Carissa Mae Whaddya Say

Life isn’t a race, so you shouldn’t always be in such a hurry to live it. You should take your time with your life; live it in a way that is good and pleasing to you. Take the time to fully immerse yourself in your life and to truly experience everything that life has to offer. There is plenty of time for you to stop and fully enjoy your life.  Don’t feel bad if you feel like you’re “behind” in life. There’s no such thing! Everyone moves through life at their own pace. Just because something happened for someone else sooner than you doesn’t mean you’re behind. You have plenty of time to experience your life. Don’t feel like you have to race against others to achieve your life goals. You shouldn’t pressure yourself into making decisions before you’re ready, either. For example, just because everyone else is getting married and having kids doesn’t mean you should feel pressured to. Some people are never ready for that sort of thing, and that’s okay too! Your life is yours to live! Yo...

It does not matter how smart or wise you believe yourself to be; there will always be something more for you to learn in life. You should never assume that you know everything about a topic; even so-called “experts” learn new things all of the time! We are constantly discovering new stars, planets, and even species on our own planet. There is so much in life that we don’t know, so we shouldn't assume or act like we know it all.  That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t listen to your elders when they tell you things. You shouldn’t blow them off; they have more experience than you, and you should be ready and willing to accept whatever advice they have to give, even if it seems trivial and near-useless at the time. They know more than you, and their experience can do you good! Life has so much in store to teach you, so it’s no wonder the saying goes, “You learn something new every day.” There is always plenty to learn, whether from someone else or from yourself; you are never short of k...

Life is a stage, and you are the main character! Everything that you do, every word that you say, and every choice that you make is going to mold you into the person that you choose to be. Choices are everything in life. They determine where you will end up and who you will become, so you should do your best to make sure that you’re making the right choices for you and not for someone else. You shouldn’t attempt to live someone else’s life. You’re the main character of your story, and with that, you need to learn to make decisions that are going to better yourself as a person. Only you know what’s best for you and what you need to do in order to live the life that you want. Make the change! People are going to come and go, but only one thing will remain static in your life, and that’s you! Which is why you are the main character of your story. Other people will take part in your show, of course, maybe for a short time or maybe for the rest of your life, but you shouldn’t base life dec...

In regards to my last post about time, I want to remind you all that spending time on the things that you love is never, ever time wasted. You need to remember that when you take the time to enjoy yourself and your hobbies, you’re taking care of your own wellbeing. Everyone should have at least one thing that they enjoy spending time on and should want to incorporate into their routine.  There is something out there for everyone, and everyone is going to enjoy different things. One person could be really into sports; another could enjoy reading, painting, writing, driving Jeeps, or making inspiring posts. Everyone has one thing that they’re passionate about, and no matter what it is, it’s never a waste of time.  Sure, there are always going to be people who don’t understand why you like the things that you do, and that’s okay! They don’t need to understand you. You are not meant to be understood; you are meant to live life the way that you want to live it, regardless of what a...

Time is something that is so valuable that we need to make sure that we’re spending our time on the things that we actually care about—things that require our attention, the things that make you happy, and the things that you want to be doing. There is no telling when your time will be up, so you need to make sure that you’re making every minute count!  Try to be mindful of your time and stay in the present moment. Getting off of your phone can help with this, as being on social media or scrolling through the news makes your mind wander to things that really don’t require your time and attention.  Focus on your life. There are plenty of other things that you could be spending your time on. You could pick up that hobby that you put down a while ago, or you could take up a new hobby, or you could spend time with friends and family, or, if you’re on a road trip, you could take in the scenery around you.  There are so many other things that you could be doing instead of mind...

In any situation, always remember to just be yourself! You can never go wrong with being the weird, strange individual that you are. You shouldn’t feel like you have to hide a part of yourself from people. We’re all weird in our own way! You, me, your neighbor, your co-worker—everyone is!  Don’t be ashamed of yourself for your weird habits or mannerisms, but instead embrace yourself and who you are! Everyone else is going to think whatever they want to think anyway, so why not simply choose to be yourself and ignore any bad opinions people have about you?  You don’t have to live your life pretending to be someone that you’re not. You can just be yourself and let other weird people find you and join your weird tribe. Pretending to be someone you’re not will not allow you to meet the kind of people that you want to be around. When you embrace being fully yourself, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities! Maybe someone who isn’t all that comfortable with themself will se...

A smile is a very powerful tool that has the ability to either make or break someone’s day. It lets your friends know that you’re happy to see them, and it disturbs your enemies. Someone who dislikes you will never want to see you happy, which is precisely why you should be! Ignore the haters and continue to live your life, happy and free of negativity.  Don’t bother yourself with stooping down to their level; combat their bitterness and resentment with the power of positivity! Almost everyone has that one person in their life that they can’t stand, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be rude or condescending towards them in the way that they are to you. You can simply react with kindness and move on.  That’s not to say that you have to be a pushover or let people use and abuse you. Remember your boundaries and kindly but firmly stand your ground. Choose to move on and live a happy life! It will discourage those who are against you and inspire those closest to you to also m...

Taking breaks is very important in life. You need to learn when to rest, not when to quit. There are so many tasks that are brought about in your daily life, and while you can do them all, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can do all of them on that day. There will be times where you won’t be able to accomplish everything that you have on your to-do list, and that’s okay. Your body and your mind both need to take breaks, especially if you’re feeling overworked and tired. The thing that you need to remember is that whenever you get tired, learn to rest yourself rather than to quit. You can only do so much before you burn yourself out, so remember to take time for yourself to relax and refresh. Taking regular breaks helps you to reset and reconnect with yourself, so you should always set aside time for a break, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Any amount of time helps as long as you’re able to take a breath and regain your focus. You’re always going to have something on your to-do...

Hey, you! Stop worrying about what goes on in other people’s lives. Since the invention of social media, it has been especially easy to keep up with aspects of everyone’s lives. Before that, we really didn’t know what our co-workers were eating for dinner or doing on their weekends unless we talked about it face-to-face. Shift the focus back to yourself and your life, and stop worrying about what so-and-so has going on in theirs. Another important tidbit of information to keep in mind is that it’s not healthy to envy other people. You should be content with the things that you have and the life that you have, rather than wanting a life that someone else is living. Don’t lose yourself in the lives of other people. Live your life free of the worry of what other people might think of you. You have nothing to prove to anyone, so don’t let yourself get lost in needing others’ opinions. Living life to the fullest means living your life to the fullest, not someone else’s. Being yourself can ...

Making progress toward your goals isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight; you won’t get the fruits of your labor if you only just planted the seeds! Before you can begin to see the results, you must exercise patience and give room for growth and change. Progress takes time to bloom, and that’s something that you always need to remind yourself of. When you are not seeing results, it can be easy to give up; this is why most people quit! Because the growth is not happening quickly enough, people give up and assume that what they’re doing isn’t working for them, but in actuality, they probably would have noticed changes if they had persisted a little longer. All that matters is that you are making some effort toward your goal, no matter how little the progress may be! Even if it’s not as much progress as you would like to be making, any progress towards your goal is good; all you have to do is remember to be patient. We’ve all heard the saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but...

Rather than focusing on the mistakes of the past, you should make room in your mind and heart for better things. Regret is not something you should be holding onto; it has no place in your life. All it does is take up space and make you feel bad about things that you can’t change. Why should your life today be dictated by the mistakes you made in the past? When you’re feeling regret, you should take a tip from the ocean and let the waves come and go. Grab a bodyboard if you have to and ride it through to the end, or a surfboard if the waves are a little high. The point is, you need to learn to let the waves of regret come and go; don’t try to hang onto them, or you risk drowning yourself.  One of the secrets to living a happy life is letting go. If you can’t let things go, then you’re going to find yourself in a very bitter and frustrated state of being. Regret will only continue to drag you further and further down into a rabbit hole of stress and depression. Try concentrating on ...

Your goals are not unattainable; you’re just not working hard enough! This is a reminder to get back on track if you feel like you have been slacking off or that you are struggling right now. Remember why you committed to making a change in your life; don’t let yourself hold you back from accomplishing your goals. Everybody, including me, needs a little encouragement or a reminder now and then! It can be easy to fall off the wagon, to lose an ongoing workout streak, or to not remember to drink enough water, so a little reminder can go a long way. You need to remember why you started. Don’t get discouraged if you end up slacking off for a day or two; there is still plenty of time to catch up and reach your goals. Try not to lose sight of the reason you began this journey in the first place. You are able to achieve anything you set your mind to, even the hard things! Just because you had a rough day does not mean you have to give up. There are plenty of chances for you to restart and giv...

While it is true that your thoughts have the power to change your life, sometimes you need to take action in order to back up the thoughts in your head. Actions speak louder than words, after all! You need to make sure that your actions reflect your mindset, because you could cause serious damage if they don't. If you say that you’re patient, but then turn around and berate the waitress for bringing you the wrong thing on a really busy night, are you truly patient, or do you just think that you’re patient? You can think a lot of things about yourself, but if your actions aren’t reflecting those statements, were they ever true to begin with? You need to evaluate the things that you say to and about yourself and look at the actions that you take to prove those statements true. You need to learn to practice what you preach, essentially. If all you do is think about improving yourself, you will never reach your goals in life; you have to put in the effort to improve yourself as well! Y...

Starting a new project can be challenging, particularly in the beginning. The thing that you need to remember is that you are doing this for your future self. The goals that you set are for you; they’re so you have an easier time down the road. Sometimes you have to work hard now so that you can relax later on. In order to live a better life in the future, you must position yourself for success now. This may require working hard and possibly even doing things you do not particularly want to do. The question that you need to ask yourself is: Would you rather feel regret or relief when you look back a few weeks, months, or even years from now? Everything that you do for yourself should, in turn, help yourself out later on. Taking some time to yourself before bed to relax and unwind helps you out the next morning when you wake up refreshed. Putting aside one dollar a day could help you out later on when an unexpected expense comes your way. You never know what life is going to throw at yo...

A person's level of happiness is always based on their perspective. Your attitude and your thoughts and feelings about your own life are all that determine happiness. I firmly believe that "mindset = life," which means that your perspective on life will determine how you feel about it. Since your mindset directly affects your life, it stands to reason that a positive outlook on life will be reflected in your life as a whole. Being happy is more than just always having a positive outlook on life; it also involves learning to accept the things in your life that you cannot change and finding contentment in the now. You are one step closer to living a happier life when you can let go of the things that you have no control over. You shouldn’t stress yourself out over the things that you can’t control. If you can change it, then change it! If you can’t, let it go from your mind. Another important factor in leading a happy life is contentment. You have to learn to accept your li...

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Today is all about love, but shouldn’t it be that way every day? Yes, some stores are having sales, and some restaurants are offering specials for dinner, but don't you think that we should be showing each other love every single day? It is not necessary to schedule a special day to show your love for someone, especially your partner. You should be loving them and showing that you love them every day! Your actions and words should be motivated by love, which should be at the core of who you are and what drives you. You should always act with love in everything you do. You can’t go wrong when you make love the very core of everything that you do or say. You shouldn’t wait for the right moment to do something out of love; every single moment is the ideal time to act out of or for love. I believe that love is the true reason for everything. I believe that we were put here to love and be loved. Why not make love the center of your existence? There are s...

When you hear the word "investment," you will frequently find yourself thinking about money, banks, finances, and similar topics. Investing can be about more than just your money; it can also be about your health and happiness, as well as discovering joy and meaning in your life. Self-investment is making time for yourself and remembering to put your needs and well-being first in order to better yourself and your quality of life.  Similar to financial investments, you need to examine the habits that you have in your everyday life. Are you spending too much energy on something that really isn’t worth your time? Could you put your energy into something more productive? Examining the way that you spend your energy is a good starting point. Take a look at your life and notice if there are any bad habits that you should give up or that you could replace with something more productive and helpful to your well-being.  Maintaining boundaries in your life is another way that you can s...

There are bad things in life that we cannot always avoid. Something negative will happen eventually, but do not worry—you can handle it! With greater experience and knowledge to take on the world, you will overcome this setback and emerge stronger than before. Unfortunate events occur so that we can learn from them. The knowledge you gain will be useful to you in the future when you encounter a similar situation.  You will grow through the things that are bothering you and overcome whatever it is that you are going through at the moment. You are resilient and strong enough to handle a lot in this life. It is not a good idea to trouble yourself with the idea that you will never get through something. Remind yourself that you are capable of overcoming anything! That doesn’t mean you will not occasionally reflect on the negative, but you shouldn’t dwell on it. You have to eventually get over your self-pitying thoughts and move on. All things return in time, but you more than anything!...

Hey, remember that thing that you wanted to do? Keep working for it! Just because you had a bad day does not mean you should give up on your goals. If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it! Do not forget the reasons behind your goals. Let this post act as a gentle reminder for you to complete the tasks you started! You may be feeling discouraged and unmotivated right now, and you may feel as if you don’t want to do anything at all, but try to keep in mind why you began and why you made the commitment to change your life.  Do not let yourself get lazy; there is a reason you are still thinking about it. Keep moving in the direction of your objectives and have the motivation to see them through to completion. You will succeed in reaching your goals if you are persistent, patient, and determined. Maintain your motivation to see the progress you want to see in your life and to accomplish your goals, but particularly on the days when you are feeling down. If you wan...

Your life's philosophy will ultimately shape the way you live it. Happy thoughts will bring you happiness, but sad thoughts will bring you a life of misery. It is said that you become what you think, and this statement could not be more accurate. Consider your daily routine. Are you under stress? Are you satisfied? What kinds of things cross your mind every day? Which feelings are associated with your thoughts? If you had stress-free, optimistic thoughts, just picture the kind of life you could lead. It is imperative that you discover a method for eliminating pessimistic ideas from your life and beginning to concentrate on constructive and encouraging ones. Though it may seem hard, especially if you are stuck in a rut right now, I can assure you that it is not as hard as you think to change your thoughts! It all begins with replacement: swapping out negative thoughts for constructive ones. As soon as a negative thought begins to cross your mind, you can take action. When something ...

Having self-respect is a sign of self-love. Setting boundaries for oneself and making sure you are taking care of your needs are important aspects of self-respect that go far beyond just getting dressed and going to work. Saying yes to everything that comes your way without considering the advantages and disadvantages is as sensible as acting without regard for yourself. Self-respect entails knowing when to say no, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and refraining from overworking oneself to the point of exhaustion because you believe that is what is expected of you. Respect for yourself is reflected in taking care of yourself and refraining from acting in ways that are damaging or demeaning to yourself. A lack of self-respect is evident when you consistently overspend, get completely wasted every time you go out and find yourself forgetting what you did that evening, or overindulge in foods you know are unhealthy. You do not have enough self-respect to know when enough is e...

Even if you only make tiny steps toward your goal, any progress is still better than none at all. The little steps are what really count, in my opinion. While taking large steps toward your goals can be beneficial, what about all the smaller ones you could be doing in between? They are very important. You will ultimately benefit from any small step you take toward achieving your objectives. No matter how big the steps are, what matters is that you are moving in the direction of your goal and not away from it. Progress is progress, no matter how small or how big. It is common to hear that you must work tirelessly to achieve your objectives, and although that may be true, you should not exhaust yourself doing so. It is impossible to give it your all all the time. Even if you occasionally contribute a little less to your goals, it does not mean you stop caring about them. Sometimes, less is more in the long run.  As long as you continue to think about your goals, they will not go away...

Whether we want to or not, we all need to step outside of our comfort zones from time to time. Life will always throw something in your way that makes you have to leave your comfort zone, but the truth is, you should be actively seeking out challenging situations. What would life be without the occasional challenge? You can only grow when you are able to confront uncomfortable or frightening situations and leave your comfort zone behind. The truth is that great things never come from comfort zones; they come from outside them. Take a look at the great innovators of history! If someone had not stepped outside of their comfort zone and tried something different, would we still have the modern conveniences we do today? The same can be said for you. Are you prepared to give up your cozy surroundings in favor of exciting new experiences? Or would you prefer to cling to the comforts of your life?  It can mean a lot to step outside of your comfort zone—exploring new locations, getting to ...

Change is something that we experience a lot in life—good and bad. Sometimes, you might get the want and the desire to make a change in your life, but you’re not doing anything to enact that change, and that’s where the problems come in. You can’t expect to see a change in your life if you never get around to making one—or several, depending on the goal that you have in mind. Sometimes, one change just won’t cut it, and it might feel like you need to overhaul your entire life. The truth is, making a bunch of changes to your lifestyle overnight is entirely unrealistic. Making small changes to your habits over the course of time will get you to where you want to be faster than re-doing your entire life in a day will. The fact is, if you never even make a change, you’ll never get to where you want to be, no matter how badly you want it. The life that you want won’t just get handed to you like everything else is nowadays; you have to actually get off of the couch and put in the work yourse...

Life is full of ups and downs, and we can't always avoid the downsides of life. Humans are very resilient, able to withstand so much in life, so it's no wonder that we're always experiencing stressful situations. We wouldn't experience bad situations if we weren't able to overcome them, and one of the best ways that you can overcome them is by focusing on the good things in life rather than letting the bad consume your thoughts. Life is what you make of it, not what you think of it; there will always be twists and turns, but it's how you handle them that matters.  When something stressful or frustrating gets thrown your way, take a step back, and take a moment to think about how you should respond. Is it smart to go into panic mode? Is it something that you should be genuinely concerned about? If it is, then what are some steps that you can take right now to make the situation less stressful on you? Asking questions is the best way to get anywhere with anything....

Remember to always be mindful of the words that you say, not just to others, but to yourself as well. You need to be careful with the words and tone that you use when speaking to yourself; don’t talk down to yourself and don’t be overly critical of yourself. The words that you say to yourself will ultimately determine how you feel about yourself. If you’re always saying negative things about yourself, then you’re probably going to feel frustrated with yourself or even depressed. When you talk more kindly and positively about yourself, you will be pleasantly surprised that you will feel more positive about yourself as well. There are a few changes that you can make in the way that you talk to yourself. For example, if you feel as though you’ve failed at something, don’t say “I’m a failure,” instead, you could use this opportunity to be more positive, and say to yourself “I tried my best.” Don’t be so hard on yourself. Challenge those negative thoughts and fight them with positive ones!...

Living the life of your dreams might seem like a far-fetched idea, but in reality, your dream life is much closer than you think! It all starts by making small, positive changes in your everyday life that will bring you closer and closer to the kind of life that you want to live. You might be reading this and thinking that one small change won't do you any good, or that you'll always be stuck in this rut you’re in, but I promise you that one small step a day will bring you closer to where you want to be.  I often talk about gratitude, and how a positive life begins and ends with a thankful heart. Gratitude is just one small change that you can make today! An attitude of gratitude is actually scientifically proven to boost your mood, so why not give it a go? I challenge you right now to think of one thing that you are thankful for. It can be anything from the sunrise to someone you love to that random dog you saw while out. Don't read the rest of this post until you have one...

I want to start this morning’s post off with a question: what is really worth your energy? What are you spending your time on? Your thoughts? Maybe there’s something in your life that you’re putting a lot of thought and energy towards, when you really shouldn’t be. It’s easy to fall into the habit of focusing on things that aren’t truly worth your time. Drama, gossip, negative thoughts, negative people, negative situations—all of these things are energy vampires. They’ll drain you of all of the energy you have, energy that could have been spent on things that matter to you, like your wellbeing, your family, your finances, your hobbies, or your career. Don’t spend your life wasting your energy on negativity, but instead focus your energy onto the things that are worth it. There is always something out there that’s going to pull your energy. Just take the news as an example. There is always something negative being broadcasted across the waves; do you really want to spend your life aroun...

It’s February! The month of love and romance! Valentine’s Day is just under two weeks away now, arriving, as always, on the 14th, which is the same day I welcomed Tank into the family and sealed my fate as a Jeeper. Four years after joining the Jeep Cult, meeting a few Jeeple friends, and a few rubber ducks later, my relationship with Tank is still going strong.  A little backstory on Valentine’s Day for you all—it started out as a Roman holiday, back when they were pagans, of course. It was called Lupercalia, and it was a fertility and agricultural festival. The holiday was to honor Lupa, a she-wolf who, according to Roman mythology, had cared for and nursed two human twins—Romulus and Remus—after they had been abandoned in the wilderness. It is said that Romulus went on to found the city of Rome. Lupercalia was also dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, given that this was a good time of the year to start sowing seeds and praying for a good harvest at the end of the ...