Funny how life works.

I was quoted.

Okay, well, not exactly "quoted," but referenced. And okay, yes, she's a dear family friend, so it's not like a complete stranger happened upon my blog and found these words to reference to the world, and sure, maybe it was just on Facebook, but POINT IS (do I have one?), the other day, said family friend, tagged me for something I had written almost TWO YEARS ago on my blog.

So, out of curiosity on what was referenced, because we all know I have the memory like that of a goldfish, I clicked the link and read the following:

"From the journal of a blogger friend of mine. She can be found at www.mishlovinlife.com":

"..I need to remember to stay present and enjoy the moment. No worries about the future or past. 

Just be in the now. No making stories. Just take it as it comes, for what it is.

I read the commencement speech that Steve Jobs gave back in 2005, and it really resonated with me today. He said that we need to live each day as though it's our last. As cliche as that is...it's the truth. We all have one thing in common: Life will eventually come to an end for us all. Therefore, every moment should be appreciated and not taken for granted or wasted sweating the small stuff. 

He said, every day, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you're doing what you want to be doing in life. If the answer is "no" day after day, then change it. 

No fears. Just go for it, whatever that may be.

I want to be positive and uplifting. 

I want to be enlightened and loving. 

I want to be accepting. 

We all have our own journeys to live. There is no right or wrong. 

Just choices that we are all entitled to make. I choose to be all those things.

I want to wake up every morning and choose that for my day.

I can and I will. I am strong, I am loving, I am positive, and I am powerful.

This life is too short to be any less than that.

I can so easily get caught up in the little dramas of my life and believe that it's the end all-be all. 

Why? What for? What does that accomplish? 

Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but for today...in this moment, I choose to embrace it all with open arms and a smile on my face. Tomorrow will take care of itself and if I get the chance, 

I will choose it all over again." 

First thing that came to mind after reading that was, "I wrote that?!"

What amazes me most, I think, is that this was written almost TWO YEARS ago. Way back before selling everything to travel the world was even a thought! And I love it. I love that I can look back on these last two years of my life and really feel like that was some sort of a stepping stone to truly start going after what I wanted in life. To stop making excuses, to embrace my reality, and to create whatever the hell I wanted to create.

Having that refresher came at a perfect time, too. It was something I needed to read again, to remind myself of again. Because shit, life IS too short to be anything less than what you want to be, to BE anywhere else than where you want to be. If every day you're unhappy with what you're doing, then by George, change it! Here I've been, these last few months, living in something of a rut. Crying my eyes out to The Dizzle every week about how unhappy I am with my job and how I wish I was doing this or that and blah blah blah. And it was like a light bulb turned on in my brain and the answer was so simple: DO something about it, Michelle. Stop your crying, stop your excuses, and just DO something about it.

So doing is what I'm doing!

Has my current situation changed at all? Not yet. But my perspective has. My thoughts have. And isn't it amazing how that can make all the difference sometimes? I'm excited for what's to come. I'm excited for making the most of my days. It makes me happy to focus on the positive. And I'll tell you what, you'd be surprised to see, even in your darkest moments, just how much good is around you. If you just took a moment, turned down the volume on those negative thoughts, and looked at what you can be thankful for and what you've accomplished so far, and how much you have yet to accomplish, that can be a whole lot of exciting too. And in my opinion, way more fun than crying every night. Unless, of course, you're into that sort of thing. ;)

So. Cheers to today, friends!

And thank you to my dear family friend for "referencing" me at just the time I needed to be.

xoxo