Stress Factor
We are living in a crazy world. A world that we don’t feel comfortable in. From mass shootings that affect everyone to personal stress that affects you as an individual. We need to start being there for one another regularly. Remember to check in with a friend who just moved, a friend who's been quiet lately, a friend who seems to have it all together, and above all yourself. There is nothing we can do to prevent life from happening but we shouldn't continue to wonder when your next vacation is so you can get away. Try to set up a life that you don’t need to escape from. Find a hobby. Get your mind off things. I am going to continue to reference this insert from previous posts as long as it continues to help people keep their heads up.
When you wake up every morning, you have two choices: Sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Sometimes it feels that life is working against your favor. If you think about it, will always win after death. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. However, no matter how hard it gets, you must always tell yourself that making it is inevitable. You become stronger because you have to be. You become smarter because you make mistakes. You become happier because of the sadness you encounter. In the end, you become wiser because of what you learned. You don’t always need advice. Sometimes you really need a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a heart to understand. You have a solid support system. Your support system is there. Use it!
In this world, there is always going to be some type of fire under your ass. Whether it is a fire that is going to motivate or a fire that is going to burn, never forget that life goes on. You either chose to move on and risk it all or live in the past… thinking what could have been. Don’t waste time looking back at what was lost! It was lost for a reason! Life is not meant to be traveled backwards. Dori keeps swimming. Dori is smart. Be like Dori.
Let me give you a different perspective. Now read the quote again before you continue. However, replace the word ‘you’ with ‘I’ and the word ‘your’ with ‘my’ in every instance.
The picture you see above was submitted for a Shot on iPhone contest. Let me give you a little bit of what was thinking about when I took that photo. I was about 45 minutes early for my shift because I couldn’t sleep. Like every other person in the world, I had a lot on my mind. I was looking at the water fountains in the mall and was fascinated by how the water never had the same consistency. After taking 300 shots while hovering 3 inches over one of the fountains, I sat in silence so I can hear the water fall on the pebbles. It was soothing if you ask me. All I thought about was the quote from Bruce Lee. “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. If you put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or creep or drip or crash. Be like water my friend”. I hovered 3 inches above one of the smaller fountains and took almost 300 photos before I found one I liked. If you look closely at the image, it looks like the water is pointing up. Subtle things like that get looking at life from a different perspective. As if it was a message from the universe saying things can only go up from here.
Kind of similar to cloud gazing. Remember when you were a kid and would look up at the skies to watch the clouds go by? Laying down on the grass without a care in the world. It’s fun and relaxing. It can be a great way to zone out, unwind, still your mind, and do nothing. Besides being fun, cloud watching offers plenty of health benefits. It can help improve and boost your mood. Cloud gazing can bring you some peace of mind. It's the perfect activity to distract you from a screen-dominated world. Figuring out what clouds look like is a fine way to use your imagination and exercise your creativity and can definitely offer you a new perspective on things. If you're into meditation, cloud gazing can be a fantastic way to get zen. Free yourself from all your thoughts and worries and let your subconscious mind take over. Something as simple as cloud gazing can make the biggest difference in your day. The image below was taken at the end of my day. At first, I had a ‘thank god today is over’ mentality. Once I got outside and looked up at the clouds, I was simply turning the page. On to Portillo’s I went to enjoy a piece of chocolate cake. Cue the cheesy inspirational music! Also known as Careless Whisper by George Michael. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, add me on snapchat. You will learn fairly quickly.
