You've heard this saying before, but what does it really mean?

It has dawned upon me that we live in a society where it's okay to put others down, exercise judgment before reflection, and point out our individual differences, rather than relishing in our similarities. Why is this so? It pains me when I see a talented, bright individual stuck in a vicious cycle of self-doubt, self-blame, and de-motivation. When we get upset with ourselves and trapped in our minds, the scariest and darkest thoughts arise. Stop that, put an end to that right now. When terrible things happen, I'd like to think there are two options always: Option A, and Option B:

• A: acknowledge the event/experience for what it is, accept the consequences, move the hell on- Happy :)
  
• B: freak out, panic, mass chaos, holy balls I'm going to be a worthless hobo by next Tuesday. 
  

Though it would appear Option A seems "obvious" or preferred, for some reason we find a natural tendency to fall towards to Option B, almost all the time. Eventually, if we're lucky, we find ourselves crawling towards Option A, sometimes sooner than later. I've dedicated one of my New Year's Resolution's towards "acting" as opposed to "reacting". In an effort to become more emotionally intelligent, one dimension-self management, embodies an important principal of being responsible for your emotions. While it is perfectly natural and OK to react to unexpected bad news, disappointing life events, and uncomfortable situations, you'd be surprised how beneficial "thinking about how to respond" to an event before simply "reacting" can be to your own emotional health, as that of the people around you. The harsh reality is, the bad news has already happened, nothing can be changed about the past, but we can certainly change how we feel in the present to jumpstart into a happy future.  I'm not trying to dismiss the gravity and intensity of a traumatic experience, merely suggesting a method to overcome small bumps in the road by quickly overcoming, accepting, and being proactive about the situation. We all are imperfect human beings on the search for purpose and meaning in our lives. When you see someone else in distress or in low-spirits, reach out to them! This can be as simple as a genuine smile, or approaching them and initiating a conversation asking about their day. Anything to let them know you genuinely care. I cannot emphasize how important it is that we reach out to the world around us, we are all fighting our own struggles and need all the help we can get. You are one-of-a-kind, beautiful, smart, funny, and creative! Do not let anyone, any test score, any figure of authority, anything in this universe tell you otherwise. Now let's make a pro-active To-Do List and go get 'em Tiger!

A childhood family friend of mine has blossomed into an incredibly talented young lady. Not only is she entering her Freshman year at Stanford University, Ann was previously a Seventeen Magazine cover girl contest finalist in 2011, (still is) an avid marathon runner, brilliant freelance photographer, fashion icon, and only 18 years old. 

Ann He, is one rad girl. (check her out more of her work here: http://annhe.com)

This summer, our paths crossed, and we discussed the possibility of a John Lennon and Yoko Ono inspired photoshoot over a dank-ass breakfast at Buzzbrew's. A few weeks later, the brilliant young nugget pulled up to our driveway in Arlington, and we made it happen. 

Here is a peak of some of the most intimate moments captured between my love, Ross, and I. :)