Quit That Quarter-Life Kvetching

ideal lives, kvetching, quarter life crisis

Is my boyfriend the one? Is this job right for me? Did I order the right thing on the menu?  Should I have gone to that other party?
If questions like these run through your mind on the ‘reg, I have one thing to say to you:
Quit that quarter-life kvetching, woman!
Rather than obsessing over whether or not your current life circumstances are 100% “right”, why not redirect your focus to doing the absolute best that you can with the life situations that are right in front of you.
At work, bring your total attention to completing each and every assignment with excellence.  On dates, be open to enjoying time spent with another human being, rather than freaking out over whether or not he or she fulfills your perfect man (or woman) checklist.  When stuck in traffic, take the opportunity to breathe deeply, call a friend, or listen to some great music or an inspirational podcast.
I deeply believe that our ideal lives are not a set of “perfect” circumstances we will someday “achieve” and ride off into blissfully happy sunsets.   I think it’s more like an attitude we can choose to adopt no matter what life throws our way.
I’ve had mediocre dates turn into amazing friends.  Lack of plans turn into awesome adventures.   Not making the cut end up being an amazing stroke of luck.
It is all in your attitude Babycakes!
What do you think about this subject?  Do you fall prey to quarter life-kvetching and feel pressured to have it all figured out yesterday?  Would love to hear about it in the comments below!
TPOF Quote warrior I

Just see what happens

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“Sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want, and just see what happens.” 
-Sex and The City

Lazy and Loving It

laziness, productivity, summer

Lately I’ve been a slightly less motivated version of myself.  Normally, this would be cause for distress, but rather than resist this leisurely attitude, I’ve decided to run (or rather, slowly amble along) with it.  
I’m savoring lingering conversations on backyard patios, the lovely feeling of dipping my (tangerine pedicured) toes in my mom’s backyard pool, jogging through Merridian Hill Park as the sun sets over DC (while ogling all the cute puppies, of course), and taking a break from my blow dryer to let my hair return to its natural curly state.
While I’m all for goal setting, personal growth and productivity, sometimes kicking back and being (dare I say it) lazy can be a very good thing.  While I plan to ramp up my general level of activity come September, for now I plan to continue to take it easy, reflect on what’s next for me and be grateful for all that is wonderful about summer.  Care to join me?

Girl power goddesses to Google right now!

Bloggers, Books, Inspiration, Inspirational Women, Self-Improvement, Vlogging

The following 5 dynamic digital divas will leave you bursting with inspiration and ready to take on the world…
1) Kimberly Wilson

Kimberly helps modern women stylishly blend yoga and entrepreneurship into their everyday lives, and I consider her books, HipTranquil Chick and Tranquilista, to be my sparkly pink bibles. Kimberly’s podcast, Tranquility Du Jour, offers fantastic interviews of people at the forefront of the personal growth and creativity arenas, and her charming Tranquility Du Jour blog always puts a smile on my face.

2) Marie Forleo
 
Marie is a self-described “business strategist, marketing maven, and spiritual ass-kicker with a side of hip hop swagger” and one of the best (and most popular) she-Vloggers on the web.  Her vibrant videos covering everything from business growth to spirituality never fail to leave me energized and full of excitement.
3) Danielle LaPorte
Life coach Danielle LaPorte writes that “feminine power and progressive commerce are revolutionary forces” and I couldn’t agree more.  Her website and best-selling book, The Fire Starter Sessions, showcase her powerful writing which is wise, sassy and totally irreverent all at once. 
4) Gabrielle Bernstein
The cover of Gabrielle’s 1st book, Add More Ing to Your Life, (pictured above) which shows her unicycling on a crowded NYC street sporting a huge grin and angel wings pretty much says it all.  I very much enjoy her weekly Vlogs centered around self-improvement and personal growth and the warmth and panache with which she delivers them.
5) Gala Darling 
Through her irresistible blog and eBook, appropriately titled, Love and Sequins, Gala Darling offers a message of “Radical self-love”.  She encourages her ever-growing tribe of self-described “International Plagirls” to join her on on a path of self-actualization and style.  
Who inspires you on the wonderful World Wide Web?  Please share in the comments below!

July 4th Nail Nirvana

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Though nail decals of any kind once conjured images of strippers and Areopostale-sporting tweens, I’ve recently developed a taste for slightly more daring digits.  When seasonally appropriate and paired with a more subdued ensemble, I think they’re actually quite fun and irreverent.
Disclaimer aside, if you’re craving some manicure marvelousness this Independence Day, I invite you to peruse my patriotic polish picks below.  And if you think I  *nailed* it (pun!), let me know in the comments!

Fabulous things to do in DC this summer

fun things to do in DC this summer, Things to do in DC, Washington DC summer 2012

A smattering of fun ideas in no particular order…

* Play flashlight tag by the monuments at night 
* Visit Kramer’s Bookstore and Afterwards Café
* Cultivate calm at Tranquil Space Yoga studio
* Shake your groove thang’ at Joy of Motion 
 
* Hike the Billy Goat Trail
* Go boutique browsing in Bethesda (and then drink your greens at Puree!)
* Listen to live Jazz at Utopia on U Street
* Savor a cocktail on the rooftop of The W
* Ensure your July 4th plans include a rooftop, cute boys and fireworks!
* Kayak on the Potomac
* Hang with the hippies at the Meridian Hill Park Sunday drum circle

* Catch an afternoon movie at Bethesda Row

* Go boating in Annapolis
* Fantasize about Mr. Dracy with girlfriends at an outdoor Jane Austen film screening at Georgetown’s Dumbarton House
* Bike along the C&O Canal
* Brunch on the lovely back patio of Puro Café in Georgetown followed by a spa treatment at Nectar Skin Bar and a visit to Urban Chic
* Attend a performance at the Capital Fringe Festival
* Enjoy an outdoor summer concert at Carter Barron
* Sip cocktails by the Georgetown Waterfront

The world is in desperate need of irresistible women

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“The world is in desperate need of irresistible women. Women who are willing to be enthusiastic, alive, and expressive-regardless of the circumstance; Women who are not afraid to tell their truth of speak up for what they believe in; Women who feel at ease being intelligent, sensual, and compassionate all at once. Women who do not compete with, demean, or do battle with men (or other women) but see everyone for who they really are – fellow human beings also in search of a great life, in search of love.” –Marie Forleo

 Image: Papaya

And I think it’s fly when girls stop by for the summer, for the summer

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 “Hip Hop Marmalade spic and span,
Met you one summer and it all began
You’re the best girl that I ever did see,
The great Larry Bird Jersey 33
When you take a sip you buzz like a hornet
Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets
Call me Willy Whistle cause I can’t speak baby
Something in your eyes went and drove me crazy…
Bugaloo shrimp and pogo sticks
My mind takes me back there oh so quick
Let you off the hook like my man Mr. Limpet
Think about that summer and I bug, cause I miss it
Like the color purple, macaroni and cheese,
Ruby red slippers and a bunch of trees
Call you up but what’s the use
I like Kevin Bacon, but I hate Footloose
Came in the door I said it before, I think I’m over you
but I’m really not sure
When I met you I said my name was Rich
You look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch”
 -LFO