inspiration Archives - Page 2 of 2

Peace Talks

I like to share inspo now and then and started thinking, “does anyone care?” But, then I decided, “Who cares?” Even if I’m spreading the tiniest sparkle of positivity, it’s worth something. I see it as me blowing the glitter out of my hand so it ends up everywhere. yes, I’m aware some people hate glitter and maybe a wind gust came and got some in your eye. Oh well. It’s pretty. We all deserve pretty.

Today I had a “peace” theme in mind because there seems to be a sense of calm around me at the moment. Not like there are not things to worry about and stress over, but some kind of inner stillness has carried me through.

source

Have a lovely, peaceful day!

~Whitney Victoria

October 26, 2017October 26, 2017

Whitney VictoriaLeave a comment

Travel Plans

Anticipation is like a drug. Having anything exciting in the pipeline makes me look forward to each day.

I’m in my best flow when I’m doing! Talking about fun events and things you love is amazing when you’re getting in the positive zone. But, it’s even more powerful when you let your thoughts stop racing, listen to your gut, and take action.

Action doesn’t have to be fast-paced or wide-reaching. It starts with a single move and ripples out from there.

I have tried to hold myself back from signing up for things and joining new groups and volunteering because I would end up with no free time for myself.

After meditating for the last few months, I can more easily identify my feelings and know what I’ll be excited to do before putting my name on the list. It’s like my mind is clear or something…hah. Anyone can do it and sit still for a few minutes. You can.

Now I’m way more likely to raise my hand for some wonderful opportunity.

Skydiving? I’m there. Just say when.

An impromptu long weekend road trip? Hello! I’m riding shotgun.

Speaking of trips, I’ve been toying around with the idea of use some of my vacay days (the ones that need to be used by December 31). I’m a little obsessed with New England. Maine is a little too far to drive and I didn’t feel like booking a flight. Connecticut wins!

I was all prepared to go myself since I wasn’t sure I’d find anyone else who had time to kill and who I could stand traveling with….Luckily I enjoy traveling with my mom. She also thought my idea sounded like a great idea!

Two or three years ago we took a Fall trip to Rehoboth. It was sooo fun and different being at the beach in not summer.

We’re leaving Sunday morning for Norwalk, CT. Monday I’m planning a visit to New Haven. Then Tuesday we’ll explore the town a little bit before leaving of home. I’m so into making travel plans and have spent the last few days reading Yelp reviews and visitCT.org. I love it all. This trip is not about planning everything like crazy so I’m leaving my detailed itinerary a little open. Oxymoron? Not for me!

I need structured freedom!

I found a decent hotel with vacancy. There’s a top-rated vegan restaurant in New Haven. There are several lighthouses and harbors along our route! Whenever I make the decision to follow my instinct, things magically align and come together.

I can’t wait to share all my pics and moments from the trip! The anticipation has me all crazy! That’s a good thing, in my book, people.

Follow your heart and let it lead you to something magical.

~Whitney Victoria

October 12, 2017October 12, 2017

Whitney VictoriaLeave a comment

Seasons

There are seasons to everything. The weather, sports, but especially life.

I think of it as a fad or a trend. You know when you’re really into that binge-worthy show? You watch it every night until you’ve finished the entire series. Now what? Oh right, you move on. You find a new show. Or maybe you start a blog ( wink, wink) and that becomes your current obsession. It might be trendy in Whitney World to

It’s okay to move on. There is no one telling you it’s do or die if you quit something. Well, maybe there is someone telling you you’re lazy or unmotivated but I’m here to tell you there’s a difference between letting something go and giving up right before the finish line.

Just in the fitness realm there have been so many seasons. I’ve had seasons of running, seasons of lifting weights, seasons of Insanity. (The Beachbody program, not my mental status…debatable.)

Then there’s food. I pride myself on enjoying healthy food. I like learning about it too. It’s a real hobby of mine and has been since high school.

The point is, sometimes you need to give it up to know it’s something important to you.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

There have been hobbies I stopped and I’ve never felt the urge to go back to, ever. Like making gimp keychains…what, like my 12-year-old crafts don’t count? Other things, like running, I end up missing eventually. I find myself longing to feel winded and sweaty and alive!

I used to get mad at myself when I lost interest in something I deemed as “good.” Something like sticking to a specific workout program. Now I’ve realized it means I’ve outgrown it.

Sometimes you are in your winter, and feel like sitting under a fuzzy blanket, warm tea in hand, while you watch rom coms every weekend. I can feel myself when I’m in my lively season. I sign up for everything. Being around people makes me happy. I wake up every morning and can’t wait to see what’s going to happen!

Wherever I am at the moment is where I’m supposed to rest at the moment. Like in the big hair and big sunglasses zone.

It’s OKAY.

Tomorrow I might be into the round John Lennon’s. No judgment here.

~Whitney Victoria

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017

Whitney VictoriaLeave a comment

Fall Reminders for the Weekend

Friday, everyone! I don’t have many words and think it’s best to leave you with some reminders to carry you into Saturday and Sunday.

Enjoy the cooler weather. Notice the leaves changing color and falling around you. Drink hot chocolate. Wear a plaid scarf. It’s beautiful out there, no matter where you are.

source

Truth, right? Haha!

source

What are your favorite fall activities? I’d love to hear your traditions!

~Whitney Victoria

September 29, 2017

Whitney VictoriaLeave a comment

Get Back to Happy

Okay, I’m fine with my job but that doesn’t mean it’s not easier to think about the weekend and all the great things that will make me happy then. Or maybe you actually love your job and you are a little aimless on Saturday. Whatever the case, you can snap your fingers and change you mood in any situation.

I already planned to write a little ditty about this when I saw Gary Vee’s quote on LinkedIn today. It’s perfect for this convo.

“It’s starts with being honest with ourselves … and getting ourselves happy, once you do that you don’t have negativity inside to deploy and you start being optimistic and positive and that leads to results for you, your family and society.” -Gary Vaynerchuk

I like good vibes. I want to stay in the zone as much as possible, no matter what time of day it is. Aligning with the things that make me feel great sounds easy but what if you don’t know how?

The easiest way to know what makes you happy is make a list! (Yes!!! A legit reason for list making that won’t make me feel like a Type A psycho!) Sit down for just like 15 minutes. There were be little things and big things you come up with. A bunch of your items will probably be things you can do today!

Sure, you might have “skiing in the Swiss Alps ” down. I bet just looking at a picture of it will create positive feelings right now. This makes me pretty darn happy and I’m excited for a chance to bask in the sun on a snowy mountaintop. It doesn’t matter if I don’t have a trip scheduled. The universe knows how much I appreciate this example so it bring more of that for me to enjoy.

(source)

I know this is surprisingly tough for some to pinpoint so I’m sharing a semi-short list of my own happy triggers.

Giving someone a gift: I get sooo excited to give presents and find myself constantly buying little things for others or baking them cupcakes like this display I put together last year for co-workers. It was probably more fun for me than they got out of it!

Drinking diner coffee: Diners are so classic and dependable. Pancakes, bacon, and coffee refills-my standard order no matter what time of day!

Watching 17 Again – specifically this scene (You’re welcome!): I have Zac dibs. My love has not wavered ever since 11th grade when I saw High School Musical…yes, I was still watching the Disney channel in high school.

Singing in the car – bonus points for songs from Glee: They have the best versions of pop songs that are literally made for sing alongs!

Having manicured nails: I’ve tried to convince myself it doesn’t bother me to have raggedy nails but, wow, do I feel better about myself when they’re done.

Wouldn’t these be adorable for winter??(source)

Fresh flowers around: Walking into a room and seeing blooming flowers is a huge mood lifter. I’ve bought cheaper bouquets at Giant for like $3.99 and they’re gorgeous. I don’t need to have a dozen red roses on my dining room table every day. Tulips like this at Whole Foods are my favorites.

Disney World: I’m still so obsessed with it and need to go back ASAP. It really is like magic there. Every detail is tailored to Disney and making you feel like you’re a kid again.

Perfectly cut bangs: It’s tough living the life of a wavy-haired curl with a five-finger forehead. Bangs are a necessity so when they’re great…They. Are. Great.

My forever #hairgoals – Dakota Johnson.(source)

Flannel shirts *see lumberjack attraction: Wearing flannel myself is cozy and cute and makes me think of cold weather, but it’s even better on a guy. How about we go super dorky and wear matching shirts? I’m down.(source)

Creating something -anything, really!: Baking, crocheting a scarf, coloring a picture, whatever. Creating makes me feel powerful. I put something new out into the world, like this tie-dyed shirt.

Giggling: It could be a friend and me laughing or just witnessing a little kid doing it!

Write a quick list for yourself. I know you can do it!

Comment and tell me something that gets you back to happy!

~Whitney Victoria

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017

Whitney Victoria4 Comments

Look Up! Inspiration’s Everywhere

Oh wait, you mean I don’t go directly to my Instagram feed for daily inspo? Sure, I do that, but I’m actually pretty zen (hah!) and see inspiration all around me! It’s the tiniest things that sometimes mean the most. Like finding a penny in the parking lot. That penny was put there for me to find. I truly believe that. Maybe it’s a date of something I’m meant to remember. Maybe the 2 seconds in which I bent down to pick it up saved me from getting in an accident. The fact is, I totally paused, and noticed. That penny might give me the next billion $ idea.

Inspiration

(Oxford English Dictionary definition…because if it’s good enough for Rory Gilmore, it’s good enough for me.)

The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
A person or thing that inspires.
A sudden brilliant or timely idea.
Divine influence, especially that supposed to have led to the writing of the Bible.

It is sooo interesting that humans naturally do not look up. I think it has something to do with us not having natural predators from the sky…I could be way off so don’t tweet that. But anyway, start by looking up! I’m super child-like and still think clouds are fascinating. They change every day in shapes and sizes and colors and how much sun streams through them. Yeah, that’s inspo free of charge, courtesy of G.O.D. (Yeah, you know me.)

Back to Insta/IG, seriously, what are the cool kids calling it? Instagram has actually made me notice even more tiny works of art and great marketing signs all around. When I see some amazing photo op, obviously I want to share it as much as possible, via social media! I genuinely like to put it out there and get a person moving on that soul train. It’s like paying it forward but with sharing kindness. Oh god, that took a turn down Rainbows and Puppy Dogs Alley.

fullsizeoutput_1ad6 — Unicorn Don’t Care.

I’m always looking to get into peak state. (Shout out to Tony! Hit the link. More on that later. I’m obsessed.) I want to be excited about life and feel good about it. It’s simple, but not easy. I still have to choose to work on it every day. It’s not something that comes naturally to most of us; I’ve just trained myself to look for it.

Now please, take some of my favorite ways into consideration.

Take a different route to work tomorrow! No doubt you’ll see something amusing.

Today I used my GPS to go a new way to my friend’s house. I got to drive through a scenic route that I didn’t know existed and was surrounded by gorgeous tree-lined streets. I know, I know, I’m wonderful. I took the road less traveled. Please call me Whitney Frost.

Google inspiring movies!

I just watched The Pursuit of Happyness and now think I can be a stock broker.

Listen to a podcast! Hint, hint…

I’ve heard countless quotables that I write down on sticky notes. Sometimes I throw them in my purse or stick them to the back of my phone. I’ve even written phrases on my hand, like a high school kid, if it’s something I want to remember.

Make a vision board!

Flip through a magazine. You have no idea how nerdy I am about VBs. Just proved my point by abbreviating it to “VBs.” I get little bursts of happiness when I cut something out for my boards. I’d call it one of my hobbies at this point since I set aside time to sit on my bed and clip some pics of Zac Efron and Tahiti. Trust me. It’s a good time. #joyjolt

Get out there. Find something that inspires you in your daily routine. It’s there. Stop and look around.

I dare you.

September 1, 2017September 1, 2017

Whitney VictoriaLeave a comment

Follow your heart and let it lead you to something magical.

~Whitney Victoria

It’s OKAY.

What are your favorite fall activities? I’d love to hear your traditions!

(source)

Write a quick list for yourself. I know you can do it!

Comment and tell me something that gets you back to happy!

Inspiration

(Oxford English Dictionary definition…because if it’s good enough for Rory Gilmore, it’s good enough for me.)

The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

A person or thing that inspires.

A sudden brilliant or timely idea.

Divine influence, especially that supposed to have led to the writing of the Bible.

Get out there. Find something that inspires you in your daily routine. It’s there. Stop and look around.

I dare you.