"there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you" -maya angelou

Three months into 2014.  I had made a self-declaration that this year marks the year of change - and slow changes have ensued . . .  

It has been 6 weeks since I have become a vegetarian (okay, closer to a pescetarian) . . .  

It took me 9 months to finally take the leap - but I did it - I enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to become a certified holistic health coach.  What that means for my future?  I am not sure.  I just need to be inspired to lead a life with intention.  

How does a tax attorney hungry for money and success, do a 360 in less than 2 years into her job, want to drop everything to become a vagabond searching for spirituality and meaning?  Beats me. 

How did I get here anyway?  A stable corporate job, engaged to my college sweetheart, a beautiful home, a pile of student debt, a stressful life keeping up with the Jones, a lack of purpose and spirituality . . . I planned it.  That's how I got here.  I planned it all.  I never understood what people meant when they say watch out for what you wish for because you just might get it.  I sure do now.  I asked the universe for all this.  I got it and I realized I didn't want it.  Don't get me wrong - I am grateful for everything that I have and count my blessings as often as I can, but there is something tugging inside of me . . .  Perhaps it is just that same negative voice that is never content and always wants more in life or maybe, just maybe it truly is something deeper inside of me that is yearning for me to live this untold story I was meant to live.      

So who is to say I can't plan the next phase of my life - inching away from what I thought I had wanted back when I was 23?  I am sure I can create another whirlwind of change within this decade of my life.               

So where does the compass point to now?  I honestly don't know yet, but I am sure my path will unfold on my journey to becoming a holistic health coach, a vegetarian, and a true yogi (deepening my yoga practice).   

Along the way I sure do hope I can find the keys to these corporate handcuffs . . . 

Because in the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take.     

28
"And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?" - rumi

Love,
Nat

the conspiring universe

I am happy to share that I have finally figured out how I will turn my "passion into a profession" (see Jump Ship by Josh Shipp)!  I have been so blindsided all these years by the things that sounded glamorous and sexy and did not stop to think what I truly loved deep down.  It is rather ironic because when it came down to it - it was right under my nose . . . literally . . . all those self-help books that I kept digging my nose in since I could remember.  That was my answer.  I don't want to go into much details with it until it really "launches," but I will keep you afloat.

inspired

Let's just say I was ready to start my journey in a new path of fashion law (new blog and all) - and then I stumbled across Jump Ship and it really made me think things through.  Last night, I attended my third fashion law event and came to the realization, once and for all, that it was not for me.

Although I will have to keep these corporate handcuffs on at my current job until I can really make a living doing what I love, it will be a new journey in pursuing my true passion that I will continue share with you.  Politiks 'n Blahniks no longer makes sense for this new pursuit, but life happens when you are too busy making other plans.      

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."  -Paulo Coelho

This continues to ring true to me because the very day I plotted my new life-calling, Echkart Tolle (the one and only person I believe is really onto something about this state of humanity) "liked" my picture above on Instagram.  Eckhart!  I mean really!  If you know me, you know I died for a moment there.  I really believe the universe aligned at that very moment to have someone I idolize so much acknowledge me!  And so it begins. . .  

Love,
Nat  

on the edge

her edge was in the routines she built herself

I have been lacking something lately.  I don't know what it is.  Is it yoga and spirituality?  Is it fashion law and an exciting industry change?  Is it writing and creativity?  Whatever it is, I need it.  Yes, it has been a little over a year in my job and I am doing well.  I am growing and meeting great people.  But I need more.  I need excitement.

Complacency scares me.

I have been soul searching for the answer - to find a new mission and purpose to achieve - to create a plan and go full force with it like I did when I first started this blog.

I am exactly where I wanted to be, right?

Yet I am afraid it won't be too long before 28 year old me will confront 27 year old me and ask what happened?  Why were you so scared?  Why didn't you make a move?  Why didn't you fight hard enough for a more creative life?      

1 year and a few months later . . . I am back

It has been a long while since I have blogged.  Since my last post, I have had a whirlwind of amazing events.  I passed the bar.  I went to Europe.  I got engaged.  I started a challenging, yet rewarding, job.  I went on another vacation to Cabo with my family.  I bought a home with my fiance.  I got a promotion. . .

. . . All the while transitioning into my late 20s - and STILL trying to figure it all out.

I have come to find that, when I first started this blog at 22, I was figuring out my passion . . .
Then at 23, the voice of "reason" chimed in and forced me to pursue a stable career . . .
Then the latter part of my twenties was spent pursuing this career. . .
Then at 26, when I was finally in this "reasonable" career, the 22 year old in me has somehow emerged from hibernation and is confronting me . . . today at 27.

For the last year, I have spent my days working hard and proving myself in the corporate world, and my nights reading Coelho, Thoreau, Tolle, anyone who can give me a sense of meaning in everything I am and have been doing.

Every now and then I would have a wave of inspiration to blog and sort out my thoughts and understand my path and plan ahead for the next few years - but time always felt against me.  I was always too busy with something.  That is, until I stumbled across the ebook "What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast."  And to me, at least, that is to rise early and spend time sorting out my thoughts.  So I will continue this journey where I left off and continue to do things with intention.  Although I am exactly where I want to be at 27, I need to make sure I end up exactly where I want to be at 30 - balanced.

Snippets of my new home

Love, Nat

The Beginning

 Today was the first day of the Bar.  I moved into my hotel room yesterday and kept cramming as much into my head as possible.  I went to bed early, and of course - as life would have it, I couldn't sleep . . . ALL night.  Whether it was the insufficient AC, the flat pillows, or my nerves telling me the storm is coming, I tossed and turned every hour of last night until the alarm hit 6:45am . . . I woke up this morning tired but ready for battle.  And guess what?  I felt like I victoriously knocked the essay portion out of the park.  However, the unexpected threat of the Performance Test was the killer of my short lived joys.  I was sad and felt like I might have possibly failed it.  Not surprisingly, my castigating self came out to play and welcomed the many possibilities of why and how I failed the PT.  I took a candlelit bath to suppress that merciless voice.  So here I am (with my usual glass of wine).  I did absolutely no reviewing the rest of the evening and am just too tired to squeeze anything out of me.  Tomorrow is the the multiple choice section of the exam.  6 hours.  200 questions.  Fun stuff.  1/3 of the way there.  I. Can. Do. This.          

hard-won battles

Going into the last week of my studies and since my last break down, 

I have made sure to keep myself sane by staying at a steady pace and remembering to breathe.  Whether it be keeping fresh flowers on my desk, soaking in the summer sun and ocean breeze each afternoon, or doing an hour of yoga. . . I have tried to ground myself in this swarm of stress.  

I am aware that after the end of this fight, I will yet prepare to start another one, and another and another. . . I've pushed myself to the limit each and every time I've set goals for myself and fought hard until the bitter end . . . and yes, I've cried and complained, but I followed through every time.  I think if I keep creating and fighting these hard-won battles, the boundaries that encapsulate my abilities and potential as I grow older really will be limitless.       

   

   

fresh flowers 

fresh juice

fresh air

so que sera, let's go sailing . . .

via thisisglamorous.com

via thisisglamorous.com

Breathe Again

For the last 6 weeks my schedule consists of waking up at 8am and studying straight until 5pm (yes, that's 9 hours straight). I would refresh and do yoga for an hour, eat dinner with my BF and relax a bit, and then go back to studying until 12pm (yes, that's another 3-4 hours). The next morning, repeat.

I finally lost my stamina and crashed last week. I started to doubt myself and thought of the possibility that I could possibly fail the bar despite all this hard work. . . What would I do? How would I have the time to retake it? Would I have to relive this nightmare? What would people think? How would I feel about myself?

Yes, I had my first spout of tears last week while I was studying, but I didn't stop. . . I just kept fighting through the tears. . . I think it was then that I realized how important it was to take a step back and just breathe . . . and not hold my breath the whole way through like I had been doing.

I feel so blessed to have a supportive BF who has tried so hard to accommodate my every needs and put up with my emotional rollercoaster. When I keep thinking about all the wrongs and horribles in my life, he reminds me of all the rights and wonderfuls, of all the things I've accomplished but keep underestimating . . .

After a rough tearful week, he made us dinner and suggested we eat outside our balcony for once - to take in the summer ocean breeze amidst our harbor view we take for granted. . . It was absolutely lovely and reminded me how important it was to have little moments like these, to take a step back and count my blessings.

via &soweramble

To top it off, my friend Sara had surprised me with a "Care Package," full of wonderful goodies and pampering to get me through the last 3 weeks. She reminds me of why we all need a few great friends in our lives and the importance of making time for them (something I need to work on soon since I have been very self-absorbed in my studies throughout law school).

I have 3 weeks until armageddon, and I am glad that I had my lowest low now so that I can reboot and finish strong.

Love,
Nat

Love Daphne

Happy First Day of Summer

Multi-Tasking

First Half of 2012: Sowing.  Remaining half: Reaping 

Issue: False Imprisonment

via FrenchFrosting

Rule: 

(1) Defendant intentionally

(2) Causes Plaintiff

(3) To be totally confined,

(4) For an unreasonable amount of time,

(5) Within boundaries, and

(6) With no reasonable means of escape.

Application: 

Here, Barbri has intentionally caused me to be totally confined to my house for 9 weeks, an unreasonable amount of time, with no reasonable means of escape, without forfeiting the fate of my legal future. 

Conclusion:

Thus, I have a tort claim for false imprisonment.  

rant

via LeFashion

. . . I pick the former.  

Graduation and the Barbri Beast

It has been over 3 weeks since Graduation.  A long overdue Woohoo!  

May 20, 2012
Graduation with my Lovely Family
2 Bachelors of Arts + 1 JD + 1 LL.M
...and that will be where the torture ends.  

Unfortunately I hopped right onto the Barbri rat wheel along with my fellow peers and have not gotten off since.  I thought Law School was eating up my soul, but studying for the Bar is a whole different beast.  Lectures and homework from 9am to 12pm and maybe some breaks in between 5-6 days a week for the last 3 weeks is a superhuman feat that I don't know I can continue on for the next 5 weeks.  Burned out to the bottom of my wick.  Beer, wine, and chocolate have been my dearest friends lately. . . let's just hope Vodka doesn't come along and befriend me as well.         

No comment.

Great news to share about the manifestation of my consignment aspirations and crossing off guest blogging on my bucket list.  Save for another day.  

Love,

Nat 

Tickets to Europe? Booked.

via peaceloveandprettythings

Come August, my family and I will spend over two weeks in Paris, Venice, Sicily, Naples, Sardinia, Rome, Florence, Monaco, and Barcelona!  I'm super excited, yet am soaking in the last couple weeks of classes and embracing finals.  It will be all gone before I know it and my years as a professional student will all be behind me.            

rule of a lady

via weheartit

via pinterest

changing course

It seems like House of Consignment premiered at such a convenient time - when I was stuck in a financial rut about how to pursue this consignment dream.  So changing course and partaking this dream in a different direction.

Jac Jagaciak for Vogue Japan

We will put the brick and mortar idea in the back burner and choose the more obvious option of an online presence via eBay, in sync with a website.  We have agreed on the name LeLux, simple and chic.  I have decided on starting with our own closets of stuff and slowly branching out.

Currently in the midst of studying for finals - April to May . . . then studying for the bar - June to July.  I'm sure it will go by pretty quickly and I can finally jump off the slow moving law student train and hop on board the exciting fashion entrepreneur flight.    

Love,
Nat                                

Warrior Dash

5K obstacle course at Lake Elsinore!  

Although it looks like I ran the whole way, I actually really power walked most of it  

and only ran when I saw a camera come by. 

Besides, completion was my main goal and I did it!  

Good start to a real marathon . . . sometime in the future . . .

wanderlust.

EyePoetryPhotography 2012 Calendar

via enchantingencounters.tumblr.com

talent-less

via FashionGoneRogue.com

lust for novelty

I appreciate all the stability from everyone and everything that is going so right in my life . . .  

Yet there will always be that lurking voice, time and again, that yearns for more - 

via condenasttraveler.tumblr

More adventure, more novelty . . .

Those are the times I must remember to tell her :

Moments like those are mere fleeting amusements . . .
Because after all is said and done,

via weheartit

I will always have the luxury of returning to the stability of home and him.

Confessions of an Average Twenty-Something

Vogue Italia July 2007

Hi my name is Natalie and I am your average twenty-something year old.  

I am still trying to figure out what it takes to push myself out of this state of mediocrity
 and into the realm of chic and creative fulfillment.  

I have a bucket list that I add on to –
But only when I know it’s feasible 
(because I don’t like to disappoint myself)

I’m interested in politics and would like to think I can be a young political correspondent like Nicole Lapin  –  
But my limited knowledge and opinions are really all borrowed from CNN and NPR.  

I like to think I’m a fashionista like MK and Ash – 
But law school stress equates to leggings and a tee that’s more hobo than hobo chic.  

I'd like to be an entrepreneur of a successful consignment business like Corri McFadden –
But I've only got a dream and literally a dollar.  

I practice yoga and would like to think I have the same passion for it like Tara Stiles  –  
But I only do it to stay in shape because I’m lazy and hate the pains of working out.  

I juice to detox – 
But then I defeat the purpose altogether by drinking coffee right after 
(with condense milk, because I’m Vietnamese).  

I love wine and feel sophisticated when I drink it – 
But I really like beer better so I sometimes drink it in a wine glass for the same effect.  

I like to imagine I’m sitting outside a quaint café by myself in red lipstick and an Hermès scarf, ordering a butter croissant and a café au lait with a French accent as I blog about my fancy life. . . 
But nope, I’m in my apartment eating ramen in my Target tights and tee, blogging about this life.   

St. Patty's Day

via Julia.blogg.se

For St. Patty's Day, my friends and I went to hear Arianna Huffington speak about transformational leadership at UCLA.  Walking back on campus was such a surreal and nostalgic experience.  I never remembered Powell Library and Royce Hall being so breathtaking!  I was too busy trying to graduate and get into the working world that I never realized how great college life was and how beautiful my surroundings were! 

Arianna's speech was cliche, but nonetheless inspirational and a nice reminder to ourselves to find the leader within us all.  I found it funny that many things she quoted I had read recently from a book or article (eg. Colette).  After a great motivational speech, we went to the great college town of Westwood to grab drinks at BrewCo (the last time I was here was 6 years ago as a sophomore!).  We ended the night at an interesting karaoke/dive bar called The Brass Monkey.  The night felt so alive! 

@ Powell Library, green beer at Westwood BrewCo, The Brass Monkey

Bungee Jump!

On Friday night I texted my friend whether she would like to join me and some others on a nice hike in the Hollywood Hills on Saturday morning.  Instead, she asks me if I would like to join her and some friends to do a more intense hike and then bungee jump off the Bridge to Nowhere on Sunday.  Without a second thought, I said yes!  Bungee jumping was the one think I swore I would never attempt, because it just seemed downright scary and crazy.  I have to admit I only added it to my bucket list after the fact.

However, it was an amazing adventure!  I woke up at 5 am (actually 4 am because of the time change),  drove with my friends to Azusa, and did an intense 5 mile hike uphill, over rocky terrains and through lots of rivers just to get to the bridge.           

 When it was time for the bungee jump I was surprisingly the first girl to go (not by choice by the way)!  I guess it was better because I wasn't exactly quite sure what I was in for.  I barely looked over the bridge and almost died at how high up we all were.  The guide said he would count down from 5 before I do my big jump, and that was is all about controlling your mind over your body, because once you can just let go of the fear, you can do it!  I definitely thought I would hesitate when he got to 1, but for some crazy burst of energy I didn't hesitate and just jumped!  Everything happened so quickly and I felt like I was falling for the longest time and didn't know when I was going to hit the bottom!  The adrenaline was unbelievable!  I never thought I would be able to do anything like it and I was extremely proud of myself, knowing the type of scaredy-cat person I am (heck, I almost died when my friends peer pressured me into watching Paranormal Activity with them just last month!).  

Afterwards, we all hiked 5 miles back, for a whopping total of 10 miles!  

It was a day trip alright, and an unforgettable one.  If I can do this, I can do anything.  And so, I signed up my friends and I for The Warrior Dash, a 5K obstacle course!

"Youth is wasted on the Young" -George Bernard Shaw

Julia Everheart's hub "What I Wish I Had Known in My 20s" summons up some of the things I have been sporadically pondering in my blog for the last few years . . . and if I had to summon it all up 4 years later, I guess I would say the same things:   

Gemma Ward for Vogue UK July 2006
My favorite model and fashion spread!

"1. You're a hell of a lot prettier than you think you are. Time is on your side. Gravity hasn't worked you over like a rolling pin on bread dough and your metabolism still runs like a well-oiled machine. Your skin is still dewy and the parts of you that are supposed to be perky still are. Even if you have horrible self-confidence and you look in the mirror with disgust, I promise you, at some point in your life you will look back and realize you are taking for granted just how beautiful you are. Stop wasting your time being self-conscious and appreciate your youth. You can buy bigger breasts, smaller thighs, different colored hair, perfect nails, and a tan, but you can't buy youth. You can never get it back once it's gone. Appreciate it! With that said, let's move on to number two... 

2. Learn how to do something other than be pretty. Pretty girls are a dime a dozen. I mean, geez, who's not pretty in their 20's? You can check "Be Pretty" off your to do list and move on to something else. Physical beauty will only take you so far. There are a certain number of jobs and relationships which you can enter into based solely on how you look. However, very quickly you will have to contribute something beyond your appearance to be taken seriously in any job or relationship. Develop some skills. Learn how to make conversation with anyone. Learn how to speak to and listen to people in a way that makes them feel valued. If you're friendly and engaging, both men and women will be drawn to you. You will find that people are attracted to you in a way that has nothing to do with how you look. 

3. Aggressively check items off your 'Bucket List.' If you are single and unmarried in your twenties, then you have more time and money to devote to yourself than you will at any other point in your life. Even if you're so broke you can't pay attention, you still have only yourself to worry about feeding and clothing. When you get extra money, you can spend it on you. You can travel or learn to play guitar or take a job on a cattle ranch out west because it's just YOU; you're not responsible for feeding children or paying a mortgage and you don't have to haul a toddler everywhere you go. Enjoy your freedom. Do all the wild, spontaneous, adventurous things you possibly can because, let me tell you, a mortgage is a big buzz-kill and you'll have one before you know it! 

4. Stop competing with other women. I could write a book on this one. Women's solidarity is something sadly lacking in our society. We enjoy picking other women's bodies apart and finding their flaws because it makes us feel better about our own shortcomings. Why else do tabloids fly off the shelves when they have close-up's of celebrity cellulite? I call it "pernicious voyeurism." We are fascinated by women we percieve as more perfect than us and giddy when we discover they aren't so perfect after all. We really should be more supportive of each other. Quit worrying about who is prettier or thinner and learn to be happy for other women's success. When you can watch another woman lose 20 lbs, land a great job and get a hot boyfriend and you can be genuinely happy for her, then you will have accomplished something far greater than having perfect thighs. When you realize that life is not a competition and that other women's happiness and success does not exclude your own, then you are free to enjoy positive, uplifting friendships with other women. Believe me, you will go through some hard things in your twenties and good girlfriends are priceless in those times. When Mr. Not So Perfect dumps you or cheats on you, you're gonna need a shoulder to cry on. If you've been a good friend, you'll have a good friend when you need one. 

Gemma Ward for Vogue UK July 2006 

5. Don't sleep with married men. To clarify, this is not something I did in my twenties, but I saw plenty of my girlfriends get involved with married men. The number one reason you should not sleep with married men is because someday you will be married to one and you will hope and pray that he does not cheat on you. Karma is a ..., well, you know the saying. When a married man comes onto you, you may feel extremely flattered. You may assume that you are more attractive, sexier, more interesting than his wife. The truth is that when a married man flirts with you, it is not a reflection of his wife or of you, it is solely and absolutely a reflection of his lack of character. Have some respect for his wife and tell him to get lost. No married men would ever cheat if they could not find anyone to cheat with them! 

6. Do not (except in the most dire of circumstances) get a credit card. If you can't pay cash for it, you don't need it. Credit cards seem like easy money. They swipe so easily and you feel like a high roller picking up your friends' bar tabs, buying those $90 jeans that make your ass look amaaaaazing, and filling up the tank for an all-girls road trip. The problem is compound interest. Simply explained, if you don't pay the entire balance on your credit card every month, you end up paying interest on interest. So your $90 jeans turn into $300 or $400 jeans if you let the balance keep sliding from month to month. You will end up with a credit card bill far higher than the amounts you originally spent. Don't get screwed by compound interest! 

7. Get ready to retire. "Say what? I'm 23! I don't need to worry about retiring!" Yes, you absolutely do because if you start now, it will be much easier on you later. It's simple; you let compound interest work FOR you instead of against you. You do this by saving instead of spending. You should get an IRA retirement account as soon as possible because the longer the money sits in there, the more interest it earns. This time you're earning interest on interest instead of paying interest on interest. You can start saving a very small amount each month, say $25. By the time you turn 65 and you're ready to retire, that $25 will be worth hundreds of times its original amount. The key is to start early. The longer the money sits there, the more it's worth. If you wait until you're in your 30's or 40's to start saving for retirement, you will have to save much more aggressively because you've lost time. You need time to make your money grow, so start early! You won't regret it! 

8. Weigh out your career choices very carefully. Do you love doing something that doesn't pay well? Are you only looking at career choices that pay well and ignoring what you love? Think very carefully about what will bring you happiness. Are you the kind of person who can live in a small house, drive a used car and not have much left over after the bills are paid in exchange for getting to do what you love? If you are truly in love with your work, then the financial sacrifice is worth it. For many people, the money follows the passion. You will naturally be better at a job you love and you may be successful because of your passion. On the other hand, are you the type of person who puts a lot of value on material things? Do you want to live in a big house in a gated community, drive a luxury car, take exotic vacations and pursue expensive hobbies like golf or equestrian events? If you want to live this sort of life, then it's best to pursue a high-earning career even if your passion lies elsewhere. You have to weigh that out for yourself. But think carefully, because it's hard to switch careers and start over with something new once you've got kids and a giant stack of bills." 

via http://juliaeverheart.hubpages.com/hub/What-I-Wish-I-Had-Known-In-My-Twenties 

Juicing

Ever since I got back from New York, my friend got me into juicing and I am addicted!  I even watched a juicing documentary, "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead", and that totally pumped me up to start a healthier lifestyle!  My sister had bought me a juicer a year ago as a housewarming gift, and I scoffed at it and asked her what in the world I was supposed to do with it.  She unsuccessfully explained to me how juicing is a great way to detox and get clear skin --- because I traded it in for a panini maker the next day.  My bad.  One year and short of a quarter life crisis later, I regret that I didn't try it sooner.            

All this . . . 

. . . to this.

Politiks

via tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com
If Anna and Grace (foils of one another)
can work out their differences and work together,
so can we.

Ah politics . . . I had started this blog years ago to soak my feet into this foreign world (mind you I was definitely not a poli-sci major before law school like most people I know). As I progressed through law school and learned politics through the lectures of my professors and the insights of my classmates, I was rather fascinated at such prevalent topics with such polarizing sides. I loved that although every side had a compelling point of view in its own right, it was only through our own life experiences did we know exactly where we stood on certain issues. For example, I took a strong stance towards gay marriage and wrote an entry about it here (though perhaps rather not too eloquent now that I read it again) and an extensive article on the unconstitutionality of proposition 8 for my school journal two years later. Why? Because I have a great group of gay friends who I can't imagine not being able to cry at their weddings, merely because it's up to the majority of each state to decide whether or not they can or cannot consummate their love for each other. It's our life experience and upbringing that ultimately pulls us to the left or to the right on certain issues. I'm sure George Lakoff's "Moral Politics" can vouch for that (I oddly started this book before law school and never finished it . . .)

However, what has been turning me off about politics is the fact that heated arguments about certain topics have crossed boundaries and have become personal attacks on people, rather than their point of views. Example? Rush Limbaugh's "slut" comment directed at law student Sandra Fluke for her position on the contraceptives controversy. On a more microscopic level? The facebook comments I see on my my friend's statuses regarding the KONY 2012 campaign. Some defending the movement and others alleging it's a scam. This is fine because I was listening to NPR and it was refreshing to be presented with both sides of the issue - more informational and up to the listeners to decide, rather than a persuasive piece. However, back to the facebook comments, as I scrolled down discussions regarding this issue, some became heated attacks on the person - one person was calling the other person "uneducated" because he was at a community college, another person making general statements about ignorant Americans, and more people criticizing about how people are so dumb because they merely "watched" a 30 minute video and now think they're "social activists." Wow, just wow. This is so amature.

I wish politics was more about being able to present multiple sides of an issue, have people decide for themselves where they stand (after being as informed as possible of course) and stand up for those issues with an open mind of where the other person is coming from - and if they feel strongly about it, they can still present their case without having to bring the other person down. I'd say apply more of an European-like inquisitorial system, rather than an American-like adversarial system. It's like religion - just because I don't ascribe to your religion, does not make me a "lost soul." There are room for a multitude of beliefs and viewpoints and that's what makes our society so great! Sadly, we have a long way to go. . . My lesson? To be able to be passionate about certain issues and voice those opinions without losing ground by throwing dirt, the type that involves personal attacks.

don't waste your youth growing up

via weheartit

I've noticed something about myself lately . . . I've been an age-ist.  When I read magazine interviews of young celebrities or women, I always go straight to the "comma-age-comma."  It was as if that was the determining factor of what I thought of them.  If someone is younger than me, I think "wow she is so young and pretty." *envy*  If someone is older than me, I think "eh, she's gorgeous but she's old."  *indifferent*

Today, I watched The View and some of the women refused to disclose their age.  How do they consider themselves strong, feminist women??

Our society promotes the idea that women should look forever young, skinny, and perfect . . . and they're always on the hunt for the next fresher, younger face.  When we can't catch up, we feel down on ourselves.  It's like the way Apple promotes its products- you get the iPad 2 yesterday thinking you have the newest, hottest gadget.  Then the next thing you know it an iPad 3 (or worst, 2.5) comes out and you were yesterday's news).  Perhaps that was what was going on with me.  Perhaps this explains my constant wiki of celebs or models' age-weight-height, my anti-wrinkle skin regimen, my juicing diet . .  . Actresses and models seem to be getting younger and younger as I just keep growing older.  It's like a big tease.

Then I thought about Diane von Furstenburg and how she's embracing the fact that with age comes wisdom.  She is beautiful in every way and embraces herself - wrinkles and all.  She is my idol.  It's so odd because I'm not even out of my 20s and I'm already acting as though I'm this middle-aged woman going through a crisis.  Perhaps this is merely a quarter-life symptom?

Speaking of which, I just finished watching "Under the Tuscan Sun" (by myself, of course) and I cried.  I cried because I felt her pain.  Why?  I do not know, because I'm not in my late 30s, divorced and alone.  I'm the opposite actually, but why did I feel her pain and romanticize of moving to Italy and buying a quaint 300 year old villa?  I'm telling you, my last life as a single European woman trying to find love but instead finds serenity in herself is creeping up on me. 

Why am I so scared of growing old?  Why am I letting this fear take over my youth?  Living is a beautiful thing, and so should growing old.  I've let magazines and the media distort this idea and affect the way I think, that I'm not taking in all this greatness of NOW.  If I could, I wouldn't go back to my high school years (though they were full of happy, independent moments); I wouldn't go back to my college years (though they were some of the more fun, easier years); I would definitely not go back to my post grad years (the struggling years) . . .  so here I am - at the culmination of my law school years, transitioning to the professional career woman I've been striving to be.  So taking me right to the wonderful here and now . . . 26 is a great age and I'm barely one month into it; I won't let it fly by so quickly like the past years.  It's also a reminder to myself that with every age brings something new and exciting . . . and instead of looking back, I should be looking forward - to all of the exciting years to come.                       

via garancedore.fr
It feels great to be a student/budding career woman 

Love, Nat