Weekly inspirations Week 2: The best days

   When I saw this quote today, after everything I've lived in the past couple of months, I just I had to share it with you. 

   Look, I know life's complicated and complex and it's tough to get out of some crazy life situations that we find ourselves in, but most times we control our own life. Even if we can't change the circumstances, we can still control our reaction and interpretation of everything that is happening to us. Oh, I know you might say I'm channeling my inner psychologist too much, but it's true! Every little word. And guess what? Exactly in those times when you're worried about your future, when you have to step out of your comfort zone and you have no idea where life will take you, that's when you need to stay positive and tell yourself "The best is yet to come"! 

   So many things have changed in my life lately and I am experiencing so many new things that scared me at first but which I now LOVE that I just couldn't be happier. Sure, change might be tough, but don't let it bring you down! You're stronger than you think you are, my dear! So much stronger! :) And remember, the BEST is yet to come!

365 days project 2. Day 83. Life

   Life would be too simple if it was like in this picture every day: flowers and hot cocoa, sun and laughs all day. So just to mess with us a little and make the story more entertaining, the unpredictable happens. The ugly unpredictable.

   Today I was upset when I found out life also gives me lemons and rain and stuff breaking and money to be paid when you didn't plan for it. And it frustrates me when things don't go all nice and smooth because I'm used to the good days. But I had to learn that life is also made of bad days and bad stuff happening. And I have to accept them all whether I want it or not. Accepting life in its entirety: with ups and DOWNS, a lesson that I still have to learn and master. That and patience. Oh well... 

365 days project 2. Day 81. Hang in there

   How many times did you hear it? 'Hang in there!' from friends, parents, brothers or sisters, coworkers, doctors and everybody else. It seems easy to say and hard to do, huh? But you also said it yourself to the people around you. And you know why? Because in the end, that's what helps you move on in life, surpass all the tough times and become wiser: hanging in there.

   'How can I hang in there when life keeps throwing lemons at me?' you probably ask me. Good question. Well, you see, everybody has a sparkle inside them. Something that keeps them moving. Some hidden light that makes you climb even the highest mountains and not give up even when the weather is really, really bad. So all you have to do is look inside and find that light. Ask yourself: what helped me get over the worst times of my life? And that is the magic answer:) My answer? Faith. My husband. My family. My best friends. The passion for my job. Knowing that everything happens for a reason and that it's all temporary, a lesson I have to learn. 

   So don't worry. Even if the storm is loud and scary, hang in there and know that tomorrow the sun will shine again! :) I promise it will!

365 days project 2. Day 79. Life is like soup

   Life is like soup. You might not always have the finest ingredients to make the most delicious soup on the planet, but as long as you can make a good base (out of carrots, onion and celery), I guarantee you'll be happy with that soup! 

   Similarly, if your basic needs are covered in life, you'll always be happy. And I'm not talking about food, drink and sleep. Sounds easy? It is! Just think about it. What are the most important things you want in your life? While you might choose family, love and a decent job to be happy, others need thrill, adventure and friendship. And we can all be happy in this beautiful world if we fulfill those basic needs. 

   I know, it still sounds too easy. Family can involve arguments and grudges, love is hard to find and jobs... well, you gotta work a lot to reach your biggest dream. I agree, but what's stopping you from putting everything in order? YOU! If your family doesn't agree with the way you act or with your choices, choose not to let that affect you. If love is hard to find, does that mean you have to stop believing in it? It will come to you when you are ready for it. And if your dream job seems far away, why not start small and then slowly go up? 

   Believe me. Life is like soup. And soups might seem hard to make, but if you put a bit of effort, you'll surprise yourself. You can do more than you think you can. Don't wait for tomorrow to have a happy life! Start today! :)

365 days project 2. Day 78. The simple joys

  Some days nothing too special happens. No miracles, no wake-up realizations, no special discoveries, no big events. And that's good. Because if life would be a neverending up or down rollercoaster, when would we have time to get used to something? 

   Some days good quality time spent with your family, watching a movie, trying out new food and laughing while running in the rain and eating ice cream is all you need to keep you optimistic. And when you see a car like the one in the picture you know you're on the good path :)

365 days project 2. Day 72. Beautiful encounters

  I love those days when beautiful encounters happen when you expect them the least. I get so inspired by meeting creative, sunny, wonderful people! They make me believe that the world is still a good place to live in. And today was one of those amazing days :) I had my first henna tattoo made and the decision definitely brought sun in my life: literally and figuratively :)

  As I was thinking about the beautiful encounters and how happy a simple henna tattoo can make you feel, tonight I had this revelation: our life is a real hourglass and the sand in it is moving fast. We're all going to die at some point even if we don't like to think about it. The conclusion? Do whatever you can to make sure you would pass away at peace with yourself and with the idea of dying. When you feel you want something so bad but "you shouldn't", that's when you should go for it! This doesn't involve buying a fifth pair of shoes though :))

   Let today be a day of reflection for you too. If a henna tattoo makes you happy, go for it! Do whatever will make you happy. Life is short and it's definitely worth living! :)

365 days project 2. Day 71. Glasses

   Today I went out in the middle of the nature for a bit and I enjoyed it so much I wished I could have taken it with me - the whole atmosphere, the sounds and the smell and the visual soothing images. So then I thought: how cool would it be if we could all have special glasses that we could put on and just "land" in a place like this whenever city life seems too stressful? 

   I know there are some prototypes made to help people overcome psychological disorders, but I'd love to see this produced for the whole population so that we could all use them whenever we can't escape to a secret, quiet, green place. Just imagine how calm you'd get in a matter of minutes if you had those glasses. Hmmm... maybe someday :)

365 days project 2. Day 70. Celebrating

   Do we really need a reason to get together with our friends and have fun? Do we have to find a specific event that calls for celebration? I think not :) Any day is perfect for eating a delicious meal out while we catch up with our dear ones. Life happens so fast lately that we sometimes forget to keep in touch with them. We keep planning to go out but it never happens. Then we wait for their birthday or their wedding or something like that. I hate to tell it to you but friendships aren't the same over Facebook. So go out and have fun! Life's worth celebrating every single day! :) What are you waiting for? 

365 days project 2. Day 66. Take is easy

   This year we want to spend Christmas in Canada and I need a new visa. Pretty easy, right? You gather the papers and you just apply for it. The thing is that when I applied for my first visa last year it took me months to gather the papers and then 8 hours on my birthday to apply for it. So, life just seems like getting more and more complicated whenever I have to solve a problem like this... or more like I tend to complicate my life in such situations. Who said I should apply for a visa on MY birthday? I know, right?

   This year the story repeats itself. I decided I want to apply for the visa now instead of waiting a couple more months in order to avoid the summer holidays. Well, it's enough to tell you that these past 2 weeks have been more stressful for me than planning my own wedding. Today I decided I can't go on like this anymore. Even if I already applied once and everything should be so much easier, something new always shows up and I can't have a lot of question marks and keep being stressed if I don't need to. So I asked for advice and sure enough I was told to wait. What a relief! That's all I needed to hear to be the sunny person everybody knows again.

   My point here is that sometimes we tend to complicate our life so much because we involve a lot of variables that shouldn't be in the equation. We care what other people might say, we plan for the worst, we want to avoid headaches and we march into even bigger issues. In those times we should probably just take a break and ask ourselves if life really is that complicated or we decided to make it so. And if the latter is the answer then we should make a change. And then enjoy a stressfree life again. 

   So, let's take it easy and keep it simple, shall we?

365 days project 2. Day 59. Light it up

   Life is a maze, with problems and solutions at every turn. Some people are very ambitious and they never give up even though they walk through the maze a lot and it gets dizzy at some point. Instead of saying this is too hard for them, they just think of strategies and they test them all until they find the one that works. 

   There are days when the process is so tiring and we fail to see that the answer is right in front of us. Other times we need help from others. But what I learned is that problems always have a solution. 

   Even though occasionally the light at the end of the tunnel is off we should remember that we have matches on us and we could light it ourselves. If that doesn't work there's always plan B: give the matches to somebody who knows how to light it. Pretty easy, huh?

365 days project 2. Day 43. Focus

   Every day has the potential to anger you and to bring you down. It might take you by surprise and you might end up wallowing in that feeling for the longest time. That's when you'll miss the small details that could make your day more beautiful, things like drawings made by kids stuck on your bus's windows.  

   You're powerful so get out of your anger, disappointment, stress or worry. Ask yourself why you are feeling all those emotions. The answer is not in the world surrounding you but deep inside yourself. What are you thinking about? What needs have you got that don't get enough attention? What's wrong? If you ask yourself all these questions you will see the light at the end of the tunnel and you'll be able to get out of the dark sooner :)

   Focus on what makes you smile. Forgive, forget and move on! Life is wonderful! Just look around! :D

365 days project 2. Day 39. Murphy

   In an age of speed and a life significantly simplified by science and evolution, we all find ourselves looking back to remnants of the past, universal truths or adages of old, in hopes they might help us explain the inexplicable, or sometimes, deal with the hand we’re dealt. 

   One such popular epigram is known to the world as Murphy’s Law. Generally stated as “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”, people cling to it in hopes of avoiding thinking about the causes and circumstances of whatever has gone wrong. However, I believe that instead of making it our scapegoat, we ought to learn from it. We ought to learn that thoughts influence actions and outcomes, that just because something’s out of our control and goes wrong, does not mean we have to think, in any circumstance, that things will likely take the same turn. 

   Murphy would definitely not be my friend. He's like that typical grumpy, old neighbour who never loved life, always hated everybody and went through a lot of bad stuff in his adult years that now, when he is retired, he feels entitled to have a certified opinion about life and to give advice accordingly. 

   Sure, life is very frustrating sometimes and it feels like it's throwing fireballs at you that you have to be very skilled in avoiding, but this guy, Murphy, seems like he's shouting angrily "look, a giant, horrible fireball is coming towards me and I hate it" while he's standing in the way of the fireball exactly where he stood 10 seconds ago instead of looking for a viable solution to avoid being hit by the said fireball. Does it help to think like Murphy? Does it help us in any way to rant about the fireballs life throws at you? Why not just take it as it comes and avoid them the best you can, thinking of a solution instead of moping about how difficult that situation is? In the end, that's why we're all given a brain, right?

   Murphy’s Law spares us the task of analyzing ourselves. But without self-analysis, how can we evolve? How can we move on, if we cling to truisms of a time where we still lived in the dark? How can we get to “everything will go well”, if we’re always sticking to “what can go wrong, will go wrong”?

365 days project 2. Day 37. Decisions, decisions

   Life is formed of a series of decisions. Along the years, people will try to influence you one way or another. And at some points it will be so much easier to just ask others to choose for you when you have no idea what to pick. But will you be able to live with THEIR decision? What if you hate the outcome? What if it's disappointing? What if it doesn't make you happy no matter how hard you try? 

   You have to make decisions every day. So take them yourself. You always have the answer inside. Just that sometimes you have to dig deeper to find it. 

   I love making decisions that are food related. And adding new ingredients to a dish that I found online. Sometimes I have a feeling the outcome won't be as pleasing as it looks like, but other times I am pleasantly surprised. Today was one of those days. This stuffed pasta with chicken, broccoli and Alfredo sauce (plus garlic and leek - own version) is SO delicious I have to say I am proud of the result. 

   It's good that we have to make decisions every day. It means we have options. And options are amazing no matter how hard taking a decision feels like :) Do you feel the same?

365 days project 2: Day 14. Happy SUNday

   Every day is a miracle. It brings a new gift that can make your day beautiful. It's right there, in front of you, you just have to reach it and grab it. 

   I had the perfect Sunday, full of sun, new books, smiles, kisses, love, addictive games, new recipes and just laying in the sun and soaking it in. You don't need a lot of things to be happy. Anything will do, really. It's just a matter of opening your heart and accepting the wonder of life unfolding in front of you. 

   Happiness day, first day of spring and everything is in bloom. At last, our spring is here. Less than two months :)

365 days project 2: Day 9. Good day

   When we are kids we see life as an endless field covered in snow: white. In the first years we receive. And receive. And receive. Information, love, attention, gifts. When we start growing up we are taught we have to give back too. Life turns black. So many things we HAVE to give, so many rules to obey, so many people asking things from us. Teenage years. When we become adults we realize life is definitely not just white or black but that it has those "50 shades of grey" in it. We have to go through countless experiences to reach that wise destination, but I am hopeful that most of us do. 

   Now, about that white in there though. I don't want to think that as we grow up we lose our faith in humanity and world in general. We all keep our inner child with us and we are all happy when something good happens to us. And something good happens every day. These are the things that made me happy today:

1. I received an unexpected "just because" gift full of things that I like very much.

2. The kids at the kindergarten liked my activity and they were brave to accomplish a rather difficult task.

3. I had a very deep one-on-one conversation with a 6 year old.

4. I had a very good talk with the principal.

5. I received a very touching praise from a girl's granny.

6. I bought a new bag! Yahoo!

7. I found out that next week I'll start the dancing lessons for the wedding!

8. I caught the bus just in time.

What made YOU happy today? 

365 project 2: Day 6. Mission accomplished

   

   Every now and then I love trying out a new recipe. I buy everything I need, I do a lot of research online to make sure I am ready for what comes and then I start working. Of course that most of the times something happens and I have to redo part of the recipe or adjust it. Today wasn't an exception. I'd more likely call it an adventure! Most people would bake the simplest version of a new recipe and see how it goes. I take a dive and decide to do 3 different types of fillings. At the end of the day, after accomplishing the trials just like in fairytales, the result is pretty outstanding. And this is what makes me go on.

   We might meet obstacles very often in our life, but that doesn't mean we should give up. Let the obstacles teach you the lesson you need in order to grow. Never give up, never surrender, you can do way more than you think you can! Sure, you'll get frustrated in the meantime, but learn to be patient because everything's going to be worth it when you achieve your dream. Today I achieved mine! :)

My second 365 days journey - Day 1. A new beginning

Dear diary,

   There comes a time when you realize life passes you by and the only things you left behind are some photos of meals you cooked and cute stuff you've seen. I'm right there. 

   Compared to all the past years, there's a wedding approaching in 2 months. My wedding. The one I always dreamt of planning and decorating in such a way to make all my dreams come true. I've always been passioned about weddings. I would LOVE to decorate weddings for a living... Mine is on its course. Almost everything's done and my main projects (2 albums I've been working on: one - 30 years of marriage for my parents and the other one - the second year of life for Carl and Aaron) are done as well. I feel I need a new challenge. Something to keep me on my toes. Something to make me open my eyes wide and look around searching for beauty. Something to make me talk to myself more and rediscover myself now, at almost 28 years of age....

   Minutes ago I was watching the wall above my computer. The one with many wonderful photos I took along the years that make me proud to have witnessed such amazing beauty and that I was lucky enough to capture it in pictures. And that's how I realized. I took all those photos long ago. And now I'm going on through life turning into a wife to be. One that is not even ready to have kids. One that desperately needs to find the artist within herself. So here I am. Starting another project. Another 365 days of daily photos and thoughts. And what day could be better chosen than 3 years and a half apart from the first project? :)

                Let's see what changed in all these years... Here's to a brand new journey!

Very excited,

D.

The lessons of a 27 year old

Dear diary,

   Today I turn 27. This is for sure an age I never thought about when I was a child and thought of "when I grow up". It was all vague in my mind but I somehow always saw myself as being 20. Today, however, I keep blooming.

   It's funny how ages and their meaning changed over the past decade. Today, being 27 IS like being 20. Just finished master degree and started working 3 years ago, compared to our parents who would have been married with kids by this age. Either way, I enjoy it so much more consciously now. 

   Every birthday brings a slight change, but this one, I believe, brought the most of them :) Since last year, I moved in with my fiancé! It sounds small, but it's really big actually. This time last year I was involved in a beautiful new relationship, but I surely didn't have a fiancé and I was still living with my parents! So talk about a change, eh? (By the way, dear diary, I say "Eh" a lot now, VERY Canadian of me! Today I'm finally applying for my first tourist visa for Canada, so I say I'm pretty ready to go :D)

   The reason why I actually wanted to write to you and mark this milestone is because I want to remember what I learned until now, in all these years. Maybe it will help me later on :)

   I learned that...

   You need amazing parents in order to become an amazing person and even the most amazing parents can sometimes make parenting mistakes. At the end of the day, they all somehow instill in us their fears as we will instill our fears in our kids. It's inevitable, but still something we can control if we aknowledge it. But what we need most as kids is LOVE, ATTENTION and APPRECIATION. If we believe we are valuable to our parents and they are willing to share their TIME with us, playing, talking about life and learning together, if they show INTEREST, then our childhood is going to be the BEST. With or without a lot of money, toys and whatnot. At the end of the day, Love conquers all. 

   I learned that life brings you friends that come and go and that's okay. But the most important are the ones who stay because they want to and the ones who stay because YOU pick them. Always choose the ones who make you happy and who teach you lessons: lessons of trust, neverending love, forgiveness and honesty. You won't always love your friends to the bits. Sometimes, you won't agree with something they do or say. But still love them, because they need that. And that's what you'll get in return. Because what goes around comes around.

   I learned that if you're giving, you shall receive. The same amount of love, and care, and appreciation. And sometimes it can be overwhelming and you'll wonder if you deserve it, but believe me, YOU DO, because if you were a giver you will also be a receiver :)

   I learned that teenage period is full of unanswered questions and crushes and worry about school and the future, but if you have a supportive family and the right friends around you, everything is going to be OKAY. Yes, you shall cry and miss those unrequited love stories or boyfriends who broke up with you without understanding why. It will stay with you your whole life, but you shouldn't let it get the better of you. Life moves on and you will move on with it.

   I learned that life is not as short as I expected. During my childhood and teenage period I heard about a lot of young people dying. It doesn't mean that's it's SO often that it will happen to You or your loved ones. And even if it does, at some point, be careful that you live fully until then so that when it does happen to you, you can have that "I lived it all, thank you, life" feeling :)

   I learned that life is not always fair. Many times you won't understand things that happen to you, but you somehow need to find the resilience to explain to yourself in your own way what happened and find the strength to go on. And then, in those moments, KNOW that it could ALWAYS be worse and you have dear ones around you to help you move on.

   I learned that we all have beautiful gifts inside us. Our talents. And we should exploit them when the time is right without caring what the others say. If you feel you want to do it, then do it! Show the world what you're good at and try to always improve!

   I learned that people will judge now and then and you won't be liked by everybody and that's okay. As long as you love yourself, everything is going to be okay because THIS is the secret of moving on. You need to find the power to love yourself with all the faults you have. I know you live with yourself 24/7, but try. And always thank for the compliments you receive. Don't turn them around. Believe. In. Yourself!

   I learned that love comes when you least expect. And that you don't have just ONE soulmate on this planet. There are people who match you more or less, but who still have common things with you. They will make you happy, very happy but some shorter periods than others. And the one who matches you the best will make you happy forever and ever :) You will KNOW when you find him so you don't have to stress about not knowing. I believe there's a biological button somewhere in there that tells you the time is right. And you will feel that you were meant to be together.

   I learned that most (if not all) of those cheesy motivational quotes are TRUE and that life is so much more surprising than the movies. 

   I learned that you will want to look back to your life and it's wonderful to have a blog or diaries to read when you do that. So keep writing, keep documenting, keep sharing. Because some things you write can help others and when you hear that you will be the happiest.

   I learned that flowers and kids can lift your spirit on a bad day and that very good food will always inspire you to cook more. 

   I learned that ALL DREAMS come true if you strongly believe in them and if you keep thinking about them. 

   I learned that no matter his shape, there IS a God out there and someone up there ALWAYS loves you. 

   I could write a book, dear diary, and maybe someday I will :) But today I'll stop here and I'll go enjoy my birthday :)

With love and excitement,

D.

  

I need you to need me

Dear diary,

   Life's short. We all know it. Before dying, some people like to leave behind some wise sayings they developed after an eventful life. I'm not there yet, but I found something pretty important already. After deep conversations with some friends and watching a lot of Breaking Bad lately, I realized that what we all really need in life is not money or any kind of earthly possesions but to be needed, appreciated, loved and valued just the way we are, without future alterations. Nobody wants to be borrowed, rented or stolen and then given back, sold or left on a forgotten shelf somewhere. We're not objects. We're human beings. We have a soul and needs. And the most important one is that we all need to be needed. We lose our grounds when somebody makes us feel replaceable, insignificant, not enough. When we don't match the expectations. And that's what breaks us all. Not being enough. 

   It's so easy to fall down and remain there for the rest of our life. So easy to keep finding reasons to not believe in ourselves when we could be looking for reasons to stand up and go on. Our brain is too complicated to comprehend. I gave up trying after I found out evolution plays a huge part of it. 

   Even though, no matter what happens, we'll always try to be a part of something, of someone's life. We're social beings, so don't blame us, it's in our nature. But what should we do when we feel we're not enough? I think we should take our time, as much as we need, licking our wounds in that deep, dark pit and when we're ready, stand up and try to give this weird, complicated maze a meaning. Find something that keeps us alive and a ball of yarn to unfold and play with while we're discovering the meaning of it all. Learn from our past mistakes and never give up even if we feel like doing it. Never stop playing the game even if it feels too hard to solve. We're here to grow wise, not to die mediocre. 

   We can do so much more than we think we can. We're so powerful and yet, we don't know it. Because we're afraid to see our true self. If we just stepped out of the shades and into the sun letting it fill us with its warmth, we'd see life in a whole different light. So why lay in the shades for the rest of our life? Why be afraid when there's so much more to experience out there? And so many reasons to love ourselves in the first place. Because, just like the old saying goes, if you like yourself the others will like you too. And don't we all like to be liked? :)

Hopeful,

D.

Holy(day)

Dear diary,

   Exams finally passed and after 2 months of studying and losing contact to all people around me, everything's back on track: I took the exam I was worried about and I'm still waiting for the results on the other one, but I have a good feeling. 

   So guess what: I'm gonna work in the same kindergarten one more yeaaaar! I'm so happy! I love seeing the kids grow and evolve alongside with me and I can't wait to read them the books I bought for them from Vatra Dornei! 

   Life's good. Really good. And I feel so blessed for having everything I want and need. So many things have changed for the better:) Life's exciting and full of new things! 

   So now I'm gonna catch up with my friends, go out for photos, read wonderful books, watch my TV shows and enjoy the awesome things summer has still prepared for me! It's finally a holiday!

In love with life,

D.