Inside-Out

I wish I could tell every human just how absolutely beautiful and strong they are. I wish I could imprint young, impressionable minds to know this, too.

But I can't. 

I need your help. 

I need you to realize just how powerful the mind is. It's amazing, really. The power of positive thinking? It can create a whole new world. 

People grow up feeling horrible. They grow up feeling ugly, inadequate, fearful, insecure ... They grow up never knowing how powerful their mind is. How powerful they are. 

They think, "I won't go anywhere in life, why try?" They think, "Nobody will ever truly love me, I'm ugly." They think, "I'm failing. I can't turn this around." 

These are all lies. 

Lies that they (maybe you, too) have been conditioned to believe. 

The truth is, you're beautiful. You're worth the effort. You can make a difference in the world. Somebody already does love you. Failure is the first step to success. And finally, you CAN turn this mindset around. 

You are in control of your behavior and your actions. The first step is positive thinking. ((Yeah, yeah.. You've heard it before. This time, actually TRY it))

It's time to start repairing our bodies from the inside-out. To transition our minds from negative thinking, to uplifting, encouraging thoughts. From feeling miserable and horrible, to doing one thing a day to make you happy. Happiness does not just ARRIVE; you create your own happiness. 

When was the last time you ate cake and realized you just got a six pack afterwards? 

...never.

Me too. (I was disappointed too, don't worry.)

We can't expect to make bad decisions in life, and be happy. We have to WORK for happiness.... For our relationships, for our figures, for our talents, for our careers, for our money, for our faith. Our minds do not automatically default to hope and happiness, but we can change that. 

Today is the day to start. Don't wait for the new year for happiness to arrive. 

You're beautiful, and you're worth it. 

Time to start believing it. Time to put to rest all the excuses, all the doubts, all the procrastination. No more. Go out and be happy, know your value in life. 

Please share this with someone you know suffering with negative self-image. If that's you, I hope you begin to see your true worth and value in life. You're a miracle; time to start believing it! 

I'm still learning this. It's one of the reasons I can write about it. I'm still learning how to be confident and secure and happy. I'm still working on myself from the inside-out, and I hope you'll join me in this never-ending venture!

What is Love?

Baby, don't hurt me
Don't hurt me no more
Baby, don't hurt me
Don't hurt me no more.

What is love?!

Okay! Now that the soundtrack to this blog post is stuck in your head- let's continue!

 

I'm one of those hopeless romantics that truly believes love is what makes the world go round ((yeah, yeah... I get the gist, physicist.. angular momentum is a tiiiiny part of that too))

 

It's not something you can define, but something you feel. But as you know, I'm big on words...

 

Love fascinates me, intrigues me. It's not something you can define, but something you feel. But as you know, I'm big on words, so I thought- "What is love?" ((queue the soundtrack in your head again, you're welcome! ;))  Or rather, "How would you define love in words?" 

 

I asked a number of people to define love in 1-2 sentences, so without further adieu:  

 

 "Love is bacon."

Age 45

 

 "Love is being nice and kissing each other."

Age 8 

"Love is Blind, love is different in every relationship, love is what you make of it, when you are away from the person you're in a relationship with and your heart tingles that's love..

Love is when I'm too sick to wipe my own nose or ass!"

Age 42 

 

"Love is...what makes the world go round. It makes the ride worth it."

Age 26

"Selfless, vulnerable Love in the raw is terribly scandalous. It does not make logical sense... much like God Himself. They cannot be separated."

Age 22 

"If you love someone you will be or do anything for them....  What comes to mind is The Notebook, "If you're a bird, I'm a bird."

Age 32 

"Love is destructive beauty. It's eternal and never dies and could make or break you."

Age 17

"Love is inconsistent. It endures only through unconditional commitment."

Age 22

"The best and only definition of love is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Age 23

"Love is unbreakable and spans all space and time. It is unbiased and the most powerful thing in existence. Love is infinite."

Age 22 

"This is from a website I read once, "Love is like pushing a button and getting a cookie every time, but eventually you only get a cookie one in every 100 pushes, the other 99 times you get pooped on by a bird, but you still push the button waiting for that one time you get a cookie."

Age 23

"Love is light, love is warmth and kindness, love is honesty and truth.  Love is capable, love is worth, love is never immediate.  Love will always be eternal."

Age 34 

"Love is the chemical reaction in our brains that triggers an emotional response with a physical action to show we care about someone or something."

Age 23 

"Love is an act of expression. 

It means nothing if you don't show it."

Age 33

"To me love is caring. It's being willing to go to the ends of the earth for someone else's well being.  Love is meeting in the middle,  and not always getting your way. It's respect. It's trust. It's friendship and family. It's listening with an open mind and heart,  and being a shoulder to cry on at 2am when needed. Without love the world would shatter in isolation."

Age 20 

"Love is being able to trust and depend on another person without reservation. I also think love is a warmth- a "spark" in my heart when I see the other person coming to be with me. Love means listening carefully to the other person."

Age 89 

 

How would YOU define love? Shoot me a message or leave a comment below! I always LOVE hearing from you! 

 

...man, I love LOVE.

How do YOU define love?

 

 

 

BLOGATHON!

Spectacular news people! My blog about education got selected for a blogathon by BreakThrough TV called #selfiesforschool! Breakthrough’s #Selfies4School campaign is a campaign that aims to send young girls to school, because we believe that education can help break the cycle of early marriage. Every blog you submit helps send 10 girls to school.

#Selfies4School

 Check out this link for my story- and submit a #selfie4school yourself

Many thanks to Arunima for reading my blog and coordinating this wonderful site to promote education across the globe through the power of words! You are doing great things in the world- thank you for allowing me to be a part of this great cause!

Endless thanks to everyone who reads and keeps up to date with my blog- It really does mean the WORLD to me! Love you all!

http://tell-a-tale.com/

A Gentle Giant I call "Bro."

My brother. We used to be pretty distant, not really close at all actually. We would see each other at family functions and here and there send a text, but we drifted apart for quite some time. As kids, you fight to keep your siblings twenty feet away from you and your stuff at all times.... You take advantage of being in the same house together, eating together, and seeing each other every day after school and every weekend. And then you grow up. As adults, building relationships or keeping them alive can often end up a challenge in this busy world we live in.

Recently we have been talking and hanging out, and I have so much respect for him. Ashamedly, I can't say I always did. Not that I disrespected him, or disliked him, he just wasn't in my life to any capacity for me to form any sort of valid opinion. I knew I loved him and he was my brother; my family. But now, more than ever, I know the bond between a brother and sister can be one to fill many voids in a heart.

My brother is a gentle giant. No, legitimately- he hovers at 6'4" with a whopping shoe size of 14. He can palm a bowling ball like it's a piece of bubblegum.

Although he fulfills so many roles in my life right now, I also have to remember my role. To lift him up when he is down. To crack a smile when he is heartbroken. To pretend like I know what he is talking about when he speaks in a foreign language called "sports." To remind him that any girl would truly, truly be so lucky to have him in their life. To teach him the impact he has on me, my older sister, and my younger sister. To pay attention to his endless knowledge on tiny houses and cars. To read the books he recommends and open my eyes to the insight he has shown me. To laugh with him about stupid inside jokes. To give him a hard time and a kick in the ass when he is being lazy. To annoy him so his worst complaint is that I talk too much.

To just be there for him. Like he is for me.

You see, girls are always saying that "guys suck," and sometimes when I have hurt feelings I have felt the same way. But he has shown me, and reminded me, that not all guys suck. Some of them are great big brothers who any girl would be lucky to have. So remember that as you go through this crazy, hectic thing called life- Don't settle, bro. Know what you bring to the table, because I can see it from where I stand.

Through the years we may drift apart, but I will always cherish and look forward to the days we grow closer.

I love you big bro. I may not always say it, but thank you for being my brother.

Thanks for building tree forts with me. Thanks for ripping the heads off my barbies so I learned how to be crafty. Thanks for switching chores so I didn't have to empty the dishwasher. Thanks for going on hikes with me. Thanks for saying "a pack-pack and a kwof kwof" so every time I use a back pack or a wash cloth I giggle. Thanks for singing hickory dickory dock the mouse ran up the clock in a really epic way. Thanks for eating ten pounds of candy with me while we watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Thanks for giving me unbiased advice. Thanks for letting me vent. Thanks for giving me a dead leg when I least expect it so I get quicker reflexes. Thanks for all the memories we have had together so far, and all the memories we have left.

 

To everybody who has a brother, remember to never take them for granted. You may think you are total opposites, but you also may be completely wrong. Family is forever; build the relationships that will be there in the end.

The older I get, the more I see how blessed I am to call my family mine.

Even if relationships seem distant and severed, take a leap of faith and make a phone call. Who knows? Your best friend or family may be on the other end of the line waiting for you to come back in their life.

I Dare You To Try.

People always say live for the moments that you can't put into words.

I challenge you to find words for those moments. 

I dare you to take those speechless, powerful, life-changing moments and search for words. Describe the smile on your face, the sweet smell surrounding you, the way your heartbeat mimicked that of a hummingbird. I dare you to break out of the chains that hold you down in your weakest moments. To describe the way his knuckles went white and his grip suffocating.

Writing is healing. Writing is remembering. 

So for those moments you couldn't find words to describe your pure bliss, I dare you to try. It's a memory worth the books. When you find the right words for an experience like that, you've unlocked the power to relive that moment no matter where you are at, no matter how many years down the road. 

As for the moments you would rather push so deep inside you that they will never be able to escape; I dare you to let them. Sit down with your pen and just bleed. But only do this on one condition- promise once you are done you will leave it on that piece of paper. You will let that memory live on that page, forever. You won't bury it beneath every possible layer you can in your heart, you will unpack that memory from your heart and build it a new home on paper. 

Writing can hurt, or it can heal. It can make you laugh uncontrollably or it can make you weep. 

I challenge you to find words when words fail you. 

I dare you to remember your happiest moments,

and build a home on paper for your worst ones. 

 



Things the World Seriously Needs More Of

Blinkers. People who know how to use blinkers. People who use blinkers. People who know what a blinker means. People who respect blinkers. Can I get an amen?! 

 

Free ice cream after meals. This may be a dangerous move, but anything worth having is worth the risk. (I think that quote applies to ice cream, right?!) 

 

Forgiveness. 

 

Shark Week on Animal Planet.

 

Healthy snacks that are cheaper than a Big Mac... Or McDouble. 

 

People who speak more than one language. 

 

Smiles. 

 

Hand-holding.

 

Machines that get you ready in the morning while you sleep in. 

 

Honest people. Who tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God! 

 

Websites like, "The Onion," that help you decipher fact from fiction.....and play really cruel jokes on people who have no idea the basis of the site. 

 

Selfies.

^^SIKE! We have enough of those that probably shouldn't exist in the world. 

 

Giving people. Selfless people. 

 

Drama between celebrities. 

^^NOPE don't need that either. 

 

Love. Romance. Intimacy. Love notes. Date nights. Pickin' up what I'm layin' down? Smell what I'm steppin' in? ((Ew. Who uses that line in real life?! Please shake your head no.))

 

People who are currently living their dreams. As Aesop Rock so eloquently puts it, "You can dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it; cause dreamers always chase but never get it." 

 

Math with letters in it............Joke.

 

Bars for people to get schwasted and make poor life decisions.

^^Oh wait. One on every block--Check! 

 

Affordable education systems. Free education systems. 

 

Environmentally-safe paper (or some Eco-friendly material) plates; so I can refuse to do dishes and not feel a twinge of guilt. 

 

Photos. Images. Cameras. Pictures. 

 

People who understand sarcasm, and can respond to it without being offended. 

 

Genuinely nice people. Who are nice to be nice, not to get something in return.

 

Open-minds.

 

Starbucks. 

^^Because two on every block is simply not enough. 

 

And while we are at it, I'm going to jump on the beauty pageant train and say-- world peace. 

The world needs to know peace.

 

 

With Concern,

Sarah.