Carissa Mae Whaddya Say

Change comes in all forms, and sometimes, those forms can be quite beautiful! You never know the changes that could occur by choosing different paths in your life. Change can be a difficult road sometimes, but you have to remember that the most beautiful views come from the hardest climbs. It’s easy to get used to the way things are now; the thought of changing anything about it is almost incomprehensible. The thought of change can be scary sometimes, too. You might feel a bit uneasy at the thought of changing the way things are, or even uncomfortable, but sometimes those changes could be for the better. You just need to learn to let go of the things that you can’t control and stay calm in the face of change. You shouldn’t fear change, but rather, you should learn to embrace it to the best of your ability. When you stop changing, you stop living. Change will always be a constant, as ironic as that sounds; change is around us and within us every single day of our lives. Sure, there can ...

Bitterness and resentment will never get you anywhere in life. You need to learn to let go of the things that no longer serve you in order to live the kind of life that you want. You won’t be able to have a good, peaceful life if you’re bitter all of the time. You must let go of any past regrets or any hate that you hold in your heart if you are to move on with your life. You will never be able to live a life free from pain and regret if you’re constantly dwelling on that pain and regret. Let the past be the past and move on with your life. I know that it can be hard to do so, but all of the pain that you feel will only weigh you down in the end, and it’s never good to add unnecessary baggage to your load of life. How you live the life that you’re given will ultimately determine the type of life that you live. You can’t expect a life full of sunshine and rainbows if you’re constantly walking through dark shadows and storm clouds. The thing is that most storms end with sunshine and rain...

We all have limitations to the things that we can do, but your limits aren’t always going to be the same as someone else’s. There are going to be things that you can do that someone else can’t, just like there’s going to be things that you struggle with that someone else can do perfectly. We are all capable of doing great things, but our individual skills are always going to be different from one another’s. Problems only start to arise when someone tells you that you can’t or won’t be able to do something. They don’t know what your limits are; they only know their own. When someone tells you that you can’t do something, that is purely a reflection of them and has nothing to do with your own capabilities. You know what you can and cannot do; don’t take slander from someone that you wouldn’t take advice from. Other people’s limitations should have no bearing on how you live your life or what you can accomplish. You shouldn’t let other people hold you back from achieving great things just...

We should make the most of every single day, even if we’re stuck at work. Doing the kind of work I do, I’m able to pop in earbuds and listen to good music all day. (And have very strange and weird conversations with co-workers; let’s be honest here.) Music, I feel, always helps you out, no matter what sort of mood you’re currently in. There is a song out there for every single emotion.  For me, I like to listen to heavier stuff. Gojira, Koᴙn, and Ice Nine Kills, just to name a few, but I also throw in some electro swing every now and then. (Anything by Wolfgang Lohr is amazing.) I make the most of my work time by listening to good music and taking walks outside whenever possible. Fresh air will do wonders for your mental health; I recommend that everyone try it out sometime. You don’t need to spend your days being miserable at work. Not when there are so many other things out there to be happy about and thankful for! For one, you could be thankful that you have a job and that you a...

No matter where you are or where you go in life, always remember to stay kind. The world could always use more kind souls to help dispel the negativity when things get bad. I always say that you never know what a kind word or a smile could help accomplish, especially for a stranger who is going through rough times. We are all fighting battles, and we are all struggling with something, so why not choose to be kind in any situation? Being kind is something that we can all strive to do more of, especially in a world where people are so quick to judge and to hate. You don’t need to argue or be angry to get your point across; you can instead talk calmly to one another, particularly when you have differing views on something. We don’t need to argue about how people live their lives or about politics, not when we’re perfectly capable of keeping a cool head and actually discussing the topic like adults. Having differing opinions is what makes us human, but that doesn’t mean that we should let ...

What is the meaning of life? I did a post similar to this a few months ago, I believe. Contrary to popular belief, life is not suffering. Life simply is, and it is whatever you make of it. If you believe that life is suffering, then it will be, but if you believe that life is a wonderful gift to be experienced, then it will be. Your mindset is a powerful tool when it comes to deciding the kind of life that you want to live. The reality of the matter is that you can’t outrun the bad things that life will inevitably throw at you, but you must learn to endure and adapt to the challenges that life will offer you. Life won’t always be sunshine and butterflies, but that doesn’t mean that you need to let your surroundings dictate how you think and feel about life. You can instead choose to view life in a positive light and to appreciate all of the little joys that come your way. Life isn’t a puzzle to solve; rather, it’s something that you should simply experience and cherish. The gift of lif...

They say that old habits die hard, but what happens when those habits aren’t all that good for you? What if you find yourself spiraling into a pit of bad choices and even worse habits for your life? There is actually a psychological explanation for this! The thing is, the bad habits that you have are familiar to you. Your brain knows what it is and what to expect out of it, so it clings on to that. We are programmed to hold onto familiarity; this is why we stick to routines and don’t like when they get thrown off course. Just because something is familiar to you, however, doesn’t mean that it’s doing you any good. Even though you might be used to things being a certain way, that doesn’t mean that they should be that way. You have the power to change the way things run in your life, so why not use your power to change things for the better? You shouldn’t fall back into familiarity if it costs you your health and wellbeing. You should instead try to find a good habit that can counteract ...

We do so much in our lives on a day-to-day basis, but how much of it is actually worth our time? Are you missing out on the amazing things that this world has to offer because you were stuck inside your phone? You need to learn to prioritize the things that matter in your life. Learn to put down the phone whenever possible and fully immerse yourself in your surroundings. Life is meant to be lived, so make sure you’re putting in enough time out of the day to actually live it instead of just letting it pass you by. If you’re constantly spending your time on otherwise meaningless tasks, how can you be sure that you’re actually living your life to the best of your ability? You need to reevaluate what you deem to be valuable in your life. Take note of the things that make you truly happy and that bring you joy. Spending time with your friends, enjoying one of your hobbies, or even just sitting outside in nature. Whatever makes you happy, those are the things that truly matter in your life, ...

Gratitude is a powerful tool. It helps you to appreciate the things, people, and experiences that you have around you rather than wish you had more. The thing is, there will always be someone out there who wishes that they had what you do. Whether that’s a house, a car, clean water, warmth, or food to eat, someone out there is wanting the things that you take for granted every single day. Every day is a chance for you to take the time to appreciate the things that you have. There are many things that you could want, but when you take the time to experience gratitude, you realize that those things are probably unnecessary because you have all that you need right here, right now. There are so many incredible and wondrous things that could be added to your list of gratitude! You don’t have to live a life of misery and depression. When you can appreciate the things that you have, you’ll instantly lift your mood and help yourself to see the brighter side of things. There is always something...

People are going to do whatever they want, regardless of what you think about it. What matters is that you don’t let other people’s words or actions dictate how the rest of your day is going to pan out. You can’t control how other people act, but you can control how you react to the situation. Don’t let a rude or condescending person ruin your entire day because of one little thing they did or said. One thing that someone does or says shouldn’t ruin your whole day because, chances are, what they did was mere seconds out of the rest of your day. You have all of these other minutes and hours to go! Why spend your time dwelling on one thing that was barely a minute out of your day? There are so many other things that you could be focusing your attention on! People will be people, and you can’t always stop them from acting however they’re going to act, but you can choose how you react to them. You don’t need to make one interaction with a stranger the sole focus of your day. Even if the pe...

Many times throughout your life, it will feel as though your insecurities are seeping through much more than anything else in your life. It will be hard, and you will struggle against yourself on occasion, but who doesn’t? There are people out there who exude confidence like nobody’s business, but don’t you think that even they also suffer from their own insecurities? Their own flaws and weaknesses? Because they definitely do. Nobody is perfect, but sometimes the confidence that you see in others is merely a mask to hide their own imperfections and flaws that they think they can’t show to people. The thing is, we’re all flawed! Our insecurities will sometimes speak louder than we will, but only if we let them. You need to let go of the things that you think are “wrong” with you and learn to embrace yourself for who you are, as you are. It can be hard to stay confident when it feels like you're showing off all of your flaws and weaknesses, but confidence is silent. It’s when you’re ...

You can never be too careful when wandering through this world; always be sure to carry a little extra sunshine with you wherever you go! Especially for those days when you just can’t seem to find it, and if you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine! You also never know if someone you cross paths with needs a little extra sunshine in their life, so it never hurts to carry some in your back pocket, just in case. There are going to be some days where the clouds keep hanging over your head and people’s words or actions feel like raindrops on your skin and in your mind. It’s days like that where your own sunshine can come in handy to dispel the clouds, stop the rain from falling, and keep things in a positive, happy light. Never leave your house, or even your bed, without first grabbing hold of that light within you.  It never hurts to let your light shine for others as well. You never know what someone else is going through, and you can often brighten someone’s day simply by existi...

Life is full of choices for us to make, both good and bad. Problems arise when you’re making choices that don’t align with the way that you want your life to be going. When you’re not taking the time to think through your decisions and weigh out the pros and cons of every situation, you could find yourself in a tight spot relatively quickly.  Ask yourself, “What kind of life am I trying to build?” Start from there! If you want a positive life, you need to make decisions that are going to have a positive outcome. When you ask yourself questions about the kind of life that you want to live, you often find things that you need to clear out.  Consider a spring cleaning for your life! Today is the perfect day for that, since it is the first day of spring, after all! Your home is not the only thing that needs to be cleaned out every once in a while; you also need to clean out your life. Your habits, your mindset, the people that you hang out with—all of that needs a spring cleaning ...

Life is an adventure, so it makes sense that adventures fill your soul. Living in routine can be comfortable, but it can also become confining if you allow it to be. You need to learn to let go sometimes and to just let life take you on an adventure or two, even if it’s a random weekend trip, going to a new restaurant every other week, or taking a day trip out to a place you’ve never been before.  There is always something new for you to discover, so why not seek it out? You weren’t meant to stay cooped up at your house all day. You were meant to venture out, to explore, and to discover new and wonderful things in the world around you. Life is meant to be lived, so take any and every opportunity that you can to get out there and enjoy it! You don’t need to spend your week doing the same old, same old all of the time; you’re allowed to shake things up and change your routine a little bit. I think that one of the best things that you could ever do for your overall health and well-bei...

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone! I’m sure most of your homes are going to be filled with the smell of corned beef and cabbage today. I know mine will be, as is tradition. I made up a grasshopper pie yesterday, and it’s currently in the freezer, waiting to be unleashed later today. What are y’all’s plans for today? I’ll be out jeeping in Francis Marion National Forest with a group of amazing jeepers I’m proud to call my friends. On another note, since today seems to revolve around luck and good fortune, I just want to take a moment to wish you all luck in anything that you do or that you’re going to do. You can accomplish anything that you put your mind to! If it doesn’t work out the first time around, you can always come back to it and try again, using the knowledge that you will have gained from your first try. I hope you all have a wonderful St. Patty’s Day, that you eat a lot of good food today, and that you take the day to just rest and relax. If you’re working today, I hope th...

It can sometimes feel like your to-do list is ever-growing and that you’ll never catch up on all of the things that you mean to do, but you will get there! You might not get there in a day, but sometimes things take time, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not checking off everything on your list. Even if you only check off a few things, that’s more than enough. You have to remember that you’re doing the best that you can with what you have. Some days, you won’t be able to get everything done, and that’s okay! What matters is that you do what you can. You only have so many hours in the day, and it’s okay if you miss a task or two because you also need to remember to take time to rest and recharge as well. Resting is just as important as the tasks that you have on your list, so you shouldn’t throw your down time under the bus. Remember to take care of yourself in the middle of all of your tasks and to-do lists; you really won’t get anything done if you’re running around on an empty ...

We are all guilty of making excuses in our lives. Whether it’s an excuse not to work out or an excuse not to go somewhere, excuses are extremely prevalent and easy to make. Opportunity, however, seldom comes, so we should take every opportunity that we can in order to grow in our lives and to see and do things that we might not otherwise do. Excuses are easy to make when you don’t have the motivation or the desire to continue on with something. The thing that you need to remember is that you started working on it for a reason, so tap into your “”why” and keep going! Never give up on the things that you want to achieve because of a simple excuse. Opportunity will knock on your door someday, but what matters is your response to it. Do something different for a change! Go to that restaurant you’ve never been to, order something different than your “usual,” talk to people that you never would have otherwise, or take a different route home from work. Opportunities are all around us; we just...

You shouldn’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from. If someone is telling you that you won’t be able to achieve something or to get your head out of the clouds, you need to ask yourself why you’re listening to them in the first place. If you wouldn’t seek counsel from this person, why are you bothering yourself with accepting criticism from them? It’s one thing for someone to give you friendly advice on a topic; it’s another for them to completely disregard your dreams as nothing but fantasy.  You don’t need to listen to people who aren’t supporting you or your dreams. In fact, the people who are trying to dissuade you from accomplishing your goals and dreams probably don’t want to see you succeed anyway. Seeing someone else succeed takes a toll on their ego. They want to be that successful, and they can’t stand to see someone else living the kind of life that they want.  The best thing you can do is to simply keep up the good work! Keep doing what you’re ...

Nothing is more important in this world than making certain that you are calm, safe, and at peace. Venturing out of your comfort zone is good and can be incredibly beneficial, but if you’re putting yourself and your well-being at risk by doing so, is it truly worth it? Topics and people who disrupt your peace will always exist, but that doesn’t mean that you have to force yourself to sit through an uncomfortable situation. It doesn’t matter if everyone else is doing something; what matters is your inner peace.  If it disturbs you, don’t bother with it. If it stresses you out, avoid it. If it makes you angry, then definitely try to avoid it and not bother with it. Politics is bad for that last one. It’s why I keep all of my political opinions more or less to myself. There’s no need to argue about things that can be easily discussed in a calm manner. I know several people who hold differing opinions than me—political and otherwise—and I don’t really discuss those kinds of topics with...

Life is meant to be lived, not to be worried about. Get out there and live your life to the best of your ability. Do things differently, eat healthy, be weird, drive a different route on the way back home from work, and take in the sights wherever you go.  Worrying only causes you more stress and anxiety, and most of the things that you worry about really have no basis in your life to be worrying about. You don’t need to worry about what so-and-so is doing. Focus on you and your life, because life is full of adventure! You don’t need to constantly worry about every single aspect of your life—what you look like, how you dress, or what music you listen to. You’re not supposed to fit in with the “in crowd.” You’re supposed to live your life for yourself and do the things that you enjoy. Focus on the things that you can control; don’t worry about the things that you can’t change. Your life is yours to live; it is not something to be controlled or dictated by someone else’s will. No one...

The people who truly love you and love who you are will never try to change you into something that you’re not. They won’t try to pressure you into doing things that you’re not comfortable doing. They will always try to accommodate you and help you figure things out if you need help. True friends will be there when you need it, not only when they need something. You can’t help everyone, and sometimes people might not want to be helped, but you shouldn’t constantly be going out of your way to help a friend if that’s all they ever ask of you. Friendships, relationships—they all go two ways. You’re there for them, and they’re there for you; it shouldn’t be a one-way street. It can be easy to feel pressured into helping out a friend whenever they come to you for assistance, but if that’s all that relationship has become, it’s now more of a liability on your end. If someone is only coming to you when they need something, that’s not a friendship anymore; that’s business. Any friendship or re...

Taking the time to truly understand someone is much harder than making a quick, ill-informed judgment about them. You can learn so much more about a person when you try to understand them for who they are rather than judging them. It feels like not many people actually take the time to talk to one another and to learn things about each other these days; it seems like everyone is so quick to judge someone else for one little thing that they did instead of taking the time to fully understand the whole story. Judgment is easily passed without a second thought, but understanding is something that takes time to cultivate. Sometimes, it takes mere minutes to understand why someone acts the way they do, and other times, it could take years. What matters in any situation is mutual understanding between one another. You don’t have to agree on everything, but taking the time to talk and to discuss your differences in a calm manner will lead to a deeper form of respect and understanding between e...

There is absolutely no need to hate anything about yourself. You should be loving who you are, inside and out. Hate has no place in your life, including any hate that you have towards yourself. A lot of us have aspects of ourselves that we dislike, but we shouldn’t, and we shouldn’t dwell on them either. You need to learn to accept yourself as you are and love yourself for who you are, rather than hating yourself for something that you’re not. If there is something that you dislike about yourself, I want you to think about it. Can you change it? If so, do it! Turn yourself into the person that you want to become! And if you can’t change it, then acceptance is the next thing that you need to work on. Learn to accept yourself for who you are, regardless of where you are on your journey. Love needs to be the center of your being—for life, for others, and especially for yourself. Don’t leave yourself out of your circle of love; never deny yourself the love that you give to other people, an...

Life is meant to be lived, and lived to the fullest! Why save your “nice things” for special occasions when every single day is a special occasion? Life itself is a special occasion and something to be celebrated each and every day! You shouldn’t have to set aside a reason to celebrate something, or a reason to dig out the fine china, or wear that outfit, or drink that bottle of wine. Every day is a reason to celebrate life and being alive.  Being alive is a celebration in and of itself, so you shouldn’t feel like you have to save things for special occasions because everything, every day, is a special occasion. There is always something to celebrate, and when you can view life itself as something worth celebrating, you’re on the path to living a happy, fulfilled life.  Life will always have its downs, though, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful or less worthy of celebrating. Things will always work out and get better, even if it takes a little longer than you might t...

Each day is a brand new opportunity to move closer to your goals and further away from the things that are holding you back. Every sunrise should be a reminder that yesterday is gone and there is only today. Each and every day, you should let go of the mistakes of yesterday and embrace a brand new, fresh start! Letting go of the past can be difficult, however. Our past regrets often have a way to come back and haunt us in the present, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your life as it is right now. There are still plenty of other things for you to do, and mistakes are hardly avoided in life. Everyone is going to make them, but what matters is that you don’t let your past ruin your present; let it go. Dwelling on the past won’t change what has happened; it will only make you fall deeper and deeper into the hole of regret. Regret doesn’t accomplish anything, and it won’t allow you to change what has already been done. The best thing that you can do is to simply accept the past, ac...

Worry does you no good; it only makes you overthink and stress yourself out over possible outcomes in a given situation. Outcomes, which may likely never even happen. When you worry, you put your mind to the worst-possible scenario, when in reality, the worst thing that you’re thinking of will probably not come close to happening at all. Worry and stress are killers of the mind and body. When you’re constantly worried that the worst will happen, it starts to weigh on your body as well. You feel tired, agitated, and just stressed out. You might not even sleep well at night. The first thing that you should be doing is looking at the root cause of what’s worrying you and taking steps from there to minimize your concern and start to view things in a more positive light. One of the best things that you can do to help is to maintain a mindset focused on the present moment. Focus on the one task that you need to accomplish right now, not tomorrow. Don’t worry about what tomorrow will bring; i...

Expectations can be a tricky thing to have, but we all have them. We expect people to treat us a certain way, and we expect that everything will always go according to the plan that we have made, but that’s not always the case. There are going to be times when your expectations are utterly ruined and things turn out the exact opposite of what you had planned. The best thing that you can do for your mental wellbeing is to keep your expectations low but appreciate everything that you get out of a situation, regardless of the outcome. There is always something to be learned, after all, in any situation, so no matter what happens, you will at least leave the situation having learned something new. Appreciation can go a long way, especially in a situation that has an outcome that differs from what you originally expected. It can help keep you centered and maintain a feeling of calmness and gratitude, no matter what happens. Always remember to keep an attitude of gratitude; there is always s...

Despite what society says, love is not a tricky subject. As long as you have love in your heart and love for everything that you do, you can never go wrong. Anything done out of love is something worth doing. Love is a multitude of things; it’s showing compassion, giving up your seat, cooking a meal, and saying a kind word. All of these things equate to love.  Love isn’t tricky; it can be a part of everything that we do! The world can always use a little more love in it, so whenever you have the opportunity to be kind or do something positive, do it! Every day, you make a conscious decision to choose love, whether it's for your hobbies, your career, or your family. Choosing love is always a win in the end.  Just like I spoke about yesterday, you never know what someone else is going through, so showing a little love, compassion, and kindness can go a long way. There is already so much negativity and hate in the world, so why not combat that with a little bit of love? Make it a...

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and I fully believe that’s true. It has a way of making you feel better and happier, despite whatever circumstances you may be facing in your life. If you can find something to laugh about every day, you’ll find yourself in a happier mindset than you were before. Laughter reminds you not to take everything too seriously and to let yourself relax and enjoy your life. Humor is something that brings people together and makes life a little more enjoyable, especially when you’re spending time with other fun people who share your sense of humor. A laugh, or even a smile, can go a long way. A smile to a passing stranger could make their day, and a quick joke with the cashier could help to lighten their mood. You never know what someone else is going through, so any opportunity you have to share a little kindness could do wonders. Laughter is a powerful tool for handling conflict as well. If you can make a joke and laugh about a problem you’re havin...

Today is a gift, and that’s why it’s called the present! Every moment of today, you have the choice to make decisions that will better yourself and your life; no one else can make these choices for you. You need to constantly remind yourself of your end goals and make a conscious effort to reach them. It’s easy to want to have control over everything that happens in your life, especially your future. In reality, the only moment that you have control over is the present. You can’t change the past, and your future is never guaranteed, so it makes sense that the only thing you can change is the present moment. Only you get to determine how your life is going to go, and you do that by making decisions in the present moment. Sure, you can help to curate the life that you want to live in the future by making good choices now, but that still involves using the present moment to help yourself out. You have to remember that sometimes things are going to happen that you have no control over; you...

It’s officially March! You know what that means—spring is closer than ever before! The spring equinox will take place this month on the 19th, a turning point that signifies warmer weather is just around the corner!  The Full Worm Moon will rise into the sky later this month on the night of March 24th, and Daylight Savings Time will return this month as well (finally, normal time), so don’t forget to set your clocks ahead the night before March 10th! Most electronic devices will do this automatically in the middle of the night, but for those of you with wall clocks or desktop clocks, you might want to change them. St. Patrick’s Day comes this month as well, happening, as always, on the 17th. Be sure to dig out the crockpot and make some corned beef and cabbage. Don’t forget to wear green! The holiday originally started out as a day to celebrate the spread of Christianity in Ireland; now it’s used to simply celebrate all things Irish!  As with most Saints’ Days, March 17th is sa...