What Matters Most In Life

  Life is short, too short, we don't think about that much, it's not something we ponder on a daily basis but it is a very real concept that regardless of us acknowledging it or not, guides many aspects and decisions we make in our lives. The more one is aware of death and the eventuality of it coming the more one can truly begin to live. Being aware of death doesn't mean living scared of what tomorrow might bring or giving up on the world and doing nothing, being aware of death means living life to the fullest everyday, waking up and facing life head on with new expectations and the readiness to pursue your dreams. Being aware of how little time we all have on this Earth opens our eyes to the things that truly matter, the things that will make our lives grand and allow us to live a life worth re-living.

   Family is the first thing that should pop into your head as we engage this topic, family is one of the most important aspects of life, it's a beautiful, complicated mess that brings rewards with it that nothing else in this world can bring. Maybe some of you don't have a biological family but have built your own group that serves as a family, people that love you and will forever be there for you, these people make life worth while. These are not the people that you don't have fights with, no, these people know you, they lived with you, they understand who you are and love you deeper than anyone else in the world loves you, so yes, there will be fights.

    There is no true friendship either in family on between close friends that is ever truly real without at one point there being a sharing of hatred between you two. At one point a decision had to be made, hearts were hurt and prides were shattered, and both of you were thrown against a wall and told to make a decision, fight to make this friendship work or give up and break this friendship forever. In family 9/10 times you have no choice so you forgive the other person and through this process you grow closer, conflict brings people together, even personal conflict, but with friends outside of family this forgiveness isn't mandatory hence why when it is done both friends share a love and respect for one another that is unique in it's own way, a respect that will last a lifetime.

    It is through truth that real relationships are made, this might seem like a simple concept but it isn't, most friends aren't honest with one another. You might have thought before "man, my best friend and I have never had a really big fight", yeah well, when honesty is not part of a friendship you definitely won't fight. Truth here is meant as one person being honest with the other about his or her own feelings, this is not about offending one another but being able to call each other out on your flaws, true friends help each other grow, that does not happen without a few fights along the way. This is the same concept about family, true growth comes from families helping each other grow, this is why one fights with parents a lot, because till you find a friend that call you out on your crap it is your parent's job to make sure you know you are not perfect, its not an easy job to say the least.

    Look around yourself today and acknowledge the people that have been there for you during your life, guiding you, inspiring you, challenging you, helping you grow, and tell them thank you, thank them for being there, most people never get a chance to thank their close friends and family for always being there. It's not a malicious sense of non-gratitude that causes people to not be open, it's just a sense of not seeing what's in front of you, not recognizing the blessings within your own life. So hug your family and tell them you love them, phone your close friends and do the same, sit down with them and have heart to heart conversations about life, for life is short, and this, in the end of the day is what matters most, loving the people around you, and living in a lifestyle of love.

  Love from your humble blogger,

Valentines Day Advice: Must Knows

     Valentine's Day is tomorrow, the time of year some of us love and some of us hate, generally having to do with whether you are single or not. It's a time of giving and love, about putting your significant other first and placing your needs aside, it can bring people together, re-unite couples, spark up your relationship even more, and by making the person you love happy you will be able to share in that happiness thus causing a spread of happiness, which is a beautiful thing. There are a few things that should be remembered though, some Valentine's Day tips that get forgotten, so listen up, this is must know stuff:

    Gifts

     People get caught up on buying extravagant gifts every Valentine's Day that comes around, this is not necessarily a bad thing but sometimes this cause some troubles for you later on. The first thing to remember is that 9 out of 10 times the small things matter more than the big things, so keeping it simple rather than extravagant can not only work in your advantage but also make a better gift than being absurd with gifts. A simple step that gets overlooked a lot is budgeting, you should always take your budget into consideration and make sure to purchase something you can afford. There are countless stories of love-struck people going out and getting themselves in debt because of Valentine's Day, so please be responsible with your money and remember that sometimes less is more, and that the small things matter more in the long run than the big things.

    Not About You

    It's interesting how Valentine's Day has become something so singular at times, every year we hear stories of boyfriends or girlfriends doing all the work and the other partner not doing anything for they feel like this day is only about them, this is a common fallacy among the world. Valentine's Day is about your partner, its about the people you love and appreciate, its a day where you put your needs aside and take your partner's wants and needs into consideration, not a day to be selfish. Of course this works in moderation here, you can dote on your partner and then allow for them to dote on you, that's logical of course, the issue comes in when a person doesn't understand that this day goes both ways, and that by being selfless this day takes on a new meaning in itself, a greater meaning.

     Not A Competition

     Valentine's Day is not a competition in fact by making it a competition some of the magic about the day is lost, competitions can occur in various forms, and all can ruin a perfectly good day. The most common and deadly form is the "couple competition", a couple trying to one up each other every year on most caring, or most gifts given, and so on, in the end of the day there is a winner and a loser, meaning there isn't equality and the whole point of being selfless goes out the window, by making it a competition you are no longer doing anything as a selfless act but doing everything for the selfish reason of winning the day and getting the Valentine's Day trophy, which defeats the purpose of the day. 

     The One Up Myth

     This is something passed down to all couples starting in middle school and getting more and more ingrained in your head by the time you are in college, the myth that every year you have to "one up" yourself from the year before, this is simply not the case. Every year that goes by while in a relationship you will experience countless sweet and loving moments, these are the moments you should hang on to and remember or recreate at Valentine's Day. Dinners and gifts are nice, but its the celebration of loving moments within your own relationship that will make the day that much more magical. You can recreate your first date, your first kiss, or even a sweet moment that happened the previous year, there is no need to "one up" yourself in gifts or dinners, its not about how extravagant your gifts are, its about the concept behind it, remember that your most valuable Valentine's Day helper are your memories.

    Tomorrow remember what Valentine's Day is all about, place your needs aside and love on the person you are with, remember that sometimes less is more and that its not a competition either with your partner or with yourself. Be sure to place Valentine's Day within your budget and plan realistic events, so that you may not put yourself in a bad place with money. Remember that its not about the price of the gift or the dinner that matters but the significance behind the gift or dinner that matters, these are simple truths.

    We hope you have a fantastic week, and a glorious Valentine's Day,

Love from your humble blogger,