live with intention.

I was talking to a new friend of mine the other day, and we were talking about life and the things that were important to us. We covered a wide array of subjects in a short time. After talking with her, I got to thinking about how I want my life to look to others – what my intentions and purposes are for the things I do, the people I spend my time with, and so on…

Then this picture showed up in my email one day, and I decided to dissect each line as it pertained to me.

Live with intention: I read this and I think of my last blog post about my new year’s promise to myself about living my life in a way that makes me happy with the people and things I want in my little world. To me, living with intention is choosing how you do everything in life. I want to live a life that puts a smile on someone’s face, makes them laugh, and just enjoy the moments. I hope that people see God’s grace and love through me.

Walk to the edge: I’ve always been the type of person to go all out. Any time I am given a challenge, I will find a way to accomplish it to the best of my ability, or try to learn something new. Walking to the edge but not going over it is definitely a balancing act that I’m still learning, but I have an incredible support system surrounding me to keep me on the right track.

Listen hard: I’ve heard there’s a good reason God gave us two ears and one mouth, and that’s to listen more than you talk. This is another thing I’m trying to work on as I know I’m a talker, but nevertheless, I want to be a confidant and friend whenever they need someone just to listen, because sometimes that’s all we really need.

Practice wellness: yet another thing I’m working on! I am trying to watch what I eat and drink, and have been trying to be more open minded about what others are doing that has worked for them or just general wellness suggestions. I am becoming more interested in cooking at home with my boyfriend than going out to dinner, and am constantly asking Josh to be my guinea pig for something new.

Play with abandon: I actually looked up the definition for abandon even though I knew the general meaning of it in this context. Obviously, as a grown up, playing looks a lot different than when I was a kid playing in the dirt or on a swing set, but it doesn’t have to be. Josh and I recently got a Frisbee in a kid’s meal I ordered, and it was hilarious how excited we both were about this flimsy little Frisbee, but we tossed it back and forth in his small living room for a few minutes when we got home, and just laughed together. It really is the simple things in life that make it all so much better.

Choose with no regret: I feel that people say live with no regret all the time, yet still stop to consider the opinion of others when it comes to their decisions. I am a firm believer that God has a divine and perfect plan for my life, and if I just let go of my own, He will guide me in the way I should go – without regrets. We have only one life to live, why worry the entire time or dread over something that hasn’t even happened yet?

Appreciate your friends: as a chronic busy body, I try to spend as much quality time with the people I love whenever I can. Even if it’s just a quick phone call on my way home from work, or over a cup of coffee, I always want the people I call my friends to know how much I love and appreciate their presence in my life.

Continue to learn: this almost goes without saying to me as we are all learning something new everyday I think. I am currently in school studying for my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, so it would be easy to say that’s all I’m doing, but there’s so much more. I am subscribed to magazines and blogs that offer information I wouldn’t otherwise have access to. I also love listening to people that are interested in subjects I don’t know much about. Josh and my dad for instance are incredibly knowledgeable about science and technology, which are two topics that are difficult for me to understand the way they do, but you’d be surprised how much you can learn just by listening to what others talk about.

Do what you love/Live as if this is all there is: this last bit is so simple to me, yet so incredibly hard at the same time. It’s easy to think about work and bills, and all the logistics of life, but to me, as long as you are happy with where you are in your life, nothing else matters. Life can be turbulent at times, but if you stick with it, it smooths out until you reach your safe landing.

All of that to be said, I hope you can find your own meanings to this little picture and how it applies to the various areas in life.

a new year’s promise.

With the new year upon me, I can’t help but think of what I want to differently this year. A lot happened to me last year – good, bad, and ugly – that I am forever grateful for. With that comes the reality that some things need to change.

I actually made this “resolution” to myself a few days before new year’s while I was on vacation for Christmas in Washington. On our last day there, we drove around a few sites and stopped at this little recycled goods store. While we were there I found this tiny little ring made out of recycled metal that was super simple and dainty. I forgot the name of the company that makes it, but on the little card that it was attached to said this little band was a promise ring, to give to someone or to make to yourself. I loved the idea and ended up leaving with one.

It took me a couple of days to figure out what I wanted this little band to remind me of, but it finally came to me after a rough day and a lot of prayer…

1. I promise to put myself first – spiritually, physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally.
2. I promise to make decisions that make me happy, even if that means giving up on certain things or removing certain people from my life – be it temporarily or permanently.
3. I promise to spend more time with my family and friends because they are what’s important.

They seem like such simple things when I read them back to myself, but when I look at the last year or so, I realize I’ve been living my life for everyone else, being overwhelmed and busy, and not living or doing anything for myself. So that’s changing now.

I decided to wear this little ring on my left hand on my ring finger for two reasons:
That’s the finger the ring fits on!

They say that there is a vein that runs from this ringer directly to your heart, and that’s how deep these promises are for me.

So if you ever see it there, no I’m not engaged (yet), no it’s not from Josh; it’s from me to myself. It’s a simple little reminder I can take with me to keep me grounded in this crazy world we live in.

Happy New Year’s everyone.

thankfulness.

Every year, I see people post things they are grateful for each day on social media and always think what a great idea that is. Eventually I’ll do a post to get me caught up for the days I have missed, or maybe just a big post at the end of the month

In life, there is so much to be grateful for even in the hardest times, and I don’t do it nearly as often as I should. I have resolved that even though new year’s day is just under two months away, I have a goal to start a gratitude journal. This concept is nothing new, and I was told over the summer to start one but never got around to it. It may not be everyday or even every other day that I get to write in it, but if I can at least jot down a couple things a week, that would be more than what I’m doing now.

I challenge you – whoever you may be – to join me, starting now or in the new year to grab a journal, a notebook, or even download an app on your phone (they exist, I checked), and put in writing what you’re grateful for. You’ll be amazed by what comes in return….

de-clutter.

I wrote a blog post on my Origami Owl blog several months ago that I tend to forget about titled De-Clutter Your Life. As I sit here and read it again, I realize that although I would love for people to share my site(s) with everyone they know, these articles I write are really reminders for me to come back to when I really need them.

Today I think of all the clutter in my bed room; the things I have just shoved into every which corner, the laundry I didn’t put away before I went on vacation, the boxes of birthday gifts, items I planned to mail to people, mail that needs to be sorted through….

At the time, I just wanted to share info I happened upon with others that might find a couple practical tips helpful, but today I realize that certain blog posts are really there for me to find again when I’m not even looking.

After you clear your space and your mind, find some time to start your own blog or journal of things you might need to read later on, and who knows? You may be writing for yourself, but someone else may find your blurbs helpful for themselves. Give it a try (after you’re done cleaning – I  mean it!)

national coffee day.

Today is national coffee day, a beautiful day to celebrate a delicious creation…. A day to share our favorite coffee concoctions like cold brew coffee, white chocolate mocha, peppermint mocha, vanilla chai tea latte, pumpkin spice latte, eggnog latte, and flat whites…. A day to discuss places other than Starbucks I enjoy getting coffee like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Portola Coffee Lab, Keane, The Lost Bean, Atomic Java (R.I.P.) and Big Foot Java (R.I.P.). I may be getting a little carried away here, but I just really love coffee. Go and enjoy a cup today!

be yourself.

Today I am reminded of who and why I am. I am not you, and I’m not anyone else in the world. With that comes a whole load of things; my personality, my beliefs, my self confidence, my favorite things. These are all pieces that make me who I am.

I get these quotes sent to me everyday via email and I save them for times I really need a little pick me up. Today was one of those days, and this one fit with how I’m feeling.

For so long, I called myself a people pleaser, but that sounded a little off. I just am not a fan of conflict or the people around me being unhappy. Recently I figured out that I am not really a people pleaser, but rather, I am a peace keeper. What that means to me is that I will do what I can in order to keep the peace, but now I know when to accept defeat.

I have figured out that not everyone is going to like me. Not everyone is going to agree with me. Not everyone is going to see things the way I do. Not everyone is going to like how I do things. And while that may bother the heck out of some people, I have come to terms with it. You have to realize at some point in your life that you’re not going to be able to make everyone happy. You just have to give everything you do everything that you’ve got, and just go with it regardless of what someone else may have to say about it. You only have power over your actions and reactions, not everyone else’s, so show them all you’ve got.

All that to say, I know who I am, and that’s not ever going to change. Things may get tough to handle at times, but I know that I will be okay as long as I stick to who I am, what I believe in and do what is right and good. Simple as that.

welcome.

Hello there, and welcome to my blog! I decided to name it A Cup of Serendipity because it combines my love of coffee and tea with my favorite word Serendipity, which means a pleasant surprise or fortunate happenstance.

I plan on sharing little tid bits about what’s on my mind, motivational photos and quotes, and anything else I happen to enjoy. This will, hopefully, give you an insight on who I am and what I’m about while making you smile [or think!].

Please feel free to share wherever you’d like. Hope you enjoy what you find here.

Happy Serendipity!