blogmas – The April Diaries

BLOG-MAS TUESDAY: 10 Habits You Can Start Before 2023!

Published on December 20, 2022 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

This is the last Blog-mas Tuesday until next year, and this year I can honestly say I’ve been successful and consistent with it. I think those are the two words for 2023: success and consistency. Hey, consistency leads to success and vice-versa! Who would’ve thought!?

I write this at 5:30 a.m. because I woke up (earlier) from strange dreams. One portion of it was a childhood friend of mine moving away to Virginia to be with her fiancee and her 21 chihuahuas. 🫣

The night before that, I had a dream that people in my life hated me. What was worse is that I wasn’t easy on myself afterwards, nonetheless my poor mother who always has to hear about my weirdness (in both good and bad ways 😂).

I think this is the universe trying to tell me something, though. I could analyze a dream all I want and resultantly drive myself crazy, OR I could just give it to the hands of the universe.

P.S., did you know, when you talk, your voice activates a star in the universe? It’s a strange AF concept, I know, or you could interpret it as a chance to speak goodness into the universe.

Moreover, this is one of the habits you can do for yourself in 2023, or by all means, START NOW!!!

If you start now, you will gain momentum for the new year ahead. “New Years Resolutions” are kind of BS, so why not make them revolutionary!? There’s a thought.

Some habits I’m personally including are the following:

Walking 6,000+ steps a day
Not drinking coffee
Consistently making breakfast
Including macronutrients in every meal
5-10 minutes of quiet time, sans phone
8-6-9 manifestation method
Going to yoga every Tuesday night
Drinking a glass of water right after I wake up
Going live on Instagram until it doesn’t scare you anymore
Meditation

These are some ideas… what can you adopt or reframe to match your routine?

xoxo,

April 💕

BLOG-MAS TUESDAY: Forget The Haters Because People Believe In You

Published on December 13, 2022December 12, 2022 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

“Well no matter what major you choose it’s work.”

I heard this straight-up from an “advisor” in my first year of college. She indubitably despised me. And she said this with an absent-minded smile that underlined just how awful she was and how she didn’t understand my petulant anxiety disorder.

I don’t know where she got the impression that I don’t want to “do the work,” but I can tell you she was WRONG. 🙅🏼‍♀️

Tonight I also heard “people” judge the living 💩 out of Jennifer Coolidge and it made me angry 😤. Why? Person 1 was judging her acting in “White Lotus” AND HER WEIGHT! And person 2 called her a “thirty-year success story.”

Jennifer Coolidge was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went to Emerson College. While she was in college, she wanted to be a dramatic actress like Meryl Streep but instead became a comedic actress.

In 1999, Coolidge got her “big break” at Stifler’s Mom in American Pie. She then went on to play Paulette Bonafonte Parcelle in both Legally Blonde movies. In 2004, she played a supporting role as Fiona Montgomery alongside Hilary Duff in A Cinderella Story. Despite negative critical claims, the movie became a box office hit.

And she recently won a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in White Lotus where she quite literally stole the show by dancing to the music despite her being out of time to accept her award, which is iconic on so many levels and just so her.

Personally, if anyone deserves an Emmy or even an Oscar, it’s her. She actually told Vanity Fair one time that she really wants to be on Broadway, but she never thought she could do it. And this was where I said to myself, “why the heck not?”

And I’m reminded of the time where I actually was sitting in a restaurant in Paris with my classmates in high school and one of my friends said to me, “you know, I used to see you in fashion but now I see you in Science and Business.” Oddly enough, I recently got accepted and I’m actually committing to my studies at an MBA program here in the states at the #1 public ivy in the US.

There was a point in my life where I thought I couldn’t do anything because of what people thought of me. And I’m reminded of a Kate Winslet quote when she accepted her [what is called the] “British Oscar,” She said “a drama teacher told me that I’d do well if I’d settle for the fat girl parts.” And then she’s like “look at me now!” And then she went on to say, “I didn’t listen.” And that’s essentially what I did, and what Jennifer Coolidge did too.

Just so you know, ignorance is not bliss. In fact it makes me and people like Coolidge only work harder.

MORE LIKE THIS: BLOG-MAS TUESDAY: We Should Have Listened To Sheryl Crow Years Ago…BLOG-MAS: What’s Your ‘Why?’ The Purpose Statement,BLOG-MAS: Reasons To Go To Graduate School, BLOG-MAS TUESDAY: Let’s talk about… strengths and weaknesses, BLOG-MAS: How to Positively Survive Stress During the Holidays

BLOG-MAS TUESDAY: Let’s talk about… strengths and weaknesses

Published on December 21, 2020 by The April Diaries1 Comment

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” or “What is your biggest strength and what is your biggest weakness?”

These are questions that often come up in job interviews. Most of the time we don’t want to say what our weaknesses are because we’re afraid our weaknesses will decrease our chances of getting said job. I’ve given different answers to different job prospects, mainly because I feel put on the spot. But that’s a weakness of life; you will have to be put on the spot. It’s called “Socratic Method” in law, at least that’s what Emmett says in “Legally Blonde.”

I started to list my strengths and weaknesses. Some of them included “strive for perfection,” “I want it all and I want it now,” “impatient,” and “headstrong.” I look to Ashley Tisdale’s song, “Headstrong,” and I can’t help but feel as though I want everything right this second.

Overtime you can’t help but feel you’ve inherited strengths and weaknesses from your parents. However, you’re responsible for controlling them. It’s true that we have at least 3-5 vices, depending on who you are. And at the end of the day, you’re your own person and you can’t really blame anybody but yourself if something were to go awry. (Disclaimer: I’m not saying take the blame for everything but taking responsibility for something you know you did is important.) People aren’t lying when they say you have to earn your respect. Others think they’re entitled to it because of their position, status, etc. Did they ever think that’s their own ego getting in the way? That’s a weakness: pride.

Also the whole “sorry I’m a Scorpio” or whatever zodiac sign you are, is complete and utter B.S.

Taking responsibility and being responsible are strengths of mine, as is honesty. Both have earned me mass amount of respect, and that’s not me being “proud.” And this has come at the perfect time since Jupiter is in conjunction with Saturn, forming the actions to slow and to take responsibility for our actions. Did I mention they’ll meet in air signs for the next 200+ years?

But did you notice how, in the beginning of this post, I mentioned my weakness first? This is quite common. And at a job interview, there’s no “right” way to phrase your strengths and weaknesses, unless you know they can/can’t get you the job. Nonetheless, it is quite common to take a piece of paper and just write down everything that’s ostensibly “wrong” with you. But the fact is, there is nothing wrong with you; you’re human. We all have our imperfections, personality-wise. Those who are too proud to say such a thing? That’s wrong.