It's not about being sad, because limited funds prevents access to what we really want to do. There are plenty of people who have everything and are still unhappy. Let's go deeper. It's about being content and living a life of meaning. One that fulfills. Choose to be happy. Choose to be positive. Choose to add a bright spot to an otherwise dull moment. Choose to love. Choose to be patient. Sometimes when we have been bogged down by hardships for so long, the rut can get so f

Because who else should we be? Consider my number two motto: sameness is overrated. We live in a world that pressures us daily to confirm and be like everyone and everything else. As little tots and teenagers, we try to fit in so we belong. And if we don't, we feel bad and cast down, which effects our self-esteem. Like there's something wrong with us. Ok. I will say that I am writing this from a perspective of concepts rooted in positivity. So no, I'm not promoting an idea th

Savor every moment. If we embrace stillness of a moment, we can feel the weight of our journey. How far we've come. And gratitude in every inch of progress. I remember when I spent a summer in high school studying music at the Summer Music Institute at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC. We had two concerts: an orchestra concert, and one for small ensembles. I was in the first violins for the orchestra performance. If you haven't had the opportunity to explore the Ke

Breathe. It requires a pause. And an awareness of the simple need to breathe. I was riding in a boat out in deep waters of the Caribbean when I captured this shot. It was a clear day, breezy moment. Relaxation. Simple. Ease. Standing on the beach, I looked at the boat and all the water I had to wade through and then the acrobatics needed just to get into it safely. Had I panicked and stayed focused on all that ocean, I would've stayed onshore and missed out on the experience