The Friday Five - Take 2

#1

I have a large metal cut out of this quote hanging in my house that I purchased from Magnolia Market. I love this quote because it describes my outlook on life. My fiance, Cory, and I always talk about how so many people these days seem to blame the world for their problems and do not take ownership of their dreams and goals. When I see these words on my wall, it reminds me that if I want something, I have the power to make it happen. I am the designer of my own life, and so far, I am loving my design! ​

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#2

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There are so many different types of creativity, and it is my bet that creative adults are the ones who make changes and solve problems. I believe that I had a very creative and imaginative childhood full of play and make-believe. I developed a good sense of self through this play, and I think about that often as a teacher of young children. I feel that if we constantly tell a kid how and what to think, then they will eventually just be regurgitating our own thoughts, and will lose the ability to develop their own. I see situations all the time where students seem almost fearful to answer a question or write a story because they do not want to be "wrong". If students don't have the confidence to use their imagination at the age of 6, when humility has not fully kicked in, then what will happen when they are an adult and have to face society? I think it is important to celebrate creativity - and that is my rant for the day! :) 

#3

I like this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson because it pretty much echoes the advice that my mother gave to the high-school aged me. At a time when Mom's advice is unwarranted and automatically wrong, because obviously a 16 year old has way more knowledge and world experience than Mom, I actually heard her advice and have remembered it through the years. She told me that if you are with someone because they fill a void that you have, then you will never be able to be truly  happy. You need to be happy with yourself first, before someone else can make you happy. Her advice was to find someone that motivates you and makes you a better person in some way, and I think about that advice often when I look at my fiance. He has made me a more outgoing, confident, and motivated version of  myself, and I am grateful that I feel strong enough to be myself when I am with him!

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#4

Speaking of my fiance, this quote was created by him at the ripe young age of 15, back when we were "just friends" and a little more quirky than we are now. My best friend Kasi and I  would often be called "weird" or "goofy" because for one, Kasi dressed how Kasi wanted to dress, and did not care if others thought her patterns clashed or her hair was too crazy, and as for myself, I used sarcasm as a shield. I was full of dumb jokes and not-so-witty banter. Cory embraced this "weirdness" and would constantly tell us that we were are own version of normal. He would ask "what is normal anyway?" It was a comforting notion, and it made a lot of sense. I think about how true this notion still is as I wonder why so many of us feel judged for who we are and what we like. No one should feel unusual, because ..."You are your own normal"    so be you!

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#5

Everyone has something that they just dread doing. Something that they know will make them better, but that does not sound particularly enjoyable. This quote hits me hard when I think about how I would feel if I lost the ability to do something that I take for granted. I would never want to look back on my life with regret. This quote is like another version of "you never know what you have until it is gone", but it is more personal because, no I do not want to get up and go run, yes I know it would make me a healthier person, but it sounds so boring and painful, but ....what if I couldn't run? What if I did not even HAVE the option....think about that.

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