#9 Write

Some people swear by journals and I mean, I guess I am sort of one of those people. I've kept one my whole life, but I wouldn't say that it's been a healthy habit for me. It usually just became me ranting about something I was super upset about or dreaming about something- or someone - that would turn my whole life around. Needless to say that I was more exhausted than invigorated by my journals. (Now I've started a new type called a bullet journal, but that's a whole different post).

Finally, I realized that those day dreams that I'd been having over and over? They would make for an interesting story. So in 2010 I began with two characters: Kaelin Rever and William Kerrev. An over the last 7 years it has expanded from one chapter to three books. I'm really not quite sure how this happened, or when I became so invested in these characters, but as I go back and read through them, I can clearly see my emotions - my depairs and my triumphs - staring back at me through the pages. Few people in my life even know that this story exists or that I have, in fact, written books. 

But this is for a reason. 

These books were never meant to be read by anyone but me. The story line didn't have to be logical or reasonable because it was only ever for my eyes. It is my journal of sorts. It doesn't necessarily track the events of my life, but rather the greatest temptations and desires of my heart. For me, that's more of a journal than I'll ever need.

And whether I'm traveling cross-country in my car or sitting in a particularly boring meeting, these characters are always there to greet me with perfect familiarity. 

So write. 

It doesn't have to be gramatically perfect or beautifully well-written because it will never be published.

So write.

You will find new friends and adventures that you have been yearning for.

So write.

# 2 Water is power

How many times do we reach for a glass and fill it with milk, juice, hot chocolate, koolaid -- pretty much anything but water? Sure these things are delicious and we can justify that they all have some amount of water in them, but that does not make them a substitute. Water makes up about 55-75% of our body, depending on gender and age, that should be the first clue. Our bodies need water and they need it bad. 

Did you know that the brain is 75% water? Now I'm no scientist, but my visual mind runs wild with the following picture: if we don't drink enough water I can see my mind withering like a flower, collapsing and caving in. Of course that's what it feels like sometimes when life gets us down. 

Some of the benefits of water?

1. Energizes muscles

2. Healthy skin

3. Control calories

The other benefits are boring, like improved kidney function. Now I'm not saying that water will magically make you feel better, but I am saying that the benefits of drinking water are a good first step. Energy? DEFINITELY need more of that in my life. Healthy skin would be a huge benefit, I would feel better about my appearance. And controlling calories? do I even need to explain? I know I'm not the only one that hates looking at the scale only to see that I've gained 3 pounds. Then I go don't want to go to the gym because I don't have energy and I don't take care of myself because it isn't worth it and so I get acne and skin problems. 

Step one? Drink water.

Sure maybe one day I'll get around to eating healthy, but when ice cream, hot chocolate, and cookie dough are the only things keeping me a functional human being, I've got to compromise. That compromise is little steps at a time. My only goal is to be better today than I was yesterday.

So let's raise that glass and chug it down for the hope of a better quality of life.