The Grateful Post

So, I figured that tomorrow I probably will not be able to write out this post due to a super busy family day, so I wanted to get it out there in the world tonight.

First and foremost, happy thanksgiving to you all. I hope that today you take a moment and be grateful for the little things, reflect on the positives and think on how the negatives can be turned around. I am thankful for this blog(s) being part of my life and sharing pieces of myself with my readers.

The big question of thanksgiving: What are you thankful for?

Here are some highlights of the year so far:

I guess this is a great time to just reflect on the year that has been quickly speeding past my eyes. I am so thankful to have been able to go to Israel this past summer. I never actually expected myself to go there and absorb the culture and all the different lifestyles. But, this past summer I found myself getting on a plane with at least 50 other college students and flying 6,774 miles away from home. It was thrilling, and scary all at the same because I didn't know what to expect. But, it has been one of my favorite experiences of my life, not only did I see a remarkable magical country, but I made an Isreali and brand new San Diego family. I am fortunate to have met amazing people and best of all tasted some of the best food in the world. But, my favorite part was swimming under a waterfall, and singing "Lean on me", at the top of my lungs and trying laughing yoga for the first time.

Within this very short year, I am super grateful to have gone through the Landmark forum. One thing that I gained from being a part of it was that I WILL lead an EXTRAORDINARY life. Which means, that the possibility of doing special effects makeup and becoming licensed in cosmetology isn't that far off. And while we are creating possibilities, I am creating the possibility that by 2018 I will be a licensed yoga instructor. So, in short this past couple months taught me that I can create anything I want in my life. And I am grateful that I have the power to lead a happy and colorful life. If you can dream it, you can do it.

And although this year has been full of events that changed my life and I am grateful for each and everyone of them, I am most grateful for the people that are in my life. I am absolutely thankful to have a pair of amazing parents, I give them a run for their money for sure. But, they have loved and accepted me for the person I am and support me to be the best person I can be, and I can not thank them enough for that. I am blessed and thankful to have a dad who adopted me as his own and is my best friend. I am thankful for a mom, who has never given up on me, even on my worst days she has always been there to support me and to challenge me. I am grateful for the new friendships and relationships that have entered my life, and stronger connections with my kitty fam, skittles and Lo lo. I am grateful for new adventures with a wonderful a man I am lucky to call my boyfriend. Thank you for going along with all my crazy ideas,being my friend, telling me stories and allowing me to have my chocolate chip cookies before "real" dinner.  I am blessed to know you and am thankful for having you part of my life.

To many, many, new adventures.

To close this one off, I am extremely thankful for being an artist, yogi and a writer, for this blog, my novel, my youtube videos, make-up projects and photography.  I am absolutely 110 percent grateful to let my soul be part of my passions and let people experience who I am through my work.

Know that you are loved, valued and perfect the way you are. You can do anything that you want and no dream of yours is unreachable.

One Love,

Rina

Every Rose has a Thorn

I haven't sat down and written one of these for a VERY long time. But, I have actually missed it a little.

So, I am not  going to sugar coat it, I'm just going to write. I don't know how this is going to turn out. But, here it goes.

The past few days I have been really questioning life. I came to the conclusion that we live like we are invincible. When in reality, the time we have on this earth is so precious and so limited. We just don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. And although we don't know this, we still live life as if one day something magical is going to click in our brains and all of a sudden we will be able to reach our dreams, talk to that one person that has been on our mind, make a lot of money or drop 10 pounds.

But, lets step back. What the hell is stopping you? And the only thing that comes into my mind is FEAR!!!!

We are all frightened, even the bravest of us are afraid. We are afraid of being vulnerable and we fear rejection. At least those are some of my common fears. But, what does it all really mean? Does it mean that you are REJECTED,  and UNWANTED? Or is that something that you told yourself you are.  Does being VULNERABLE make you weak or do we tell ourselves that if we are truly authentic and brutally honest with ourselves that we are going to be weak. So, we sit here analyzing situations and creating barrier after barrier. But, the whole irony in this is, that we are waiting for someone to come help you break those barriers down.  These barriers are like layers in the winter that we keep putting on. But, we have the power to take those barriers down. You are powerful, you are strong, and  you can do anything.

I guess that brings me to my thoughts from the last couple days.... Starting with Today!

Today, someone said " I noticed that you have been sad." The saying I had heard about twice already. And yes, I have been sad because I used to know a beautiful person, that is no longer here with us. And I want to shout from the top of my lungs, "It wasn't enough time." But, no one choses how much time they get. I want to beg for a do over.  To get to know a person all over again. To be OPEN.

I guess my barrier is regret. Regret for not making the most of every single situation. So, I am challenging myself to get to know people without have regrets. Which would mean I will have to be vulnerable.

But, that FEAR that we have keeps us from being real with a people from the first moment you meet them. So, I would like to think that we only have 24 hours to really get to know a person. How are they going to change your life? How are you going to change their life?

So, I challenge you to be vulnerable with one person in the next few days, to really get to know them. Even people that you may have known your whole life can become strangers as we get caught up in the  hectic events of our daily lives. Open up, and share your dreams, share your story, share your LOVE.  And remember people are dying to get to know you, be open to the possibility of letting them.

xoxo,

Rina