It’s ok to accept change.

One of my favorite things about life is that no matter how old you are, where you are in the world, or what situation you are in, someone in the world loves you. I love this so much because it means that even though I grow up and I move on to new chapters in my life that there will always be someone who loves me.

I was recently scrolling through twitter today when one of my friends from college tweeted something that caught my eye. She tweeted, “Some of us have to grow up sometimes and so if I have to I’m gonna leave you behind.” I don’t know why, but these words mesmerized me. There was something about the way the words were creatively placed together that I felt peace. It reminded me that leaving people behind when we move on in our lives is ok.

Before and during my first few months of college, I had a really hard time with this. I was trying to balance my relationships with friends from home and new friends at school that soon I became sad. I wondered if I was doing something wrong or if I was being a bad friend until I read somewhere that sometimes people aren’t in our lives during our next chapter because God knows they’re not meant to be in your life at the moment. He brings people into your life that He knows are supposed to be there. For some reason, this really comforted me.

Since then I have been better at accepting the changes in my life because I started to put more of my trust into God. Although accepting changes in your life doesn’t have to be a religious thing, it can be just a lesson that you need to learn.

People change, and so do you.

So don’t worry if you start to lose touch with someone, instead look at the people who are still in your life. Put your love and energy into those relationships, and look for the opportunity to start a new relationship. As one door closes, another one opens. It’s quite amazing how much life can surprise you. More importantly, it’s amazing how much God can surprise you.

But no matter where you are in life, someone loves you. Some breathing human being on this planet loves you. You mean something to this world; don’t let the people leaving your life get you down, instead rejoice for all of the love you have!

So go out and thank the people you love, and let them know how much you care!

With love and hope,
Julia

There is no substitute for love.

Everyone yearns for the feeling to fix a broken heart, but a band aid won’t do. A broken heart hurts, it absorbs all of your energy leaving you tired and upset. A broken heart is one of the worst experiences anyone can go through, and sadly many people are effected by a broken heart. But what fixes a broken heart?

The answer is time and love.

For a long time I have suffered from a broken heart. A broken heart hurts so much that for the longest time I tried to fix the holes and gaps in my heart where love did not exist. The one way I tried to fix the holes in my heart were with relationships with guys. For months in college I became obsessed with the idea that I could meet new people and potentially meet the love of my life, but the one thing I did not realize while doing this was that love cannot be found, love just happens and it’s always a fantastic surprise.

The moral of my experience is that no matter how many dates I went on or how many guys I talked to I never found that “love” that I wanted to fill my holes and gaps in my heart. Instead I realized that there was already love surrounding me, but I refused to see it. Love surrounds us through our friends, our family, and most importantly God.

Love is not artificial; love is not the alcohol you consume, the drugs you use, the number of people you date or the number of people who you are friends with. Love is the things you love to do, the people you love, and the people who love you.

Most importantly, there is no substitute for love.

With love and hope,

Julia

What does it mean to be Julia?

Have you ever thought to yourself what it means to be you or how other people think of you? Have you ever wondered if people think about you randomly and what they remember about you? There are so many questions that we wonder and most of the time we don’t always have answers, but we do have the answer to one puzzling question: what does it mean to be yourself?

The answer to this question lies within you and depends on how you perceive it. When I say the word perceive I mean how you see yourself.

For example, being Julia to me means that I am unique. I am beautiful inside and out, and there are very few people in this world who love people the way I do. I love people with all my heart, and though sometimes the love is not always returned it is better to love someone in the end than to never have loved someone at all. I am full of imperfections; I have a past full of mistakes that sometimes leave deep scars, but I am proud of them because they make me who I am. Someday I want to change the world and touch people’s lives specifically with mental health issues. I know that my dreams are alive because I chase my dreams and live them. Being Julia means that day to day can be a battle, but in the end I will always find a reason to smile and laugh because that’s what life is about. I leave impressions and make people think. I love people and always love to make friends; people remember me and I make sure they know my name so they can always know I’m there. Being Julia doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes or I’m perfect, being Julia is about loving and appreciating herself and all the things she does for herself and other people.

Now when I say it’s all about how you see yourself, I mean the way in which you think of yourself. You can choose to see yourself positively or negatively, obviously everyone wants to see themselves positively, but sometimes it’s hard. So everyone I challenge you to see yourselves in the positive light. Make a list of the things you love about yourself and the things you don’t love, but learn to accept them. Life is more wonderful when you learn to see yourself in a new way.

With love and hope,

Julia

It can be tough, but just hold on.

A month and a half ago, I started a new adventure. I started the next chapter of my life living in Morgantown, WV while going to college at West Virginia University. This was the first time I was living on my own, I was separated from friends and family that I spent either my whole life or years knowing and now I was thrown into the unknown told that I had to learn to take care of myself. If this doesn’t terrify you, than I don’t know what will.

The transition into college for me was a bit like a roller coaster ride with corkscrews and upside down loop-de-loops; basically, it wasn’t easy. There were times where I felt I was completely alone and no one was there for me or understood me, but there were also times when I felt on top of the world and felt pure joy. Being a mountaineer at WVU has changed my life for the better and I know that, but there are also the times where I question myself and if I belong.

I recently took an awesome retreat with my youth group on campus called Young Life. Young Life is an awesome organization that centers around engaging young people in an environment where they can grow in God while having the time of their life! I went on a retreat to Rockbridge, VA with the WVU Young Life, and I can tell you hands down that my life changed. For the first time in my college experience, I felt like I belonged somewhere. I felt that I was able to fit in and be myself without having anyone judge me, most importantly I felt loved.

I have also joined an amazing sorority called Pi Beta Phi. Pi Phi, which is what we like to call it, is my home away from home. These girls I met on Bid Day who at first were strangers to me are now my sisters! Sisterhood cannot be explained to anyone unless one experiences it for themselves, but I can tell you that having 150 some sisters is one of the best gifts that my God has ever blessed me with and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

With all these awesome opportunities at my hand, I have had some of the most amazing experiences in less than a month and a half at WVU. I also got to continue my passion of performing in an indoor guard called the Eloquence Performance Company. Sure things have not always gone the way I would have liked it to go. Sometimes I wish I could go out on dates, meet my best friend for the rest of my life, meet the love of my life, or even go to my favorite country, but the point is I don’t know my future. I live only in the present, but I love it because I get to live in the moment.

So I can encourage all of you to let go of your worries of the past or the future because they do not matter; you are living right now and that is a glorious gift! You are all amazing and loved and have this thing called life right in the palm of your hands just waiting to see what your next crazy adventure will be! It will be ok, all of it will be ok, because life is a roller coaster and we are along for the ride. So buckle your seat belts, hold on, and getting ready to scream and laugh while watching life go by!

With love and hope,

Julia

Don’t let stupid little things break your happiness.

I found this beautiful quote, ” Don’t let stupid little things break your happiness.” I randomly found this quote while I was scrolling on the internet and came across it, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Something about this quote spoke to me. Was it the honesty? The message it’s trying to prove? The emotions it evokes? It is still one of those mysteries to me, but it really got me thinking: I do let stupid little things break my happiness.

We live in a world where many unfair things occur. It’s not always fair, but it’s life and it’s not going to stop for us. We let these little tiny things bring us down: someone’s reaction towards us, a tiny mistake, losing a friendship, the list can go on. These little mistakes sooner or later begin to take over our lives. We find ourselves stressing about these little things and trying to fix them, but the thing we forget is, it already happened.

The life you are living now, it is precious and it is a gift. God and I want you to live it. Live it up. Don’t let stupid little things bring you down or determine your mood. You deserve to always be happy because you all deserve the best. Next time some little thing brings you down, remember that there are so many new and better things coming your way to make you even more happy! Don’t reflect on the past mistakes, let them go and move on. Instead look at all the amazing things around you and love them instead.

With love and hope,

Julia

The things we can’t always see.

For the longest time the unknown frightened me. What will my future be like? Will this relationship last? What will happen to my loved ones? For a lot of people, the unknown is scary, even more it’s anxiety-provoking. It gives them so much anxiety where they are at the point of not enjoying anything in their life anymore. I was once one of those people.

Recently this past summer, I have been working as a camp counselor at a summer camp. Over the past few weeks, I have met a number of campers and people on staff who have changed my life. The camp I work at is a Christian camp, and who knew that simply by praying, playing with kids, and praising Jesus that your anxiety could subside?! Like this is a huge deal! This is longest period in my life that I have gone without feeling overwhelming anxiety! Can give you me an Amen? AMEN.

But the point of this blog post is to let you know of the comfort you can find in everything around you. There are 7 billion people on earth, and I guarantee that you are or will never be alone. People leave our lives, but don’t forget people also enter our lives as well. Think of all the people who love you or who are going to love you. Think of the beauty that you express when you talk about something you truly love. Think about how you have impacted someone’s life so dramatically and you don’t even have a clue. There are these amazing magical things that exist in our lives and they sometimes go unnoticed. When we discover these things that we can’t always see they bring a huge smile to our face. Remember for 1 sad thing there are 99 more happy things to think about. You can do it. You can conquer anything. Just remember that there are all these small things that we can’t always see that could make a huge difference.

With love and hope,

Julia

Live anyway.

Don’t be afraid. For a long time, this is all anyone has ever told us. Parents, teachers, friends, everyone around us has told us to not be afraid, but now realizing that we will soon be entering our new chapter of life I realized that ‘don’t be afraid’ is not the best advice to always give someone. That’s when I realized I would rather have someone tell me to live my life anyway regardless of when you are afraid or not.

Being afraid is not always a bad thing. Some of us are afraid of living on our own for the first time next fall, others are afraid of leaving friends and family behind to meet new people, there is always something people will be afraid of, and if you ask someone who says they are not afraid of anything they are most likely lying.
It is ok to be afraid. Being afraid means that you want to do your best in college and to try and succeed. Being afraid is a driving force in your life to always try and overcome that fear to be a stronger, better person. So why are people telling us to not be afraid?

People will tell you to not be afraid because they want you to be confident and to relax, but by telling someone that it will be ok and to live life anyway is a better way to encourage people. So I will tell you that it will be ok and that you should live your life anyway because life will not stop for anyone. You may find yourself 10 years from now going into a job interview, getting married, hold your first child, or buying your first house and find that you may actually be afraid. This is totally normal because life in a way is terrifying, but you should not let it stop you from living your life. My advice to you all is to let go of that worry, to let go of the constant stress of the unknown, and to open your arms wide to accept life.

Life will not be fair, but you only get the one chance to do what you want with it. So dream big, take chances, and step out of your comfort zone and into reality. Take all that life gives to you and become a stronger person because of it. Walk out into the world with a head held high while telling yourself, “I did it, and I can conquer anything because the truth is I can.”

By telling someone ‘don’t be afraid’ is like saying “don’t move out of the way when someone tries to punch you” or “don’t flinch at the heat of the fire” or “don’t blink.” All these things are telling us we cannot be human. But I am afraid and you are all afraid and we are all going to be afraid at some point in life because that’s the point. What we should be telling ourselves instead is, “be afraid, but do it anyway.” Live anyway.

Go out into the world and be afraid, but do it anyway. Go into a job interview, get married, have a family, buy a house, change and travel the world, start a company and have a little fear, but do not let it stop you. Live anyway and see what happens. So I want to give you all courage, courage to go out and do amazing things that you have dreamed of doing for as long as you can remember, but when you get stuck and do not know if you can do it, remember me telling you that you can. That on this day you read this you started life’s journey and that you are ready for anything. Have courage, and live your life anyway.

With love and hope,
Julia

Chasing.

Have you ever watched a movie that just left you wondering, what am I doing with my life? Then after the movie is over, you have this urge to go out and chase your dreams because you think you can do anything. Has anyone ever had this feeling because I feel it all the time.

I recently just watched a movie called “The Rookie.” It’s about the story of Jim Morris played by Dennis Quaid who aspires to be a Major League Baseball player. The problem is he is a high school teacher and coach who became injured the first time he tried to make out for the minor leagues. He finally has a second chance at becoming a pro and actually fulfills his lifelong dream by playing for the Major Leagues.

The reason I bring this movie up is to tell you that dreams don’t just happen in movies; dreams happen in real life as well. I have a dream to be a motivational speaker one day and to change people’s lives. I know I can get there I just have to chase and believe that dreams can come true. Dreams don’t just happen overnight; dreams happen in small steps that build up into a long journey.

If you have a dream no matter how big or small, don’t stop chasing for it. It happens in small steps. Small things that lead to big things. I want you to know that you shouldn’t give up hope that dreams can’t come true. Dreams are coming true all the time, in life and it is happening all around you. Look at the people in your life and realize that they are in the process of achieving their dreams as well. Encourage and support one another in our dreams because dreams do come true.

Now go our and chase them!

With love and hope,

Julia

A Helping Hand

Two summers ago, I was going into my junior year of high school unsure of who I was. I knew I had a great group of friends and a lot of things to look forward to that year, but I couldn’t help the feeling that something was missing. I felt like I had this hole or gap in myself that I didn’t know how to fill. I tried praying and talking with friends and family, but nothing seemed to be working. I remember one of my friends telling me to simply just be myself and stay true to who I was. Little did I know this is exactly what I needed.

I had spent a huge amount of my life trying to please others and be someone who I wasn’t. I didn’t know what self love really was because I never really appreciated my true self until entering junior year. With my friends advice I was able to do some amazing things. One of them was finding my voice. I found my voice, and I was able to start to speak up about my story and exactly what it is I go through. I started out by telling my good group of friends and my one friend who gave me the best advice.

I remember I was starting to love myself for the first time in years, that is when I started to see an actual change in myself. I wasn’t as depressed anymore. People started to come to me and they really wanted to be around me. People saw me as a positive loving person and it was the true me. I would never have been able to become that person if it wasn’t for my one friend’s great advice.

Sometimes people don’t realize how one simple compliment or piece of advice can come a long way and change a person’s life. I had help with a helping hand, and it’s ok. I needed that hand to help pull me back to where I wanted to be. Now I am where I want to be. It’s all thanks to my helping hand.

So reach out and help pull someone up. Compliment them or give them a simple hello. But don’t be surprised when one day they are thanking you for changing their life.

With hope and love,
Julia

To my helping hand you know who you are:)

Forcing positivity.

For the past few days I have refrained myself from writing on my blog in fear of writing something that wouldn’t be true to myself. The past week has been a range of emotions, and I didn’t really know how to deal with them. I was frightened, terrified even that whatever I would write wouldn’t make myself or others feel better. I feel like I prayed and prayed every chance I got to be calm enough to write, but it just never came. Eventually though it did come and I was able to live my life again and write a blog entry.

Everyone has faced a traumatic time on his or her life when they feel like his or her world might end. But if you asked the person now how they got through something so traumatic people’s answers vary. For myself personally, I find the only way I can get through something personal is to pray and be positive. People think it’s crazy that I try to be positive because they think I should be able to let myself feel how I truly am feeling.

The thing is I do let myself feel how I truly feel for a certain period of time, but there comes a point where I just don’t want to be negative all the time. Instead, I force myself to be positive. How does this help you though? Well, studies have shown that when you are sad and fake a smile that eventually you will start to feel happy because you are smiling. It’s the same thing for being positive.

Forcing yourself to think positive thoughts or say positive things helps so much. When you force yourself to believe in positive things, you will eventually start to feel positive yourself. Push away the negative out of your life. It’s time for you live and focus on what matters. You only get one life. You only get one life to live. So make it matter!

It’s ok to cry and ok to miss someone. It’s ok to feel however you want to feel. But if you waste too much time of your life moping around instead of living, your wasting time. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES. Do things that make you happy. Write lists of what’s great about you. Surround yourself with people that love you!!

I know it’s hard, but when you force yourself to be positive you will start to feel positive. We don’t have time for negativity. We only have time to live once.

There is always hope in the darkness.

With love and hope,

Julia

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