Thursday, June 9, 2011

Are you lost ma'am? (Part 1)

Because heaven is a long way from here.

Hey guys!

Today, I wrote a very, very serious blog post where I complained about my eating disorder and etc. etc. etc.  As important as those thoughts are, I think it's more important to keep this blog positive.  So those thoughts do not belong here, no way!

Let's stay positive people!  (Source)


And in order to make this blog as positive as possible, I feel it is appropriate to talk about happiness.

Everyone is on the pursuit of happiness.


(Source)

Seriously.

Even Aristotle, Plato, Nietzsche, pretty much every philosopher had his own view of the path to happiness.  (I'm not sure why I named those philosophers in particular...)

"And I believe the way to happiness is..." (Source)


So for years and years and years, we, as humans, have concerned ourselves with finding happiness.

But see, that's where the problem is.

You read that correctly, there is a problem with the pursuit of happiness!

Yup, yup!  (Source)


We get so caught up in trying to be happy and trying to find the perfect everything that we miss out on the happiness that is already available to us. 

In high school, I had a philosophy project where we all had to find one song that described our "happiness philosophy".  The song I chose?


Okay, so the title isn't exactly creative.  But please listen and read the lyrics.

So this is part one in the "pursuit of happiness series".  Okay, it will probably end up being two posts and that's it.  But I don't want to inundate you with all my beliefs...at once ;)

I want to hear what you think about "happiness" and what you think about the song.

Stay tuned for much more on this topic!

(Seriously, I just don't want this post to be too long or too annoying, so I'm breaking it up.  I'm doing you a favor :p)

Until next time...

-CJ xoxo

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Was your father a mechanic?

Then how did you get such a finely tuned body?


No such thing as a cheesy pick-up line! (Source)

Hey all!  How are you doing?

Today's lesson...it began in the club!

(Source)



JUST DANCE!


You can find me in the club, with my friends, danc[ing] the night away whenever we have the chance.

Considering I'm a college student, I went to parties quite frequently in college.  (By the end of this year, it was Friday and Saturday night of every weekend...heyy you're only young once, right?  And we all know girls just want to have fun...)

And let me tell you.  I got my fair share of attention.  Maybe even a little more than usual.  So I'm used to the attention from the chicos on the weekends.  (Not to sound arrogant; sometimes I did initiate the conversation, but heyyy we still had tons of fun).

(Source)

Daddy I'm so sorry, I'm so s-s-sorry yeah/   We just like to party, like to p-p-party yeah


But the other night at the club... much more attention than I am used to.  Or different kinds of attention.  Because usually the guy doesn't inundate me with compliments (I do get them, though, I promise haha).  But at the club...guys would just say "You are so beautiful", "You are so sexy" and just constant attention.

Okay, so it didn't sound like this, but it still felt great.

Mind you, I've been to my fair share of clubs before.

The difference between this time and all the other times?

Well, I had on my FAV dress that I always have such great memories in.
Seriously, do you guys have a dress or outfit that brings back such a great memories?

Such a great dress...ahh now I want to wear it every time I go out! (Source)


But I was also feeling really confident and I wasn't necessarily looking for attention.  When I go out in college, I am looking to meet a new guy that night.  I am looking for someone to dance with.  I won't be satisfied if I don't end up meeting someone.  (I'm not looking for a boyfriend, just someone to dance with THAT NIGHT).

With me??? ;) (Source)


Anyway (ahhh that word), that night I just wasn't looking for anything.  I decided just to dance and enjoy myself. 

And you know that cliché, if you stopped looking for something, you'll find it.

BINGO!  It's dead on.

(Source)


Just being a confident, smiling girl who was having tons of fun got me so much more attention than the girl who was looking for someone.

So lesson of the day?
Even in a club, where looks matter so much, personality still has an important role.  So stop trying so damn hard, put on a smile, throw on something that makes you feel beautiful, and rock it.  Because the guys will follow as long as you are loving yourself.


And do the pretty girl rock!!

When you go out with friends (whether it be out to dinner or to a club), do you find yourself looking for guys or focusing on having fun?  (If you are married or in a serious relationship, what did you do when you were single?)


Bye, bye beauties!
-CJ xoxo

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Did the sun come out

 or did you just smile at me?

Ahhh good-ol' pick-up lines (Source)


Remember how I said I was MIA learning so many great things?  Well, I've been learning more and more, and I cannot wait to share another lesson.

This time?  It's all about the chicos!


Just spent like 5 minutes trying to find the perfect picture of "hot guys"...needless to say...I was certainly enjoying myself :p (Source)

I swear I'm not a dumb blonde,


I swear! (Source)


but for a while, I thought that if I were perfect, then I would get the perfect guy.  And I simply wanted the perfect guy, like most girls, to love me.  I was lonely and I wanted love. 

Like honestly, what was I thinking? ((Source)


In an effort to be perfect and stand out (I wanted to be the "most" at something so guys would notice me...I chose to be the thinnest...bad choice...).

Again, I repeat...

(Source)

Looking back, I now realize how dumb all this must sound.
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell/I know, right now you can't tell/But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see/A different side of me.

The other day, I was chatting with a bunch of guys about their perfect girl while the girls (including me) told them our version of the perfect guy.

Personality.  Type of humor.  Hair color.  Breast size.  Every little detail was shared.

And you know what I learned?
I always knew that personality mattered to guys (DUH), but what I didn't explicitly realize (I say explicitly meaning: although I knew this to be true deep down, I never consciously verbalized it or noticed it) is that there is no "perfect girl".  Some guys [gentlemen] prefer blondes, some brunettes, some bigger girls, some smaller girls, etc.  Every guy has a different taste, and you are some guy's ideal girl.  Therefore, there is no reason to change yourself because there is someone who is searching for someone just like you!  And I also consciously realized that just as I would settle for someone who doesn't fit my "perfect man", guys will also.  So you really do not need to be perfect.  Instead, you need to just be yourself with your great personality.  Because at the end of the day, personality outweighs looks.

And in conclusion to all this new insightful information all I can say is...



(Source)
 (Another "well duh" moment...)

But sometimes we just need to be reminded.  Consider this your reminder :D

(Source)

I just love this quote and thought it was so appropriate:

Don't ever stop smiling, because you never know who's falling in love with your smile.


Question:
What have you learned from the opposite sex in regards to what they are attracted to?  Society makes it seem as though all guys want Barbie, or some other perfect chick, but in reality, that is so not true.  Let's prove it's not true by also listing what you look for in a partner.  Can't wait to read them!

-CJ xoxo

PS I didn't use the word "anyway" and I didn't quote Ke$ha.  What is the world coming to? :O

Friday, June 3, 2011

Are your legs sore?

Because they’ve been running through my mind all day.

Source


Ah the perfect pick-up line for today's topic!  Running (or simply exercising!)

[SIDE NOTE: Sorry, I've been kind of MIA for the past two days...I've been super busy during the day and I've been learning so much that I want to blog about...so stay tuned to hear all about it.  And after my busy day, I could have blogged at night, but I was so tired and so proud of my last post that I didn't want to have just a crappy one last posted.]

But now that I am back, I want to write about what I learned the other day.  I went to bed the night before thinking: tomorrow I am going to go grocery shopping, go for a run, blog, and do whatever else I want.



I'm so ambitious like this monkey!! Source

I know...sick life!  (My job has yet to start for the summer so basically my life is full of lazy days <-- reason I didn't put the music video?  I think the music video is very strange...what is your opinion?]

Anyway, (<--there's that transition word that I cannot stop using! ahh!! Please, help me find a new one!)

The next morning I woke up.  I did go grocery shopping (I simply needed to pick up some things), but I just didn't feel like running.

What's so wrong with just doing this?! Source


I felt like I needed to because after reading all the healthy living blogs on here, I felt like I needed to run to be like you guys.  I felt like if I didn't run then I wasn't healthy and I wasn't going to look good.  I felt I must run so that I could eat more without feeling guilty and so that I could keep my weight down.

But then I stopped myself. 

I've been stopping myself a lot recently to rethink my thought-processes.  

Sometimes, I just need to STOP. (<--Bet you thought I couldn't quote anything, but Ke$sha or other typical pop songs :p)

I decided that if I really didn't feel like working out, for whatever reason, (this was mainly due to the fact that it felt like 90 degrees outside), then I really don't have to.  It's not about necessarily looking good or keeping up with the other bloggers.  I've decided that the only reason to run would be for health, physical and mental.  Physical, so my heart is working properly, my body is in shape, and so that I am strong.  Mental, so that my mind is happy and stressful. 

If those weren't the motivators, then I do not necessarily have to run.

So I didn't.


Phew! Got out of that one! Source

Later that day (around 7:30 p.m.) I was thinking I really needed to get some exercise.  I was somewhat bored and I wanted to make sure I would be tired so I could fall asleep easily (I had a long day planned the following day).  So at that point, I decided to run.  I did a nice interval workout on the treadmill in air conditioning.  It wasn't about necessarily weight or calories.  It was about feeling good and getting a good night's sleep.  So I had an awesome workout and felt great.



What I looked like after my work-out, more or less! Source

The reason I brought this up is because I feel like many girls feel pressure to work out for two reasons: 1. to look good and 2. because everyone else is doing it.  Although exercise is so important and so great for numerous reasons (like those found here), that should not be the only reasons.  I remember reading a blog a couple of months back (I would link the blog, but now it is on private and I do not have that type of blog so I cannot be granted access), and it said, "Would you still exercise if it made you gain weight?"  Chances are, many would say no.  If you would say no, I encourage you to find some other type of exercise so you wouldn't immediately say no.  Find something that you enjoy doing so the that the only benefit isn't that you lose weight.  (Of course, losing weight/maintaining weight/looking toned will ALWAYS be a reason and that's okay; it just can't be the only reason).

Let's be like her; she just looks so happy after exercising! Source


Today, the challenge is to change your attitude towards exercising.  It is so important that I encourage you all to exercise/move everyday.  Maybe this means just dancing in your room for 10 minutes in the afternoon or going for a 15 minute walk around the neighborhood.  This doesn't mean running for 10 miles or doing a million sit ups.  Be active, but also have fun!  Pick exercises that you enjoy doing!

What are your favorite ways to exercise?  When did you start these ways?  Are they best solo or with friends?  Leave a comment and tell me!


-CJ xoxo

Because I didn't quote Ke$ha today, and I feel like that's now a trademark for me... enjoy a little trashy goodness here! ;)