How To Stretch Your Ears
a little intro video on stretching your ears!
How To Stretch Your Ears
just me giving you a little introductory video on the best ways to stretch your ears!
In the Mind of Ky
all things that go on backstage in my life...
Abercrombie and Fitch Drama
I have to say this:
I am so tired of all of this Abercrombie and Fitch drama. People are acting like store discrimination is new news, as if Abercrombie is the first store in history to target a specific demographic. I see both sides of this issue.
In my…
Be Aware of Your Words and Your Silence
Become more aware of words and silence.
This has many parts to it, but bear with me, because this is such an important step. In order to actually create change in your life, you need to become more aware of what you put out into the world, especially when it comes to the words that come out of your mouth. Words hold a great deal of fire, and can be more powerful than anything, and as humans we tend to throw them around without ever giving a second thought to the damage that these words could potentially cause.
Words can be used as weapons. They can dig into a person and eat away at their core. They can break trusts and ruin loves. When you agree to do something and you fail to live up to your words, then you have broken someone’s trust in you. When you lie to someone, you lose credibility. I should know, I used to be the biggest fibber in the world. I had no problem dropping white lies to avoid discussions and creating stories to get myself out of trouble. I would agree to meet up with friends and create excuses to skip out on it. I would nod mindlessly when someone asked me about an obscure band or song that I didn’t know. The lies I told weren’t even important to me. Half the time, I didn’t even realize that I was lying. A story would just form and spill out of my mouth, automatically. I became an automatic liar, and my lies were ridiculous and pointless. I could care less if I know the random indie band you are talking about. If I know I’m not going to be able to keep a social appointment, then why do I automatically agree to be there? What is with all of these false words that fly out of my mouth?
A month ago I was in a very scary car accident. Nobody was hurt, but they very seriously could have been. It put a lot of things in perspective for me. I began to realize that there were many aspects of my life that seemed ugly to me, and I didn’t want to have anything to do with them anymore, including lying. I became more aware of every word that comes out of my mouth.
I know that being honest can be extremely uncomfortable. It can be hard to open up to people and tell them what you need. Instead of making excuses to avoid hanging out with the “friends” you don’t really like spending time with, be honest and tell them that you are working though some things in your life right now, and you will reach out to them when things in your life calm down. If they back off and give you the space to breathe and re-organize your life, then respect that and let them know you appreciate their understanding. If they continue to hound you and push you to dedicate your precious time to spend with them, then they become a source of stress in your life and you need to make it clear that they are being intrusive. Be polite, but make it very clear that they are making you feel stressed, and you need to take a break. It may seem “rude” or “impolite” to be open and honest like that, but it is also rude for people to assume that they are entitled to monopolize your free time. Nip it in the bud.
When you say you’ve seen a movie, or done something, or heard a band that you actually haven’t, it may not be a big lie but you still set yourself up to look foolish. What if they ask you about your favorite part of that movie or song? What if they want details about the amazing/crazy/unbelievable situation that you’ve been bragging about? When you get caught in a pathetic lie, it makes you look pathetic as well. Honesty could help you avoid this humiliating situation.
Sometimes, the best thing to do is to stay silent. People who don’t speak up or respond right away are often perceived as odd or “slow”. Maybe these people are just wise. When you pause to contemplate the impact of the words that you are about to speak, you can avoid unintentional insults, more lies, and stupid misunderstanding. Being able to keep your mouth shut should be considered the ultimate virtue.
Silence does not always need to be filled with mindless chatter. We’ve all spent time with those special people that seem incapable of shutting up. It is miserable to be around those people, and you dread seeing their name pop up on your caller ID. It is hard having constant, pointless noise surrounding you, and the chaos of noise can cause stress to accumulate faster than you ever thought possible.
Try appreciating silence. Make it your goal this week to learn to value silence, and be grateful for every moment of peace and quiet that you experience. Create silence in your life. When you remove the pressure of feeling like you constantly have to fill every moment with conversation, you will literally feel a huge weight roll off of your shoulders.
I challenge you to start being more aware of what you say and the lies you tell, and to try and go as long as you can without filling the silence with mindless words or automatic “small talk”. Trust me, you will be amazed by what you discover about yourself when you actually pay attention to the things you do or do not say.
Be Aware of Your Words and Your Silence
Become more aware of words and silence.
This has many parts to it, but bear with me, because this is such an important step. In order to actually create change in your life, you need to become more aware of what you put out into the world, especially when…
The Beauty of Nature
How did everybody do on their quest to appreciate the beauty of nature this past week (and a half)? If you didn’t do so well, or forgot about it, then go ahead and spend another week focusing on it. Spend as long as you need until it has become part of…
Frances Bean Cobain.
I don’t condone smoking….but she is too beautiful not to reblog this
Week 1: Appreciate (Nature)
Did you know that we spend about 90% of our time under artificial lighting? I was shocked when I learned this. Humans used to spend all of their time outside, and now we rarely let the sun hit our face. Half of us probably haven’t breathed fresh air in…
100 Days to Freedom
So, I’m tired of confusing cycles and evil patterns that seem to tear me down. I fall into the traps of obligation and expectation, and as of 5 minutes ago, I decided to end it once and for all. I am guilty of only half-heartedly embracing my personal…
because i realized my butt needs work.
My Flat/Bulky Issue
Somebody, please tell me that I am not alone! I have this issue that’s been present since I lost weight last year: my bubble butt seems to have lost a great deal of helium. My once “juicy” booty (a title given to me by the creepy stranger in my senior…
Where Do You Go Wrong?
check out my new post for tips on how to find out why you aren’t losing weight.
Are You Drowning in Life?
Have you ever felt that you are being completely smothered by your life? Like you have slipped under the current and now you can’t catch your footing? Like you just can’t seem to catch a break?
Well trust me, I know exactly how you feel. In fact, it seems…
Want to slim down? Team up!: Workouts: Self.com
Check out the stars of Dollhouse throwing some hot workout tips your way!
How am I Showering my April?
We’ve all heard that beat-to-death saying “April showers bring May flowers”, well, I am actually going to put that pointless one-liner to good use. I am going to use this April to set up the foundation for the rest of my amazing year. I will use the month of April to “shower” every corner of my house, car, storage spaces, and if I had them, my office and garage. I will clean out all of the clutter, chaos, mess, and garbage from my life in order to create enough space to live and grow.
I don’t know if any of you have ever owned a snake or a lizard, but I have, and one of the first things that you learn is that a snake or lizard will only grow as large as their habitat will allow. Unless you get them a bigger cage, they won’t grow. When you don’t have enough space in your life to grow, then you simply don’t grow. You are at a frozen stand-still. Your life is on pause, and when you do that, you stop living, and when you stop living then you die. Nobody wants to be dead, but how many people around you right now look like zombies? I see at least five other students in my class either drooling on themselves or sleeping. As you can tell, I prefer to blog during my lectures. Well, I guess some people may enjoy being a member of the walking dead, but not me. I can’t even stand the show! (I find it painfully predictable). It’s time to open your eyes, clean yourself up, and start creating enough space in your life to actually live.
This is the best way to start: buy a journal or notebook, and a planner or large calendar. Sit down with your journal and make a list of every room in your house and all of the things that you need to do to get that room clean. Start with the back of your house and move toward the front, like you are pushing all of the trash and crap out of your home. Now make combine that list with your calendar for the month of April. Break it up however you’d like, one day a week or a couple hours twice a week, whatever you want. Plan it out so that it is possible, and so that it works with your schedule.
Now you have an action plan for the entire month!!! Look how ahead-of-schedule you are! Good job! Make sure you get all of the cleaning supplies that you need, but since you have already made a list of all the things you do, figuring out what supplies you need should be a piece of cake! Make it happen! Donate or sell the clothes you don’t wear anymore (and be honest with yourself), and try on everything and get rid of the things that do not fit you. Put any unseasonal clothing items into storage bins and store them in your storage space (which should be on your cleaning list too!). Donate or sell any books that you have already read and don’t really need to keep, or the books that have made their way into your house that you know you won’t ever read. Get rid of the appliances that clutter your home. Do you really need a microwave (WHICH NOBODY SHOULD EVER HAVE!), a toaster, a toaster oven, and an oven? Can’t the oven basically take care of everything that the other appliances are needed for? Do you need a coffee maker, French press, espresso machine, and a cappuccino maker? No, you need the number of an addiction specialist (*ahem* Mom). Be serious about how many pairs of shoes you need, and consider transferring all of your DVDs to a large CD case, and throwing out the empty cases, or storing them if you can’t part with them. This will save you a great deal of space in your living or entertainment room. Do you really need to have a 4:1 ratio of coffee mugs to people in your house? Do whatever you can to free your life of clutter, even if it’s a bit difficult at first. Trust me, it is such a liberating process that you’ll never miss anything you get rid of!
