grateful for love

Friday was my 23rd birthday, & I got the privilege to spend it with some of my favorite people.

I was driving to Becky & Megan's apartment to meet Becky to go out for dinner. She opened the door & a few of my girlfriends were all there. The apartment was all decorated & everyone looked so cute! I was so surprised!! Then, Tranica, one of my most favorite people ever came out of the back room & surprised me! I thought, this night can not get any better! I was with such beautiful ladies whom I love so dearly.
Becky BBQ, we danced, sang, acted silly & ate some good food & snacks. It was a perfect night!
A few hours later, just as the night was winding down, Megan called me into her room to give me a present. (Goo Goo Dolls tickets!!!! yes, SO stoked!!) then, I was walking back into the living room & opened the door, to find my closest guy friends, the boys of the band sleep for sleepers (go check them out, they are amazing). They were all standing there in a line, with presents (haha) & hugs. I was in such shock, that I could barely express how happy I was. SO much went into this evening, & it was so evident. I think that is what I appreciated so much. This last month was so hard to work such long hours (totally not complaining, it is what it is) & I wasn't able to spend much time with my friends, so I was so grateful to be around the people I love the most.
OK, so the neat thing is, everyone was in on it, & for quite some time haha. The boys even went as far as to put a fake show up on their myspace so that I would think they were playing a show in Arizona on my birthday, meaning they couldn't be there. Gosh, so clever! Needless to say, I was shocked, super surprised, & just full of joy. My birthday was definitely the best I have ever had.
The rest of the weekend was a blast too! I just got to spend quality time with such beautiful people, catching up, sharing jokes, & just being so content in eachother's presence.

Thank you SO much for everyone who partook in my birthday celebration.
Becky & Al, I know you both put so, so much work into planning everything - & believe me, it showed.

I love you all so much. I don't know why, but I am so blessed by the family of friends I have surrounding me.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art....
It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
-C.S. Lewis

i'm never close enough to say

If you greatly desire something, have the guts to stake everything on obtaining it.
Brendan Francis

There has been a subtle thought that has been coming up in my mind lately.
This isn't to be a sad, depressed or even a 'woe is me' entry -

On that note - somedays I just wish I had someone to walk life with.

I have beautiful friends, & they are so amazing to listen to me talk about my life, & walk my journey with me. However, I long for the day that I get to share all the little moments with someone special. The things throughout my day, good & bad, the moments I found to be so silly, only They would understand & appreciate that I told Them. I think this is one of the things I miss the most about being in a relationship; there is someone in this world who not only is there to listen to you babble on & on, but they desire nothing more than to hear about your day. It's a beautiful thing to share, & I often desire that.
Until that day comes, I will still enjoy everyday as a gift. Maybe I will just start writing down all the little things in a journal, & then when I have the honor of being Someone's lady friend, I will read Them all of my little silly notes.

Love on, people, love on.

perspective shift

Do not let your fire go out,
spark by irreplaceable spark,
in the hopeless swamps of the approximate,
the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all.
Do not let the hero in your soul perish,
in lonely frustration for the life you deserved,
but have never been able to reach.
Check your road & the nature of your battle.
The world you desired can be won.
It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is y o u r s.

Ayn Rand

I am finding out something about life that I wish I realized years ago. The life I live, & the direction I go in, is all based on my choices. Simple, yet so overlooked.
June 1st marked my first official day at LiNK as a Regional Manager. The last month I have worked more hours than I thought was humanly possible, but I do not regret a minute of it. I thoroughly enjoy my job, & the people I get to share everyday with; who walk alongside each other, sharing the same passion. It's a beautiful experience, & I am so grateful for it. However, with those long hours, & often stressful moments, I've found that it is so important to remain as positive as you can be, surrounding yourself with those who will encourage & uplift you. I am so blessed by those who have surrounded me with prayer, kind words, or even their presence in the last month. I am confident that it was because of those things that I made it through that rough month.

Back to the way we live our lives being a choice...
I have come to this point because I realized, I don't need stress in my life, it isn't a necessary attribute to function properly in life, in fact, it is a miserable component that I do not wish to take on. That goes with negative ambiance, personalities & drama. Working at LiNK has helped me to have this perspective shift. Life is so much bigger than the petty things we focus on. There is so much beauty & joy surrounding us, yet our negativity & pessimism shadow all of those great gifts in life.
I am no longer allowing negative people, ideas, or presence to bring me down, or be a part of my life. Call me brash, but I just feel if I can prevent a negative atmosphere around me, than I should.
I get to choose who I allow in it, & who I desire to share it with.
I am not naive, I understand in life, things happen. Not everything or everyone is perfect & happy - we all have issues, & I am fully okay with that. However, those who spend their days complaining or choosing to view everything negatively, I will choose to not surround myself with them.

Choose your battle. Fight hard, fight on.
Remember that although life consists of pain & trials, there is so much to be grateful for & so much beauty surrounding us.
Focus on those things & I am convinced that your life will begin to look up.

Be blessed