In less than half a week I abandoned lazy summer days in the sun for a job that now takes up most of my time. It was what I’d wanted then, but as the weeks keep pushing by I’m starting to treasure little things that perhaps I barely paid any attention to before.

Things like a nap after mom’s amazing cooking, or walking Chimbo (even if he IS 15 and takes forever to walk around a corner); having a ‘me’ night, where I give myself a little at home spa treatment, sitting around the TV with my mom laughing at the sillyness of the world or going out for dinner together and talking about big dreams.

I’ve missed lunch dates with friends and silly photos. Two weeks ago I was convinced to go out and watch Eclipse, and I can’t even remember the last time I’d gone to the movies! (OK I lie — I’m pretty sure the last time was for Avatar).

Talking to Tom every day forever isn’t possible anymore, which is heartbreaking, especially considering we are True Blood junkies and I can’t watch an episode if he isn’t around. I’d feel like I cheated.

Now that I have to stretch every bit of time that I have to myself, I seem to be getting a lot more done. I’ve picked up my love for reading again thanks to the long commute to work — currently reading The Time Traveller’s Wife because this is one book I want to read every word of before I see the movie. I’d just hate myself if I didn’t!

What little things have you learned to treasure?

In the first chapter, Jonathan Brings up a defining issue that may very well be the beginning to this mess we’ve got ourselves into. And that problem lies in the fact that we don’t own our minds; they are always “brooding about something” and tossing thoughts around. Thoughts rich in conflicting messages about who we should be and who we can be (according to societies, fellow human beings and our own selves). Funny enough it has had me thinking all day.

My thoughts are an ‘original’ mix of everything I’ve ever heard, everyone I’ve ever met and everything I’ve ever seen. They didn’t just spring to life in my head, of course. But what about my fears and self-doubt? That’s also got to be a mix of external influences, as well as all that internal brooding. What if I could control that? What if I could choose when to listen to myself? As Jonathan puts it, we walk away or zone out when someone says something we don’t want to hear, so why can’t we do that with our selves? Chapter 1 ends with a neat little exercise to take this first step, and I can’t wait to try it!

So sugardrop, what do you think “owning your mind” means? Do you sometimes pay too much attention to what your mind has to say, even if you don’t like it?

A year ago today I was running around Beijing, finishing Mandarin exams and packing my apartment into a tiny suitcase! I’d melt just stepping outside onto the busy roads of crazy bicycles and illegal taxis. The entire month of June seemed to drag out and I wondered if I’d ever make it to August. But as usual things always fall into place, one way or another!

Today I’m in Spain, done with first year Psych and running around planning my summer this time. Thanks universe for making everything happen!

Where were you a year ago today?

Hello lovelies! The sun has finally come and it is now okay to let my windows open all day long. It is strange how much more awake I feel, I just want to go outside and walk for ages with no predetermined destination until I find a cute little obscure cafe where I can have a nice cold cup of leche merengada.

Spring, is that you?

I have been sorting my life and making exciting plans for next year, none of which I will reveal until they are a sure go. All I can say is that next year I will be extremely busy to say the least, dabbing in all these areas that have interested me for so long. I don’t want to be at the halfway point in life wishing I had done this or that when I was younger. Now is definitely the time, so I am filled to the brim with excitement and all these expectations. I am going to make a turn in my life (or rather, a few!) and I can’t wait!

So to celebrate, I have decided to prepare Lemon Soda’s first giveaway! Would you guys be interested in one? Do let me know! If you have any ideas or would like your product to be featured, email me so we can arrange something!

Thank you guys for always stopping by and all your lovely comments, it means the world to me!

• Know that you are enough; seek only inspiration from others and be not jealous! Stop comparing yourself to others, it isn’t productive.
• Celebrate those you love. Show them what it means to you to have them in your life.
• Throw yourself an Unbirthday Party!
• Pamper yourself; invite a friend to come along. Get your nails done. Yummy candy apple, mint green is in!
• Redecorate your space. Have an inspiration wall of photographs and writings, and very importantly, with a mirror so that you can appreciate your beauty (even in the morning.)
• Buy some lingerie. For the smitten: give your partner a sexy dance! For the single: dance to your favorite song and eat all the sweets your heart desires!
• Sit next to someone you love. Breathe together.
• Try something new. Anything! Pat yourself on the back for your adventurousness.
• Take a self portrait and hang it up somewhere.
• Watch a friend shine. Encourage them, congratulate them — sparkle together.
• Remember the importance of laughing at yourself once in a while.

So even if for a day, drop your musts and your lists. Stop to appreciate yourself, go ahead and feel special, and don’t forget to spread the love wherever you go!

• If you’re next in line to put your week’s worth of groceries through, let the person behind you with two sodas and a bag of chips go first.
• Give up your seat on the bus so that two friends can sit and chat together.
• Spare some change or be as generous as you’d like with street musicians; when you tip them make sure you tell them how well they play/sing.
• If you see someone looking confused or lost, ask if they’d like some help.
• In controversial matters, speak your mind but agree to disagree so as to avoid useless confrontations (you will not convince anyone against their ideals and they will not convince you against yours.)
• When someone expects you to rise in anger, do the opposite.
• When working on projects, encourage your teammates by complimenting their bit of work.
• Be welcoming to ‘the new kid’.
• Hitting your computer won’t help. Hitting anything won’t help. Calm down, assess the situation and ask for help if needed.
• Say thank you. Sounds simple but we don’t say it enough.
• Treat your parents or friends to dinner or a movie, just because.
• Give because you want to, not because you expect anything in return.
• Leave uplifting quotes inbetween library books.
• Confide in a good friend. Let them do the same.
• Throw a party to celebrate your friend/boyfriend/brother/sister.
• When someone is talking to you, ask more about their story. (If you want to be interesting, be interested.)
• Apologize. Even if it wasn’t your fault to begin with, there is nothing worse than being in a fight with a loved one.
• Be confident in yourself and others.
• Be happy for your friends when they shine.
• Don’t insult others; it is neither classy nor useful.
• Never wish badly upon someone.
• Grab a flyer passed on to you on the street. Even if you end up throwing it away, at least take a glance at it.
• Set up a local fundraiser for a cause (who doesn’t love bake sales?)
• Make everyone feel like they count.
• Hug often.
• Donate even if just a few dollars to artists, web developers and fellow bloggers just to show your support.
• Smile in photos!
• Leave a good tip, even if you are a broke student (like me.)
• Spend time with kids. Learn from them (and their brutal honesty!)
• Tell your mother how amazing the meal she cooked was.
• Empathize.
• Talk to your pets.
• Pamper yourself. Love yourself, feel pretty and help others feel beautiful too.
• Every day should be Mother’s Day/Father’s Day/Valentine’s Day.

What do you do to spread the love around?

If I were a day of the week, I’d be Sunday.

If I were a time of day, I’d be 10am.

If I were a planet, I’d be Earth.

If I were a sea animal, I’d be a starfish.

If I were a direction, I’d be North.

If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a bookshelf.

If I were a liquid, I’d be lemon soda.

If I were a gemstone, I’d be an amethyst.

If I were a tree, I’d be a willow tree.

If I were a tool, I’d be a palette knife.

If I were a flower, I’d be an orchid.

If I were a kind of weather, I’d be rain.

If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a cello.

If I were a color, I’d be any shade of purple.

If I were an emotion, I’d be lovestruck.

If I were a fruit, I’d be a raspberry.

If I were a sound, I’d be the sound of waves.

If I were an element, I’d be air.

If I were a car, I’d be a smart car.

If I were a food, I’d be sushi.

If I were a place, I’d be a coffee shop.

If I were a material, I’d be cotton.

If I were a taste, I’d be sweet.

If I were a scent, I’d be vanilla.

If I were an object, I’d be a book.

If I were a body part, I’d be the lips.

If I were a facial expression, I’d be a grin.

If I were a song, I’d be Brown Eyed Girl.

If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be black ballerina flats.

Via Scattered Starlight. What would you be?

You create your thoughts, your thoughts create your intentions, and your intentions create your reality. — Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

I remember a friend of my mother’s, back when we were in Miami: Brazilian, loud, cooked amazingly and yelled at cars who got in her way. She was very spiritual as well, and one of the things I remember most clearly after 11 years is her Treasure Map. “This is my house in Key Biscayne, my car is parked right outside. Over there is my family who have moved from Brazil, and I’m over here running my own business.” These were magazine clippings and old photographs glued on to a cardboard, scrapbook style, and they were there as a visualization of her goals.

She taught me about the Law of Attraction, which I loved the concept of. So the next day I convinced my father to take me to a huge art supply store just off of the US 1 so that I could get some cardboard paper for my Treasure Map. Of course I was only nine at the time, so my Treasure Map consisted mainly of roller blades, a new set of paints and glitter, as well as a sticker book and a lot of stickers to trade with my friends.

Some people write things down, put them in a drawer and believe if it’s meant to be it will come to them. But I say: don’t underestimate the power of visualization. The mind associates objects and ideas with images, be they simple or complex. Visualizing a certain situation can invoke the emotions that come with it; that way, if you suffer from stage fright, imagining yourself in front of a crowd ready to give a speech might make your palms a little sweaty. So in the same way, if you visualize success, you will experience a taste of what it would feel like — it’s about taking that bit of energy and turning it into motivation to attract that which you want for yourself.

Before you create it:

• Sit down with yourself quietly and think of what you want — what you truly want! Don’t think yourself selfish, just start with a clear goal in mind. Go beyond material things; think about where you’d like to see yourself in the near future and with who!
• It can be in the form of a posterboard on your wall, maybe a corkboard inside a fancy frame, your computer desktop or even a video if you’re feeling extra creative!
• It’s best to keep it private, you know, like a treasure!
• Be in a good mood, because only positive things will go on it.

Creating your Treasure Map/Vision Board:

1. Go through magazines and We Heart It for images that represent what you love and want.
2. Draw, glue, fold cut and write. Rhinestones, glitter, feathers…Whatever works!
3. Include at least one photograph of yourself to ground the goal and bring it closer to you, preferably in the center!
4. Add positive affirmations.
5. Once you’re satisfied, put it up somewhere where you’ll see it often.

Now all you have to do is put your dreams to action; it doesn’t matter how many things are up on your map if there is no intent on your part to making it happen. We can’t leave everything up to the Universe, you know!

Ah, 2009! It caught Tom and I by surprise as we lined up to enter a countdown party — the actual counting down had began inside so those of us lining up just counted down together and proceeded to hug each other as we welcomed the new year.

It’s definitely been a chaotic year in every sense of the word, but as usual the memories to go down tend to be the good ones. And with time you can look back and laugh at past misfortunes and be glad that you survived them!

2009:

• Visited my beautiful family in Venezuela and took a mini holiday to the islands.
• Left my teenage years behind and turned 20!
• Finished my semester in Beijing with actually good marks!
• Moved to Madrid; probably the most hectic part of the entire year.
• Went Long Distance.
• Spent part of the summer in France with Tom; probably the best part of the year!
• Started my Psychology degree; loving it.
• Had Tom come over to Madrid and Toledo.
• Saw Tom in London and Cardiff. Amazing time but a bit too rainy for my taste…
• Had an amazing Christmas with family!

What has 2009 brought for you?