Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The How I Met Your Mother Finale...

Credit to Original Photo Owners
The How I Met Your Mother finale was to say the least interesting. This post is actually extremely hard for me to write, I've had 3 cups of iced coffee today and as I write...I still think I should have more.

However, before I start going into my views on the finale, I want to begin by stating that this show meant a lot to me. I started watching this show during the summer. All eight seasons on Netflix then onto CBS for the final season. I loved the way the show made me feel, it made me happy, it made me laugh, and it taught me a few things about love. Though just like other TV sitcoms, other How I Met Your Mother viewers probably felt the same way.

The show captured the long and incredible story of how the main character, Ted Mosby played by Josh Radnor met his kids' mother. It was a story that detailed every turn in his life and every little step that brought him to the desk he sat in telling his children the full-on story.

The story was beautiful and after every episode, I felt more reassured that Ted will find the love of his life. Throughout it all, I fell in love with Marshall & Lily's relationship (played by Jason Segel & Alyson Hannigan) and the slightly surprising, but wonderful match that Barney made with Robin (played by Neil Patrick Harris & "Cobie" Smulders). So naturally, Ted and the mother's relationship became one that I had high hopes for and in the final season, I was happy to see their relationship unfold a bit.

The writers, producers, and everyone else behind the creation of this show did great, they made all nine seasons (minus the very last episode) pleasant (although sometimes heartbreaking) and just out-right breath-taking.
Credit to Original Photo Owners
The finale had lots of ups and downs. The ups being the fact that Ted finally met the Mother and she was perfect. She was everything Ted seemed to have wanted and much more. She was loving, charming, and made Ted feel like the luckiest man on earth (because he was). The other up being that we were able to see Marshall & Lilly grow their loving family even more.

On the other hand, the downs being Barney & Robin getting divorced after three years together, Barney impregnated some random woman (as part of one of his old Playbook schemes), the Mother, Tracy (played by Cristin Milioti) becoming sick and then dying, and the biggest down...the person Ted finally ends up with is Robin.

This in simple terms just broke my heart. 

Ted finds the woman he loves deeply, he starts a beautiful family, and tells his children his life's complete journey on his quest to find the "one" and as it so happens...no matter how much he loved the Mother...she ended up not being the "one".

For a little personal perspective, I must say finding the "one" will be a magical moment for me. I believe there is only one person you can ever truly love. Sure, love is infinite and one may love many people...but there is just something about the "one" that makes you realize why no one else could have ever been the "one".

Tracy was just a love in Ted's life. She was not the "one" fans like me were hoping for. She was just the mother of his children. Robin was the "one" all along.

This is crushing for fans that believe in true love since we were set up to believe Ted would find that love with the Mother of his children. That was the love we all thought Ted was looking for, but instead Ted only always had a place in his heart to be with Robin.

Barney was a great match for Robin, they seemed messed up in their own ways, but they were madly in love. It didn't seem fair to me that Barney spent all these years loving Robin only to give it all up in the end.

It made me feel like true love doesn't exist and that life goes on whether you have found it or not... It really took away the magic of this series from me.
Credit to Original Photo Owners
Not everything in this world has to be realistic. Too much realism takes away our love of life, our motivation to become better humans, and definitely defies the definition of life we're all secretly trying to find.

Beyond that, Barney never found real love as he raised his daughter, Ellie. Marshall & Lilly kept their family together which was a sweet touch. But, overall, the episode was not bad, but my aching heart says otherwise. Ted could have moved on from the death in another way (even with another person) as long as the Mother was the last person he was with...as long as she was the "one" he truly loved.

I trust you all to take it from here. What are your thoughts? How did you feel after the finale?

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Business: Learning When to Walk Away

The Eternity Awards
Photo of the plans I had for The Eternity Awards
When you start your own business, blog, or project venture- there's a certain passion that drives you from using the ideas in your head and creating something out of it. In the beginning, everything is fun, everything is new and it might be challenging, but because you're so enthusiastic about your idea becoming a reality, you can get through them.

In February, I decided to launch a new project idea called The Eternity Awards. The project was meant to be a blogger award event to honor bloggers as well as have bloggers network and discover new blogs. The concept was great (or at least I thought it was), but it was proven to be an idea that would not work out at this time.

Sure it was a great idea so I jumped on the chance to creating it, but it just wasn't time.

I received three (3) responses and this event was meant to include at least twenty-five (25) participants and five (5) judges. Of course, the response was no where near what I received. So for that reason I am walking away from the idea...at least for now.

The few participants that reached out to me will receive a participation award certificate to print out as well as a badge to include on their blog/website. I thank all three of you for your interest and apologize for any inconvenience. 

The Eternity Awards is still a concept regardless on the amount of improvement it needs so by taking this time to walk away from it, I think I will wait until the time is right and launch The Eternity Awards again at a later time.

In Business, learning to walk away is a hard challenge to face. There is no passion for throwing away an idea. Only a passion for pursuing one. 

Monday, March 3, 2014

My (Blogger) People Rejected Me...

Now I am one to be optimistic, innovative, and I love taking part in new blogger opportunities as well creating new opportunities for my blogger community. Last year, I created two major blogger opportunities, including a group giveaway opportunity to giveaway a beautiful fragrance basket from my business, Fragrance Essence and another project called the #7Things Project. Both of which opportunities I had one or none takers.

This year, I decided to create this wonderful (if I say so myself) blogger awards program called the Eternity Awards and had literally TWO responses after all my advertisements, posts, hundred of e-mails to other bloggers, and either everyone is two busy to participate or refuses to even look at it. It feels as if my (blogger) people rejected me...

I worked very hard on this project and I even extended the nomination period until March 15th even though it does not comply with the timeline I already built.

The Eternity Awards is a free award event for bloggers and participating in it is absolutely free. Being a judge costs $5.00 and I am looking for 4 judges in order to contribute to the prizes.

By participating, you'll get promotion back to your blog whether you are a contestant or judge. You'll have tons of free publicity.

Plus, one winner in each blogger category will win a prize, and I really wanted to make the prizes special so bloggers can feel appreciated. So I ask all of you guys (my readers, followers, and blog viewers) to help contribute either by participating as a nominee, nominator, or judge.

I would love to feel loved again...come participate. Start by nominating your favorite bloggers and reading more about the awards by clicking here.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

January & February Highlights

  
  
1. I finally finalized last year's Photo 365 project. That was a mess! Never doing that again!
2. I traded in my old iPhone 4 for the beautiful Nokia Lumia 1020!
3. Took the SATs one last time. Practicing for a third time wasn't fun at all.
4. I finally turned eighteen and decided to create a list of things to do. Being eighteen is so exciting!
5. Started planning and scheduling in this AWESOME new business agenda.
6. Then, I started the Special K Challenge. Will post results and my experience soon!

These past couple of months have been great start to this new year so far!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Balancing Work & Life

 photo work-life_zps86d4bb30.jpg
Photo Credit
For me, I have always done my homework first then all my computer work (business, blog, novel, freelance writing) after. However, lately that's not the case. More and more I feel that in order to be as productive as possible I must save my homework for last and do that at 2 AM rather than my other work. Why? Because I am a blogger and then a writer which is why, why is not the question, but why not? Yes, that's the question! Why not?

Turns out neither one of those daily routines balance me as an average or productive person. If I wind up doing my homework at 2 AM, I feel upset about having to go back to school four hours later to well, come home with more homework, but if I don't do my computer work before I do my homework, I am not motivated to do any of my homework at all. See my problem yet?

There is no balance. All I do is work, homework, work, and then more homework. Where in this sequence do I just live a normal life?

Balancing your work life and your actual life is hard. Sometimes (or perhaps just in my case) you feel the need to say "Well...all this work is my life." Here's the truth. It's not. Work is part of your life, but if you aren't a healthy well-being living a life you are comfortable and content with then your work means nothing.

So how do keep work and life balanced...
ONE...Take a BREAK! Take an hour off, a day off, a week off, or even a month. Life is too short to pile up your your schedules with lots of work and no fun. I am very guilty of trying to convince myself working is fun, but we all have an adventurous side that just wants to be worry and work free.

TWO...Take another BREAK! One is probably not enough!

THREE...Make a work schedule that allows you enough room to make plans with your friends and family. This is essential to balance your work and life because you'll feel more motivated to work when you know you'll also be able to have a dinner, watch a movie, or go shopping with your loved ones.

FOUR...Get some rest. Can't balance work and life without rest!

FIVE...Start eating healthier! If you're going to survive days where you work and have a wonderful life, you need to make sure that you're eating a well-balanced diet.

Speaking of health, that Special K Challenge has been working pretty well for me. I lost four pounds in a week! Plus, I feel so much less of a slug. Bonus points for that!