8 Life Quotes and Tips to Make You Think

I love thought-provoking quotes – seemingly simple, yet interestingly profound phrases that have the power to get our minds thinking straight.  That’s what this short post is about.  Below I have listed eight of my favorite thought-provoking quotes, along with my interpretation and outlook on each one.  I hope you enjoy thinking about them as much as I do.

1.  Dealing with Problems

“We can not solve our problems with the
same level of thinking that created them.”
―Albert Einstein

Realize that not all movement is progress.  When stress and tension and chaos surround you, pause for a moment and relax.  The best time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. Select a specific challenge, deal with it, and then move calmly and confidently to the next.  When you’re being pulled in multiple directions at once, take time to remember what you value most.  Focus on what’s most important to you and you’ll naturally direct your greatest energy to the right source. Life is filled with either problems or possibilities.  What you see is what you choose to see.  On the surface life can seem tumultuous and perplexing, yet deep inside, where it truly matters, life is what you make of it.  Choose to see beyond the problems to the possibilities that await your attention.

2.  Happiness and Personal Growth

“You cannot protect yourself from sadness
without protecting yourself from happiness.”
―Jonathan Safran Foer

Live every day of your life in full.  Experience the highs and the lows, the positives and the negatives, and all the moods present between the various extremes.  Don’t focus on simply being happy.  Focus on living a well-rounded, seasoned life.  Focus on achieving completeness.  Yes, happiness is part of this completeness, but so is sadness, difficulty, frustration, and failure.  And overcoming these latter points supports your personal growth far more than constant happiness. The feelings of happiness and fulfillment are nice when they happen, and they are needed, but they don’t strengthen you.  Instead of asking, “Is this making me happy?” ask, “Is this contributing to my completeness?”  If you’re struggling and making progress, the answer is “yes.”  

3.  Inner Peace

“We don’t realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme self who is eternally at peace.”
―Elizabeth Gilbert

Inner peace does not depend on external conditions; it’s what remains when you’ve surrendered your ego and your worries.  Peace can happen within you at any place and at any time.  It’s always there, patiently waiting for you to turn your attention toward it. Peace of mind arrives the moment you come to peace with what’s on your mind.  It happens when you let go of the need to be anywhere but where you are, physically and emotionally.  This acceptance of the way things are creates the foundation for inner harmony.  The need for something to be different in this moment is nothing more than a worry, and worries simply lead you in circles.  Acceptance will bring you back to your peaceful, productive center. Remember, the same part of you that longs for peace is the part of you that experiences peace.  It is not complicated to achieve and is as close as your next thought.

4.  Appreciating What You Have

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
―Epicurus

Don’t pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, simple, and yet not-so-small gifts in your life.  It may seem strange to feel thankful for those events in your life which appear to be ordinary, yet it’s precisely by being thankful that you can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.  You may not see the value in spending time and effort acknowledging all the little, seemingly insignificant things in your life, yet without the little things there would be no big things. Don’t let what was once a miracle become common to you.  Don’t get so accustomed to life’s goodness that you overlook it.  Let your enthusiasm rise from the doldrums by being thankful for what you have.  Seize every opportunity to be appreciative.  Make genuine gratitude a constant companion to who you are, in all that you do.  

5.  Replacing Excuses with Action

“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the BS story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”
―Unknown

Instead of making a lot of excuses, make a little progress.  Instead of looking back with regret, step forward with enthusiasm.  Choose to view your life based on the best of what is possible.  Choose to define yourself based on the person you know you are capable of becoming.  If you believe it, you can do it. All the negativity from the past can be erased in the moment with a single positive action.  Go ahead and make it happen.  The best way to disconnect from a troubled past is to trust and connect with possibilities of the present moment.  When you embrace the power of now, the future belongs to you.

6.  Knowledge and Education

“When you know better you do better.”
―Maya Angelou

Your education is the most powerful weapon you possess.  It has the power to change the world.  Keep it thriving.  Do not confuse your schooling with your education.  The classes at school end; your education is a continuous lifelong process. Keep your mind open to new ideas.  Challenge your beliefs when you’re given a chance.  The greatest advancements in your education will be based on your willingness to absorb fresh information without resistance and without losing your temper or your poise.

7.  The Importance of Asking Questions

“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, she’s the one who asks the right questions.”
―Claude Lévi-Strauss

There is profound power in asking questions.  In fact, the most successful people are rarely the ones who have all the answers, they’re the ones who ask the right questions.  Don’t be afraid to ask.  Ask when you don’t understand.  Ask for what you want.  Ask how to make things happen.  It’s the reason children are always asking so many questions, because they know they’ll never get anywhere if they don’t ask.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Bottom line:  Growth is more about asking than telling.  The way forward is yours for the taking – the way forward is yours for the asking.  

8.  Endings and Beginnings

“In every end, there is also a beginning.”
―Libba Bray

Everything in life has to come to an end sometime.  It’s important to acknowledge and accept the end of an era – to walk away sensibly when something has reached its conclusion.
Closing the door, turning the page, moving on, etc.  It doesn’t matter what you call it; what matters is that you leave the past where it belongs so you can enjoy the life that’s still available to be lived.  This ending is not THE END, it’s just your life beginning again in a new way.  It’s a point in your story where one chapter fades into the next.  Take a look at the first page of this new chapter; it’s a beautiful one.

What kind of coffee are you?

I'm definitely a Cafe Americano by drink and by description, how about you?

The 10 Most Underrated Beauty Habits

1. Applying plain-old coconut oil as body lotion.  Apply generously all over and then just pat dry. You can reapply to very dry areas and even put socks on after applying to heels and feet.

2. Exfoliating regularly and thoroughly. Exfoliating is key, otherwise you are putting creams and lotion on dead skin and it cant do its job.

3. Exfoliating your lips too.

4. Using humble, cheapie petroleum jelly. 

5. Braiding your hair before bed for easy waves.

6. Keeping your feet to the grindstone. You have to pumice your feet like daily. Sandals and crusty feet are never cute. 

7. Fighting frizz with an old tee. Drying your hair with a T-shirt versus a towel helps lessen frizz and define curls.

8. Indulging in lavender-laced beauty sleep. Bath & Body Works has a great-smelling lavender vanilla aromatherapy lotion called Sleep. 

9. Practically swimming in body lotion daily.

10. Chilling the heck out. I think taking 20 minutes for yourself each day is the most underrated one. I have to make myself do this and when I skip it I eat more and feel not so focused. I'm trying to fit it in, but with a new puppy and a job with longer hours, it's so tough! The best is taking that 20 minutes with my awesome new headphones! Bliss!

From The Hunger Games Catching Fire: Effie Trinket Wearing Alexander McQueen!

Attention all Hunger Games fans! A new image has been released from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, featuring Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, and the ever-crazy Effie Trinket, played by Elizabeth Banks. As expected, Effie is wearing another over-the-top look, this one from the Alexander McQueen spring 2011 collection! 

Look 28 from the fashion show is crafted of black and orange butterfly appliqués, that gather into a turtleneck-like style. Effie's look is topped off with a matching butterfly fascinator, mesh gloves, and black ankle boots. 

If this is just one of Effie's costumes, I can't wait to see what the rest of the film brings us. Are you excited to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire? What else would you love to see Effie wear?

Researchers Say This Is the Magic Amount of Water to Drink for Weight Loss

You've probably heard before that water can help you lose weight, right? But can it really? That's what researchers from Nutrition Sciences at the Berlin School of Public Health, Charite University Hospital wanted to know, so they reviewed 11 related studies to find out.

Of the 11, they found three supporting the idea that water helped in weight loss. One found that people who drank two cups of water before eating a meal lost more weight—four pounds—than people who didn't. And the results of another showed that people who drank at least one liter per day—a little less than the recommended eight glasses—lost more weight than those who didn't. Funny thing, though: They're really not sure why.

One theory is that water helps keep hunger at bay, but there could also be another possibility: Water-induced thermogenesis, a process where drinking water makes you more energetic and, therefore, burn more calories overall.

Of course, the researchers also say that there are still more studies that need to be done in order to find a firm link between water and weight loss. 

Still, there's no arguing that it's important to drink plenty of water: It flushes out toxins, helps carry nutrients to your cells, and supports every system in your body. And not getting enough water can lead to dehydration, which stresses out your organs and can lead to headaches, dizziness, fainting, and exhaustion. So drink up!

Sex: The Only Anti-Aging Regimen You Need

Just in case you need another excuse to grab your hottie boyfriend and get naked, here's the best one I've ever heard: Having sex makes you look younger. Like, legitimately.

According to a study by a British psychologist, getting busy on the reg can take a whopping five to seven years off your face. Believe it or not, when we have sex, our bodies release human growth hormone, which keeps skin from getting all wrinkly. Who knew?

So, before you consider schmancy creams, Botox, vampire facelifts, or any other youth-promising treatment, try staving off the aging process with regular orgasms instead. Even if it doesn't actually work, you'll at least reap the many benefits of getting off—like improved mood, sounder sleep, better circulation, and, duh, swag.

Plus, we're pretty sure your man will love this new stay-young regimen, too.