It's the little things

So I have had the worst few weeks due to stress of life and just me letting those little things get me down. It is amazing how easy it is for us to go down that deep hole of 'woe is me' and 'I'm never going to get out of this situation', etc. I have had about a two week long pity party for myself in this regard because it has just seemed that everything that could go wrong has. I won't go into detail about it but just know that if you are having one of those times, it happens to everyone.

I feel like a lot of people have moments like this and when you are in that particular moment you feel as if you are the only one in the world to be having these issues and to be suffering along while the rest of the world is seemingly care free. It happens to the best of us, me included.

There are some things in these times however that stand out to me. Little things that happen that seem to make the bad that is going on seem less bad. That is what I want to share with you all. My little things of happiness that sometimes get forgotten but when I need them most, on a bad day/week, they seem to appear out of nowhere.

The first thing is something that probably sounds silly but to me, it is something I love. Stationary. I LOVE stationary. I say this because I love going to TJ Maxx and buying the cute sets of cards for super cheap. The reason I love doing this is because I love writing encouraging letters to other people. I feel like when I am sad this helps me feel better the most. When I sit down and can tell someone just how special they are to me, or can write to them and just give them a little note to say thank you, or to say I love you, it always brightens my mood too. I have so many different kinds of little cards and being able to give those to someone who may also be having one of those horribly bad days or weeks makes me feel better. I am a firm believer that you get back what you put out in the world and I always want to try and put out positive thoughts and actions. Those little cards give me hope when I am in a dark hole of self pity because they make me realize that I may not be the only one silently going through a tough time.

The second thing is receiving little cards. Recently I have been receiving little 'happys' as my friends and I like to call them and they seem to come at just the right time. They are just like the ones I often like to write and sometimes just have a few encouraging words, or have a simple ' just want you to know I love you.' I believe that I have surrounded myself with people who are a lot like me and who care for others just as much as I do so being able to also receive these little cards of encouragement or reminders of care it really brightens my day and makes me realize that I have a lot of people in my life who care for me the way I care for them.

These little things may seem silly or insignificant but trust me, they are little happy mood boosters. I encourage you if you have any little cards laying around the house to think of someone who may have not had a good day or who seems to be a little down and write them a little 'happy' to give to them. It is amazing how such a small act of kindness can make the biggest impact. I feel that these little things throughout life, whether it be a little card, or a hug, or just a text saying 'just want you to know how special you are to me' can change even the saddest/sour mood into a smile.

I know I am going to try to be more aware of those around me now that I have been having such a tough time because I want to make sure that if someone else is too that they see they are not alone and that they have someone who values them in their life.

What is a little thing that brightens your day or makes you happy when you are sad? I would love to hear from you!

xoxo Jess

Dream big and reflection

So I have recently realized I am at a precipice for my life coming up very soon. Many major life events are happening within the coming new year. I am turning 25, graduating with my masters, and pursuing my dreams.

Turning 25 is not something that I am afraid of but it is just an age where people want to put so much pressure on you about your life and to me it feels like the perfect time to uproot myself and go chase after my dreams because why not. Many people ask me all the time what I am doing or if I am going to settle down soon and my answer is always that it is not the right time for me. Mister right may or may not reveal himself any time soon but I don't want to plan my life around someone else and that's why I believe I haven't met "the one" yet. God knows that I have so many big dreams that would just not work if I had someone else attached to me to have to worry about and I am fine with that and have come to terms with it. I have never felt like I needed someone to hold my hand as I move through my life and I realized that more and more through this past year.

I will be graduating with my master's degree in May of 2015 and I couldn't feel more bitter sweet about it. I am happy that all of my hard work over the past year and a half will be over and result in a great degree but I am sad because it will mean I am done with my higher educational pursuits. I have really enjoyed getting my master's degree which is something that many people don't really say. Choosing to get my master's in communication was the best decision I could have made for my life. I have learned so much more about the art of communication and added so much to my repertoire of things learned but I have also discovered so much more about myself. I have figured out what I want to do with my life and I have figured out how to be confident in my life too. I have met many great people and created bonds with people outside of my normal social circle and have been exposed to many things that I was sheltered from even when getting my bachelors degree. I went to a small private school for high school and so I was very sheltered and so through getting my masters I feel like I finally grew up and learned who I am as an adult and also how to be an adult you could say.

Many people struggle with the fear of doing something big by themselves and they let that fear hold them back from doing what they have always wanted to do. I refuse to let that stop me from trying to do exactly what I have always wanted to do.

I feel like I have learned three very important things from much reflection and thought about these major life events which are swiftly approaching.

1. Be yourself
For as long as I could remember I was always trying to be like the 'cool' kids or trying to be something I wasn't for the sake of fitting in and feeling like someone who was accepted. I was very shy and very much a push over. I would do whatever anyone wanted me to do and would do anything to make sure that everyone else came before myself. I have learned through this past year that being myself not only makes me happier but it also doesn't scare people away. *surprise surprise*
When my dad passed away in July of 2013 something just switched in me. I had to learn a lot about who I was and what I wanted in life because having such a huge loss in your life really makes you think about everything and cherish your life so much more. I wish more than anything that I could bring my dad back but losing him has pushed me into this mind frame of refusing to be anything other than myself. I have a crazy sense of humor, I'm loud, I love to sing about everything, and if you can't handle my silly side then I am okay with that now. I have also never worked harder in my life. I was forced to grow up and learn how to fend for myself and that made me grow a thicker skin and learn to not care what people may think or say about me anymore. Learning to understand and accept who you are is a huge step and I am so glad that I can finally say I have done that.

2. Love yourself
For most of my life I really loathed myself. That gets you no where. Before I decided to change my health habits by eating clean and exercising I would use food as a comfort to help me feel like I was happy when I never was. I was always the goofy fat friend that every loved but who didn't love herself. It is not something you can just switch off so I still struggle with it today but it is definitely something that isn't healthy and you will never be happy with anything or anyone if you can't love yourself. Through major weight loss I have seen how strong I am and I have seen how much discipline I can have and how much care I can have for myself. I have become a happier person through this process over the last year and I am happier now than I ever have been. I believe that the body change truly has helped my mind change as well. I have learned to love myself even with my flaws. I have learned to accept the fact that I have a bad temper and I am easily hurt by the smallest things. But accepting that and learning to keep moving even when there are bumps in the road is something that has allowed me to learn to love who I am more and more. Some days are down days and I realize that you can't be happy happy joy joy all the time but learning to push past that is part of learning to always love yourself.

4. Trust your journey
The biggest thing I have learned is to not compare yourself to anyone else. Everyone is unique and everyone's life stories are unique and comparing yourself to anyone else won't help move you forward or make you feel any better. Learning to trust my journey of life has made a world of difference for my life path. Realizing that not everyone wants the same things you do and not everyone thinks the same way you do is a big step is learning to trust your own personal journey. Learning to not envy others for what they have or hate someone for being what you want is a big step in maturity. I have seen this the most with myself in my weight loss journey. I have lost 80 pounds in a year and I was beating myself up about it because so many people I follow on Instagram who have also lost weight lost 100 pounds or more in a year and I kept trying to compare myself to them and would say things like if they could do it why can't I because I have worked so hard. Instead of having that mentality I should have been thankful and proud of the fact that I accomplished so much in a year towards moving to being healthy. I have had a major mind switch the past few weeks in regards to every part of my life journey and I have realized that I am never going to be where I want to be if I stay negative about myself by comparing me to everyone else.

I have learned a lot and continue to learn about myself as life progresses which I think is something that everyone discovers. I hope that you can discover these things sooner rather than later so you can start truly enjoying everything you have in your life especially yourself!

What is something you have learned about yourself in this past year? What is something you want to change?

xoxo Jess

Let me introduce myself

Hey there!

My name is Jessica and I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for the longest time and I am finally jumping off the cliff and diving in! 

I want to begin by telling you all a little bit about myself!


I am currently working on my masters degree in communication. Spring boarding from this the one thing to know is that I love to talk. I have loved to talk since I came out of the womb. I love to talk about any and everything and I love to listen to what others have to say. 

I am an only child and so I believe that friends are like family. I love my family dearly and enjoy spending time with them when I have free time.

I love to perform and sing. Along with talking I also came out of the womb singing. I have been singing since I can remember and when I was obtaining my bachelors degree I also minored in music to help fine tune my gift. I love being on a stage and performing and I hope to be able to do that for the rest of my life because not only does it bring me joy but it also touches the lives of others.

I am a health nut. About a year ago I changed my life around and wanted more than just being unhappy and overweight. Since then I have dropped 70 pounds and continue to work towards my goal weight. I do this through clean eating and exercise (especially Pure Barre).

I love the holidays and fall/winter is my favorite time of year. I love the vibrant colors and cozy weather. I also love fashion and beauty. I have a very casual and laid back style but I also love to get dressed up and go to nice events.


So what can you expect to see on my blog?
-Posts about my family and friends and activities I am dabbling in
-Health related posts regarding food/recipes and also about Pure Barre
-Beauty and fashion trends that I am loving or product reviews 
-Life advice or rambling about graduate school and how to overcome stress

I hope that you enjoy my blog and reading about my life!

xoxo Jess