As put forth by one of my wise friend’s rock climbing talks, “So I encourage you, when you are standing at the edge of the mountain . . . jump off it!”
Jumping off MY MOUNTAIN – into the Pacific. (Santa Monica, 2013)
He is a skilled and avid rock climber with a philosophy continuing to grow deep within. To us close friends of his, it appeared as though everything just happened to work out for him. Fellowship here, great job there, and then he took off to South America to climb mountains and came back to start his own business?! What?!
He had been asked to give a talk at R.E.I. about the year he “jumped off the mountain” – the year he left a stable, salary-paying job to embrace a Gap Year of some sort. We were all about to bail on him, thinking, “He’s just going to share some clips about his trip – we can hear that over a night at Cabo Cantina!” But there was a deep sense of a new phase beginning – as if we were all transitioning at the same time. We paid attention to this lurking feeling and decided to go. From our partying days of 2-4-1 happy hours to now being able to enjoy a craft beer and spit ideas back and forth, we knew this was only the beginning.
The Santa Monica Fam Bam – Friends for Life since 2012
His talk included insight into how to “jump off the mountain” with everything you do. And what is it that most of us single, goal-oriented people do? We work. And we don’t just work like our parents did to provide and create stability for a family. We work, like we are dying tomorrow – like we need to leave a legacy behind just for ourselves! Because remember, we are the single ones out of the bunch.
In that moment, of watching one of our partners in crime give this short, sweet, yet powerful talk, I saw the true colors of our generation. His words were embedded into my subconscious. I couldn’t escape it. It would only be time before I started “jumping off the mountain” as well. As I was already on this path of launching from one phase to the next, I would see his words coming into fruition in my own life, making me, yet, another product of this generation.
Bloomified is a product of this generation 🙂
This friend, the rock climber, ended up following his inner philosophy and left the comfort of his salary-paying job to start a business with another one of our friends. From his story, to countless others’ who are leaving behind the salary to have the best of both worlds, this generation is becoming fully alive – fully defining itself.
I feel like I just connected the dots, where I can see how our generation began to transition. It seems that we are the result of a driven childhood. One of endless, extracurricular schedules like year-round sports, student council or ASB, Junior Statesmen of America (JSA), Mock Trial – all the while, attending Princeton Review sessions and passing AP courses to minimize that future college tuition.
Big Name, Big Shname – Young Profeshes of 2013
The parents of our generation knew where to live, in order to provide a sheltered bubble where we could play hard and study hard – without being put into jail or making any major life-threatening decisions. Most of us are a result of the burbs, or living just outside the city. Some, coming from the lax vibe of the Midwest, but still, all raised to attend the best colleges or at least a well-rounded private school that could make up for anything our parents missed.
We got it covered, to say the least. So, when we graduated with honors or at least flying colors, we entered into the work field confidently. Succeeding in the work field and witnessing just how “smart” we had become, whether our bosses gave us promotions right away or they sent us to China to give a quick presentation, we were doing everything we were expected to, since the day our parents signed us up for Club Soccer.
But, then, a day came when we began to think for ourselves. After achieving all that we wanted to achieve and peaking a little early, we asked, Then what? Should I just keep getting promotions and doing well? Because, I know, I will.
Taking on the world now . . . The Grove 2013
That confidence began to spark deeper reflection on what we are capable of in this life, in this world, and in this nation. And the more everyone started eating Kale around us and the music became nothing short of a tangible inspiration to our goals and dreams, spontaneously, gifted creativity began to escape our veins. We began to think of an alternative version to what our parents wanted for us:
Well, if I can do well at anything, then why not start my own company, start my own establishment, start my own non-profit?
If I can handle loads of pressure from a boss, then why not be my own boss?
If the mission of my company says “this”, then why not create my own mission to serve the needs of this world?
Thus, the plunge of start-ups, inspirational writing, and support for one another began. And the more I immerse myself into this community of hard working, creatively passionate, driven individuals, the more I meet more members of the crew. Once we acknowledge that we are one in the same, we begin to vibe on the same playing field. More importantly, we feel that much more inclined to support one another in all of our endeavors. From talks at R.E.I. to documentary screenings in a warehouse somewhere in Costa Mesa, we are supporting the true colors of our generation.
Supporting is as simple as being a regular at a local spot you believe in. Vigilante Coffee of Hyattsville, Maryland.
We admire how much of ourselves is being given to the new company, the new blog, the new coffee shop. We admire how we no longer feel like we are “working.” It’s like we all affirmed that Club Soccer and high G.P.A.’s could only lead to this – to a world where no one is the boss anymore!
We have freed ourselves from the old mantra of “living this life to just work and provide,” where retirement was the Finish Line. Instead, we are using ALL of our gifts and talents to put the individual first – like living the best of both worlds. As a result, the family structure is evolving as well. As individuals seek to “do what they love,” they are able to bond in a more attentive, aware way with their children and companion.
My nephew – a product of this generation’s family structure. Hyattsville, Maryland 2015
This generation is simply ideal, efficient, and attractive. We find we gravitate towards those on this same playing field and realize that following our hearts, embracing intuition, and maintaining our committed work ethic since childhood, is what it will take to sustain this lifestyle, in order to make it all naturally come together.
Naturally!!! 🙂 The blessings flow throughout and extend to all you love. Cali Familia 2014
What will become of this new family structure, this new community of creatively, brave individuals? All I know is, the vibe has never felt better – has never been so grounded. And since I took the plunge for myself, I only grow more into this generation in a natural way, becoming a wiser, more authentically kind, and intuitive soul. What more could we want for the next generation?
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“Blessed”
by: Brett Dennen
I welcome the sun
The clouds and rain
The wind that sweeps the sky clean and lets the sun shine again
This is the most magnificent life has ever been
Here is heaven and earth and the brilliant sky inbetween
Blessed is this life and i’m going to celebrate being alive (x4).
I dwell in the darkness
I let in the light
I sleep in the afternoon and become the noise in the night
I trespass in temptation suffer in sacrifice
But I awake each day with the new sunrise.
Blessed is this life oh, and I’m gonna celebrate being alive (x4)
Since when are Baristas the healthy equivalent to Bartenders? Today, Baristas and their Coffee Houses sure are embracing their role, more authentically than ever. I’m incredibly grateful to be a regular customer and thus, a mere byproduct of our generation’s Coffee House Authenticity.
It’s a great time to be single and free Coast to Coast as I dive deeper into my soul and read into the vibes and energies of such places. Once an avid pub-crawler – dressed in silly costumes from Saint Paddy’s Day to, WELP, might as well have been Flag Day, I have become loyal to the coffee bar atmosphere for many reasons.
The coffee bar atmosphere seems to be another learning ground to patent who you are and ultimately discover how the YOU will bring grace and love to others.
Big Bear Cafe in Northwest D.C. Killer coffee happy hour menu. Get cozy.
Within this learning ground, there’s a creative energy present that almost gives you more of a rush than the smell of coffee beans. It appears that entering a coffee shop has an instant effect on you, much like the adrenaline rush you get when you’re about to put a dollar down to shoot pool in a bar. And yes, both places cultivate a similar energy brought on by music, people, and drinks. Even though both places can be taken to the extreme, as some cannot simply sip on a smooth pour over made with care much the same way some cannot sit in a bar and enjoy one, nice, cold Porter – overall, if used correctly, both places can allow for genuine interaction amongst strangers, guided by the energy of all who work there and the music flowing throughout.
Now, to get into the depths of a coffee house; for starters, there is a bar to sit at in most hip, coffee joints. There is the feeling of being a local. Or if you’re a visitor, the Baristas will memorize your favorite drink for the time being, like at an all-inclusive resort. Finally, the music volume tends to range from a little above Barnes N’ Noble, to not blasting – as opposed to an actual bar with an iTunes Jukebox where, let’s face it, someone requested T-Swift or Journey way too many times.
Speaking of music, this might be the best part aside from the hip camaraderie and social-networking that goes on in these hipster, eco-friendly, sober bars. The music is always a reflection of the hub of current location. Some of Los Angeles’ best coffee shop vibes leaned toward the latest electro-indie pop to the most underground remixes of Marley’s hidden tracks or rare 90’s Hip-Hop, unreleased hits. LA would plant a little Red Hot Chili Peppers every now and then to remind you of its roots and then ease into some reggae-alternative flavor like Slightly Stoopid from San Diego or a trendy melodic-pop duo such as Foster the People and Passion Pit back-to-back, getting you ready to skate home.
Getting in that Coffee Bar Melodic-Mood. Bound for Vigilante Coffee in Hyattsville.
Here in D.C., they have proven to encompass a broader selection of music that keeps the customers happy, but still quite selective – to infuse a sort of intellectual city crossed with artsy and vintage originality. You go to specific coffee shops here like you would only go to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. One headphone out and one headphone in, you tend to mix your own playlist with their mix of references back to Zeppelin and Neil Young. Then, they infuse the place with some major melodies. That’s right, no words. Instrumentals of all kinds from what I assume to be a well-crafted Pandora station. Sometimes it’s just a repetitive mix of pedals and digital-pop with occasional guitar strumming (possibly inspired by Daft Punk), when they round it back to something familiar like Miike Snow’s “Animal” or Edward Sharpe’s “Home”, where you appreciate lyrics once again and feel like you’re right back on Abbott Kinney.
All the while, you are acclimating to the spot that you chose to sit in, once you received your Rwanda Karenge pour over from the bar.
Ethiopian Pour Over at La Colombe in Northwest D.C.
Unbeknownst to others, this moment, in which you choose your seat for focusing and doing work, happens to be the beginning of the weeding out process of all Wi-Fi, trending coffee spots – some will choose to stay until closing and some are just parking it for the taste. Just like going to a local bar by yourself to play pool or to catch part of Monday Night Football, only certain types truly enjoy being on their own in such a place. This solo, public-thriving identity is really defined as wanting to be surrounded by people like ourselves, but nonetheless, strangers to one another.
All the while, we are subconsciously open to discovering how places like these tick. We begin to wonder what is secretly being given back to us, other than their flavorful coffee and carefully designed work space. It turns out, places like these contain a truth that we’ve been seeking far and wide. The truth held within such a place says:
Locales that define us attract an intimate group of people whom we are capable of having a deeper connection with, simply upon initial conversation.
Where will YOUR seat be? (Vigilante in Hyattsville, MD)
The coffee bar then becomes a safe place to truly connect with the world and witness yourself in it, like you’ve just hit play on a secret security recording of the shop. There is a process for how to get acclimated in such a setting and how to be ready to enter a world of pure authenticity. First, we must deal with our anxieties. You might walk through the door stressed out about something, still tainted from the world outside. This must dissipate before you can fully embrace the coffee shop in its entirety.
Then, there is the issue of whether or not you are sitting right smack in the middle of the place, off to the side, back to the crowd, at the bar, or looking out the window. Your position in the room could limit your ability to take the authentic plunge into interacting with whomever you wish. It’s up to you where you choose to make your mark – the secret is, you can always get up and move, especially when it comes to needing outlet access. And you can always ease your way into sitting in spots that you used to avoid. Much like the process of choosing your spot on the sand or deciding where to stand in the lineup to play pool against all the big sharks in the neighborhood, you are ready to fully embrace the coffee shop.
Elvis’ Pool Table in Graceland. Where would YOU stand?
Part of what is interesting about a coffee shop is that, yes, people are paying attention to you whether you want the attention or not. You have the choice to create your own space and energy, like painting how you want to come off to the world or like surrendering to a place so that it can define you! As you let the music take you over while you read, write, or study, you begin to see yourself the way the world sees you. When I used to walk into a bar by myself and approach the pool table, it was a similar experience. I immediately would get nervous as I knew the lineup in front of me was much more experienced than I. Just looking down at how each dollar was folded or quarter was positioned, I knew I was going to have to create my own identity as a future Shark. In the beginning, I forced myself to play one-on-one, lose games and be humiliated as I had to lose by 6 or 4 balls in front of the pool scene. After a while, as I showed up more and more to play, a respect was built around the table. They knew my face and they knew I wanted to improve. The Sharks of Venice took me under their wing and began to show me a few tricks, but more importantly they began to share their lives with me.
Recruiting Sharks in D.C.
I soon realized, my skills in shooting pool were less novice than my skills in approaching the pool table in the first place.
I was not going in there with the intention to get to know the people in the room; I was going in there to get better at a sport I enjoyed and to be by myself in the world amongst strangers. It wasn’t until I made a genuine effort to get to know each person around the table, did I begin to develop true Shark attributes. I think of how I became friends with people from all walks of life, in the Shark world. Since pool is only a dollar, I met many who were living on the margins. They confided in me about their pasts and how they looked at life differently now. I met young founders of start-ups struggling with addictions and struggling to let go of the superficial lifestyle that Los Angeles often tempts us with. I met screen writers, sailors, and old couples who just lived a simple life and wanted to share their wisdom around the table. We all bonded through the sharing of our stories and surrendering to the present. I think of these memories every time I choose my place in a coffee shop. Now, when I walk into my favorite local spots, I scan the room for a space that screams, “Diane!”, with the same intentions of how I learned to approach the pool table. Then, I order my drink and graciously head over to where I will plant myself for the next few hours, much like how I used to order my drink at the bar and lay down my dollar folded into fourths, defining my spot with all that I am.
Through this process of learning how to feel absolutely comfortable with the world around me and with myself, the energy created in my work space became an “Embraces Life” vibe. Everyone gives off a different vibe according to their own experiences and this happens to be mine. I am able to see this as I look down on myself interacting in coffee shops and through the affirmations of people who have become a part of my life from the coffee shop itself.
When people see me or sit near me, they can tell that I am working on a project of which I am very excited about or focused on. They can also tell that I am not too focused to where I would ignore them or not feel their presence. They get the sense that I am a safe place for me and for others. They admire my slight-smile work ethic, occasional bobbing to music as I work diligently, to the point where they start to think, “Is it possible to feel that at ease while working?” And the answer is YES. Part of our purpose here, I believe, is to share this consistency of authenticity with the world no matter where we are – in a bar, in the grocery store, in the library, at work, running in the neighborhood, having dinner, and the list goes on. People need to know that it actually exists, and that they can join the party. Simply being in a coffee shop or playing pool by ourselves at the bar shares this notion with the world. People feel it, see it, understand it, learn from it, and then go home, reflect, and come back the next day trying to implement it. Someone once was my example of consciously, authentic living and now after years of embracing this lifestyle, I realize it is important to pass the secrets along.
Reflecting on the secrets at Big Bear Cafe in Northwest D.C.
In terms of acclimating and owning who you are while on display, we coffee shop kiddos and solo bar-hoppers are open to genuine conversation much like the Sharks of Venice were, even when I couldn’t see it. It’s in the occasional eye contact that is given to the person walking in, or the lad who just took a seat at the adjacent table; it’s in the quick head nod to the Barista thanking him silently for everything he’s provided for the past 90 minutes. It’s in the subtle smile towards the girl who is sitting alone and keeps trying to bring up everything and anything to make a new friend. With that, I have tried to befriend every type of person I could possibly think would walk into a coffee house.
My favorite “new friends” are the brainstormers – the two guys or gals that spitball ideas back and forth in a hype-hype manner with endless creativity for their current start-up or business idea. Next, I welcome anyone new, because someone once pulled me out of the crowd on my first day and showed me the way as well. Finally, anyone who is leaning back and taking a break from working, is observing and just taking it all in – they are the cream of the crop! I find that we are much in the same; we love to work and are passionate about whatever we are doing, but we never forget where. we. are. The same way you could be swimming in the ocean, diving under each wave, and then at some point you come up for air and just float – soaking up every ounce of sun, almost becoming one of the seals, watching the animals crawling beneath you on the ocean floor, and savoring the calm waters before the next wave begins to build.
Coming up for air and just taking it all in…remember where you are, at Vigilante.
Some of my best conversations and realizations have occurred in a coffee bar.
To top off this whole experience, we can take home every ounce of the creativity that we develop in the midst of a coffee house. Some of my best ideas have sprung up somewhere in between taking it all in and a bite of a ham and cheese croissant. In the end, we leave this experience having been utterly affected by the authenticity of such a place. We leave with an even brighter perspective on this world. One of appreciating every type of person, who metaphorically walks in the door. One of seeing the world as one, giant classroom. One of being present in every moment, where eye contact is a must and knowing a stranger’s name means more than any surface level conversation we could have with someone we already know.
I leave the coffee shop understanding that the “local for life” I have become doesn’t necessarily mean I have to go to the same place every time; but rather, it is the fact that I can create that local energyfor and with others.
It’s a lifestyle that continues to bloom and sees beauty in everything and everyone. Cali Green Fin Wine Bottle & Hydrangea.
Making someone else feel that comfortable, minus ALL theanxiety, as if we have just handed them the cup of coffee we knew they already preferred and put on their favorite song to show them that they can be “at home” when they talk to us, is the key to truly connecting with others. It’s based on more than kindness, it’s more than being genuine – it’s an effortless knowing, coming from a very real place that we all have inside of us. There are many of us out there who have found this sweet spot of interacting; it’s up to US ALL though, to spark it whether we are in the coffee bar or not – a local wherever we go.
No one is in a rush here :). Sit down and get comfortable at Vigilante in Hyattsville.
Maybe someone once did this for me? Maybe this is what coffee shops and playing pool allowed me to discover? Maybe this is what I find when I hang out with the homeless gents and women as we make eye contact, shake each other’s hand, and get each other’s name, so that we can be in each other’s life somehow?
There is an authenticity in actively taking part in the deeper vibe of this world as if we are actually a part of one classroom.
… All in a 2-hour snow delay that turned into a day off from school – I found myself heading to my neighborhood coffee house, Vigilante, my home away from home.
It’s more than a cup . . . Barista Artist Cred: Austin of Vigilante.
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“Don’t Save Me”
by: HAIM
Never thought that I would grow so old of seeing the gold
Still I never want it to go
I would hold it up to my cold heart
Feel the way it used to start up
Take me back, ta-ta-take me back to the way that I was before
Hungry for what was to come
Now I’m longing for the way I was
You say you will, say you will save me
You say you will, say you will save me
You say you will, say you will save me
You say you will, say you will! Ah oh!
Take me back
Give it up, give it up to me
Cause I cant go on if your love isn’t strong
See I want it all
Give me, give me all your love
But if you can’t hold on
Then baby, baby don’t save me now, no
If your love isn’t strong
Baby! Don’t save me now, no, no
All my life I wasn’t trying to get on a high way
I was wondering which way to go
Spending all of my time
Leaving all the weight behind yeah
Take me back, ta-ta-take me back to the song, how’d it used to go? Oh?
Screaming for what was to come,
Now I’m dreaming ’bout the way I was
You say you will, say you will save me
You say you will, say you will save me
You say you will, say you will save me
You say you will, say you will! Ah, oh!
Take me back
Give it, up give it up to me
Cause I cant go on if your love isn’t strong
See I want it all
Give me, give me all your love
But if you can’t hold on,
Then baby, baby don’t save me now, no
Baby don’t save me now, no, no
And if I had to beg for your love
Tell me, tell me
Would it ever be enough?
Te-te-tell me
And if I had to beg for your love
Tell me, tell me
Would it ever be enough?
So baby, don’t save me
No Baby, don’t save me
Baby, don’t save me now, no, no
Baby, don’t save me now, no, no
Baby, don’t save me now no, no
Baby, don’t save me now no, no, no
Don’t save me
Don’t save me
“It feels good to be the one that you want – when all I want is you.” If I could write a love song to myself, this would be it. We all fall in love with ourselves at some point in life. Maybe it’s that we are proud of our accomplishments. Maybe it was obvious when we moved to another place and could see ourselves against the blank canvas. Maybe a break up revealed who we were and we were happy to finally see this without the other person.
Choose to Fall in Love with Yourself! Maryland, 2015
But, yes, it feels good to be the one that we want to be. In the back of our minds, we have a picture of who we are and who we want to become. Along the way, our choices and actions begin to reveal a clearer image of the picture that is hiding in the back of our minds.
Jack Johnson “From Here to Now to You”
I was just recently shuffling the iPod around and came across this song. A lover of Jack Johnson and the ocean, I began to fall down the rabbit hole of my life. As I fell, I saw the most beautiful visions of my past and present that have formed me. Much of my memory is filled with different versions of sunsets, sand, and running along the water. As I relived one of my favorite moments, sitting on the sand flicking shells and watching a picturesque sailboat go by, I could see that to every grain of sand this melody of Diane has continued to sing along.
Attic Life Singing Along, Maryland 2015
I began to sing Jack Johnson’s “Never Fade” to myself, and what once seemed a love song that I wanted to share with someone else, became the love song to myself. I felt myself craving every piece of the melody all for only me. This made me laugh, because one of my Aunt Margie’s favorite lines about the nature of the Contreras’ is “it’s all about me” – well there you go. I sang this song to myself as if I was playing the guitar on stage and looking out at the crowd. I could see everyone’s happiness as they watched me close my eyes and fade out the syllables to myself.
Song of My Heart, National Shrine in D.C.
Like the crowd, we are truly happy for others when they embrace who they are and share it with the world. But, it is an even more amazing feeling to be on the other end. To the ones singing to ourselves – we are in a heavenly state of feeling all of the dots connect and truly giving thanks to God and to ourselves for believing in one another.
In Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford a few years back, he stated this in reference to his own spontaneous milestones of life,
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
Dots Connecting – Turns out St. Monica follows me wherever I go. (National Shrine)
I believe that as we become closer to God, we are actually falling more and more in love with ourselves. As we learn to love ourselves wholly, we naturally fade more into ourselves and to whom God calls us to be. The image of ourselves in the back of our minds becomes clearer as we look backwards at the dots connecting, and in that moment, we are pleased to see that simply BELIEVING and TRUSTING truly works.
Allow this to be a testament for you. At times we picture another person with us in our future or a breakthrough in our careers that leads us to complete success. But playing this life to our fullest potential is actually much more simple. Simply being aware of that image of ourselves in the back of our minds, is enough.
National Shrine – a place of peace in trusting and believing.
St. Ireneaus tells us, “The Glory of God is man, fully alive.” So be it then. Allow the vision of yourself to become clearer through the moments of life and choices that you make. If it does not ignite the same feeling as the love story going on within yourself and in your heart, then without hesitation head towards the route that leads you back to that vision of yourself and trust.
Sometimes when I forget the image of myself, I turn to music. I allow the melody to take me where my mind and heart need to go. The world slips away and I am lost in the dream of who I am. Then, I see the waves again. I see the sailboat. I see myself, swimming without fear and without needing anything else in life but that truth in the vision and in the song. A feeling of weightless grace overwhelms me, and I trust that the next thing I do in that moment will be true to the love song written to myself.
Our Lady of Guadalupe – mysteriously always surrounded with flowers. (National Shrine)
“… cause our love can never fade – no our love will never fade …”
The one love that we know we can believe in completely is this love within ourselves. It comes from God and it pours out to others. When we ride that wave by ourselves according to our own love song, we inspire others to find their love song and stay true to it. We then attract those who want to ride alongside us – now that’s love.
“It feels good to be the one, that you want.”
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“Never Fade”
by: Jack Johnson
It feels good to be the one, that you want
When all I want is you
It feels good to be the one, that you want
When all I want is you
When I first saw you come across the room
And then you saw me, then I knew what to do
I tried to play it cool and attached no strings
But by the end oft he day, I needed the whole thing
It feels good to be the one, that you want
When all I want is you
It feels good to be the one, that you want
When all I want is you
You see I knew right then, that this could last so long
I went home that night, I wrote my first lovesong
And as the days went by, I knew I had it made
Well you could try to pretend, your smile gave it away
It feels good to be the one, that you want
When all I want is you
And It feels good to be the one, that you want
When all I want is you
And now here we are, how could we ever know
I knew I loved you then and I‘ve watched you grow
So it came to be, that I raised you and you raised me
We’re lucky that way, ‘cause our love can never fade
No our love can never fade yeah
Our love will never fade yeah
Our love can never fade yay
It feels good to be the one that you want,
When all I want is you, can never fade yay
When all I want is you, can never fade
All I want is you, can never fade
The Winner Is . . . by Mychael Danna and DeVotchKa
(from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Little Miss Sunshine”)
1 Positive Attempt Against 10 Negative Ones – Little Miss Sunshine 2006
There is only 1 way to look at this world . . .
. . . and that’s . . .
. . . POSITIVELY.
Let it sink in . . .
SNOW DAY!!! It’s all how you look at it – Washington, D.C. 2015
Let it bring back all the times that you have overcome life’s challenges . . .
Overcoming the 12 K’s of Christmas – Georgetown 2014
Every. Single. Time.
YOU believed that YOU could overcome THAT challenge from the get-go.
Believing Since the Starting Line – Georgetown 2014
And when you fell? Or cried? Or wanted out? There was someone close by who reeled you back in and reminded you of who you were and are to the core. There was a prayer that brought you back to your senses. There was a random phone call from a family member or a knock at the door. There was that perfect sunset that connected all the dots for you. There was a co-worker with wine and laughter.
I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE in every ounce of positivity in this world. Even in the most negative of times, I now see the positive. And most of that time that positivity brings out laughter! Excelsior! If you will! A concept from Silver Linings Playbook that cracks me up beyond cracks me up. A story of thanking God for a 5 out of 10, praying over bets and parlays, setting up the ju-ju just right, and in the end, finding peace in the ultimate silver lining: that some are certifiably crazy and the rest have not been certified yet.
Crazy Compatible – Silver Linings Playbook 2012
Then, Little Miss Sunshine. Oh my. An all time favorite, of which this score takes you through the ups and downs of the most dysfunctional family on the planet. In listening to the progression of keyboard, to piano, to rhythmically riveting snare drums, you can vividly visualize that horrific yellow van putting its way across the country with probably only 1 positive force out of 10 negative ones. Ironically, the father was a motivational speaker with no motivational fire. But his fist-clenching faith gets them to California where his chubby, little daughter will stick out like a sore thumb amongst the vanity of the pageant world for tots. And where is the silver lining? The silver lining happens to be just that. While following what seems to be an endless adventure, you are rooting for the daughter to fully embrace her little, chubby, genuine nature against the backdrop of mystically, tanned 7-year old tots, one a la mode at a time.
The positive part about thinking positively is that it turns into FAITH. When you choose to believe in positivity, you are choosing to believe – period. And belief, over time, becomes consistent, which then solidifies into FAITH. Just when you thought things couldn’t get more positive within the realm of positivity, it did.
Just When You Thought . . . Rockefeller, NYC for NYE – January 2015
Therefore, when we believe in something, we internally have faith in it.
A dream. A vision. A job. A person. We can have faith in each of these consistently.
However, believing in people seems to be the biggest challenge of them all. We tend to have more faith in ourselves than in others. For example, when we want a particular job we get ignited with some kind of overly, positive flurry to make it happen to the point of jumping through networking hoops. There we are, hitting up old professors as if we never lost touch, striking up conversation with strangers in our work field, dropping in on a buzz-word slightly related to what we do: “ Yes! Education Reform!? Do you know so and so!?” We slap on some really great smiles and slide right into that program or position we wanted, the whole time on a high of belief in our gifts, talents and creatively-wired schmoozing skills. Never once did we doubt all the hoops we jumped through or stop to think that we weren’t going to get the gig. Our heart was set on it with some kind of positive force honing in on the position and visualizing ourselves already sitting in the desk chair. But, do we believe in others the way we believe in applying, what can only be described as the Roxbury Brother, High-Energy Networking & Schmoozing Technique? Do we have that instinctive inclination to believe without a doubt in our friends, our spouses, our parents, our siblings, our kids, our co-workers, our bosses, or even the students we are teaching? They could use a little Roxbury faith as well.
Roxbury Snow Angel – Washington, D.C. January 2015
Society has us thinking that believing in others is different from believing in ourselves. However, I would like to argue that in the end, it’s ALL the same thing; it’s ALL belief. Believing in ourselves is actually JUST AS HARD. The only difference is that we think we have the inside scoop since we can see into our own gifts and talents. Suddenly, this makes us think that we can’t believe in others because we do not know their potential. Well, sorry, we don’t 100% know ours either – we only try our best to visualize it and put belief into what we see and feel for ourselves. So why not do the same for others? Being blind to the ins and outs of someone else’s gifts and talents should actually inspire us to root for them all the more and pray for them constantly with no doubt in the back of our prayers – pure prayers of faith in that person.
Put the Purest of Prayers Out There – Washington, D.C. January 2015
On top of thinking it’s pointless to pray or believe in others, we get sucked into the propaganda about TRUST. Do we trust other people? Society tells us not to trust certain people and to look out for Red Flags. Yes, true – don’t marry these ones and stranger danger of course. But let me tell you a little about trust. BELIEF COMES BEFORE TRUST. Belief builds trust. Belief helps others trust. When we believe in ourselves, we are able to trust ourselves and thus, we must believe in others in order to trust others. So, even trust stems from positivity. When we say, “I don’t trust her,” we have already initiated a negative block where we no longer attempt to believe in the person one bit.
Belief Before Trust – Washington, D.C. 2015
So, there you have it. Believing in people is actually on the same level as believing in ourselves. All we have to do is make the attempt to believe in the first place, which originates from thinking positively.
This world is full of people at all different stages in life. We give everyone negative labels from liar to selfish, from sociopath to psycho, from mental to lazy, and so on. Apparently it makes us feel good to compartmentalize everyone in the world. But, nothing feels better than having full faith in the person next to you and full faith in yourself – that is peace on Earth, right there! Doubting others only fuels more doubt. The same way the positivity can keep increasing within positivity, the negativity keeps increasing in negativity. We don’t always do it on purpose. Sometimes we are just hurt and stricken with shock that the world could “do such a thing to us.” But in actuality, we are swimming in the negativity for our own reasons. Imagine if we thought positively about one another a little more, then believed in one another a little more, and ultimately had faith in one another consistently? The world would have a lot less “liars” and “socios” wouldn’t it? – A world with no need for labeling in the first place.
A World without Labels – San Francisco, December 2014
A fun way to pull ourselves out of negativity is to find the truth in the negativity and recognize how hilarious it is. It’s actually hilarious that people can be so selfish and make such poor decisions that hurt others in contrast to being the positive, loving people we are called to be. When you think about it, negativity is just a high level of being ridiculous.
Grumpy Cat is one of the funniest things I’ve seen since John Belushi’s “Bad Luck of the Irish”. Both comedic catalysts point out the irony in negativity. It’s as if they pull out the truth from a negative statement, flip it around for all to see, then laugh directly at the societal truth. It’s a beautiful slap in the face to negativity – I love it. And THAT is how we must look at the world – as if there is a societal joke to be pulled out of every negative choice made.
I believe THIS is the age for finally being done with negativity – an age of Kale, Gluten Free Products, Streaming TV, Start Ups, Amazon Grocery Delivery and Parks and Recs. From food, to career, to TV we are positively transforming and squeezing out the negativity. So, I’d say it’s time to throw in the towel of negativity once and for all and take one giant step towards believing in others and ourselves completely and consistently. And when we pick up a doubtful thought or someone else inflicts a poor decision on us, we will put their face on a calendar, slap a witty slogan on it, and turn it into a year round document worth of laughter, jokes, and hilarity for all to reflect on. Cheers to pulling out the positivity, and believing in ourselves and others once again!
(from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, “Eat Pray Love”)
The flow of energy in our lives is directly proportional to how much we trust God. Letting go is described in many ways. In my life, sometimes it means deviating from the lesson plans and allowing my intuition to guide the day according to what the kids need. I struggle to do this, thinking, “I don’t even agree with this way of teaching – this isn’t Ms. Contreras’ style!” But, it’s not about me. I am trained to help children and guide them. The best way to do that is to surrender to what they need, even if I do not agree with it. Sometimes the hardest concepts to surrender to are the ones in our own field of expertise.
What They Need . . . Ms. Contreras 2014 – 2015 in Brookland D.C.
When we butt heads with ourselves, this is a sign that we are at odds with what God is asking us to do. As much as we want to resist and fight it, we know what the right answer is. We know we must let go of the strings on the marionette and let the puppet come to life.
Marionette Hair Gone Wild – Let Go! (Newport, CA 2014)Always One Step Ahead – Metro Life Maryland 2014
When the puppet comes to life, we realize that we have already created such a solid foundation, like when we overprepare because we are already one step ahead of ourselves. Take for example a night when you know you are going to go out with friends and come home late. Somehow, you managed to have everything ready for the next morning and extra money on the Metro card, just in case. This was all so necessary at one point, like when first stepping out into the world or let’s be real, in college. But, at a certain point in our lives we don’t need the overprotective version of ourselves anymore. That partof us needs to go. It’s time to cut ourselves loose from our own strings and balance on the strengths we now KNOW we have. This is what it means to have faith in ourselves. This is the essence of confidence. Having faith in ourselves is actually us just reaping the benefits of who we’ve become.
Play to Your Strengths – Maine Marathon 2014
I am a supreme multitasker and can pull anything together in a short amount of time, from a Christmas Play to a sweetly written academic paper. Some may call this winging it – I call it, faith in myself. I already know my strengths, and I choose to play to them. Letting my spirit run like a sailboat in the wind is the same as letting go of the battle with myself. I believe most of our anxiety stems from when we are controlling ourselves down to the very last hair follicle. Somewhere along the line, even though we did well in school, landed substantial jobs, and held down major responsibilities, we doubted how we got there. Hello!? YOU got YOURSELF there.
So, it’s time to stop scolding yourself by the elbow. It’s time to let the Samba take you to a land of sweet dreams and sweet fruit. There’s no need to doubt who you are anymore – you’ve already crossed the Finish Line. Enjoy the party and immerse yourself, in yourself! It’s like a vacation within YOU – it’s already paid for, so why are you trying to plan another vacation when you’re supposed to be enjoying the one you’re already on?
Finish Line Smile for Life – Santa Monica, CA 2014
I hope this allows you to set sail and let the wind guide the boat . . . you’ll know when to head in another direction. But for now, enjoy the view, then close your eyes, and let the wind take you where you need to go.
(from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, “It’s Complicated”)
“In this fleeting moment what extravagant respite as booming surf spears its mystical passage across the undreamed depths.” – Laguna Beach, December 2014
Love is magical . . .
. . . like the rain coming down when you least expect it; like the snow falling as if it just transformed from rain drop to snowflake right before your very eyes; like the brisk wind swooping in and filling your jacket up with hope and joy somehow from the inside-out; like the sunset slowly descending leaving only remnants in the sky of what was once lit.
San Clemente Sunset, December 2014
Love is found within us.
We can ask for it any time. We can call it in to comfort us whether we are alone or surrounded by people. It is already there, in us, just waiting to be put to use.
My Mom, The Hummingbird, & I (Laguna Beach, CA) December 2014
Love already exists.
Simply closing our eyes and picturing our world of love and kindness, can make us feel more loved than any person can convince us of its power.
Delaware Memorial Bridge and its unspoken beauty … January 2015
We forget that we were made from love. This is the case. When we believe and know this to be true, we are able to depend on it at any time – even in the darkest of times.
Saint Monica’s in Santa Monica, CA. Radiating with love for all who enter. December 2014
On my loneliest or saddest nights of my life, I have closed my eyes and asked God to show me what love truly is. Visions of me hiding under my parents sheets, hoping they’d never find me, followed by my Dad carrying me to bed while I was partially conscious, have proven my doubting heart of what love really looks and feels like. Visions have popped into my head of my brothers and I laughing together around the dining room table, imitating each other and finding warmth at the center of our jokes.
Contreras Casa – endless amounts of unconditional love. (December 2014)
Visions are not our imagination – they are foundational parts of our lives either in the past, present, or the future. When we relive a memory and immerse ourselves in it we can feel everything that happened – the pain, joy, and flutter of other various emotions. But, there is nothing like reliving or creating visions of love.
Running helps you relive the most powerful visions – National Mall, D.C. (January 2015)
We can remember these visions of love, find them in our present lives, or design them for the future. A song, such as the melody of this calm and hopeful score by Hans Zimmer, can help paint a vision of love. A candle, standing in the middle of the room emitting a beautiful aroma, can bring back from the dead the hope of the love you have inside.
The Capitol Building – it all started with a vision. Washington, D.C. (January 2014)
We constantly doubt about everything right in front of us, but what if we believed it all instead? Believing and knowing that we are made from love and that we can feel it and create it at any time, could be the one simple change in your life that puts your heart at ease. Believing otherwise would be an unnecessary internal battle, and a very stubborn one to say the least. This year, stop fighting yourself, and allow yourself to feel the love coming from your own soul . . . and soon you will see the love being extended to you from everything around you and all of the people in your life.
“Peace is in believing,” the Capitol said to the pedestrian. January 2015
(from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “The Holiday”)
Sometimes a song does not need words to inspire an unstoppable energy in us. Sometimes all it takes is a few chord progressions and a variance of methodically, racing, fluctuating sounds, as “Maestro” so does inflict. A creature of habit and repetition, I find that watching the same movies over and over and returning to specific songs that have been the soundtracks to my life, brings a new sense of clarity each time and a stronger foundation of truth that pieces together over time, thus helping me evolve into the person that I dream of becoming.
Building Clarity along the C&O Channel in Georgetown’s 12 K’s of Christmas – December 2014
As I break and break each year, like a ceramic piece made with love, broken with love, and transformed again and again into whatever I choose to be, the masterpieces that are formed are new renditions of the earlier works of art. No matter how many times I am completely content with myself, I choose to break again. I choose to see what happens when I am challenged and forced to surrender more and more. Thus, the “-ing” in who we dream of “becoming” – it is a progressive, continual, ever-lasting joy that keeps the evolution flowing much like the build up of “Maestro” from piano to violin, ultimately leaving you with peace and love by the end of the song.
Peace and Love at San Fran’s Pier 39, December 2014
Nostalgic love for myself seems to build up until the glass is full, then, I choose to be dropped and shattered, only to find that I will become even more beautiful the next time. My favorite love stories of all time from Sleepless in Seattle to The Holiday happen to demonstrate the life of a protagonist who just simply cannot accept that reality is all there is. Somewhere in the protagonist, he or she believes in a more fulfilling version of what is right in front.
Beyond Reality at Embarcadero, San Fran – December 2014
Just the same, my ten seasons of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. prove this same notion of something, so ordinary, like how having a group of friends can actually be a more meaningful version of “I’ll Be There For You.” Without knowing it, the 6 friends meet in a coffee shop where their lives lead a rather pattern-like scheme of surface level jokes and unnecessary facial expressions – when in reality, they are each encouraging each other to be something beyond what they are in that moment.
My Parents, My Best Friends, Encouraging Me to See Beyond – Laguna Beach December 2014
Each character is a masterpiece, surrendering to the changes and ages, breaking with every season as they evolve into Monica & Chandler, Ross & Rachel, and of course Joey and Phoebe. Rachel chooses a life beyond what her rich parents have laid out before her. Ross refuses to let his divorce get the best of him and embraces his role as a father. Monica dares to follow her innate skill of cooking rather than submit to the norm of the East-Coasting pressures of Long Island. Chandler finds comfort in his own jokes and discovers the depth behind his jester persona. Joey humbly depends on friendship and values their love to the max as he aspires to do the impossible and become an actor, in New York. Finally, Phoebe. She represents a character the writers so smoothly integrated into this piece – one of imagining a life beyond living in a box and being abandoned by her parents. All 6 were created and developed under the pretenses of our very own society and of our very own generation. Real stories hidden by the laugh factor, they can be watched over and over, time and time again as we break ourselves over and over, and time and time again, to be something more, to imagine something greater, to follow our hearts with deep trust, to submit to our dreams even when we think they are a joke. What was once an idea became a protagonist and what was once a thought became a Pilot Episode – and then they were watched continuously for all to embrace and ruminate over, somehow making it into endless amounts of small talk that then turned into real relationships and friendships.
Friends for Life Via F.R.I.E.N.D.S. – San Clemente, December 2014
So the same happens in our tangible life lived, like a reoccurring movie or a show put into syndication and then continued onto Netflix – we are developing like a sketch made in the writing room. With a rapid energy of flowing ideas and intuitively spot-on jokes, we are revisiting older scenes in our lives and readjusting. We are brainstorming new scenes and crafting them to our liking. Then, just when we are happy with what we have created, we drop it and let it all shatter, only to re-craft an even better version of ourselves with more detail and attention the same way music evolves one decade at a time, the way new hit movies are put up on the big screen every Christmas, and the way fresh, comedic TV shows premiere, sucking you into another 10 Seasons of tears of laughter.
I hope we all drop the ball (pun intended) in that New Years Rockin’ Eve kind of way and let it hit the ground, counting down the moments that have made us who we are today and how they will change us for tomorrow.
Writing is like swimming under a wave in slow motion. When you go under, you reach for the sand and feel the grains between your fingers. Part of you wants to stay down there and transform into a mermaid only to live under the sea forever. Your feet dangle in the air with no choice but to follow the rest of your body and trickling thoughts deep onto the ocean floor. When the wave has surpassed and the time is right, your chest lifts up naturally and your arms push away from the floor with a reluctant goodbye. Ironically, coming back to the surface is the best part. Eyes closed, face refreshed, and water droplets slowly flying off your face and neck. One breath is all it takes to begin looking out again at the next wave. The tide subsides and you are able to stand again sometimes on your tippy toes, sometimes feet flat on the sand below, and sometimes not at all. There, I reside, waiting and floating for the next big one to come.
Aliso Viejo, CA 2014
I dream about the ocean every night. I have started to think that I’m not too far off from living under the sea, but rather, it is just, that there is a way to do it whilst on land.
Certain places, people, and things create this Tritan World that we think only exists elsewhere.
Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse, Portland ME
I will be running in the Maine Marathon tomorrow alongside others who choose to create this blissful, blooming existence here on land. Traveling by foot, we will all soak in God’s beauty around us via lighthouses, historical homes, and locally owned businesses. The smell of lobster and fish will only make us finish faster. On the other hand, we won’t want the Finish Line to appear, the same way we would like to stay under the water forever. As we see the end forming in the distance it will be time to come up for air again – realizing once again that…
. . . the world right in front is the same world we run in … the same world we swim in…and the same world we write in.
Downtown Portland, Maine – Fall of 2014
Downtown Portland, and all of its being, truly supports the introverted mind and creative thinker alike. With things like Longfellow’s childhood home at your fingertips and fresh chowder next to the local brewery and poetry house, you are one step away from enrolling your future into a world of typewriters and flavored steamed milk. Much like the vibe of Seattle or your favorite coffee shop, Portland lures you in with its nonchalant locals and laid back atmosphere. I can’t help but become more of who I am when I am here. Though this may not be the same for everyone, I beg to differ, because the line of writers, leaders, and entrepreneurs that derive from here and retreated back proves that this place might truly be The Maine Thing – if only others knew about it. And even then, the property and commercial taxes protect its existence, as to remain that type of existence under the sea that not many care to explore or maybe are not brave enough to experience.
Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse, Portland
I guess I’m one of the lucky ones – someone who sees and revels in this state’s beauty. It has given so much to me, and now I want to give so much back already. Like a place that I only dreamed about in my heart or read about in picture books as a kid, it is now a reality. I’m having trouble blinking as to make sure that it is for real. Wanting to stay here forever, I know that I will come up for air soon and it will feel just as refreshing as when I first dove under … maybe that in itself is the true lesson to learn and beautiful thing to appreciate.
See you on the flip-side . . . mermaid tail and all.
