As I begin to tackle this new year I am going to set three resolutions for myself of things that I will achieve this year. I am a very confident, dedicated and determined individual and I believe that I can conquer anything and everything that I dedicate myself to. In the year of 2020 I was faced with a numerous amount of obstacles that challenged my strength and my perseverance. Despite the difficulties that I encountered last year I will not allow myself to be set back this year as I will continue to look forward rather than looking backwards. In spite of this it is important for me to reflect on the choices and decisions that I have made and use it as inspiration to better myself. When I participate in reflective practices I establish a foundation for myself which allows me to heal, learn and grow from my past. With that being said, going into the new year with a fresh start will help me achieve the goals that I have set for myself this year. The three goals that I have set for myself this year are: “to improve my mental health”, “to start and build my eyelash business” and “to live a healthier lifestyle”. By setting these goals I am giving myself long term vision and short term motivation. Vision is essential for my long term progress as it is demonstrating the results in which I am looking to obtain in the future. On the other hand motivation is needed to align my sense of focusedness which will pave the way for my upcoming successes as I make my way to achieve my goals. The very first goal that I have set for myself to accomplish this year is to improve my mental health. Mental health is the psychological, emotional and social well being of an individual. Mental health affects my personal life in various ways depending on the quality of my mental state which will impact the ways I think, feel and act. Due to the coronavirus disease pandemic I have been in my house since school first closed in March of 2020. Being in my house at such a frequent rate had various negative effects on my mental health as this was something I was not used to doing prior to this epidemic. As a result, throughout the year of 2020 I experienced many days of hypersomnia (oversleeping) and I often felt anxious as I worried about my family members who were working as front line workers. It is now 2021 and I am determined to improve my mental health. To achieve this I will dedicate a significant amount of time each day to complete tasks that bring me happiness, joy and relief. This can be done through daily affirmations, meditation, digital detoxing and many more things. It is important that I stay consistent with these daily tasks as it will improve the overall well being of my mental health. The second goal that I have set for myself this year is to start up and build my eyelash business. Starting my own business has been a goal of mine that I wanted to pursue for many years now. I have always been interested in various things pertaining to the beauty industry and I have always enjoyed making people feel more confident within themselves. Even though fear held me back last year and prevented me from starting my business I have grown to realize that I am far too passionate to be held back once again this year. I am much more confident now and I am ready to take on, face and overcome any challenges that are thrown my way. I will create social, financial and personal small term business goals for myself that are realistic and will help to build and grow my eyelash business moving forward. The third goal that I have set for myself for this year is to live a healthier lifestyle. I am at that point in my life where the decisions I am making now surrounding food and nutrition will affect my health in the future. It is very important that I set a routine for myself so that I am encouraged to stay consistent within my plans of making this goal achievable. The first step that I am going to take towards living a healthier lifestyle is to consume healthier foods. Taking in a diet that is low in fat and high in proteins is essential for my health as it protects me against chronic noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and/or cancer. The second step that will bring me closer towards living a healthier lifestyle is meal planning. Meal planning is the practice of pre planning and organizing your foods for the upcoming days, weeks or months. Planning my foods ahead of time will allow me to: determine how balanced each meal will be (nutritionally), determine the portion sizes for each of my food items and ensure that I am intaking the right amount of calories. The last step I will take towards living a healthier lifestyle is incorporating exercise into my daily life. Exercising for a short period of time each day will help me to manage and maintain a healthy weight which is important for my overall health. In conclusion, during the year of 2020 I experienced many internal and external conflicts which challenged my strength and perseverance. As a result of this I was set back by the many things that I wanted to accomplish. Moving forward as it is now 2021 I will accomplish the three goals that I have set for myself. Which are: “to improve my mental health”, “to start and build my eyelash business” and “to live a healthier lifestyle.” With the level of confidence, dedication and determination that I possess I am positive that I will attain these goals.
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How One Good Deed Changed My Life...
A good deed is an act or a gesture that is fulfilled by an individual or a collective. What makes a good deed so virtuous is the intent that an individual(s) possesses which will lead them to accomplish a particular action or a particular gesture onto someone else. No good deed can be viewed as “too small of an act” because every “act of service” can impact and go a long way for others. Good deeds come in many different forms, from many different people and can occur at any given time. Good deeds can also vary anywhere from holding the door open for a stranger to donating blood or to even donating an organ of yours. Since we are only aware of what goes on in our individual lives we are often blinded to the many struggles and challenges that are experienced by the people around us. This is one out of the many reasons why I personally feel that it is important to help others in ways that we are able to. Not only does this promote a sense of unity between individuals, communities and societies. But when our actions reflect altruistic behaviours our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health enhances which consequently improves our well being. Committing to and fulfilling a profuse amount of deeds that can benefit others generates a social system, which is founded from the kind actions that are accomplished by one or more people where generosity and gratitude are both present. This is similar to “Pay It Forward” which is a famous movement. “Pay it forward” was created in 2007 by “Catherine Ryan Hyde” who is a famous author. However Blake Beattie who was inspired by “Catherine Ryan Hyde” created “Pay It Forward Day” which is celebrated each year on April 28th. “Pay It Forward Day” inspires individuals worldwide to join this movement and to “Pay It Forward” for someone in their community. This can be anyone that is in your community or someone you encounter that you may feel is in need of and/or deserves some extra kindness in their life. Even though april 28th is the official day for this movement there are three hundred and sixty four days aside from that one so you should not limit yourself to spreading kindness solely on that particular day. To put it into perspective “Pay It Forward” can be described as a “ripple effect” where kindness is being spread and good deeds are being committed among many different individuals. Instead of directly paying back the person who helped you it is suggested that you “pay it forward” so you fulfill a good deed forward onto a new person. This creates a domino-like effect where each person that is impacted by this movement Pays it forward”. This can influence others to participate in it which in the fullness of time can stimulate and create a chain reaction. “Pay It Forward” is very inspirational as this movement is surrounded by feelings of compassion, generosity and joy. The impact this movement has is very large globally and it draws us closer to one another by making us feel a sense of belonging and by allowing us to feel cared for by one another. This is significant since the people who have been on the receiving end of the “Pay It Forward” movement are able to share their personal experiences with the people around them and spread awareness of this movement. Seeing as it is currently 2021 and technology is at its all time high individuals have a wide range of resources which allow them to: connect with others, share their stories and to hear about the interactions other people have experienced regarding this movement. These resources include but are not limited to the following social media platforms like: Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Blog Websites, TikTok, Twitter and many more. In addition to this, the very first time I had ever heard of this movement was seven years ago in 2014 when I was just ten years of age. My mother and I were on a road trip when we decided to stop at Tim Hortons for some food. As my mother was approaching the window to pay for her food purchase she had realized that she had forgotten her debit card. For this reason my mom was going to cancel our food order when she approached the window. After my mother told the Tim Horton’s worker that she had to cancel the order due to insufficient funds she was quickly reassured as the worker told my mother that our order was covered. My mother and I were confused about how this could even be possible as my mother did not have her debit card on her at that time. The worker at Tim Horton’s told us that the driver in front of us had paid for our order and told us to “Pay It Forward” onto someone else. My mother thanked the worker at Tim Hortons then she proceeded to catch up to the car that had paid for our order. After what seemed to be a 15 minute parked car conversation my mother and I were educated on this movement from the family that had previously helped us and this encouraged me to make a difference in the lives of others in any way that I could. Not too long after, my mother and I decided that each year we would store all clothes of mine that were still in good condition that I could no longer fit in and we would ship these clothes to less fortunate individuals in Jamaica along with items and toys. We have done this each year since 2014 up until now and we do not plan on stopping anytime soon. I am forever grateful for the family that helped my mother and I out that one day in 2014 as it changed my life for the better. I can only hope that the clothes that I give each year will do the same for those who need it. We are deserving of everything good this world has to offer and if I can assist in bettering the lives of others I will without hesitating.
By Shadaé Brown3 years ago in Motivation
you are loved
In the quiet, somber corners of a small town, there existed a child whose arrival was marked not by joyous anticipation, but by the heavy burden of unwanted. From the moment he drew his first breath, he was greeted not with tender embraces and loving whispers, but with a silence that spoke volumes—a silence pregnant with the weight of unspoken regret and unfulfilled dreams.
By Deborah IRAKOZE a day ago in Motivation
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