You are going to form numerous relationships throughout your life. Friends, classmates, significant others, family, coworkers, and so on. It's easy to get caught up in what other people expect and want from you and to aspire to be a people pleaser. But it's important not to lose sight of who the most important person in your life is, and that person is you. You are going to be your longest and most important relationship in life. Life can get pretty crazy and people come and go, but at the end of the day you have to be happy with yourself. 

How do you become happy with yourself? Honestly, I believe that the moment you start doing things for yourself and start embracing who you are is where it begins. Don't do anything that you don't feel good about. You should be able to wake up every morning and be happy with yourself, and if you aren't then you need to make some changes. Each person has their own sense of what their comfortable with and their own set of morals and beliefs, and it's so important to stay true to those. Don't let people or the world change who you are. You are the only one who has to deal with the impact of your choices in life, so why would you ever let someone else influence you?

The choices you make in life shape you are. I'm a huge believer that mistakes are a part of what make us into the person we are supposed to be. Don't regret anything you have done because at that point in your life it is what you wanted and what you thought was right. Somehow, everyone stumbles and finds their way to who they're supposed to be. 

Look at yourself in the mirror and truly ask yourself, "am I happy with myself?" Are you happy with the last decision you made? Are you happy with the direction your life is heading? If the answer is yes, then keep going and continue to stay true to who you are. And if the answer is no, pinpoint what you are unhappy with and fix it. No matter how hard you try you are NEVER going to make everybody happy, so just focus on making yourself happy and the rest will fall into place.

Every day make sure you are happy with who you are and what you are doing. Don't let the opinions and desires of other people make you into someone you are not because the only person who will suffer in the end is you. Be yourself unapologetically and refuse to be someone you are not. And when all is said and done, I hope you are happy with yourself, because everyone deserves to live a life they love.

Are you happy with yourself?

Love Always,
Olivia Jane

I know you've heard it a million times, but life is short. Time is fleeting every second and each day is one you will never get back. I feel like so often we are caught up in thinking and hoping for the future that we tend to ignore the beautiful moments in front of us each and every day. People are always waiting for that special someone, or that job, or that one thing that is going to make their lives perfect and make them happy. But the truth is if we just took the time to appreciate the present moment we would be a lot happier.

Stop wishing your life away. Stop waking up every morning and wishing it was Friday. Do things now. Go out on a Tuesday night and forget you have a 9am or work the next day, do that daring thing on your bucket list. Quit sitting around and being miserable, if you are unhappy then do something to fix it. Why waste any more time being unsatisfied with yourself or your life?

I used to believe that the only hope there was in life was looking forward to things. I would wish my days away because all I was looking forward to was the future, the time when I would be in a place or with people that would make everything better. But I now know that I was wrong. Sure it's nice to have things to look forward to, but you can't depend on them. I would waste my winters wishing for June and I wished away my high school years yearning for college. But you can't simply cure what you are feeling or experiencing by ignoring the present moment. Life is what you make it, and honestly it would be a damn shame if you wasted your life wishing to be someplace else.

So have dreams and make plans for the future, but don't let them take away from where you are right now. I remember a specific night this summer I was watching the sunset on the jetty with one of my best friends. We were watching the sun melt into the horizon and she turned to me and said, "Do you know how lucky we are?" And I smiled and said "It's a good life we have." That will honestly always be one of my fondest memories, because it's true. Be where you are and be who you're with. These people who are important to you right now, let them be your world because in 10 years from now who knows where life will take you. 

Your life is a book. You have to read every single chapter in order to get the most out of the story, you can't just skip to the last page. Write your story. You cannot erase the past but you can change the future. Stop waiting for everything to fall into place because who the hell knows if it ever will. Stop waiting for the person you like to ask you out, if you want something bad enough then go after it. Take control of your life and live it like every day is your last.

If you had a friend you knew you'd never see again, what would you say? If you could travel one last place where would it be? If you could do one last thing for someone you love, what would it be? If you looked back on your life what would you regret not doing? Say it, do it, don't wait. Nothing lasts forever. Stop waiting for Friday, live your life now.

What are you waiting for?

Love Always,
Olivia Jane.

Happy Valentine's Day lovely people! I have mixed feelings about Valentine's Day because I hate the hype and commercialized version, but I do think the underlying theme is important and sweet. But I'm not going to lie, I'm a huge supporter of the whole chocolate thing, cause who doesn't love chocolate?

It's easy to get caught up in the chaos of every day life and forget the things and the people that matter, so today I wanted to take the time to share what I love most in life. I cannot express enough that before you love anyone else you first must love yourself and your life. Today the world is filled with so much hate and distain and it's so sad. If you simply remember what you love and what makes your heart full it makes life a lot more enjoyable. Lately I have been crazed and stressed and haven't taken the time to appreciate the good things in life, so here's a list of what I love.

1. My friends.
Without these lovely people life would be pointless. Friends who love you no matter what are truly a gift and should be appreciated every second of every day.

2. Sleep.
You literally cannot function without sleep and every night I look forward to crawling into my bed. Sometimes a good nights sleep is the solution to everything.

3. Yoga.
Without yoga I would actually go insane. My love for yoga has also helped me to love myself and everyone around me. 

4. Sunsets.
Sunsets are the most magical sight in the world. Something about just sitting and watching the sun melt into the ocean cures a multitude of ills. 

5. Summer.
My love for summer cannot be put into words. Life begins over again with summer. Beach days, sun kissed skin and salty hair, late night drives on summer nights, it couldn't be more perfect.

6. Writing.
Obviously. I love writing and get to express everything I love through it. 

7. Laughing.
Life without laughing would be pretty boring. Laughter is contagious and can brighten even the darkest of days. There is no better feeling than laughing until you can't breathe or until your stomach hurts.

8. The smell of lavender.
This is and will always be my favorite smell. Nothing is more comforting and relaxing than the smell of lavender. Even though it seems silly, it's one of those little things that matter to me so much. 

9. Hugs.
Nothing say "I love you" better than a good hug. Such a small gesture is filled with so much meaning and can have a great impact. Everyone could always use a good hug.

10. Myself.
Because if you don't love yourself, who else is going to?

There you have it! There are definitely more things I could list but those are the ones that came to mind. So on this Valentine's Day, and honestly every other day, make time for the things you love. Spend time with friends, take a nap, paint, work out, whatever it is, just do it. I also love you amazing people who read my blog, you truly don't know how much it means to me! Happy Valentine's Day!

What do you love?

Love Always,
Olivia Jane