How to Stick to New Year's Resolutions

Year after year we begin the new year with hope, ambition, goals, and a determination to become better. Yet somehow as they days go by, the large goals we had slowly fade. We don't stick to that diet we swore we would or go to the gym as often as we promised. Whatever the goal we had in mind was, we often imagine ourselves being able to start completely over with a clean slate and make ourselves better in the year to come. As wonderful of a desire this is, it is rather unrealistic.

Now, this isn't meant to be an article informing you that your dreams are impossible, rather that they are completely possible, but the mindset is what needs to change in order to make them happen.

The fashionista in me always wondered why I associate New Years Day with sparkles, shimmer, and clean decor. Then it hit me, this is precisely what we imagine when we think of new. We imagine shiny, clean, crisp, perfection. The shimmer and sparkles relay newness and excitement. We all look for a reason to begin again, to be able to hit reset on the mistakes we've made and become better. The New Year is that exciting time when we get to hit reset. Goodbye mistakes, stress, heartache, or whatever we desire to leave behind. Our mindset changes to a more positive outlook on who we can become.

Why can't we keep that excitement? That desire? Slowly, we allow ourselves to remember the comforts in life to come back when we mess up, when we fall, or when life just happens. Then we tend to allow ourselves to loose that childlike hope we had at the beginning of the year to fade. We hold on to what is familiar and fall into our same patterns we tend to follow in years previous. Always promising that we'll start back up after some big occasion, but never devoted to keeping to that new year's zeal.

This year however, I challenge you to join me make our new year's goals become a reality. Even though life may have already began to try to drag you down, let us continue to strive for that revised life we hope to attain. Maybe 2019 won't be as perfect as we dream, but at least this year we will feel more accomplished knowing we didn't stop reaching the resolution(s) from lack of trying.

So how is this going to be possible? How is this year going to be different? Mentality. Mindset. But most importantly, fully letting go of personal desires and trusting in God. I have tried taking control of my life, year after year. The reality is, I cannot control all the factors of my life, so why should I believe I can control my outcome? This year, I will fall, but instead of staying on the ground because it's easy, I'll get back up and do it again. Knowing that no matter how many times I fall, He is there either to catch me, or make me stronger from getting back up.

Now in order to let God take control of our lives, we need to get out of our own way.
"Wait... what? This girl is crazy!"
Nah, I meant it. Fo real. Move. Stop stopping yourself. You have more potential than you even realize. And as much as I like to blame it on others or "life", it's usually me telling myself I cannot do something so I don't even try. And like that is going to get you anywhere. So you can tell yourself that you are going to let God take over, but He can only do so much if you don't act as His instrument.

So 2019, try it. What will it hurt? Another failed year of empty New Years promises? I'll write a better blog next year then 😉 But most likely, if we all succeed, 2019 will be a phenomenal year.

Why Modesty?

"Modesty is always beautiful" ~ G.K. Chesterton

Can you look at yourself in the mirror without criticizing yourself? Sadly, this is the first thing we tend to do. Point out all the flaws and think of what we need to fix in order to be beautiful. Especially with women, we're fed with information on what we need to do in order to look pretty or sexy as if we're not good enough. So that becomes our constant mindset, we're not good enough. We don't need layers of makeup, brand name clothing, or excessive dieting to make us beautiful. God is our creator, therefore, we are a beautiful creation.

It's so easy to get caught up in the modern mindset of what "beauty" is. But remembering who we are is important and striving to be an authentically beautiful soul is what we are intended for. That is why modesty is so important. Modesty isn't covering up your body so as to hide yourself from the world's gaze, it's intended to direct the onlookers gaze to you as a person instead of an object. So many women walk around in tight pants and low cut shirts, angry at men for staring at them like an animal. But essentially, the way you dress indicates how you want to be addressed. So instead of getting mad at them, why not help them out? You can dress beautifully and stylish without attracting unnecessary attention to your body.

Remember that we are made in His image. We are beautifully created by God. Every day, try picking out an outfit that reveals your true beauty. Then, looking at yourself in the mirror, thank Him for making you who you are. This isn't vanity, this is appreciating the gifts He's given you and His handiwork. This is something I need to work on myself, so let's do this together! Let us begin a movement of natural self-improvement!

(Here is a picture of me appreciating the height He's given me this weekend ;-)

Women who walk in confidence, knowing they are a beautiful creation are the most attractive. They will also attract gentlemanly attention, instead of unbecoming whistles, stares, and inappropriate pick up lines. We cannot get mad at men for treating us badly if we think and dress as if we want to be treated so.

Coco Chanel said it beat, "Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!"

Until next Monday!

~Mina

Nevertheless She Persisted

Good morning!

This weekend I had the pleasure of running a race for the first time in too long. The pleasure didn't lie in the breathlessness, discomfort, or mental battle of running, rather in the accomplishment. If you know anything about me, it is the fact that I am anything but a morning person. Wake up at 5:45 to go run in the cold? Pure insanity. Yet, I was committed, didn't pay to register to just give up. So off I went, reluctantly, with warm coffee in hand. As we walked over to the race, the only thing my legs were saying was how against this idea they were. The sun began to rise, the crowd thickened, the energy became contagious. You can do this.

Then the race began, so much energy, this would be a breeze! My friends quickly gained distance on me, my legs felt like lead, my head began to fog. Maybe I wasn't ready. After all, I'm not a morning person. My lungs weren't ready for this cold air. My knee has been giving me problems. Every excuse to walk ran through my head. But wait, that's the first mile marker! You've already made it a mile! The crowd is cheering. No reason to give up already, you just started!

Music filled the air, crowds on the sideline cheering, occasional bursts of encouragement from fellow runners. Next thing I knew, I passed one of my friends, cheered her on and gained energy. Passed another friend. You've got this. It's all in your head. Two-thirds of the way through, no more passing anyone, older and younger runners zoomed passed. Am I slowing down? That's it, my second wind is already gone. I can't do it. Just walk for a little bit, then you can start again. But wait, is that a grown man in a stroller with a grown man pushing him? Sure enough, he was paralyzed. His friend had a sign attached to the stroller, "You can do it!". He was motivating his paralyzed friend to make it through the race. Suck it up. You have nothing to complain about.

The end is almost in sight, I made it close enough. I can walk the rest of the way. "Let's go!" My friend cheered as she quickly caught up to me. "We've got this." So we picked up speed. Then the music got louder, the Finish line was visible. Keep your eyes on Heaven, I heard in my head. The finish line was Heaven. I picked up more speed. Heaven. Life is like a race. There's one end and everything we endure on the way is leading us to that end. Sure you can give up and leave, or you can fight the good fight and make it to the ultimate goal. So fight harder, push more, encourage others, because it is worth it. Every excuse is just that, an excuse. And we can't get there alone. He gives us other people in our life to encourage us on. Don't try to do it alone either, because you never know when you might be that one friend who pushed someone through the finish line a better person then they thought they could be. The pain, suffering, mental discouragement you feel along the way is part of the battle. It is part of what makes the accomplishment worth it. You didn't give up. Sure you slowed down along the way, but you pushed through. Keep the end in sight, remember what the suffering is for. Offer it up for others who need it more than you. Remember how much He has blessed you with and use it to get to Him. To spend eternity with Him, and being in complete joy knowing that you gave it all you got.

Happy Monday!
Until next week,
~Mina

Inspired

"The hardest step she ever took was to blindly trust in who she was"- Atticus

It's been long enough. Too long in fact. The world has a way of sweeping us away, allowing us to listen to everyone but ourselves, allowing us to watch time move slowly without realizing how fast it is actually going, allowing us to watch everyone around us grow while we sit and wish we would too. The only way to change, grow, or improve is by focusing on ourselves and what God is asking of us.

 

This summer has flown by as I allowed myself to get caught up in what I thought I had to do according to others standards. Make money, socialize, and sacrifice sleep. I felt proud that I could brag over 60-70 hour work weeks while still playing soccer and going out with friends. Meanwhile, I became depressed, stressed, and overwhelmed. Clearly taking care of myself wasn't a priority, but I thought it meant I just needed to try harder. Where was any of this taking me though?

I needed to take a step back, to realize I wasn't happy. So what is happiness? Aristotle speculates happiness as the end to which we all hope to attain. Given this was the one thing that stuck out to me in philosophy class from ions ago, I realized I had yet again let my will surpass God's. Since the end I hope to attain is Heaven, I have not been following the means necessary to get there. Sure I pray and go to church, but am I doing God's will?

He has long made it quite clear what His will is for me and yet I constantly have excuses as to why I can't do it. But no more excuses. No more watching time go by. No more wishing I was like someone else. It's time I take that step in blindly trusting who I am, who He's made me to be.

Recently an inspiration struck that really got me excited to start designing again. Something that makes complete sense as to what I hope to attain with my clothing line. So the next few posts will be geared to that inspiration, slowly revealing the creations that are finally coming into play. Here it goes! I cannot wait to share the final pieces with you all and I hope you find it as inspirational as I do!

Until next week,
~Mina

Quiet time was never a punishment

It's amazing how clear the mind is when you don't have music jamming, your phone buzzing, or social media filling your head. We all need these moments to take a step back and think about where we are, where we are trying to go, and if the steps we are taking are the right ones. Today I sat down to do my daily readings and it hit me how off track I've gotten from where I was. What started this? How did this happen? When did the train switch tracks?!

Then it hit me, it wasn't just one decision which led me here. It was one excuse, which made another excuse acceptable, which inevitably led me to fall asleep as I let life take me wherever it wanted not noticing the train switching courses.

Quiet time used to be the time I had alone with God to talk to, listen, and contemplate. When that was cut out of my schedule, so was mental clarity. Resulting in frustration and ranting to friends and family, thinking that would solve problems. But they have their own life to consider and only you know exactly what your heart is calling you towards.

Parents had it right when they sent you to the corner for time out to think about what you did. I don't know about you but I spent that time thinking about how mean my parents were, or how I would get my brother back for getting me in trouble, or just simply how pretty my next art project would be. But as time dragged on more slowly than we thought possible, eventually it hit that maybe I shouldn't have tripped my brother on purpose and that I really did owe him an apology.

If only life's problems were that simple now! But whether we like it or not, we needed that time to take a step back and think about why we were where we were. I truly believe that Our Father now tells us we need time out whenever we become anxious or lonely. He's telling us to sit down and think about what we did. That He's always right there and we just need to be quiet and listen. Life's not as hard as we make it out to be when He's the one who we let conduct our train.

So I challenge you to start today by spending just 15 minutes alone, no phone, no laptop, no friend. Try this everyday for one week and let me know if you see a difference!

Ultimately I strive to live up to St. Francis de Sales advice: "30 minutes meditation with God is absolutely necessary, unless you are busy, then an hour."

Until next time,
~Mina

"You don't know you're beautiful"

 Famous words we hear in songs like this makes us stop and wonder how beautiful we are in the eyes of others. But then we stare in the mirror and see our image staring back at us. The person we know speaks the words we wish were different, the one who does things that we regret, the only being we can blame for where we are today.
You know what? Every other person on this earth is thinking the same thing. We are human. But that's what is so amazing about relationships. We are here for each other to encourage, to point out the beauty we see in each other. Not to take away from it.

    Yesterday as I got ready for church, everything I put on just didn't look as beautiful as it did on the hanger. And as I watched the clock tick away I realized it was time for me to settle on a outfit. But it was then that it hit me, I'm not going to impress others, I'm going to glorify God. So I threw on a pretty dress and some comfy shoes and headed to church.

    I hoped no one I admired saw me as I felt like a mess. Mass began and I remembered the real reason I was there. Afterwards I said a few prayers in hopes that my relationship with God would become miraculously stronger as I told Him everything I wanted. But I heard my subconscious telling me to wait and listen for Him. I heard nothing. So I impatiently went to Mary. Nothing. St. Joseph? Nothing. Well here I am, asking, wretched, pleading. I've laid it all at your feet Lord. It's time for me to go. I picked up my purse and began walking towards the door. He pulled me back. I shook my head and looked at the tabernacle, "No, you're just going to make me cry and I don't need that". So I walked closer to the door, and He pulled my heart more. "What do you want? I'm here and I can't hear you so I don't know what more you want. Why won't you just let me go?"

  Then He answered, "Just sit still. I love you". "I know" I said. "You say that all the time". He said, "No, I really love you. You are so incredibly beautiful, you are my creation", as makeup running tears ran down my cheeks and rainy weather frizzy hair popped out of my veil. He described it in words that I cannot explain but that made perfect sense. He spoke right to my heart. Quite literally. I knew it was Him. Not a made up- self encouraging- voice to pick up and move along. It was the only voice I knew could keep me going. The reason I have to strive for perfection. The reason I fail time and time again only to pick myself up and move onward.

    As we reflect on this Lenten season, let us remember the reason for the season. Our Lord, our Great Almighty, The One and Only, King of Kings, Yaweh, Our Savior Jesus Christ, died for us on a cross. The most humiliating death that He did not deserve. He did it for us. He humbled Himself for us, on this lowly earth, to show us how much we are worth, how much He loves us.

   So this Lent, let us stop looking in the mirror and comparing ourselves to the latest magazine cover in the checkout line. Rather, let us look in the mirror and see who He has created us to be. Let us look at all He has given us and ask Him how we can give it back to Him. How can we tha nk Him? How can we stop degrading ourselves and start realizing how involved He is in our lives?

You are worth more than you can fathom.

Until next Monday!
~Mina

Happy Valentine's Ash Wednesday!

Valentine's day and Ash Wednesday?!

At first when I looked on my calendar to see what day Ash Wednesday fell on, I immediately laughed as I realized what day is was.

To all my single girl friends out there, we all know how much we already dread Valentine's day. The constant reminder in the store from months before of how you are alone is hard enough as culture pushes us to feel like we can only be happy with someone to fulfill us.

But as I counted down the days to the day I despise, I found myself looking forward more and more to this day!

It's Ash Wednesday, the day so many people flock to church even though they may not go every Sunday. I'ts the day we remember we are from dust and to dust we shall return. The day we reflect on Who we rely on most, that we would be nothing without Him. The day we fast to clarify our thoughts and hearts to remember to say no to self and listen to God.

So how fitting that this day to remember how dependent we are on the one who loves us more perfectly than anyone ever could, fell on the same day that we express love to the one dearest to us. Instead of buying chocolate and thinking about how much we are loved, we get to say no to ourselves and express to Him how much we love Him.

He is always reminding us how much He loves us, whether we listen or not. So this Lent let us focus on how we can show our love for Him. What can we do in our lives to repay Him for all He's given us?