Just in case you read this.

We don't need to have just one favorite. Our favorite things are those that speak most directly to us in that particular stage in our lives. Our favorite books, music, movies they are ever changing and we are always adding to the list. However, some favorites are more lasting. 

For example, I will never outgrow Star Wars and Fast and Furious (yeah, I'm a weird girl), they will always be favorites of mine. Another lasting favorite for me resides in music. The best feeling is when you hear a song that takes you back to a vivid memory. Nas, Big L, Biggie, A Tribe Called Quest-- so many of their songs are soundtracks to my life and will forever be favorites. 

For a long time I never thought my favorites would change in regard to hip hop though. I mean yeah, I loved Food & Liquor, but come on guys-- Soulja Boy, really? BUT, I was wrong. In 2009 I was surfing the internet in the middle of the night looking for music as per usual and this kid who was just barely older than me popped up on YouTube. He just so happened to be in about the same life stage as me in regard to his family drama, the lack of money, and the ability to find some inner drive. 

In fact, I recently wrote a post about how "hip hop just gets me" and mentioned him in it. You can find that post here. And over two years ago I wrote a post about creating positive change and in just a couple of sentences summed up why he is my favorite and it still applies today. Click here to read that one.

Logic is one of those lasting favorites for me. Maybe it is because we are the same age or maybe it is because I can relate to his complicated childhood, but whatever the reason I am grateful. Through his music I have met some of my favorite people and some major doors to future opportunities have opened up for me. So thank you. Thank you for understanding me even though we have never met. Thank you for adding to the soundtrack of my life.   

Reading is my escape.

I read a lot. I enjoy reading all kinds of books, but prefer young adult books (because they are applicable to my young adult life). Yesterday I finished reading Reached—the final novel in the Ally Condie Matched trilogy. After reading the Hunger Games I didn’t think that I would enjoy reading another dystopian romance, but I was mistaken. All three books held my attention and left me wanting more. The second and third books switched between the views of the three main characters and that was kind of strange at first, but proved to be beneficial to really understanding all aspects of the story.

Now I want to see a movie! I almost always find the book to be 100% better than the movies, but it is fun to put faces to some of the characters and backdrops to some of the scenes. Plus, it allows me to relive those books for a few more hours.

 It is becoming more & more common to find books set in a “utopian” or “socialized” future world and it is scary to think of that being reality and not just fiction. People search for a leader and when they find that leader they will do almost anything for them. One thing that stood out to me in this book was how scary it can be to step out of your comfort zone and do what you believe in your heart to be right. Overall, awesome novel and I recommend that you read it! 

Breaking barriers.

Recently I have gotten very involved with something new (I know big surprise). I Am That Girl is a non-profit that aspires to help girls understand that they deserve to love themselves by building community and providing girls with an environment where they can have meaningful conversations. I am starting the first ever Idaho chapter here in Boise alongside a very talented and driven woman, Amanda Graham. We just.. click. She is one of those people who you can't help but to be inspired when you are in the same room as her. 

Tonight was our second official chapter meeting--but the first one that was done completely on our own. Our first meeting was a small group of four ladies and we video conferenced with Emily Greener (IATG co-founder). It was such an inspiring meeting and it drove us to want to do huge things. Today our meeting consisted of six of us and we talked about the definitions of beauty.
 

We discovered so much about ourselves & each other throughout our conversation. It is amazing what kinds of conversations come about when we break down the barriers that society sets in place. If women focused more on building each other up instead of tearing each other down we would  be unstoppable. We all feel insecure at some point and society teaches us that if we aren't tall enough, short enough, thin enough, curvy enough, etc. that we aren't "beautiful". It's time to redefine beauty. Watch out Idaho... we are about to make a big impact on our quiet little state.

The Secret to Success- (straight out of my journal)

A few hundred years ago, Ben Franklin shared the secret of his success with the world. He said, "never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today". Being one of the most respected men in history, you would think that more people would take his advice seriously. Procrastinate? Yes. We all procrastinate, but why? I think that it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of making decisions, fear of failure, & fear of rejection. We can't let these things get in our way of living. We've been told our whole lives: "he who hesitates is lost" & "the early bird catches the worm". Our elders, teachers, philosophers... they've all continuously warned us about wasted time & yet many fail to listen. Sometimes we just have to learn things the hard way. We have to make mistakes in order to truly understand Ben's logic. It's just important to remember that even the biggest failure beats the hell out of never trying.