2.28.2013

This past weekend: Chicago.

Here's what this past weekend looked like in Chicago, Illinois (my first time!!!)
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This last picture showcases what I'd look like if I was trying to be tough. Do you think I can pull off the 'tough gal' look? 

2.27.2013

A little update


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1. I went to Chicago, Illinois for the first time ever this past weekend and had so much fun...it made it SO hard to get back into the swing of things. Every time I come back from traveling anywhere, it always feels as if it was just a hazy dream. Do you guys ever feel like that?

2. Is it just me or does it feel like the older we get, the faster time flies by? I remember the four years I spent in high school felt like it lasted a lifetime compared to the four years I spent in college...This observation has been my bittersweet reminder to appreciate everything that is going on right now. This moment is the most important.

3. Here are my goals I want to accomplish by the end of this week: a) Post an inspirational interview this Friday for the first of the month, b) Complete a minimum of four workouts, and c) Sketch one drawing to get those creative juices flowing.

It's been a little bit since I last posted an update on here and it feels so nice to do so. But enough about me, what about you? How are those 2013 goals coming along?

Have a great week!

-Cathy 

2.21.2013

3 most Common Excuses that will Smash Your Dream


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My Pinterest board via Wisdom 

See that image above? That's been on my mind lately - - a lot. You see, I talk to a lot of people that like to think/talk about dreams. They even go as far as planning it on paper - - but when it comes to DOING - - man, oh man, the excuses!! From my current observations, many people seem to let these things hold them back from making moves toward a dream aka the life they wished they had:

3 Most Common Obstacles that Smashes Dreams 


1. Lack of time

2. Fear of failure

3. Fear of the unknown/uncertainty

I can't tell you how many times I hear statements like "I want to be an architect someday but don't have the time to go to school" or "I've been dreaming of becoming a doctor for 10+ years but afraid I might fail and end up wasting my time + money" and finally "What if I'm not successful at it? What if I take action on the wrong dream and regret my decision?"

3 Ways to CRUSH those Obstacles (aka Excuses) for Good

1. You don't have time? If it's truly important to you, make the time for it. Time will pass whether you want it to or not - - YOU are the decision maker on how you want to invest in your time. Make your time COUNT!

2. The only true way to fail is if you NEVER try at all. That, to me, is true failure. When you give something a shot and fail, you're not really failing but rather, learning. Get back up, brush yourself off, and continue the learning process. Failure isn't bad. Failing helps you move forward. 

3. Oh, you want to be perfect on the first try? Good luck! There's no such thing as perfection in life so all you can do is fail over and over again until you're better each time. ;)

4. When do we ever have an accurate prediction of the future? The only certainty we have is now...like Right Now. Focus on what you can do today  - - this very minute, this hour because that's the only way you can shape your future. 

5. There's no such thing as impossible. 


Ah, it feels so good to let that all out of my system! If any of my tips or thoughts sound harsh - - I certainly don't mean to be. This is all coming from personal experience as well as my daily observations in life. I want you to know that anything in life is attainable as long as you BELIEVE it first. When your mind is right, your actions and emotions will fall into place in due time. 

What's one thing, a quote/song/activity/book/movie, that helps you get past your fears? Does going after your dreams scare you? I'd love to hear from you! 

-Cathy 

P.S. Thank you for listening and I hope I wasn't too random for you! 

2.17.2013

3 Things I loved about our Valentines' Day

This year's Valentines' Day was very special indeed. Why, you may ask? 3 reasons.
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Because it was our very first Valentine's spent together...in the same country, state, city, and house! Photobucket Reason #2

The special appearances from this whale and owl. PhotobucketReason #3

Out of all of the Die Hard movies...Die Hard 5 was my first one ever on Valentine's day.


Although we spent Valentine's day apart from each other last year.. Photobucket It was still ultra special because of the things we did for each other... Photobucket To show one another how strong our love is. Photobucket
I hope you had a special Valentine's day with your loved ones. What were some of your favorite things about Valentine's day? Do you and your loved ones share a special tradition?

2.14.2013

A Happy Valentines coincidence

Baby girl got me the same card I got her! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday with loves ones!  :-)


2.12.2013

The ultimate secret to being ridiculously successful

Lies in this 5-minute video. I'll be honest with you. I've seen lots of inspirational vids in my lifetime but this one was a life-changer for me. Let's just put it this way - - I'll never take anything as an excuse ever again (with the exception of sickness or death). This video goes to show how anyone can do ANYTHING as long as they never give up

If you're looking for something to motivate you to take action, here it is everyone. It's the golden ticket you've been waiting for. 

2.10.2013

Best Things I Found This Week



Some random things that have been on my mind.


-The Jillian Michaels Podcast rules and makes the 40 minute commute to work sooo much more enjoyable. 

-Scallops are very healthy as they contain a ton of vitamins! 

-Need to get away from non-stick cookware and invest in something more non-cancerous.

-Did you ever hear about the 17 yr old girl who has eaten ONLY chicken nuggets since the age of two?!? Um...seriously? Wtf. 

-Generally speaking, why are women so against one another??

-Thinking about what kind of book I should next...

-Chicago in less than 2 weeks!!

-Valentine's day in less than a week!

Some random but most certainly, the best things I found this week. Enjoy!




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Do you know what the definition of true love is? 
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Interview with the most efficient man alive, Ari Meisel.
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Are you addicted to making lists? Yeah, me too. That's why I love Thoughtbox.
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Dana from the Wonder Forest provides videos on tasks such as how to create a custom header and add a facebook like box on your site!
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2.06.2013

Which celebrity looks cooler at Disneyland?

Johnny Depp posing next to Captain Jack Sparrow at the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland?
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Source: LA Times celeb photos at Disneyland
Or...(Personally, I think this next one takes the cake...easily.)
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Source: LA Times
Nicholas Cage posing alone in front of the Haunted Mansion?

What's your vote?

Although we must have snapped hundreds of photos at our recent Disneyland vacation - - I must admit, none of them came out nearly as intense (hilarious) compared to Mr. Cages' photo. Although it's nothing like the photo above, I still thought our haunted mansion pic came out pretty darn good!
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But, let's rewind a little bit because this photo right here was taken towards the end of our Disneyland day.

It all began like this:
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On our way to pick up Baby Girl from school. Meanwhile, Baby Girl had NO IDEA we had planned a family trip to Disneyland.

Her reaction when we told her:
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Cutest. Thing. Ever.
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Right before we fueled up on yummy breakfast goods at the hotel before taking off to Disneyland! Photobucket
You don't wanna know how much I was able to put down. Let's just say I'm glad we walked around all day and night to burn off those calories!

Our parking spot was far from the entrance. Bus ride time! Photobucket
Cotton Candy. Appropriate for adults at theme parks and places that are predominantly populated with kids.. ;)
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Loved the area near the Haunted Mansion. Looked just like New Orleans!
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Best Disneyland trip ever. Photobucket
Have you ever been to Disneyland or Disneyworld? I've only experienced Disneyland in California but curious how Disneyworld in Florida would be...as well as the Disneyland in France and Japan are like.

Needless to say, we had a blast. Everything about the trip was so memorable - - the rides, the Disney characters, diverse crowds, and euphoria of it all. I can't wait to go again already!

What's your next trip?

2.04.2013

9 of the Most Fascinating Links, Happy Monday!

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Pinterest
I just love Marion Cotillard. Something about her just screams class and chic, right? Remember her when she was Rachel from The Dark Knight Rises? Exceptional.

Can you anyone give me advice on how to run a mile in 10 minutes or less? I came SO close last week (just a 4-5 minutes shy) but felt like my heart was about to explode. If you have accomplished this, then I applaud you with ALL of my might and hope you can share your secrets with me!

Look, I know the weekend is almost over but I couldn't miss out on sharing some of my greatest findings on the web from this past week.

Don't miss out on any of the links below! I certainly hope this weekend has treated you nicely and can't wait to share more posts with you guys this upcoming week!
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Not a huge fan of paper planners or calendars? Get organized online by visiting Altitude Summit's site. A goldmine.

The problem with Men's Health Magazine. An interesting read that made my right eyebrow arch up! 

Does multi-tasking save time or actually counter-productive? Huffington Post has all the answers. 

Seriously, my new favorite blog that I can spend hours on. It's called The Art of Less Doing

The 80/20 Rule from The Art of Less Doing. 

Been finding yourself NOT sticking to exercise plans? Not to fear! Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project Blog suggests asking yourself these 11 KEY questions before starting an exercise routine.

A healthy and beautifully crafted way to spice up your chicken over at the Blog Milk!  

I'm in love with this outfit from the MlovesM blog. 

Last but not least, the definition of True Love from the Elephant Journal blog. 


Enjoy!

2.01.2013

Let's get inspired: Q+A with Savvy.

Have you ever met someone that has inspired you in ways you didn't think possible? Whether it's their charming personality, positive vibes, or solid self-discipline - - (Savvy's got it all), one can't help but share their inspirational stories with everyone else around them! This is an interview with Savvy so get ready to get INSPIRED!
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Can you name a person that has had a tremendous impact on your life? Perhaps a mentor? Why and how did they impact your life?

Luckily I've always found inspiration and learning in every person I've met so far. Every encounter and every rendezvous has taught me something significant and something different about life. But yes there's always that one person who leaves footprints on one's soul, who mentors your mind and heart and who acts as your guiding light. In my life there hasn't been one but two. 

First and foremost is my grandmother whom I call the 'Iron Lady'. She has faced a lot of adversaries in life, much more than most normal people do. But what sets her apart is the unmatched amounts of courage, discipline and determination that she possess. She believes in defying conventional norms and in standing tall no matter what. She's a true epitome of the spirit of humanity and if I could ever be even one per cent of her, I would feel most proud of myself.

Her story is no unusual one. My grandfather left her and their three little children one day to never come back. My grandmother only had elementary education and had no job experience of any kind. But she didn't lose hope and bravely raised her three children without any monetary help from her parents or relatives. She would tailor people's clothes and even tried her hand at other jobs which were considered to be in manly domain. She not only successfully raised her children but also bought a nice home for her little family to live in. Till date, she is the source of courage and encouragement in the family and is respected and loved by everyone. Her biggest mantra in life is 'Hard work never goes unrewarded and always yields good results'.

The other person to have strongly impacted my life is Leo Babauta who writes zenhabits (http://zenhabits.net/). I've only recently started reading his blog but it has already affected me deeply. His words are those of strength and encouragement. Reading his words, I truly feel convinced that I can transform my life into whatever I desire.

You are an amazing writer but you already knew that. What is one piece of advice you could pass along to a fellow aspiring writer?

My only advice to my fellow writers would be that 'Be yourself'. I believe that the best articles are written when they are written with conviction and a peaceful mind that wants to give something to others be it some advice, some piece of information, some sort of knowledge or wise tips. So be yourself, stay true to who you are and write what you deeply feel about or relate to. Also it's highly important that you write something every day even if it's just a single sentence expressing your thought.   

Writer’s block. What do you do when that happens?

I read and observe my surroundings. There surely are times when I feel am out of ideas, when am confused and unable to conceive something to write about. At that moment, I consider two options. Either I relax and read other blogs, articles, stories and books or I simply take a long walk alone and observe my surroundings. Both these activities always trigger threads of thoughts in my mind and I eventually end up writing something great!
4.What is your long-term goal with writing? Paint me a picture.

I want to write great articles for lifestyle magazines. I would probably pen a book as well narrating my transformational journey and helping others with the same, telling them how every dream is as much a reality as we want it to be. Ten years from now, I can see myself sitting in my home office cum library and writing a guest post on 'transformation and subsequent success' for your blog!!!

What are a few resources you can pass along to any aspiring writers reading this interview?

The best resource that I have is my power of visualization and imagination. The more details and emotions you can visualize, the better you write. The second best resource is an online thesaurus dictionary that allows me to share interesting words and expressions with all of my readers. I also use 'Instapaper' to save the articles I like and reflect on them later. The 'write to done' and 'the write practice' blogs are great resources for all aspiring writers. They have wonderful posts that interestingly deal with all nuances of writing.

What’s life in India like? Is there anything about India you would like to share to readers that are from a different country?

India is a diversity and intelligence pool. The rich religious, moral and academic history of India has made Indians not only academically genius but also great and helpful human beings. India is a colorful and a mysterious country that has a lot to offer. However presently a major cultural shift is taking place in India as the modern youth is challenging conventions, hypocrytic rules and morals as well as political domination. We are an economically growing nation trying to break out of set cultural norms. By the way, Indian food is definitely very yummy (and no it's not always super spicy). Bollywood and cricket unite us Indians the most. There's a lot of poverty and illiteracy in the rural parts of the country but there are many individuals and organizations that are creating exemplary success stories of development and innovation even as I write.

Visiting India will leave anyone with overwhelming emotions. The experience will certainly prove to be a unique and memorable one.


Need more SAVVY in your life? Visit her positive blog over here at Life Palettes
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