My Happiness Project: September Ending

Dear you,

Now that September is over I have to talk about how my month of resolutions went!

Find job

I did this! I officially have a job. However it is a job that requires a bit of aggression and that's definitely not who I am so I might try and find a place that's looking for mild tempered people. If it doesn't make you happy, leave it behind :)

Inspire Someone

I don't think I've been able to do this. I definitely want to but I think I'm still stuck on how. I'm going to start performing my songs so maybe I'll find my dream in performance. 

Care Less About What Others Think

I think this will be a lifelong struggle but I have noticed a difference in my state of mind. When someone asks if I'm going to college (like they always do) I gladly tell them I chose to focus on songwriting. And I love it, I love it so very much. 

Make New Friends

I haven't successfully accomplished this, I work at a place that doesn't exactly allow people to talk. Hopefully next month, because what is life without hope?

Contact Old Friends

I have done this and it makes me very happy to hear how everyone's doing even if their life is quite different from mine. I love knowing how everyone's doing at college and life and hearing from them makes my day. 

Work on Social Media

I've been tweeting more!!! Has anyone seen? I consciously think, 'I haven't tweeted today, I need to do it', I'm getting better I swear and if you want to feel free to go click all my social media buttons in the upper right corner, they're so cute and nice :)

Especially my Youtube, which you can click, right there and here 

Overall, my month hasn't been perfect and I didn't accomplish all that I hoped I would but I did some things and that definitely matters. I have had a slight increase in happiness but I don't think I'm just there yet. 

How was your month? Leave me a comment below, I'd love to talk!

Have an Amazing Day!

Mia B

If you wanted to be really awesome you could check out my New Youtube Video :)

September Favorites

Dear You,

I can't believe it's the end of the month already! I know I say that every month and I will continue to say it until time seems to slow down again. 

Red Album by Taylor Swift

Yes, I know this wonderful album came out 2 years ago however her new album is about to come out so I have been reminiscing over the end of a great era. My favorite songs would have to be All Too Well and the acoustic version of State of Grace.

Hozier's Album Preview

So it hasn't come out yet but even the 5 songs that have been released are so amazing and perfect I've listened to them far too many times. I actually discovered him through Taylor Swift and Lily Aldridge's tweets about him. The album comes out October 7th and I could not be more excited

Give Me Love (cover) by Demi Lovato

She covered this already amazing song last year on a radio show and I haven't stopped listening to it since I found it earlier this month. She transcribed it into a nice, higher key and added some runs in the end that broke my throat, yes, broke it.

Arrow TV Series

As per my usual, I watched an entire series this month but it was so good I couldn't stop! I love the way they modernized this DC comic series into a very interesting show. I would highly recommend it, it has a great mix of romance, heroism, danger, and "Lost on an island" flashbacks. I'm awaiting the day the next series appears on Netflix.

Rasinettes

I have a problem ok?! I've been working quite a bit and I just really like chocolate and fruit so I've got a slight addiction to this wonderful candy and everyone thinks I'm insane but they are amazing.

Panera Bread's Squash Ravioli

This came out with the rest of their fall foods and I'm pretty sure one of the cashiers has started to recognize me because I cannot stop going back for more. This with a half caesar salad is just the perfect dinner for me in every way :)

I actually found a Healthy Choice version of this as well, I may have (quietly) screamed in the middle of Ralph's... I'm so cool

Anyways, how was your month? Leave me a comment below

Have a Wonderful Day!
Mia B

If you wanted to be really awesome you could check out my New Youtube Video :)

Quote - Gender Equality

Dear You,

In light of Emma Watson's empowering speech at the UN a couple of days ago, I thought this quote would be good to post.

I think one of the main contributing factors to the misunderstanding of gender inequality has to be that it's not just men misunderstating the ability of women. But also the fact that all girls are taught from a very young age (probably near 7) that we really aren't supposed to be good enough, we need to make sure that we don't have too much confidence, even if we are great. 

I remember, in first grade there were different categories for the best boy reader and the best girl reader because boys needed to compete in sports and had different priorities in life but they still needed prizes for reading. Women really aren't supposed to be ambitious or too good at anything. I remember that feeling, not wanting to own my accomplishments like I should have because I couldn't have been that good at something. I was just a girl. 

But I'm not just a girl. I'm a hard-working writer and a pretty good runner and in first grade, I was a kick-butt reader, twice as good as any of the boys. And I know that's how my parents raised me, they raised me to take charge of my life and do awe-inspiring things, to reach for the clouds no matter what anyone told me. Not to limit myself because I'm not good enough, to be the best at whatever I wanted to be, no matter what.

If you are interested in Emma Watson's inspiring campaign for gender equality you can go here to learn more about it. 

Comment below with your thoughts! I'd love to chat :)

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B

If you wanted to be really awesome you could check out my New Youtube Video :)

Paper Towns Review and Thoughts

Dear You,

I got the book Paper Towns for my birthday, I had already read it but I love second reads and I loved that this time I had the ability to write and highlight all over this beautiful book.

I don't write in all of my books. In my copy of City of Bones you will not find a single mark or scratch because I like that I kept the integrity of the books so pristine. However my favorite thing about the author John Green is despite the plot of his books being realistic fiction involving teenagers and their various unique stories, there is always some hidden nuggets of wisdom. Little quotes that can change lives. If you don't know they're there it's easy to pass by them, but they are so brilliant. 

Some of my favorites are...

"life has become the future. Every moment of your life is lived for the future"

"When you say nasty things about people, you should never say the true ones, because you can't really fully and honestly take those back, you know?"

"leaving feels good and pure only when you leave something important, something that mattered to you. Pulling life out by the roots"

"Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will... But then again, if you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all"

I could write entire posts about each of these quotes and maybe one day I will but for now I'll just leave them at that. But they are so beautiful and true and relatable to my own life.

There were these overwhelming intellectually stimulating concepts throughout the book as well. I admire John Green so very much for these...

The first is the title of the book: Paper Towns. The idea that everyone is so 2 dimensional and follow the rules and traditions set by society in the most simple way. That every town of people is just as boring and easily categorized as any other. It's a terrifying thought that we, as humans, really are that boring and simple. 

I think it's well explained by the quote "People love the idea of a paper girl". And that is completely and utterly true. When I tell people of my extraordinary dreams, I'm judged beyond belief because I'm not simple. I don't want to be a paper girl and live my days like everyone else. People want everyone to be normal, to be put into the same college-marriage-kids box. 

But the truth is while some wonderful people really want that, not everyone does. And it's so unfair to like one group of people and not the other because they chose two different and equally fulfilling paths. Whatever people want to do with their lives is their business. If people want a normal life that doesn't make them boring and if they don't want one that doesn't make them wrong. Which leads into the next concept...

This concept is one that I've thought about on multiple occasions, that it's "difficult to understand that other people are human beings in the same ways that we are". We imagine everyone else as 2 dimensions. We see the outside, seemingly perfect lives of all the humans around us but in actuality, most people have just as many problems as everyone else. It's just hard to imagine that everyone else has issues and struggles and feelings and thoughts like we do. 

"It is easy to forget how full the world is of people, full to bursting, and each of them imaginable and consistently misimagined". I constantly struggle with this idea and constantly remind myself of the fact that I don't know everyone else. One either has to put one's self in another's shoes or do what the main protagonist of the book, Quentin, figured out. "I must ask the wounded man where he is hurt, because I cannot become the wounded man" when speaking about Whitman's understanding of empathy and 3 dimensionality of another human being. 

I love these ideas so very much and hold them very close. Rereading the book gave me a new perspective on everything about it. When simply focusing on the plot, these concepts passed by my head faster than wind but now I see how the seemingly simple plot gives way to all of these complex concepts and beautiful epiphanies. And this book is getting a movie. This was a very thought-filled book so I'm excited to see how they manifest these into a movie but I'm sure it'll be great!

Anyways, this may be my longest post ever but I loved being able to explain my thoughts and the brilliant concepts in this book, I could talk about them forever. Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Have a Wonderful Day!
Mia B

If you wanted to be really awesome you could check out my New Youtube Video :)

Frozen Review

Dear You,

In last week's library scour for something I haven't read yet, I came across a book called Frozen which I may have initially picked up because of the Disney movie but the summary sounded interesting enough on it's own accord. 

It's written by a husband and wife duo with a good amount of success in past books: Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston. I didn't expect this book to be that good because the past few I've taken a chance on in the library have turned out to be boring but this one was different. 

The book starts out with an event, a dystopian/sci-fi event that goes unexplained for a large part of the book. And it eventually gets cleared up but they definitely could have explained some more about that. 

The romance stories within the overall story are written nicely. They are all unique, things that you may have expected but not as obvious as several other books I could name. 

I loved the dystopian/sci-fi uniquevity of the plot, it was definitely different which seems incredibly difficult to me. There are so many different worlds and superpowers already created and imagined and loved, how can they possibly keep coming up with these new ones? But they do, fantasy author's creativity is inspiring. 

I do have some criticism for the book though. While the plot was well imagined there were parts with very poor execution. My biggest complaint being the ending. Several things happen in an extremely short amount of time with very little explanation. The action was focused on rather than the explanation. There is definitely a line in the "don't tell, show" way of writing but I think they avoided it too much. Or maybe I was just reading too fast, who knows? ;)

Either way, I thought the book was well imagined but had a lot of poor writing. Overall, it was better than any random books I've picked up thus far but not my favorite. 

What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below!

Have an Amazing Day!

Mia B

If you wanted to be really awesome you could check out my New Youtube Video :)

Alternative Song Discoveries

Dear You,

Shake It Off should definitely be #1 :)

I was going through the iTunes top 200 singles recently to find new music and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of good alternative music (surprise being the amount of alternative, not that it was good, lots of alt music is good). I now have a very full iTunes wish list again thanks to all of these good songs.

Carousel by Melanie Martinez

I love the strong beat in this song with the light, beautifully raspy voice and metaphorical lyrics it's a really nice song to work to, I've discovered. 

Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon

This one is far more happy and upbeat and walks the line between alternative and pop but sounds great. It's the perfect dance party song. 

Riptide by Vance Joy

I love how diverse Alternative songs can be. This one is very happy in the feel good sense. Almost an Ingrid Michaelson/Avalanche City sound to it, not saying they were copying or are so similar that it's not good to hear them all, there's just this wonderful sound that always makes me smile among these artists. 

Stolen Dance by Milky Chance

I think I've heard this one on the radio before but it's really great. If I had to describe it I would say it a soft pop sound with island influences and the slightest hip-hop sound. 

Cool Kids by Echosmith

This one has a strong beat but not overwhelmingly like Carousel, a rather simple song but a good one at that. Definitely one of the songs that's going to make me want to dance in the bathroom while getting ready ;)

Anyways, those are some of my recent discoveries, at least the alternative ones. What music have you been listening to recently? Leave me a comment below!

Have an Amazing Day!

Mia B

If you wanted to be really awesome you could check out my New Youtube Video :)

Quote Thoughts

Dear you,

I hope you had a great weekend. This quote seemed like a nice Monday post since writing is one of those things that make Mondays seem a little less horrible.

"Write to write. 

Write because you need to write. 

Write to settle the rage within you. 

Write with an internal purpose. 

Write about something or someone that means so much to you, that you don't care what others think" 

-Nick Miller

At some point in life, writing just became my therapy. It always sheds new light on situations that I'm lost on, like I don't really understand what I'm feeling until I can explain it to a piece of paper, usually in the form of a verse or sung in a chorus. 

Stop slacking off Binx! We need to write!

My favorite line in this quote is the 3rd: write to settle the rage within you

I think I love this one so much because it makes the act of writing seem so natural and freeing. Which is the way I've always looked at writing. When I had an idea so overwhelming swimming around in my head that I knew I wasn't going to be able to continue life until I found a laptop, a notebook, a napkin, anything to write it all down. 

I know that writing isn't everyone's thing but I think everyone needs one of these, something that helps you see things clearly. Writing, reading, talking, running, painting, there are so many forms of this that I find it absolutely astounding. But it is incredibly important that everyone has their thing.

Comment below what yours is!

Have an Amazing Day!

Mia B

If you wanted to be really awesome you could check out my New Youtube Video :)