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20 Powerful Mindfulness Quotes to Help You Stay Present

Something that is an absolute in this life, and as much of a certainty as death, is that it is your absolute own job to to make your life beautiful.

To me, it’s an absolute life mission…

Too often, we blame others for our feelings/conditions/outcomes/circumstances, however, we don’t realize that all of these outcomes are doing of our own actions and feelings about these situations.

Here’s the truth:

It’s nobody else’s job to help you achieve inner peace, take control of your life and no one can give you what you need to make your life beautiful, happy and peaceful.

Additionally, it is your duty to take care of yourself and to live a meaningful life.

A life dedicated to love, to following your heart and a life that leaves this world a little better than you found it.

The thing is….

So many of us are living lives we are not happy with.

We are unsatisfied with the present moment and are substituting the pain with unhealthy habits to make it feel better, however, you will never fully be alive if you keep living in auto-mode.

Well, my friends, I want you to wake up from your old ways of thinking and your old habits that are no longer serving you.

One quote that really changed my whole life is:

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

My first “aha” moment with mindfulness was after my beginners mindfulness class. I can remember that exact moment crystal clear as if it is happening right now. I was on the train back home looking at the poem we received about mindfulness, and  I remember thinking;

“This is it. Mindfulness is the secret to life.”

I felt like I found my treasure that I’ve been searching for all this time.

My treasure was finding the key to happiness and inner peace. To clarify, I didn’t have to change my circumstances to feel inner peace — after that, I realized this what I was missing. That right there is the magic of mindfulness.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice back to simplicity. A practice to fully enjoy this life and beautiful planet in the now.

Additionally, a practice to fully appreciate every single object, place, thing or person – including your body on this Earth.

Above all, mindfulness allows you to live in the present — which is the most important moment in life.

Not everyday will be a good one, but it is your mission to find ways to make it beautiful. You can do this by simply being present and noticing these emotions meanwhile staying mindful of your surroundings.

I hope these quotes allow you to do just that.

I’ve found that this is the first baby steps to living a life full of joy. Enjoy!

Here Are 20 Powerful Mindfulness Quotes to Help You Stay Present:

1. “Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life.” – Buddha
2. “Because you are alive, everything is possible.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
3. “Your true home is in the here and the now. It is not limited by time, space, nationality, or race. Your true home is not an abstract idea. It is something you can touch and live in every moment.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
4. “Wherever you are, be all there.” – Jim Elliot
5. “The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts, its to stop letting them control you.” – Unknown
6. When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~Lao Tzu
7. ”Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
8. “In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived. How well we have loved. How well we have learned to let go” ~Jack Kornfield
9. “Do every act of your life as though it were the last act of your life.” ~Marcus Aurelius
10. “In this moment, there is plenty of time. In this moment, you are precisely as you should be. In this moment, there is infinite possibility.” ~Victoria Moran
11. “It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest as if it was the only one we had.” ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
12. “There’s only one reason why you’re not experiencing bliss at this present moment, and it’s because you’re thinking or focusing on what you don’t have…. But, right now you have everything you need to be in bliss.” ~Anthony de Mello
13. “If one were truly aware of the value of human life, to waste it blithely on distractions and the pursuit of vulgar ambitions would be the height of confusion.” ~Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
14. “We are awakened to the profound realization that the true path to liberation is to let go of everything.” ~Jack Kornfield
15. “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh”
16. “In today’s rush, we all think too much — seek too much — want too much — and forget about the joy of just being.” ~Eckhart Toll
17. “The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
18. “Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.” – Jack Kornfield
19. “Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.” – Sharon Salzberg
20. “There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.” – Tara Brach

In conclusion, mindfulness is a tool we all have to live a meaningful life, and I hope you give it a try.

My question for you is:

What can you do today that will allow you to be more mindful of your life today?

To be able to notice the little miracles in your life?

I challenge you to take action to be more in the moment today and every single day going forward.

Watch how your life will change.

Most importantly, stop blocking your life with living in auto-mode. Wake up and notice how beautiful it truly is to be alive!

Action Step:

One powerful action could be to take one of these quotes and hang it around your home as a reminder.

Lastly, always remember, how you spend your days is how you spend your life.

Much love & gratitude,

Ozzy

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Mastering the Emotion of Love & How to Have More Self Love — Three Simple Steps

How much love do you have for yourself and others?

How do you even know if you love yourself?

Do you even need to love yourself?

Ask yourself this:

• Do you show up for yourself?
• Do you say you will go to the gym and actually show up when you say you will?
• Keep your commitments to yourself on your calendar?
• Do you eat like you love your body?
• Do you have confidence in your ability to achieve anything you set your mind to do?

If you said no to all or some of those, then you don’t have respect, integrity and love for yourself.

And, we need to work on that….

Why?

Your job, your goals, time management, finances, productivity and health all depend on how much you love yourself and what you think you deserve.

If you don’t love yourself, then…

• you’ll constantly make excuses on why you didn’t show up for yourself
• won’t take your health seriously and not live your best life each day with nourishing your body
• put others opinion of you first before your own
• have a very low self esteem
• you’ll think you don’t deserve a raise at work
• your finances will be suffering
• you won’t want to share your voice

Sound familiar?

The key here is you can’t live your dream life, without loving yourself first.

Love is the foundation of all things, and you know we’ve all heard the saying; ‘love is the strongest force on this earth’, but why the heck did they never mention — loving yourself is the first step!

So, my next point is do you even know what love really is and what it means to you?

Do you have a hard time finding love in your life?

Well, if you want more love, know that you can LEARN to love.

When I learned this fact, my whole world changed. It’s in the same realm as ‘You can’t love someone, until you learn to love yourself.’

When you choose to love yourself, in return, you get to have more love in your life.

Why Would You Want to Choose Love?

Firstly, if you want to feel true happiness, you have to mindfully choose love each day.

Secondly, because love is the strongest, most powerful feeling we can all experience. It’s the most peaceful, calming and out-of-this world amazing feeling. It’s true joy and contentment.

Lastly (and most importantly), having true love and respect for yourself is an adventure. It’s contradictory to what society expects of you. Be a daredevil, I say, and have immense true love, integrity and respect. Stand tall and be proud of who you are.

So, here’s what you need to know: Love is always an option.

You have the choice yourself. You have the choice to love yourself or not to love yourself. Yes, it’s this simple, but think about it, most of us don’t choose love.

To show you this fact; Dove came up with an alarming result in their research with women:

• Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (up from 2% in 2004)
• Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable describing themselves as ‘beautiful’

These statistics are wildly low. As women, we have to learn to love ourselves and show what it means to be a powerful woman.

When you don’t love, you can’t feel love (insert mind blown emoji here).

So, lets get good at this love thing…

Think of someone in your life that you love unconditionally. For me, that could be my my sister, nephew and niece.

Really think about how much you love them. How you shower them with love and how you think they are absolutely perfect without having to change anything about themselves.

You have unconditional love for this person.

Well, no reason, you can’t have the emotion of love towards yourself, either.

Here Are The Three Simple Steps To Having More Love In Your Life:

Step 1: Choose the Emotion of Love

Here’s the truth, you can have unconditional love for yourself, too.

You can choose to have this feeling. Yep, love is just a feeling because it is an emotion.

You can choose the feelings you have and not have.

For example, you can choose to get angry at a situation or let the situation be what it is and choose to feel peace in your heart instead of anger.

It’s the same with the emotion of love. Instead of having hate in your heart towards yourself and others, you can choose to have love.

Feelings are fleeting, right? They come and go. Well, love is the same way, but the reason we stay ‘in love’ is because we choose to commit to that person. Who we love is just as much of a  choice as it is a feeling. Since love is a choice, mindfully, each day, choose to be in the state of feeling love. Loving towards yourself and others. Trust me, it feels better feeling love throughout your day than feeling any other emotions out there.

Hmm, maybe that’s why people always say “choose love”….

So, the real work begins now. You have to constantly see the good in yourself, instead of judging and seeing the bad.

Practice with others as well. You have to work on yourself and improve yourself each day because you can choose to be your best version of yourself, and in turn, get to show up to this world with giving back all that you can.

Step 2: Get Really Good At Being Loving

As you can get good at anything, you can also get good at giving love and being more loving. This right here is a game changer. So, if you want more love in your life, just get good at being more loving.

Since love is an emotion, you can choose to bring up the emotion of love throughout your day.

Here’s another mind blowing fact; you can choose to love your alcoholic dad, emotionally draining mom or the heartbreaking ex-boyfriend, but it doesn’t mean you have to have them in your life.

All you have to do is have love in your heart for them and move on. It feels much better to have love then hate or anger or any other resentful emotion, so why not have a positive one?

Step 3: Make a Habit of Showing Up to Your Commitments

You show up at work everyday. You show up for your friends. You show up for a loved one. But, why do you never show up for yourself?

For instance, how many times do you write on your calendar that you will do something and you don’t do it? You say you will go to the gym and you snooze instead of showing up.  

I want you to practice getting in the habit of showing up for yourself. When you say you will do something, don’t make any excuses and do everything in your power to make sure you do the thing you said you will do. Have full integrity for yourself.

You wouldn’t want your friend to get mad at you if you didn’t show up for your plans, right? Well, don’t disappoint yourself, either.

Summary –

The more you practice showing up with love in your life, and less anger and bitterness, the more joy, peacefulness and contentment you will feel.

If you choose anger, you are the only one feeling anger — not the person you are angry with — always remember this.

Also remember, when you don’t CHOOSE love, you don’t feel love.

Remember the person you love unconditionally, and then, choose to feel that way towards yourself. Choose to give yourself immense amounts of kindness and love.

In short, focus on making it an intention each day of feeling the immense love you have for others to have for yourself.

Love yourself because you are worthy. You are needed. You matter and you have so much to give back to this world.

If you need help with learning to love yourself, your life, the people around you and become a Warrior Woman, my coaching is open. Apply for the program here.

Much love,

Ozzy

Resources: “Our Research.” Dove US, www.dove.com/us/en/stories/about-dove/our-research.html.

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10 Quotes to Guide Your Life

Quotes have the power to change your perspective, visualize a goal and lead your life to live it the best possible way.

The older I get, the more I understand the most clichéd quotes and the people who have spoken those words, were just trying to shed some light into our lives.

I enjoy reading quotes because they can help change your outlook of the moment, open your eyes, and help you take action in a flash.

They have gotten me through a lot of good days and bad days.

I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes that could potentially help guide and shape your life.

1. “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” – Ralph Marston

Most of us live for tomorrow or wait for that one specific moment to start something. It’s so important to make the jump today – the most important day in your life. Today is the most crucial time to start to live and do what matters most to you. I think we all forget the powerful effects of small wins, which we can incorporate into our daily lives, easily.

2. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

You can either spend your time accomplishing the things you have always dreamed of, or you can let the time pass not doing anything and feeling stuck. The choice is always yours. A life spent as a passenger rather than a contributor to help the world, is a life not fully lived.

3. “Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy.” – Ralph Marston

This is a good reminder to stop waiting for that one specifying moment to feel ‘happy‘. You’ll never get there if you keep waiting for that moment because it’s not coming. Rather, happiness is how you choose to perceive things, how compassionate you are, and it’s always living each moment as they come.

4. “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

In this day and age, we see so many people doing great things and some are becoming millionaires or billionaires at such a young age, but it’s important to realize that is not how you can measure your worth. You are worth so much more than your perceived definition of success. Your beautiful heart and mind are amazing and you never know how much someone needs and appreciates you.

5. “The moment you’re ready to quit is usually the moment right before a miracle happens. Don’t give up!” – Unknown

This one is a tough one. We all have been there when quitting is so much easier than going through with what’s difficult. But, if you repeatedly do what is easy, I think your life will become hard.

6. “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was a lucky man living out his dream job on this earth. He left this earth with an impact because he followed his passion. If that’s not inspiring to go out and figure out what you are meant to do on this earth, then I don’t know what is.

7. “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Theodor Seuss Geisel

It’s important to remind yourself of this daily to appreciate the people around you. Those people won’t always be around and someday you won’t either. This quote is over-said, but not over-done. Many of us forget to appreciate each moment as they are and to be in the moment every day. Technology makes it harder for our generation, but it’s not impossible. It is quite simple to be there for someone, be mindful of their feelings and cherish every moment of it.

8. “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” – Aldous Huxley

It’s good to have a self-care routine because let’s be honest, we can’t go back to our parents past a certain age to take care of us. Not even our partners, or loved ones can help us, you need to improve yourself on your own. It’s crucial to do so because you can’t help others before you help yourself. If you can’t give back, then we are all living poorly because we are missing out on what you could have given back to this world.

9. “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” – Dr. Seuss

A lot of times, we tend to overthink things and over-analyze questions rather than think through the answers, one small step at a time. You don’t need to worry and over-analyze a situation, just take it as what it is and look at the big picture. It doesn’t need to be solved today, but is crucial to be resolved over time. So, stop worrying and start looking for the simple answers today.

10. “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Going back to the first quote, yes, sometimes the most important day is today, but sometimes, some days suck. Some days are awful and you don’t know how to deal. It’s important to know they don’t last forever and tomorrow is always a brand new day. Sometimes, you have done all you can do for that one day and you just need to shut your eyes, sleep and wait for your second most important day – tomorrow.

That is all for some of the quotes that I love and have changed me. If you follow me on Instagram, you know, I love quotes and share many others that resonate with me each day.

If you are feeling to get more inspired, here’s a clip of Steve Jobs’ speech at Standford commencement.

Final note: What is your favorite quote of all time? I would love to know!

Until next time,

Ozzy

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25 Things I’ve Learned In 25 Years

Today is my last day as a 25 year old. Goodbye to my joked-about-but-actually-serious quarter-life-crisis age!

For anyone who is older, let me allow you to reminisce on how it was to be a 25 year old…

For anyone who is slowly approaching this age, let me allow you to have some clear insight of what may come about in your near future…

25 is quite an interesting age — an age where things still don’t quite click in your head of; who you really are, what your true passions are and what the heck you’re supposed to do with your life!

This is true for most people, but if you’re that 1% who actually know what you’re doing and created really cool things, then this doesn’t apply to you.

For the other 99% of us who are confused on our direction, I believe it is the tipping age.

It’s the age where you get to really find out who you really are as long as you keep a curious mindset.

You get to find out what you want to tolerate and what you no longer will allow to be part of your life.

You learn to respect yourself immensely.

You learn that you have a voice and that you should use it.

You also learn that you still know nothing at all…

As today is the day I get to say goodbye to this age and say hello to a new chapter of my life, I wanted to share with you guys 25 things I’ve learned along the way.

I have always been someone who questioned life, questioned my purpose, questioned what anything really means. I also had unfortunate events happen, good things happen, had lessons that were hard to learn and events that were out of my control.

Basically, I’ve had life happen to me.

Life throws curve balls at you and you have to be ready.

One thing that always echoes in my head is what my mom has always told me, which is; ‘you have to be tougher than life.’ You can’t be scared of life, it has to be scared of you. With anything that I do, I have always taken action with those words in mind, and have always strive to be stronger, tougher and fearless each day.

Here are 25 Things I’ve Learned In 25 Years:

1.    Nobody owes you anything; not your parents, not your siblings, not your friends – you have to fight for what you want and what you believe in and go out there and give it all you got. You never want to look back and regret life due to laziness or because you spent too much time blaming your circumstance on others.

2.    Not everyone has your best intentions and that is okay. Be strong enough to walk away from things and people who no longer serve you well without burning any bridges.

3.    Be yourself. This is so important. There is only one you and do not ever apologize for being you. When you become your truest self is when you start to enjoy your life.

4.    Be accepting of others. Be thoughtful and kind to others’ feelings and words — you don’t know their story and you don’t know what they are dealing with. Being kind will cost you nothing.

5.    It is better to give than to receive. Help others without expecting anything in return because our souls naturally thrive on giving. You will see how amazing giving back is and how much more positive you become.

6.    Smile. There is so many things and reasons to be happy. Don’t let situations bring you down and always change your perspective because life is truly too short to fret over the little things. Time will pass either way.

7.    Be there for people. You may not always have the right words to say but your presence sometimes is enough and all that is needed.

8.    Don’t keep your thoughts and ideas to yourself, share it with the world. You never know who is in desperate need of what you have to say and give back to this world.

9.    Success is different for everyone. Your path and someone else’s path is completely different. Don’t worry about what age you start something, just start. Enjoy the process and don’t forget to be nice to people who are helping you along the way.

10.   Forgive. Don’t hold grudges. It’s not good for your soul and everyone has a different story, don’t judge it too much and move on.

11.   To have a friend, you have to be a friend. Make an effort to be there for your friends, which sometimes means doing things you really don’t want to do.

12.   Moments, smiles, memories, hugs, laughter, love…. all free and all you really need to feel true happiness.

13.   Follow your passion. One thing I’ve learned as a finance major is that the biggest risks reap the biggest results, so take that risk, you never know what awaits at the end of your fear. Just go for it and never look back.

14.   Not everyone is going to like you, you can’t please everyone, and you don’t need to. Know who you are and be confident that you are enough.

15.   Talk to yourself nicely every day. Self-pep talk is so important to improve your mood. Tell yourself every day that you are a badass and that you can handle anything.

16.   Happiness isn’t coming, it’s here now in the present moment. Live each day mindfully and learn to love each moment. Stop looking at your phone and talk to your parents more often, appreciate your siblings and always give your full attention to the person you are talking to. You never know what you miss out on by living in auto mode.

17.   You can get addicted to almost anything in life. Things, people, drugs, food, hate, bad habits.

18.   Spending time in a different culture changes your perspective about your life, opens your heart and allows you to feel so small in this big planet. Go out there and see how the rest of the world lives and know that any of your problems are so minor.

19.   Be grateful – it’s the key of life. Thank the universe every single day for everything it has given you and consistently have a grateful heart for all your gifts.

20.   When your 5-year plan doesn’t work, don’t see it as a failure, see it as a path that was not meant for you. Trust that the universe has your back and better things are coming your way.

21.   The best way to change the world is to change yourself. Take care of you every single day. Do something to grow your mind and reinvent yourself every day because only when you are at your best self is when you can give back.

22.   Don’t be average.  Thrive onto what you are meant to do. On your deathbed, you will not remember your failures as they were your learning curves, but you will remember all your contributions to this world.

23.   You are the creator of your own life. No one can sing your song, no one can write what you write, and no one can be who you are. No one else can think or feel or experience this life for you so experience it to the fullest. Don’t get stuck in your negative feelings and unleash your inner child.

24.   Don’t let others write your story and don’t let society tell you who to be. Define your own version of what this life should be like for your own self.

25.   Last and foremost, YOU ARE NOT YOUR PAST. Your childhood matters, but learn from it and don’t let it control your adulthood. Things that happened in your past are out of your control and do not define how your future will be. You get a chance to write your own life and experience it exactly how you want to. So, write your story well and let go of the past.

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That is all! As I am getting older, I am starting to realize I am becoming more of who I was as a kid — fearless, “daredevil” (meaning of my name), confident and genuinely, happy because life has many reasons for all of us to be happy, you just have to notice the little things and be grateful for it. 🙂

Until next time,

Ozzy

“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

Joshue J. Marine

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8 Things I Do Before 8 a.m.

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Life is Short and Unpredictable — Eat the Dessert First!

Not sure about you, but dessert is always my favorite part of my meal. I always look forward to it the most at holiday parties. This could potentially be because of my sweet tooth…

Growing up, we were always taught to eat your meal first, then you can have your dessert.

You know… follow the rules, and do the “right” kind of thing….

This brings to mind the saying; ‘Life’s too short, eat the desert first.’

I want to take a moment to digest (metaphorically 🙂 ) that saying and to fully understand what that could mean for us.

I fully believe some of the most cliché sayings have the most truth to them. When we take a mindful moment to realize that the people who were here before us left their footprint with these quotes, you realize how significant words truly are and what it could mean for our happiness. Because… (here’s another one) life really is too short to be anything but happy.

So, here we go, lets dive deep in, and see what “Life’s Too Short, Eat The Dessert First” means.

To me, the quote means, stop following the rational “rules” of the mind and instead follow your heart.

To be able to do the things you love, you must follow your heart, and most often, the path won’t look perfectly in order, but trust me, it’ll be well worth it.

I say eat the dessert first because life never goes in perfect order, and if you want to do something, then you must stop saying:

Someday, I will travel,

Someday, I will lose the weight and become healthy,

Someday, I will get my life organized,

Someday, I will start that dream business…

If you want anything out of your life, you must go at it full force and stop waiting for the perfect moment.

Always, remind yourself perfection does not exist in this lifetime. I know it’s hard to digest that if you are a perfectionist (as I was in the past) — trust me, I totally get you. It feels good to have things organized and not messy. But, you know what else feels good? In the midst of the mess, looking back and knowing you went for it, grew so much, took risks and lived a life with no regrets.

If you want to go after something you’ve always dreamed of, you have to stop thinking it’ll come to you at a different time in place. You can enjoy what you want most right now, in this moment as long as you go after it.

Here Are the 3 Different Ways You Can ‘Eat the Dessert First’:

1) The Right Moment Doesn’t Exist

There is beauty in the imperfect and chaos of everyday life.

Once you see that, and once you embrace it, the second part of your life begins….

You do not need to wait until the right moment comes around because in reality no one is guaranteed this life. You were gifted this life, but death is our reality, as we know it. Since that is all we know in this age, why wait to start your dream life in a different moment in time, and instead, why not create the reality you most desire?

I say have the courage to bring forth what is within you and share your treasures with the world right in this moment. If you have to take a step forward, know that nothing is holding you back, but yourself. You don’t need the right house, the right degree or body to accomplish whatever you are trying to accomplish. You just need to decide and then double down on your goals and go after it full force like a warrior.

2) Perfection Is Overrated

Trying to achieve perfection is a dead end road.

Perfection, in its definition, is flawless.

In reality, perfection is the only impossible thing as we know it on this planet, that I believe is unachievable.

What is perfect, in my opinion, is this life. Life has so much to give to us, and there is so many beautiful things that surround us every single day. All we have to do is take a moment to notice it and fully appreciate it.

To me, this Earth is imperfectly perfect. There is so much beauty in it without it being perfect. In a billion years, this Earth won’t even be around. If you’re reading this right now, that probably doesn’t mean much to you, but if you think about it, it’s very special we get to experience it right now, whereas, there will be a time when people no longer can enjoy this Earth.

In another point, nothing about this life is normal, everything is extraordinary — so, I stay step up, and create a life that is up to the extraordinary standard, whilst learning to find peace in each moment.

Ozzy Balkanli

There is tremendous amounts of beauty in taking action and taking small steps into your goals. I have learned that it is better to make mistakes and learn then to be too timid to start.

More often than not, chasing perfection puts you at a bad place because it is unachievable. All that is achievable is being a better person than you were yesterday and the only day that is ‘perfect’ to do that is today.

So, live each day as a beautiful mess that it is.

3) Your Journey Is Your Own

One of my favorite songs is “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. I know it’s overplayed and there’s a good chance many people don’t like it after the show, “The Hills”, but, give it another listen, and this time, really listen to the lyrics.

It tells you to live life to the fullest and to live your best life creating it EXACTLY the way you want to.

I love how she says: “Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you.” and “No one else can speak the words on your lips.” Both of those are incredibly meaningful and true. Simple and powerful.

This is your life to live. We are all born as individuals and I realize that that could be part of the big plan of the Universe. It’s to learn that your journey is for you to discover and learn from. Don’t ever apologize for living your life exactly the way that you want to live it.

If you want to have the best part happen now (aka ‘eat the dessert now’), then just GO DO WHATEVER SETS YOUR HEART ON FIRE RIGHT NOW. Go for it! Don’t wait because I would not want you to waste a single moment in our imperfectly, perfect world.

Don’t reach for perfection rather reach for progress and always follow your heart.

I hope your journey is meaningful, loving and I hope it makes the little girl or boy proud. I hope you achieve all of your dreams.

Lastly, I hope you always eat the dessert first because this life is unpredictable and imperfectly your own journey to live out. You get to decide to live the best moments now and most importantly, strive to make each moment memorable.

Your life is a blank book in which you get to create for yourself and like Natasha Beddingfield said – the rest is unwritten.

Now, go write your own story!

Lots of love,

Ozzy

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