your 20-something has to do is just remove the backing and attach the pop socket to the back of their phone! Not only does this help to prevent falls, but it also works as a nice kickstand for whenever your 20-something wants to watch their favorite shows!

Use promo code: 50IAHFUEA on a Jaagd iPhone X case

Number 3: If your 20-something is always on their phone taking selfies, doing work, or exploring life through every music festival, then it might be a really good thing to get them a… Portable Power Bank

These things are honestly the best thing you can ever get for yourself or a loved one. They are so easy to use too! All you have to do is connect the USB charging cable to the power bank and connect it to your phone. BAM there you have it: your phone is charging on those day long festivals out in the west (yeah, I see you Coachella).

Number 4: If you always notice that your 20-something is all stressed and over worked from work, school, or just everyday stresses, make sure they make it a priority to unwind in 2018 and gift them something that will generate peace and relieve stress with an Essential Oils Diffuser

Essential oil diffusers are the best. There are so many essential oils to choose from and all you do is fill it up halfway with some water and add a couple of drops of the essential oils, turn on the diffuser and just watch as their worries drift away. It’s so easy to use and the best part is, YOUR 20-SOMETHING WON’T EVER NEED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE or set foot in a spa! Number 5: Essential oils sold separately here

Number 6: For the photographer in your life, why don’t you get them something that is a blast from the past, yeah that’s right, a Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera

I actually have an Instax mini 8 and it’s honestly one of my prized possessions. I love anything that involves taking photos and keeping memories alive. If your 20-something is somewhat like me and loves to document every moment, every memory then get them this awesome camera.

Number 7: For the artist in your life, get them pens that’ll last and that’l give them the creative-edge they have always dreamed of, get them the Arteza Real Brush Pens and send them on their way to an artsy future. Who knows where it’ll take them, but one thing is for sure, you would be the one to help them get there.

One reviewer said, “Colors darken and don’t blend to well unless u dip the top of the brush on water to get that real water color look and feel but this set is still amazing and worth it! I use both with water and without.”

Number 8: Sketchbooks sold separately here

Number 9: If you have a loud and extroverted 20 something, gift them with something that expresses that, like a FANNY PACK!!!

Haha in all seriousness guys, I would totally buy this for myself, it is so extra, just like me, and fun. I can wear it with anything, I can wear it to the beach. Who the hell says that fanny packs are overrated?! Say what you will, but fanny packs have always been a staple to me. Get one for yourself or someone extra in your life, here

Number 10: On the self care side, if you see that your 20-something is in desperate need of some TLC, then this is for them. Burt’s Bees is literally THE BEST when it comes to taking care of oneself! This TLC kit comes equipped with Burt’s Bees essentials, like the deep cleansing cream, hand salve, body lotion, nice little lip balm, and foot cream! A gift like this will definitely lift their spirits!

Get it here

Let me know what you guys think about some of these gift ideas!

Thanks for reading!

10+ Things To Be Grateful For

January 7, 2017 / karennx9728 / No Comments

In life, we are often caught up in what we have to do, as far as our studies and careers. We become so accustomed to our daily routines: wake up, shower, get dressed, eat, leave for work, work, have dinner, sleep, repeat. But the problem is when we get too accustomed to our everyday routine, it becomes boring and it almost becomes unenjoyable. The sad reality is most people get so caught up in this routine of what they have to do and what needs to be done, that they often take things for granted. Sometimes even among college students, our lives consist of eat. sleep. attend class. work. study. repeat.

What I’m trying to say is we get so caught up in our daily lives, that we forget about the important things in our lives, like our dreams and aspirations. So let me just start off by saying this we all get wound up in our routines that we don’t realize the little things in life. Instead of focusing on things we already have, we get caught in things we want. It’s so easy to get wound up in that mentality,yet we don’t realize it until we think about our blessings.

Which brings me to this question:

What are you going to do differently in 2017?

So the following is translated from Spanish. I hope I made sense with the overall messages behind these objects.

The ceiling: do you know what I look at when I wake up in the morning? The ceiling. What does the ceiling symbolize, the endless possibilities and the ability to continue succeeding to the fullest of my ability.

The window: showed me that one has to observe and enjoy the marvelous things the universe has to offer

The watch/clock: showed me that each second and minute is valuable!

My Mirror: taught me that one should always auto examine themselves before acting and not to fall under the pessimism that everything is passenger.

My calendar/planner: taught me that I should stay up-to-date and to live in the moment. The past and the future have not yet existed, so why should I worry about something that has either happened, is done and over with, or has not happened and is yet to occur?

The door: taught me to open my heart and mind to go after the goals that I have not yet achieved. That God has me entrusted and has my best interests at heart.

The Floor: taught me to get on my knees each morning and never forget to pray to God who is the one who gives us everything we have/ need so that we can live how He desires for us and our families.

Simplified version:

Be thankful for the amazing support system in your life. Be thankful for the opportunity to wake-up in the morning. Be thankful that you are working towards your education. Be thankful that you have a job. Be thankful for the ability to walk, talk, and move around. Be thankful for the ability to love, to have feelings and passions, because without them we are nothing. Be thankful for your health. As sad as it is, there are people in our world, that have it worse than you. There are people out there who would kill for the opportunity to wake up in the morning with no ailments that restrict them from living life. Ultimately, Be thankful and stop complaining about your life, because there is always someone (in general) who has it worse than you. There is always someone who may have it worse, but chooses to look at things from a different and often positive perspective.