Letter #44 - Kindness is Taught

To literally everyone...ever,

Being a decent person seems like a given. We all think of it as something that is innate and simple and understandable to everyone. I always thought so. I wish that was the case. But I have observed so many moments, where people who I have witnessed being kind, good people, have surprised me with such specific cruelty that I've had to do a double take.

It's led me to the conclusion that ultimately kindness has to be taught and in turn, rude and disrespectful behaviour is also taught and learned. I don't think I'm saying anything groundbreaking here but I feel like saying it might make any who read this stop and assess themselves. I'm not thinking of a particular person or situation but just decency as a whole. 

I remember having a discussion with some friends long ago, and we were complaining about house chores for some reason that escapes me and then someone said they would just hire a maid to deal with whatever mess they made. Another friend then replied that they agreed with the idea of hiring help, but "I'd want them to be a part of the family. I wouldn't want them to do anything that I wouldn't dare do myself. You've got to remember that whoever you may hire will be someone's parent, child, or sibling. I'd want to treat them with the same respect I'd want someone to give to my family." That is the kind of decency I'm talking about. After that one conversation, I did not think I could have more respect for that person and yet it grew.

We all hope and try to be good people. I don't ever want to be in such a cynical place that I believe people are innately bad, first and foremost. However, I think that those moments where you're having a bad day or something has gone wrong and you still hold back from taking it out on another person, those are the moments we should aspire to. Those should be our defining qualities.

I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I try to see things from their point of view. Why are they like that? What made them into that person? I can totally understand that sometimes people are a product of their environments and that a harsh atmosphere can breed a harsher individual.

But the part that grates me is that the actions of such an individual can take a toll on those around them. They can hurt people with their words and actions and I feel like hurt sticks around a whole while longer than anger or frustration or any number of things that caused their harshness.

So if I hope for one thing today, it’s that we hold on to the kindest parts that we can be, because it might just be the thing that makes or breaks someone’s day. I think it’s a worthwhile reminder to have.

Until next time, be inspired...

Z  

Letter #43 - Resilience Is The Best Thing Life Can Teach You

To those who will be starting again soon,

At this time of year, I always think about the end of school, or more recently university. Around this time two years ago, I had handed in my dissertation and had my final exams and I thought the hard part was over.

I could not have been more wrong! I thought that having my degree and knowing all that I’d learnt would mean that the change involved in getting a job or just growing up into a functioning adult would be more of a step than a leap. It would be a minor thing, rather than something consuming my waking moments. 

I know that I wasn’t alone in this feeling of too much pressure and feeling like you’re falling at every new step. I’ve been thinking about those difficulties now, two years on, when myself and all of my friend have become more settled in their lives since that point. With further study, or finding the perfect job, their resilience paid off. But I don’t think any of us thought that at the time.

So it got me thinking that there are probably others out there right now, going through this exact thing. And that’s not to say that people don’t have regular changes and problems in life, just that the ones that feel like the end of the world, are sometimes only the beginning of a new one. 

Surviving against pressure is a funny thing. It’s like the coal to diamond transformation; you wouldn’t believe it until it happened. When things get hard, it can be all too understandable to just stop and think that it’s not worth it or that it’s not going anywhere. Of course, it’s understandable. It’s human nature. You want to survive and the things that make that difficult make you think it won’t aid in your survival. But what if you survive without the struggle, and find that there’s nothing on the other side.

I’ve done both things. I’ve done the whole “I give it, it’s not worth it” thing but then I’ve also done the “I am sticking this out because I know it’ll be worth it” thing.
And I infinitely prefer the latter. Because even if nothing comes of it, you tried and the resilience of learning to try is the greatest feeling ever. At least, it is to me! And apparently to tons of the most successful people out there. Google the person that inspires you most, and I guarantee that 9 times out of 10, it took them a long time to get to where they are now. But the fact that they got there means it’s doable. So do it.

There’s a rush to it; a feeling that your chemistry has been altered by the act of sticking it out and seeing something come to life. I don’t think we can teach ourselves to be resilient just by thinking we should. I feel as though it’s about getting to your breaking point, letting yourself break and then putting the pieces back in place, but in a stronger composition. So that next time, you don’t break as easily, you just bend. And then the time after that, and after that, you never break again.

There’s an art to sticking it out, after rejection and after compromise and after failing. To me, part of that comes from having a support system. Having someone who reminds you to push back and to keep trying again. I think we can find that support in different places; family, friends, corners of the internet that just get you, or pets even!

After bouncing back is when the best things happen. That resilience shows you that no project or activity is ever bad enough; it’s about finding the right composition that makes sense for you. If it didn’t work this time, who’s to say it won’t next time.

If you’re reading this now, and are struggling to make something work out the way that you want, see if there’s another way around it. You’ll get there in the end!

Until next time, be inspired...

Z

Letter #42 - Believing in your Potential

To anyone struggling with believing in themselves,

Over the last year, I’ve had to work hard at not underestimating myself, because if I had, there are a number of things that wouldn’t have happened. But getting to that point of truly believing that I had the potential, to do the things I wanted, was really really difficult.

I feel like maybe it’s a part of being British, but self-deprecation is like a finely honed skill for us. We minimise our abilities or our talents in a rather dismissive way and this is an act that, while seemingly harmless, over time can end up seeping in and being believed.

For all the times, I would jokingly dismiss something that was pretty great about myself, I would end up genuinely thinking that in the end. Maybe not completely but to enough of an extent that it gave my confidence a direct knock on the head. 

If you have enough of those knocks, then what is there left to believe in? If we can’t be our own loudest cheerleaders, then how can we even trust when others try to help us I’m realising it?

So all of those little niggling questions made me think about how I was thinking about my own potential. I was only ever half-way believing that I could do things. When that’s the case, how could I ever actively do enough to fulfil the full amount of my potential?

Don't put yourself down

I found that I had to shut down that voice in my head that would tell me to dismiss or scoff at compliments about myself. This was really hard. I’m the first one to say “oh but it’s only...”, by way of negating whatever has been tossed my way. Words like “only” and “just” are like negative qualifiers that I hadn’t noticed I used so often. But once I took note, I got gradually get a handle on it.

List everything
The next thing that was the major contributor to genuinely believing in myself was listing it. I love lists, they’re the perfect way of organising chaos and chaotic, brain dump lists are my favourite. I literally sat down and wrote down all the things that I thought I was good at. I didn’t consult with anyone else. This was solely about me and what I believed about myself. I wrote and wrote and wrote until I was satisfied that I had covered enough. Then I took a photo of the list and saved it as my phone’s lock screen photo. This was a great way to remind myself of the things that I could do, when I would falter or face a setback. It was nice to have something to look at and remember that before that setback, this is what I saw in myself. And that what I saw was pretty great! 

Ask someone else
If that doesn’t help as much as it could, then my final go-to was to ask someone I trusted whether they thought I could do it. I found that for me, it was going to my mum; she would give me tough love and I would be confident that whatever she was saying was from a place of love but also a place of responsibility, so as not to give me false hope. My mum is the first person to tell me when I’m absolutely rubbish at something. But she’s also the first to sing my praises.

So if all else fails, find someone who will give you a kind but truthful answer as to your potential. If it’s about something work-related, maybe a colleague would be best. If it’s about your personal development, I found friends and family to be better at knowing me.

So if you’re reading this and feeling a bit off about yourself and your potential to do or be anything you want, break it down and do these three things and I hope that they help. If nothing else, list the things you’re capable of. I’m sure the list will be longer than you think.

Until next time, be inspired...

Z

Letter #41 - Taking a Moment for Positivity

To anyone who takes the time to read,

I've been absent from this site for far longer than I planned and I can't really explain it other than to say I had to go through a bit of a mindset adjustment.

I went from a place of pathetic wallowing for the first half of last year to then finding a kind of “peace” from which amazing things happened. Like bucket list things! Okay, maybe just one thing... but that’s one more than there would have been, had I not had a change to my thinking.

If I’m honest, I love a pity party at times. There’s moments where it is absolutely allowed, when things just categorically suck, but then sometimes it’s really not as bad as you think. This blog was never meant to be a place for my negativity but instead a way for accountability and growing out of such feelings. Easier said than done, clearly.

I can only assume that that past year was my “quarter life crisis”, my ungrateful millennial phase, but I don't know if it was. I know that at some point, I got tired before my time. I got tired of trying and putting everything in to my ideas and dreams and whimsies. I got tired and I got afraid. (I can literally hear your eye rolling, but bear with me!) But beyond the fear and the apathy, was a deep need to accomplish. But it was also not something that seemed to come into existence in the way in which I had hoped it would.

So all I could do was figure out a change that needed to be made or remain stagnant. I chose change. 

I remember being younger, and asked if I was an optimist or a pessimist. Without even taking a moment to think, I blurted out “pessimist”, to the surprise of my teachers. A 10 year old is not meant to be pessimistic, it seemed. But for years, I said that it was just my nature. To worry and plan and hold my breath for the moment things went wrong. Because to me, the glass was always half empty and I was just waiting for everyone else to realise that. To say I was a worrier would be an understatement. 

I was always surprised when things would go my way, from good grades to things I was trying to achieve in my personal life. Because there was always a part of me that held my breath and went into everything thinking it wouldn’t work out.

But then when the disappointing thing happened last year, I expected it. I had a little cry and then I shrugged. Realistically I hadn’t expected it to happen. I was still holding my breath. Until my mum noticed that my negative thinking as always been a dark cloud over everything I do. That I have the potential to achieve the things I want, but that if I can’t believe it for myself then why should anyone else take a chance on me? 

It made sense but what could I do? It was just my nature. My mother did not agree. She thought positive thinking was all I needed to work on. I had never put much faith in that. How could simple imagination make things happen? It seemed wishy washy and not at all something I should take seriously.

Now let's just say, at that point, I would try anything. It’s not like my way had worked. 

So I gave it another shot, this time changing my mindset. Now, it’s not really as easy as simply snapping my fingers. I had to force the change. I had to become aware of my thoughts and my feelings, and make an active effort to correct them when they went back to their ways of “it won’t happen”, and “this is dumb”.

I found that meditation helped; starting each day with a calm mind and thinking that I can and I will accomplish my tasks for that day. And when meditation didn’t work, I prayed on it. Between the two practices, I had my bases covered and it did make a difference.

I was actually excited to see how things panned out, instead of hesitant and having an expectation of disappointment from the get go. I tried, and I reminded myself that even if it didn’t work, what did I really have to lose? I still had my health, my family and friend and my home. I would only be “behind” on my own schedule. In the grand scheme of things, it would be a blip, not an explosion. 

 As if on cue, things started working out. I finished projects that were 10 years old, I got back into enjoying things that I had convinced myself were pointless failures and I achieved my ultimate goal... but that’s a story for another day!

This was just a little catch up on how positivity can truly make a difference. Not a magical difference, but one that affects your personality and our thoughts and in turn, your actions. I was proved wrong; there is nothing wishy-washy about it. So give it a try if you’re not the most hopeful person, and if you are, keep on doing what you do.

Until next time, be inspired...

Z

Letter #40 - 23 Things I've Learnt In 23 Years

Dear readers,

It was my 23rd birthday this week, and I figured I'd borrow an idea that's been floating around the blogosphere for a couple of years. Since I'm always up for a bit of self reflection, I thought I'd reflect on what I've learnt over the years. 

Here's 23 things I've learnt over my 23 years:

1 - Always moisturise, regardless of how lazy you feel. You will feel awful in the morning, when you wake up with irritated dry patchy skin. Don't do it! Skincare is too important to skimp on.

2 - Always keep a book in your handbag (or download a few onto your phone/tablet). You'll look really put together to anyone who might see you and you'll never be bored.

3 - Sometimes cake for breakfast is the only way to go. Don't knock it until you've tried it and don't feel guilty while you do.

4 - Smile at strangers (and retail workers). You never know what such a small gesture could mean to someone. If you have the chance to make someone smile, always take it.

5 - Feeling like your life is slowly falling apart is natural.It's not just you and it takes time to get to a place of stability. Even that hardly lasts long.

6 - When someone shows you their true colours, believe them. Seeing the good is one thing, but trying to find good when it isn't there is another entirely.

7 - Take time for your family, always. If you stop and think about it, your siblings are growing up and your parents are growing older. Don't take time for granted.

8 - Sometimes a day of sleeping in and lazing around is a good idea. When the world gets too loud, take it as a cue to take a break.

9 - Perspective is so important. It can change a world ending disaster into a blessed new chapter. Try it!

10 - Your health is something only you can comment on. Don't let someone else tell you that you're healthy or otherwise, if you don't think that's the case. You know your body.

11 - Education doesn't end once you're out of school. Your desire to learn may well be more prominent when you can choose what and when you want to learn. 

12 - Taking time out for yourself does not make you selfish!

13 - Always always always wear your retainer! If you've had to go through years of braces and treatments, why would you risk it all getting ruined by your sheer laziness? (I speak from experience of being that lazy idiot).

14 - Do not scroll through Instagram when you're having a bad day. It will make you feel worse.

15 - Scroll through Pinterest instead and just see as you feel all warm and fuzzy. If that fails, cute animal videos on YouTube are always a win!

16 - Baking is therapeutic to me. I don't even need to eat the goods; sharing is caring.

17 - Waking up before the sun rises, and watching it come up, is a great start to any day.

18 - Sleep is important and we all need different amounts of it. Don't feel lazy if you sleep a bit longer every night than the next person.

19 - No matter how old you get, a hug from a loved one will fix all manner of sins.

20 - If a hug isn't feasible, a cup of tea will work wonders.

21 - Stop comparing lives, successes or failures. Just be your own biggest fan and just do you!

22 - No matter how out of reach your dreams may be, try and try again. There's nothing worse than unfulfilled potential. "What ifs" are no fun.

23 - Just have fun and don't take yourself too seriously. You've got the rest of your life ahead of you!

It was surprising quite difficult to think of enough points, but digging a little deeper and reflecting is always a good thing.

That's all from me for now. 

Until next time, be inspired...

Love, Z

Letter #39 - La La Land // Here's To The Ones Who Dream

To anyone who needs a mood lifter,

SPOILER ALERT: This whole post contains spoilers, so go and watch La La Land, first!!

Just to give you a tiny clue of how this post is going to go, I'll explain how I came to be here, writing right now. I just watched La La Land finally, and it made me feel so full of emotion and life that I'm writing this on my phone while sitting in silence on the car ride home. I genuinely want to sit here for as long as I can, in this bubble of inspiration and joy that that production has put me in. It was beautiful and breathtaking and brilliant. (Yay, for alliteration!)

I don't really know what I'm writing yet, this isn't a review. It's more about how the movie made me feel, I suppose. And isn't that the whole purpose of a good film? To leave you raving about it.

So I was intrigued by the trailers that popped up before every YouTube video for weeks and then I heard the hype around it and then its success during awards seasons but I had still pretty much avoided hearing anything "spoiler-like" and so I didn't really know what to expect or even if I was going to watch it. 

A few days ago, my younger brother, watched a late night showing of it with some friends and at around 1am, I was awoken by the buzzing of my phone and my brother raving about this beautiful piece of artistry. He was talking about the cinematography and the colours and all of this other stuff, as though it was an average day and he speaks like that on a daily basis. Disclaimer - he really doesn't! The most you can get him to articulate is "'sup, bro."

So being the typical older sibling who had to be in the know, I had to watch it ASAP. But I also hate cinemas for movies like this. Those thoughtful, carefully painted pictures that need true appreciation. I hate to have to watch them in a crowd of faces, most of whom are rustling and whispering away, missing something magical happening before them. I ended up going to a daytime showing with my mum as a compromise. At least I knew she would appreciate it. There were maybe 6 others in the room.

Now, one thing about me is that I live by the saying "don't expect anything and you won't be disappointed." I heard the hype and how well received this movie was but I was still going into it with a lot of scepticism because generally I'm disappointed by the movies with hype. 

It only took until the end of the opening sequence for me to be proven wrong. That alone was so full of colour and fun that I knew I couldn't not enjoy this film. And enjoy it I did. I absorbed it; literally soaking in the beauty of this piece of work. This piece of art. 

Now, again, I'm not normally like this. I don't get precious about movies; it's usually tv shows that take my focus and even then solely for character development. But this was a production and a merging of so many things, that I feel it needs a category all of its own. There was fantastic film-making, an amazing score, music, dancing, colour, light and then the most lovable simple story, with such real characters that I could imagine superimposing myself into the story and it would still make sense.

It is a love letter to classic Hollywood and that was evident to me from the start but it gave the whole thing a timeless, classic quality. This film will stand the test of time.

The basic premise of the movie is a love story between the characters of Mia and Seb, but it's about so much more than that. They have hopes and dreams and their own creative paths to follow and it's about how important it is to have those people who support and push you as long as you don't lose sight of your end goals. 

It's about choices, and moments, and courage, and persistence, and dreams, and above all passion. A great line by Mia, is "people love what other people are passionate about" and it's true. The greatest people in the world are those with hopes and interests and plans so far fetched that you hope for their sakes that they follow through with them, because it would be amazing when it became a reality.

Another line that really stuck with me was "they worship everything and they value nothing" as Seb spoke about LA and his love of jazz. He valued it as an entity and stuck by it regardless of how many times he was told "jazz is dead." In this day and age everything is readily available, that interests wane after a mere moment before the next fad comes along and it was great to see someone so determined to love what he loved and do what mattered to him. 

As someone who has many creative dreams but a practical brain that usually overrides them, this movie was a perfect kick up the backside for me. Take the chances, do the things, live the life.

At the end of the day, this film highlighted how important it can be to follow through with your dreams and not put them on hold for a relationship. Mia and Seb both give up on their dreams at certain points; Mia out of sheer heartbreak of all the setbacks, and Seb out of a desire to have a steady job and lifestyle.

I've heard lots of people say how they cried so much while watching and I was confused by my reaction. I smiled with teeth throughout most of it. So much so that my jaw and face muscles ached at the end but like I've mentioned before, it was an uplifting, hopeful piece of work. 

The one time I did cry was a scene towards the end, where Mia has given up on her acting dreams and gone back to her hometown. Seb drives up to give her the good news of a callback and as they argue about it, she breaks. She looks utterly shattered as she cries "maybe I'm not good enough." I broke, there and then. I'm sure we've all felt crippled by life and not being at the stage we thought we would be, and putting it down to not being enough and it was so completely relatable, that it was heartbreaking. 

For all their hopes and dreams, they both worked exceptionally hard to make them realities; while that involved Seb selling out for a while and having to be reminded of the importance of his original dream, or Mia working night and day to write herself a role in a one woman show, and paying for the production to go on. They both paid their dues.

The ending was one that I've heard referred to as sad, but I'd say it's more bittersweet and those are the best endings. Where you know that someone got what they wanted but sacrificed a lot to get there. It's realistic and it's raw and it's true to human nature. 

There's always this idea that if the aim of a story is for a couple to fall for each other, then it's not a satisfying ending unless they do. I don't agree. To know that they grew and got their dreams was satisfying enough for me. Because you can't always have it all and that's just life for you. It's especially poignant in this modern time where career does take over for most of us but it's a choice to be made just the same. And like they said, they would always love each other regardless.

There's a sequence in the last ten minutes that shows an alternate reality for the two of them, where they would have been married with a child and they'd be happy and together and it's beautiful. I was reminded that the choices we make are so important. The moments that we will look back on may not be the most important or interesting at the time but we'll look back and wonder how it could have gone.

Anyway, this is getting way too long but if you can't tell, I love this movie and it'll be my new favourite and I doubt anything will beat it for a long time to come.

A quick mention to the music, and the songs. I'm listening to the soundtrack as I write. The fact that Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are not trained Broadway singers adds so much to the songs, because their voices have their own quirks and it comes through in a way that makes it so easy to listen to. Also, the way they depict jazz is lovely and I dare you to watch this movie without tapping a foot to the beat, or moving your shoulders and simply wanting to get up and dance with them! 

A final note has to go to Mia as a character; she's everything I wish I could be. She's strong, and focused and so unwavering in her belief that this is what she has to do as well as being incredibly supportive to Seb and pushing him to remember his dreams. It's great and her wardrobe is perfect. I'm now going to be on the hunt for the perfect yellow day dress. And then I'm naturally going to pair it with tap shoes! 

It may have been over 2 hours long, but it felt as though it passed in a blink of an eye. I could have sat in the screening, watching it on repeat! (I'm not joking. If that's an option, I'll take it)

And that's me done for now. If you've watched La La Land (which I hope you have or else I've spoiled it for you...) then let me know what you thought. It's also totally fine not to have felt everything from this movie as deeply as I did, or at all. 

Until next time, be inspired...

Love, Z

Letter #38 - Plan For Your Goals

So I've spent the week, having a fresh start and organising the things in my life that needed organising and after seeing just how many other posts there were relating to New Year's resolutions, I thought I'd wait a while and approach it a little differently. 

First of all, I hope everyone had a good holiday and new year. So I know it can be a touchy topic when I say it's a new year and time for a fresh start. The cynics among you will ask, "why now? If you wanted to start fresh, why was September not good enough, or October 23rd? Why does the new year require change?" In short, it doesn't. You can start with a new idea or lifestyle or any other alteration you need to make, whenever you want to, but there is something sweet and rounded about the first day of the year. It gives a solid starting point. It's like when you're procrastinating and you think to yourself that you'll get to your homework at 5pm and then before you notice is 5.24pm, so now you have to wait until 5.30pm or 6pm before you start. Because it just feels right. That's all it comes down to. A feeling.  

If that feeling is that you're going to have a fantastic year, then by all means, go ahead.

So I debated whether or not to talk about resolutions in general or my personal resolutions. I decided on the latter. I have a lot of goals for each year and I very rarely meet them all but I give it my best shot. This year, however, I really do feel that this is it. I'm going to smash this year and feel amazing about it. The reason I know this is because while every other year I set vague resolutions that I had no set plan to accomplishing, other the last year, I've learnt about goal setting and the preparation that goes into any task with a goal.

I mean, you wouldn't just jump in and attempt a 10,000 word essay, without a plan, right? (Okay, that's a bad example... I actually have done that and it turned out great haha). Either way, the majority of tasks require preparation of some sort before we can undertake the commitment.

Say that you wanted to go to the gym more. One, that's a vague goal to begin with. How do you quantify "more"? And two, you can make excuses far too easily. You don't have the right gym top, you need a new sports bra, the gym simply isn't cost effective right now... the list can go on and on and before you know it, it's June and you haven't even taken one step in the right direction.

So as I said, I'll name a few of my goals, simply as a way of holding myself accountable. I've already had my goals written my bullet journal since the 1st of the the month and now I'm using this post as a means of accountability while also drilling it further into my own mind. I always set learning goals, and they are important to me but this is the first year in a while where I'm not in education so I can choose to prioritise the things I want to learn. By the end of 2017, I am hoping to be fluent in Spanish, have a basic grasp of Italian, take a certificated sign language course and to understand the basics of coding. These are not things that I decided on a whim and I took my time, researching each of them because as I said before, preparation is key.

I've always loved languages and I did study Spanish to A-level but let it all get forgotten after that. So when it comes to learning Spanish and Italian, I am going to use Duolingo. 

This is an app that's been around for a couple of year and I've had it downloaded on my phone pretty much as soon as it was a developed application. The great thing about it is that it's free. If you want to try a language and you're not too sure whether it's for you, there's no harm in trailing an app that costs you nothing. It caters for a broad range of languages, and it starts of very simply. It uses repetition and audio and even tests your pronunciation as you get further into the lessons. The app is advertised as needing just 5 minutes a day, and that is absolutely all you need. It also gives it the option to set a notification so that it can remind you once a day and I really do love that feature. 

So this isn't a new app to me and I do know that I love it and the way that it helps you step by step but I also know that sometimes I get lazy once I'm in a routine. So this time, I'm keeping a notebook for all my new vocabulary and the gendered nouns so that I can feel as though I've taken a more active role in my learning. Five minutes a day for a year is just over 30 hours of study. That is minuscule in the grand scheme of things but it's still something that most people could find time for.

The coding is again, something I've loved from afar. I'm always so in awe of all you can accomplish with knowledge and as we travel further into a technologically aware society, I feel like I need to understand the basics for myself. Honestly, I just hate feeling like I've missed out and for me FOMO is never more real than when I feel I don't have a piece of knowledge that I should have. 

For this, I've found so many online learning systems and it is going to take some trial and error before I can feel confident that I've doing it right. I've subscribed to a programme called Skillscrush as just one way of introducing this topic to myself. There's also codecademy and Khan academy that claim to have great teaching resources for my needs. I think this is something that will take much more time and focus and for now, I'm setting that out as one day a week, for as many hours as I can stomach.

Lastly, a learning goal that I have wanted to achieve for so long is to learn British sign language. With a brother who has had to use signing systems as he grew up and a mother who worked in a special school, I've been around the practice of communication through signing for most of my life. But I've always wanted to actually learn the basics and more if I can. I think it could be an invaluable skill and even if it isn't, and I never have to use it, I think it casts an awareness of how other people have to live their lives and that's too important of a lesson to pass up. 

For this goal, I didn't want to be left on my own and to end up doing it wrong. So I've found classes that I can take in my area and I hope to be able to gain some kind of certification for the learning that I will do other that time. Again, this is just something I want to do for myself, to prove that I can and because I think it should be common practice, in the same way that first aid skills now are.

Anyway, those are just a small handful of my goals for this year. What are some your goals and how do you plan to achieve them? (I'm only really asking because I love getting new ideas that I ucan use myself!) 

Until next time, be inspired...

Love, Z