Avery's Adventures!

 Happy New Year!  What a wild ride this year was! There were adventures, new opportunities, lessons to learn, and unexpected surprises.    I learned those good things come to those who wait. When it seems like you're about to lose hope, something you're manifesting will come. Like I mentioned in my birthday post, I hadn't had the best luck with dating. However, this year changed when I finally met my loving and kind fiancé. I never thought he would be my last first date. He has been so sweet and supportive of me; I do my best to give that support in return. Being in a long-term relationship has taught me many important things: Put your partner's needs before yours, compromise, hear what the other person has to say, have calm conversations, especially when the topic is challenging, and lastly, make time for each other.   My fiancé and I will be getting married this summer, and we will be together forever, and that's the number one thing I am looking forward ...

I can’t wait to sit with the Savior one day and thank Him for all He has done. Jesus Christ is the example of what it means to be a giver. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have given us so many gifts that help us through life. I am inspired by Christ that I want to be a giver just like Him. I often look for ways to be a giver to someone who needs one. It’s perfect because Christmas is the season of giving and helping others. Like Jesus Christ, Christmas can bring hope. He is the giver of hope for all of us. There’s the age old saying: “It’s better to give than to receive.” I agree with that. Giving brings more joy to everyone.  What can you do to be a giver?

Yesterday was my 25th birthday! I'm so excited to see what this year will bring for me and the learning opportunities that will come along to be a better person. I feel fortunate to have a loving fiancé, a wonderful family, etc.   I learned a lot of essential things at twenty-four. Some I didn't realize until I sat down thinking about it the other day.    One of the things I learned was to not let what anyone says get to you. People in this world are mean and they don't care who they hurt, and I would try to make sure everyone was being nice to each other; but sadly, you cannot make someone be nice. The best thing one can do is lead by example and show kindness to everyone. Sometimes you need to step forward and be the bigger person. Not everyone will like you, and that's okay. You don't have to like everyone you come across, but being unkind is never okay. Build relationships and be civil with one another.     

 I look at how well life is going and feel proud of myself for how far I've come. I am far from perfect, but I'm working hard every day to be an even better person. Life certainly hasn't been easy, but it's not easy for anyone because we all have struggles. No one is immune to battles, and that's an unfortunate part of life.  Sometimes, life can get so hard that we start to lose hope. I know I've been there on more than one occasion. I have learned to pull through by taking it one day at a time and allowing myself to feel what I need. There have been times, especially in the last year, when I haven't seen the world in the best way and made mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. I have learned from those mistakes, and I have been trying my best ever since to not make those mistakes again.  I'm thankful for the lessons I learned and the progress I make every day. 

 Visiting my family out of state opened my eyes to things that truly matter. Things that seemed important one year ago don't matter to me now. The little moments with loved ones truly matter because things could change in the blink of an eye, and things won't be the same anymore.  I have learned to live in the moment instead of always trying to be in a hurry. Sometimes, things take patience. I didn't think I would ever get married because of how long it took, but now I have found the love of my life. We will be getting married this summer, and I look forward to it, but for now, I will be present and remember the things that matter. Life is good.

 "Sometimes kindness is not easy; we need to find that courage within ourselves to spread kindness and make the world a better place." - Courageously Kind. Happy World Kindness Day!  I love days like this, and whenever I get to spread kindness to those around me. Like I have always said in my posts, if we all work together to be kind to everyone, I firmly believe we can make the world a better place.   I'm grateful for my faith and membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because we are taught to treat others as the Savior would and see people as God sees them. He sees us as His precious children whom he loves unconditionally. He wants us to treat others with kindness and with love.   We all deserve to be treated with kindness, every single one of us. I have never understood why people go out of their way to be mean to people. I have noticed horrible things like cyberbullying get even worse over the years. It's not a joke; it's not a wa...

 This past few months, I have learned how vital relationships are. I'm going to talk about the essential parts of romantic relationships.     I recently got engaged to my amazing boyfriend and learned a lot throughout our relationship. One of the things I learned is to humble yourself and not be prideful when disagreements arise. Being prideful only makes things worse, and disputes can last longer. It's vital to see things from your partner's point of view to truly understand them.  Both people in the relationship need to put 100% of their effort into working together as a team. The relationship can't/should not be one-sided, or what's the point of the relationship if only one person is putting in the effort? Learn to take each other as you are while motivating one another to change for the better and become even better people. After all, you're partners, and you're a team. 

 Some people are not meant to remain in your life forever. They may include those you thought would remain in your life indefinitely. Especially when it is a close friend, that is a painful lesson to learn. When this is the case, letting go is a difficult lesson. One can also tell when a person is not actively contributing positively to their life at times. Sometime, the wool will be pulled from your eyes when you realize that the person whom you thought cared for you used to talk badly about you, bullied you, or made you feel bad about yourself. In response, I pledged not to let anyone hurt me feel bad about myself ever again. I won't cry over what someone said, I will simply just shrug it off; because it's not my problem.My goal is to stop caring about what people think of me. It is difficult, but I am making progress. You can make progress too.

  It is International Women's Month, and I wanted to talk about how I feel empowered as a woman. Serving others is one of the ways I feel empowered. That's something I've been working on more, and I've seen it benefit my life greatly, knowing that I go out of my way to help others. Serving others doesn't have to be a huge thing. It can be as small as having a pleasant conversation and helping others feel included. Last week, I wrote that no one deserves to feel excluded and alienated. I still stand by that. One thing I absolutely love about my YSA ward is the love we share for one another in helping everyone feel included. I'm also grateful for Relief Society. These wonderful sisters are amazing friends and I always feel welcome whenever I go to Relief Society. The Relief Society sisters help me feel empowered, and I feel like I belong. No one deserves to feel like they don't belong, because everyone is welcome. Everyone deserves a friend. I love you all.

 Are you among those who have worked hard for a long time and have wanted to be rewarded for their efforts? It can be extremely frustrating when people do not acknowledge your efforts.  Certainly, it is infuriating when people don't want to acknowledge the amount of work that you have put into something and disregard it for some reason.  It's especially frustrating when you know your intentions were sincere. Unfortunately, some people don't take the time to appreciate the effort we put into things. I have had my own experiences where I had worked hard to accomplish something or show that I'm good enough, but then I got waved to the side. I was devastated because of how long I spent working on what I wanted to accomplish. It seemed like they didn't want to appreciate me.  I work hard in all I do, and I'm sure all of us work hard as well. I'm sure we all have some kind of goal or desire in mind, and we all deserve to have our dreams become a reality. No matter...

Life can be like a huge ocean with its unforgiving waves and relentless storms. It can be taxing to figure out how to navigate the waves while dealing with the wind and rain.  There have been times in my own life where I've had to navigate life's storms and hurricanes. Metaphorically meaning difficult periods of life. I remember times where I have been close to losing hope. Moments in life have been hard to deal with, but that doesn't mean they're impossible.  I sometimes wonder why certain moments happened and what I needed to learn from them. Some things I still haven't received the answer to, and others I didn't get an answer until later in life. Things really do come at their own time.     I know it can sound cliché to say things will get better, but they really do. Keep moving forward and keep hanging on to the light at the end of the tunnel.  There are storms I've experienced recently that I'm still wondering why they even had to come at this time....

  I want everyone to know how loved you are and you deserve to feel loved. No one should feel alone or alienated. The world is already a cruel place, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We are all learning about and understanding each other; if you don’t understand something then don’t be mean about it, because that won’t get you anywhere. Take the time to get to know someone and see them for who they are, because we’re all different and that’s okay. Too often I see on social media hashtags that say “bring back bullying,” and that confuses me. Why would someone want to be mean on purpose? That doesn’t make any sense. Let’s bring back kindness because there’s far too much cruelty. My heart goes out to anyone who is currently feeling alone or alienated. I’m here for you.

 Everyone deserves a second chance. We are all entitled to forgiveness. Moving forward is the best thing anyone can do when faced with a trial/heartbreak, but I understand that isn't an easy thing to do. Sometimes one can feel like they won't be able to look at the person the same way again.  I have had experience in my own life where I've struggled to forgive someone, but in the end, I knew it was the right thing to do.  There are people in my life who mean everything to me and I do my best to maintain those relationships in my life, even if there are tough moments like disagreements. Again, it's better to give people chances than to completely cut people out of your life.  I know boundaries are important and ultimately you are the one who decides what those boundaries are. You are the author of your own life and you get to decide who stays in your story. You decide who are the cast of characters.  Keep this in mind: everyone deserves to be forgiven. We're not ...

Dear Friend,    It is with deep sympathy that I offer my sincerest condolences for the heartbreak you have suffered.  All of us experience heartbreak and pain from time to time, and it never becomes easier to handle.  Even though it is impossible to avoid, I want to be there to lend a listening ear when you need it; since I believe all people deserve to be heard and to have the ability to express themselves.  No matter what kind of pain you are experiencing, whether it's the result of a break up or dealing with the betrayal of a family member or friend, it's your pain and you have the right to feel the way you do, since you are the one living through it and no one else.  I know it may sound cliché, but this will pass, and it will not last forever. You will meet so many wonderful people and get so many opportunities. People in your life want you to succeed and be the best that you can be.           Sometimes, people don't realiz...

This is for anyone who has experienced heartbreak at some point in their life. A broken heart is never easy to deal with. In fact, it can be painful depending on the severity of the heartbreak; medical studies show you can literally die from a broken heart. It's that serious. Life can be challenging, especially when faced with heartbreak. Family members and friends can also break our hearts; heartbreak is not limited to romantic relationships. My heartfelt sympathies are extended to all those who have suffered heartbreak.  Heartbreak is confusing and painful. One often doesn't know why it's happening, which makes the experience excruciating.       It is especially difficult when it is someone you trust or thought you could count on. You feel as though the rug is being pulled out from under you, since that would be the last thing you would expect from someone you trusted.  While heartbreak does not last forever, for some people, it may take longer to heal; t...

 Believe it or not, there is good in the world. One of my favorite anime shows says, "The world is cruel, but it's beautiful."  The world has had its cruel moments, but there has been more beautiful moments. There's more good than bad.  Going through trials can make it hard to see the good in the world, believe me, I've been there. Recently, I've been working hard to see the positivity in things. It's not easy for everyone, but it can be done. I was losing hope that things would get better, but I have seen things improve.  Feeling out of control is a chaotic feeling and it can make one feel like a ticking time bomb. We are all at different stages of life and we are finding our way. I'll have to admit, life is hard, but there's good in life. There are moments that make life worth it.  Everything will be good.

 Be the person that makes people feel good about themselves. Don't be the person who tears people down because of your own struggles. I understand that people lash out and that's part of being human, but when you consistently make someone feel bad about themselves with the intent of doing so, then that's something that you probably need to be aware of.  There's a difference between self-love and narcissism. Self-love is loving yourself despite your flaws and imperfections. Narcissism is thinking that you have no imperfections at all, and you make everything about yourself. Narcissists can't take being criticized, and they have a fixed mindset; not wanting to change.   If we don't change, then how will we learn? We must learn to accept our flaws and feel good about ourselves. Some flaws can't be erased and there's nothing wrong with that. Mental illness is one of those things, and no one is less than because of circumstances like that.    Take the time ...

 Let’s face it, people can be mean. People will go out of their way to bring others down to help them rise above to feel more powerful. Words hurt more than people realize, and that should let people know to be careful what they say. Even a mean comment on a social media post can sting, freedom of speech doesn't give anyone the excuse to bully in any way.  Think before you post.  The point of this post is to let you know that we all need to lift people up, and it's not our place to decide if people are worthy of being given opportunities and endeavors. You are good enough, you're worthy of what you want to achieve in life; as long as you're working hard and putting forth the effort to make your dream come true.  Hard work always pays off.  There are moments I've experienced that kinda make me sad from time to time when those things have crossed my mind, but I've learned from those moments and I've moved on. I am trying to teach, and remind myself that I am g...

  These days, people are told they're too sensitive, or they need to grow thicker skin. While in some cases, that's true, a thicker skin is needed to get through the hardness that is this world, but when an individual is experiencing mental health challenges like depression and anxiety, we need to be more compassionate.  I have had my own experiences in life where people thought I was just having mental health struggles just for attention, but that is far from the case. As much as I loved high school, there were moments that stressed me out greatly. I would have to go out in the hall to take a deep breath to get my mind to focus on something else instead of the stress I was feeling.  I’m obviously not going to go into depth of my own experiences, but I do know what it's like to feel anxious and not know the reason why.  People don't ask to have mental health struggles. Life is stressful and it can have a negative impact on the brain depending on the severity of the s...

   This post will be talking more about being a good listening ear for someone in need.  We live in a time where people don't feel like they can come forward with things out of fear of being judged by family members and peers.  I believe that's why people feel like holding it inside when it comes to things like being bullied. We need to be more understanding when people are dealing with things, and not assume things.   People these days appear to think those with mental health challenges are just doing it for attention, when that isn't the case at all. Why would someone fake struggles like that? That doesn't make any sense to me.   I know we don't always understand a person, and there's nothing wrong with that; being open is the best thing we can do to help anyone going through rough patches in life. It doesn't do any good to be judgemental and condescending; being condescending has never helped anyone.  All of us need to show more compassion...

 Why do people always defend bullies when someone comes forward with a problem that is caused by said person? That is a question I've been asking myself since I was in junior high. People don't seem to want to listen to people's problems these days; instead, people want to make others feel invalidated for feeling concerned with being bullied. No one wants to be treated badly. No one wants to feel invalidated.   I have gone through experiences like that throughout my life, and it's painful. We are always told to go to a trusted individual to let them know what's going on, but when it's someone they know, they immediately turn in back on you; gaslighting you, blaming you, and making you feel like you're crazy.  I understand people don't want to believe loved ones are capable of being bullies, but we should listen when someone is going through something an individual is causing. We need to work together to solve problems like that.    Criticism is one thing...

   We are all human and special in our own way. We are all different with our own challenges and struggles.   And with those struggles, we can be laser focused on our own rather than people around us. The world is already a cruel place, and we don't need to add to its cruelty. I wish people would go out of their way to be nice instead of being mean for no reason. If we can hate someone for no reason, then we can love someone for no reason.  I have also never understood why people defend those who treat people poorly instead of listening to the victim having the problem. It doesn't make sense to me. We should all be willing to listen to those who are having problems, even if it's from someone you thought you knew. We all slip up and say something we don't mean, but we can't disregard how people feel. It's things like that which cause people to feel like they can't come forward with anything.    We need to show tolerance for everyone. 

  "You might not make it to the top, but if you are doing what you love, there is much more happiness there   than being rich or famous." -Tony Hawk   This phrase hit close to home for me because I have been doing theatre since I was six years old, and after I did children's theatre for those first six years, I have never gotten a lead role and I have been working extremely hard for the past eighteen years. I have been climbing the mountain and I have gotten knocked down a few feet every time I've tried. I have been told that I will never succeed in my goal of being a leading role, and that was one of the worst things anyone has ever told me; it knocked my confidence down to non-existent. I am still working hard of achieving that goal, because I'm determined to prove those people wrong who haven't believed in me and have told me that I would never succeed. Tony Hawk's thoughts in the phrase I just shared gives me some hope that if I keep working hard, then...

Bullying is something that needs to stop, but nowadays it seems to be spreading like wildfire. What's the point of purposefully being mean to people and making their life miserable? There's no point. Being a bully won't make you powerful or strong, it just makes you the villain in someone's life. I don't think anyone actually wants to be a villain.  I know we love the villain in television shows and movies, but more often than not, the villain has had some cruelty placed upon them and then they want to take the pain they're feeling out on innocent people who did them no wrong.    The following image above this paragraph perfectly sums up what I'm talking about; blowing out someone's candle will never make yours shine any brighter. I have never understood why there's a need to hurt or condemn someone for being different; but it never hurts to try to get to know a person and see them for who they are.    You are allowed to not understand something or s...

    The past couple of weeks, I have learned that the most important moments in life are with loved ones and the people who love you. People almost always have good intentions and have your best interest at heart. Family and friends want you to be happy, and succeed in life in what you set your mind to. I know my family is always looking out for me and they want to help me through life. There are good people in the world; light will always prevail over darkness.  The chaos in the world will never strike down a strong family, because we all have each other.

 Happy New Year!       It's 2022 and it's time for new beginnings. I have always loved the new year because it gives us a chance to start over again and be better. I'm the kind of person who feels a sense of relief knowing that the new year will give me the opportunity to have a new beginning. One of the things I learned in church today was that the Lord loves beginners; He loves helping us start over and improve.       We are all moving through life at different paces and different stages; we don't have to race each other because life isn't a competition. We aren't trying to be better than anyone because we all have different goals that we want to achieve. Start over and be the best you ever, don't try to compete with anyone else; you will have a more positive outlook on life.      One thing I'm going to focus on this year is being present in the moment and not having my expectations be too high because I believe that will help me to fu...