so i’ve been at home…home being phoenix, az…for almost a week now, and i realize that living the simple life has been good. don’t let me be mistaken…i’ve talked before about how i’m very grateful for the things that my educational experiences have afforded me. and when looking at tangible things…i would say that carolina has forced me to not only realize, but to understand that there are MUCH finer things existing outside of my hometown of hillsborough. i’ve met several people who have been very blessed with very nice THINGS…and i have been blessed with very nice things as well.

however, being here has given me such a great appreciation of the simple things…having dinner with my family, helping my sisters study spanish, watching my brother play playstation. because i have been in a different state, i’ve missed out on a lot of these opportunities. i’m glad i’m here now though, playing catch up and enjoying family life before i head off to athens.

so here’s to the simple things in life…dinner with family, short but sweet conversations with friends to catch up, trips to the grocery store…all those experiences that we tend to overlook because we’ve been too caught up in the GETTING FROM life instead of the LIVING OF life. begin every day as if it were on purpose…

some poems that i found and i liked:

Sometimes

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there…to serve some sort of purpose, to teach you a lesson or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. Sometimes you don’t know who these people may be but when you look deep into their eyes, you know that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way…and sometimes things happen to you that may seem painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, will-power or determination.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, moments of true insight & wisdom and moments of sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of one’s soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly-paved, flat road to nowhere; safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can influence who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart to. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to.

Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

Be A Queen

Be a queen. Dare to be different. Be a pioneer. Be a leader. Be the kind of woman who in the face of adversity will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly towards the challenge. Take it on! Be a truth seeker and rule your domain, whatever it is – your home, your office, your family – with a loving heart.Be a queen. Be tender. Continue to give birth to new ideas and rejoice in your womanhood … My prayer is that we will stop wasting time being mundane and mediocre … We are daughters of God – here to teach the world how to love …

It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through, where you come from, who your parents are – nor your social or economic status. None of that matters. What matters is how you choose to love, how you choose to express that love through your work, through your family, through what you give to the world …Be a queen. Own your power and your glory!