Intentions

Have any of you ever read Jess Lively's blog?  If you haven't, you should definitely check it out.  And if you have then you probably know all about her Design Your Life Series, which I am all over the place in love with.  The series is a collection of features in which bloggers list the intentions they have for their lives.  It's fascinating to see what drives fellow bloggers, what inspires them and what their personal goals are.  These are the intentions I currently have for my own life.

I've come to realize that when I focus on the things that I have to be thankful for instead of the things that are lacking in my life, I end up receiving more things to be thankful for in the end.  So when I'm feeling stressed or just need to brighten my day a bit, I will make a mental list of the things I am thankful for.  The length shocks me every time.

I've always been a dreamer.  I constantly have these larger than life ideas and goals and have since I was a little kid.  I think it's important to dream and to believe in yourself.  If you can't visualize your dreams coming true, how are they ever going to happen?

When I am working out regularly, drinking tons of water, eating well and getting enough sleep, I am about a million times happier and feel a million times better than when I'm not consciously focusing on my health.  Being healthy is a constant work in progress but for me personally, making the effort to focus on my health is definitely worth it.

Traveling to new places has always been high on my list of priorities.  My family didn't travel very often when I was growing up so I've always found my own opportunities to travel.  There is so much to learn and to experience beyond my own city.  And I feel like I would be doing a disservice to myself if I didn't try to learn about other cultures and places.

I think it's so important to make an effort to be kind to others and to spread positivity.  If I'm having a bad day or if I'm running late or am in a stressful situation I'm still going to put in the effort to be kind to others.  It's not anyone else's fault that my day isn't going perfectly.  Being kind not only benefits those around me but it benefits me as well.  And I can definitely attest to the fact that you do not have to be ruthless to get ahead in life.