Just another WordPress site

Tag: random thoughts

  • Starting my Masters Program

    I'm a Writer – image by: google.com/images

    So yesterday was my first day of my Masters Program, the beginning of my unknown future. I was excited, and stressed all at the same time. You have to understand, I overwhelm myself when I see so much information at once, sometimes I even jump the gun and email the professor questions that are right in front of me, but I don’t see them at the moment because I’m freaking out that I don’t understand what I need to do, or I’m missing something. Okay so I’m a bit dramatic, but I have to make sure I understand and get it done the right the first time. It is so important for me to succeed and move forward.

    It’s been a long time that I felt I was doing something I truly love. I decided to get my Masters in Journalism so that I can hopefully get my foot in the door somewhere. I want to be able to write and edit. I love to write, and I can’t believe it took me this long to figure it out, but better late than ever.

    The program I am taking is a year long, it’s accelerated and fast but in a year I’ll be done with my degree. I feel like I have been in school forever, trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up, I think I have finally figured it out.

    xo,

    kristin nicole

  • Random Thoughts 08/09/12

    … image by: google.com/images

    I haven’t written anything in a while, I have been trying to come up with things to say, but lately I have felt overwhelmed and tired. Sometimes when you are so frustrated the words just don’t come out. I’m not sure if I’m angry with the situations that have come or if I’m just tired of them. Sometimes it would be easier to just pick up and walk away, but sometimes that isn’t always the answer.

    On top of the drama, I have had good things happen within the last few weeks. I finally got my Bachelor’s in Psychology (whoot whoot). And now I am taking a small break before starting my Masters Program. The masters program is an accelerated course, so I will get my Masters in a year. It will be very stressful and a lot of work, but I’m hoping it will be worth it in the end. Living in Miami it’s hard to find your way into writing/editing. Many freelance jobs do not offer that much pay. Unfortunately I have to work full time, and with that comes bills that need to be paid, I can’t just pick up and leave to work for an intern position to get that experience on my board. I have to work with what I got. I was grateful enough to know a beautiful friend of mine who helped me get an internship, working from home, so I was able to get extra experience on my board right there. I feel though, that it just isn’t enough. You would think Miami being one of the biggest cities there would be more opportunity out here, but unfortunately I see it more in New York or California, I’m not one to turn any of those options down, I love both states, however; it’s hard. My family is here in Miami and my boyfriend and I have a beautiful home we have been fixing up, it wouldn’t be easy to let that go (and I would need for my boyfriend to come with me), but these are all options that have not come up at the moment, so options that need no worry for the time being.

    I like to think ahead though, and thinking ahead sometimes causes me to stress. I need a vacation. I’m looking forward to my second visit to Chicago this month. I plan on taking lots of pictures and sharing a few on here. I want to start taking more pictures, it’s relaxing and I enjoy it.

    Well I know I’ve been rambling, so good night for now.

    xo
    kristin nicole

  • Nothings Forever

    Nothings Forever. Photo by: google.com/images

    Nothings forever
    I’ve learned that from the past
    When I met him, I thought our love would last
    Then he broke my heart in two, left me wondering what i did wrong,
    made me move on.
    Nothings forever
    I’ve learned that from the past
    When I met him, I thought our love would last
    He lied, he cheated, he broke me to pieces
    I had to move on, I had to get out
    I couldn’t believe I fell for his lies
    and in the end it was only his demise.
    Nothings forever
    I’ve learned that from the past
    in the end of any heartache
    you learn to move on
    you learn nothings forever
    you learn that in the end everything will be okay
    and when you learn to walk away
    there is nothing left to say.

    © Written by: kristin nicole – May 2012

  • Dream Big

    Dream Big

    Dream Big

    Some people dream big, they go for what they want and they don’t stop until they get there, others dream and are disappointed by life’s outcomes and they give up hope that any dream will ever come true. If we give up on our dreams, what do we have left? Dreaming can only give us hope, hope that one day we will grow up to be what we have dreamed of since we were little, or just hope that one day we will be where we want to be when we figure out where “this dream” really is… I can’t say I have wanted to be a writer since I was little, I really didn’t start writing until I was about 15 years old. I remember sitting on my recliner at home one day and just being inspired to write a poem. Once I started writing, I couldn’t stop. Even then, I didn’t really think about becoming a writer/editor of any sort, I wrote because I loved it, I never thought in a million years it would be something I would want to do for the rest of my life, not only because it inspires me but because when I write, it’s the one thing that makes me want more.

    So I’m not exactly where I would want to be in my life right now, and no I don’t get paid for writing (at least not yet), but I do it and in some form it brings me satisfaction, knowing someone out there is reading this right now, knowing that in some ways I may have helped someone with my writing, and knowing that one day this will be my full time job (although I wouldn’t see it as a job, more of a blessing). I know what it feels like to feel like nothing is going right in life, and I know how it feels like when that door finally opens and you can see a little bit of hope peaking out, not knowing where it is going to lead, but knowing that wherever you are going is going to be where you’re supposed to be. I’m not saying dreaming is easy, life gives a lot of disappointments, but with disappointments comes strength and with strength comes the faith that dreaming big, is what will lead us to where we want to be.

    Don’t ever stop dreaming big, when we stop dreaming, we stop hoping, and when we stop hoping nothing is left but a little black hole, open your dreams to a new beginning and have faith that one day all our hard work will lead us to a new beginning, a beginning to where dreams come true…
    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • An Easy way to keeping your house clean

    That's Me… Cleaning House

    An Easy way to keeping your house clean

    Who loves chores around the house? Because I certainly don’t, but the house needs to be clean and someone’s got to do it. I opted for a maid but my wallet said no, so I have to get into gear and clean the house every week. There are different ways for everyone to keep their house clean, you just have to find the right routine that fits your schedule.

    Some people spread out their cleaning duties throughout the week.
    Monday: Clean your room and furniture
    Tuesday: Clean the office/other rooms and furniture
    Wednesday: Clean the kitchen
    Thursday: Clean the bathrooms
    Friday: Clean the floors
    Saturday: Laundry
    Sunday: RELAX

    Some people say this works, you don’t have to do it all in one day and you spread it out, making time in between all the other stuff we have to do.

    I on the other hand only spread out my cleaning schedule about 2 days.
    Thursday is my cleaning day, I’ve been doing this since I was little, my mom would always want the house cleaned before the weekend, that way you can enjoy your weekend without having to worry to clean or do laundry.
    So Thursday, I clean the entire house after work from head to toe, I make sure that whatever I’m making for dinner Thursday nights is an easy and fast dinner. That way I don’t have to worry about still having to cook after being exhausted from cleaning the house. I start with separating my laundry and I throw the first load in, then I start with the furniture in all the rooms and then I spray the bathroom and leave it to soak, after that I prepare dinner, (don’t want to clean the kitchen before cooking), in between dinner being cooked, I clean the bathrooms and continue with the laundry. After dinner is made, I clean the kitchen (minus the pots and dishes until after serving) and I clean the floors. Once dinner is ready, the house is clean and we are ready to enjoy our dinner. If I am not able to finish laundry Thursday night, I’ll try to finish laundry Friday or Saturday morning. My weekends are free and so is the rest of my week. I do it this way for a few reasons. One – I go to school on-line, work full time, and make dinner every night, I am already tired and having to clean one room a day is exhausting by just thinking about it. Thursdays are my cleaning days, I put the music on and clean away and by the weekend my house is clean, and I feel like I can relax. Having a clean house and uncluttered mess leads to a happier life.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Don’t EVER Give Up….. Live your Dream

    Don’t allow yourself to Break…. Do something about it…..

    When someone you love is breaking and there isn’t anything you can do about it, it leaves you feeling helpless and useless. It breaks even your heart just to see them breaking. Sometimes I wish I could tell this person to wake up and smell the roses, life is too short to be miserable all the time, why are you choosing to live this way? But are they choosing to live this way? Is it a choice to be blinded by life and the changes we can’t determine in life’s path? When we hold hope to something important to us it sometimes blinds us from the truth. I’ve always said, ’the mind blinds what the heart doesn’t want to feel.’ Or does the heart blind us from what we don’t want to see. As much as we try to protect our hearts, we cannot fight the inevitable. What is meant to be is meant to be, and no matter how many wrong turns we make, you’ll end up just where you are supposed to be. We don’t see why things happen in the moments but we later discover that we had to go through them to be where we are today, to be who we are today. Everyone has regrets, it’s up to us to hold on to them or let them go, because we can’t turn back the clocks, we can’t change time and we can’t change the decisions we have made. The only thing we can do is learn from them, hope that things will get better, that deep down in the hearts of all desires our wishes, our hopes and our dreams will in fact one day come true. If we stay buried in the hopes of all things impossible you will lead a sad life. We have to lift ourselves up, find deep down what it is that will truly make us happy, and go for it. I’m not saying you won’t fail; sometimes we have to fail a few times in order to get to where we want to be. I know I’ve failed more than a few times at more than a few things. I get up and I keep pushing forward. I only hope that whoever is listening right now does the same…. Don’t let the fears of moving forward hold you down, if we don’t try to be happy, if we don’t try to do what we want in life, then we only have ourselves to blame for the sadness and tribulations we keep living over and over again. Because when life gives you lemons, you don’t just throw them away, you make lemonade. For me…. I MAKE A VODKA TONIC

    Live life to the fullest, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you CAN’T succeed and don’t ever lose faith in yourself. If you are scared of being alone, remember that no one is every alone unless they choose to be alone, and life is too short to live not knowing what you want in life, to live unhappy and unsure of yourself, because at the end of the day all we have in life are the few moments that make us look back and smile, the moments in life where you say…. I loved that day, that moment, that minute, that second of my life and today I can truly say that with all the hard times, with all the tribulations I have come across in my life, I am still pushing forward, I am still trying to discover things about myself and I am still dreaming my dreams, and one day…. I’ll be LIVING THEM.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Self Esteem

    Self-Esteem

    Self-Esteem has been an issue for many people through out the years. As individuals there are flaws we seek out from our selves that make us feel insecure and unhappy. Some self-esteem issues can cause psychological disorders, from a young age a child who does not experience the opportunity to differentiate themselves, and lack the opportunity to idealize others while taking pride in themselves, may later suffer from a disorder called narcissistic personality, this is a result from self-esteem issues. “The narcissistic personality is characterized by a grandiose and exaggerated sense of self-importance and an exploitive attitude towards others, which serve the function of masking a frail self-concept.” (Corey, 2009). Self-esteem issues can result in problems later on in your personal relationships. The National Association for Self-Esteem web site is very interesting. It gives different concepts and explanations on helping a person to improve their self-esteem.

    What is self-esteem? According to the National Association for Self-Esteem, self-esteem is thought of as a person whom trusts in his or her own being to life affirming, constructive, responsible and trustworthy views. A word many people use trying to describe self-esteem is a feeling of feeling good about yourself, or having positive feelings about oneself. Unfortunately many people suffer from having low self-esteem. Some people have even gone to state that self-esteem is equivalent with egotism, arrogance, conceit, narcissism, a sense of superiority and, a trait leading to violence. People with low self-esteem tend to try to prove themselves to others. They use others for their own gain, to make themselves feel better about their lives. Many people who suffer from the lack of self-esteem lack self confidence in themselves, they have doubts about their worth and acceptability, and usually are reluctant to take risks or expose themselves to failure. Those who suffer from low self-esteem tend to blame others for the lack of shortcomings rather than take responsibility for their own actions.

    Feelings of insecurity can lead to psychological issues, such as discussed earlier like narcissism and other types of disorders like depression. There are ways to try and build your self-esteem, to try and make your life positive and grow from the feelings of insecurities to feelings of self worth and positive attributes. On the website they have a Building Positive Self Esteem section where it has a Self Esteem Lesson Plan Improving Self Esteem in Adults. This plan has a step-by-step plan to help those with low self-esteem. Building self-esteem is building a positive attribute that the person needs to learn how to build inside him or herself. Self-Esteem is not based on the things you have in life, like your house, car, school, relationships, money etc, it is based on how a person feels about themselves. According to the website positive self esteem is meeting life’s challenges and not feeling victimized, taking responsibility for your thoughts, words and actions, and making conscious choices to support and care for yourself.

    Each lesson plan takes you through a journey into learning yourself and accepting yourself. Lesson one is to read about how the brain works, this helps a person learn and recognize behavioral thoughts and patterns; you can change these patterns and habits if you can recognize them. Lesson two, you discover what you believe about yourself and you make the decision on your own to change to a healthy self-esteem. Lesson three is to learn how to meditate and use relaxation techniques to allow your self to experience feeling calm, peaceful, confident, and loving self. Developing meditation practices is one of the most powerful ways a person can find inner peace within themselves, this is important to feel positive about yourself and your life. Lesson four is to learn how to respect, care for and love yourself. You cannot have a healthy self-esteem if you do not have respect for the one person who will take care of you, this person is you. Lesson five is to focus on your choices in life. When a person has low self-esteem you sometimes feel like you have no choice but to do certain things, when you have a healthy self-esteem you learn that you can make whatever choices you have to overcome in life. Lesson six teaches you how to have direction in your life. What you decide in life is up to you. Lesson seven is about visualization. Tapping into your imagination is an important tool into reaching and changing your behavior. Lesson eight teaches you to tap into an invisible energy force, this force includes higher power, spirit, God, universal love, super conscious and intuitive or higher self. Lesson nine summarizes the important components into taking responsibility and overcoming low self-esteem. The last lesson, lesson ten offers an additional lesson plan that some can learn to use in ever day life.

    In life we all have insecurities, we have to learn to not allow them to take over, you cannot allow them to make you feel bad about yourself and have low self-esteem. These techniques can help any type of psychological disorder improve. If person feels depressed due to low self-esteem you need to learn to feel good about yourself, once a person feels better about himself or herself they no longer feel the feelings of depression or narcissism. Boosting your self-esteem is also part of one of the programs they have on the website. Use affirmations to boost your-esteem, they say to carry a saying around with a positive thought about yourself, for example; ‘I am somebody, I love myself, I believe in myself.’ Associate with positive, supportive people. When we surround ourselves with positive people it encourages us to be positive and think good about our selves, if we surround ourselves with negative people it tends to bring you down and only bring negative vibes into your life. Make a list of your past successes, this doesn’t have to only have monumental accomplishments; it can include small victories that you have accomplished throughout your life. The list goes on, stop comparing yourself to others, stop putting yourself down, take advantage of self esteem programs and make a list of your positive qualities. Every morning you should meditate and visualize your day, read inspirational texts and start your day off on a powerful positive start. Communication is key and in like any friendship, relationship or work related aspect it’s important to communicate positively and hang around positive people.
    The National Association for Self Esteem website is a great website to go to if you are feeling insecure about yourself and your life. Self Esteem is important, it determines certain psychological disorders and it can determine how you live your life. Take time to take care of yourself and feel good about yourself. If you do not respect and love yourself it will be very difficult to carry on any type of relationship in your future. Life is never easy, and we are all dealt with negativity in our lives, it is how we believe in ourselves and how we choose the outcomes in our lives that determine our future.

    References

    Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomas Brooks/Cole.
    National Association for Self Esteem (2010). Self-Esteem Booster. Retrieved January 14, 2012 from: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/booster.php
    National Association for Self Esteem (2010). Self-Esteem Lesson Plan Imporiving Self Esteem in Adults. Retrieved January 14, 2012 from: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/self-esteem-lesson-plan.php
    National Association for Self Esteem (2010). What is Self-Esteem? Retrieved January 14, 2012 from: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/what.php

  • I have the Itch…

    Love To Write

    Lately I have the itch to write. I want it, love it, need it.

    Have you ever felt something in your life is meant to be, like nothing in this world can take it from you and no matter how hard you keep pushing forward and getting turned down, you just know that one day that dream will come true?

    I feel that way about writing, and one day above all odds – I’ll make it to where I want to be.

    What is it that you feel is meant to happen to you? I would love to hear about your passion.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Dream.Love.Believe.Hope

    Dream.Love.Believe.Hope

    Dreams

    Sometimes we aim for a dream and it comes true, other times we aim and miss. I wanted this DREAM to come true so bad, I wanted it to come alive, for all my hard work to finally pay off. Then the news….. “Sorry we decided to go with someone else.” Life doesn’t teach you how to take rejection, it doesn’t teach you what to do next, or what to feel, or what to do. You take the tears and the pain and you keep moving forward.

    In life we wish for the things we want for ourselves and our family, we dream big and we hope that one day, everything will fall into place. When we are hit with the disappointment of seeing our dreams come crashing down, we are filled with a pain so hard that we sometimes forget how to push that pain away to the side and keep pushing forward. We forget what it is to believe in HOPE. No one ever tells you how hard it is to be rejected, no one ever shows you what to do next. In life, we just do it, we just keep moving forward and we hope that one day, that dream will come true.

    I’ll admit, I was crushed, I felt like I had it on the tip of my fingers, I had this faith inside me that my dream was finally coming true, only to hear those horrible words “Sorry & But”. Yes I cried, yes I felt sorry for myself and yes I almost wanted to just give up. But if I gave up, then what good will that be? I love to write, I love to help people with their problems and I’m not going to give up on myself just because someone else doesn’t believe in me. One day I’ll be everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more. I have people who believe in me and most importantly I believe in me.

    When you start to lose faith in yourself, remember that where ever there is a storm of self-pity, there is always a rainbow shinning bright on the other side. Dream.Love.Believe.Hope

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Life gets BUSY….

    Life gets BUSY….

    So lately I’ve been slacking on Soapnights, there really is no excuse but I just have been feeling very overwhelmed with work, school and my new house.

    Renovating a new house with my boyfriend has taken much more of our time then ever expected. Although we are absolutely loving it and it’s coming out beautiful, it’s a lot of work, time and money.

    Happy New Years By the way…..

    This year we took a trip for new years to a small town called Blairsville, Georgia. It’s a beautiful little town, and getting away from life for a while helped me relax a bit before starting the new year.

    In life we sometimes get so busy we forget to stop and smell the roses ‘so to speak’. I’ve been so busy lately that with a blink of an eye it’s already 2012! When did life start passing me by? I have so much left to do before I turn 30 and this year is going to be my year.

    Let’s start off with what I will accomplish before the end of the year:

    Bachelors Degree in Psychology by June
    Starting Masters in Journalism
    Finish Remodeling my house ~ At least in the inside…
    And…. A few things I won’t say because I don’t want to jinx them 😉

    That’s not such a long list, now is it?

    Ever wonder what you will accomplish before your 30? 40? 50? I really don’t, I live in the moment and I try to focus on what is right in front of me at the moment, but getting older I do start to wonder and think about all the things I should have done by now that I’m still working on. So although this year is going to be busy I am going to make it an effort to write more on my site and if you have any questions or concerns you need advice on, I’m only an email away.

    As for today. Happy Friday the 13th!!! Let’s start this weekend out with a SMILE~

    xo
    kristin nicole