My life thrives on and drives for having goals. It keeps me accountable and focused on my future. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to wake up one morning and not have a goal to reach for. Not having a purpose to uphold would make it difficult to find motivation. Life would be empty of a meaning. Goals harbor hope. Goals create courage. Goals produce perseverance. Harboring Hope Everyone has high hopes of accomplishing something during a lifetime. Holding that hope forms a goal to reach, but sometimes the goal gets lost in translation. If the hope never becomes a goal, a plan can never be put into place. Goals require action, actions demand plans, and plans have to start somewhere. By having a glimmer of hope, the grounds for a goal transpires for further achievements. Creating Courage Courage does not always come naturally. Lofty goals can be intimidating. These goals offer a teaching opportunity; learning to be courageous in our goals will make us stronger and more powerful. Fear is our greatest obstacle to conquer, and reaching our goals should be the catalyst for overcoming our fears. Once courage is gained, courage can never be lost. Producing Perseverance Perseverance was a reoccurring theme throughout my high school career. This was a time in my life when setting goals was crucial. The steps that go into forming a goal, working towards a goal, and achieving a goal takes perseverance. Having an understanding of the power of perseverance makes looking at a goal face-on more attainable. This will not make reaching a goal any easier, but it will make it easier to accept the defeat and continue on to see a goal through and through. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2016
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Inspiration can stem from anyone or anything. It is an incredible feeling to be inspired, divinely or otherwise. The moment of epiphany can change a life forever. Something so simple or something so intricate can be the very thing to bring inspiration. Each person who becomes inspired will have a different story to tell. Inspiration is an independent factor, but the outcome is dependent. Inspiration is life’s way of giving a gift. A person may or may not realize a change is necessary, but inspiration swoops in and provides a person with the clarity to see that a part of life could be missing. It is like life hands you an opportunity or places a special person in your path that would have been overlooked on any other day. What we do with that gift once received will directly influence our future endeavors. Some choose to turn a blind eye to inspiration, and some run after the opportunity to be inspired. Once the spark of inspiration occurs, the chance for a person to be an inspiration to others opens up. A person may go a lifetime being an inspiration without even being aware of it. Even without knowing, it is a great honor be an inspiration. In the eyes of someone else, they see something special and hold you in a special place in their heart. Having a good life is one accomplishment, but having a good life that tells a story of inspiration is a great accomplishment. Moving forward, we should all be inspired to inspire. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2016 Roald Dahl is known for his whimsical, feel-good books. My childhood was spent reading his Willy Wonka books and watching the movie adaptation of his Matilda. I can only hope that Roald Dahl was the jolly person I imagined him to be as I read his books. I mean, he had to be a special kind of person to create such vivid stories that children of all ages enjoy. A certain degree of happiness had to be the root of his literary works of art. Our faces tell much about ourselves. And, sometimes, my face says too much. I like to think about our faces being the mirrors to our souls. The face reflects the inside feelings deep within. For me, anyone can take a glance at my face and know exactly what I am feeling. Hiding my feelings is not something I can do well, and I am not saying they have to be hidden, but I can never deny my true feelings. Now, this is where I get to the big point. Above any emotion, happiness should be the one seen most abundantly. A smile and a twinkle in an eye are much more becoming and welcoming, as opposed to a frown and gloomy eyes. It is our responsibility to be in the company of people who bring out the best in us, and spend time doing the things that make us happiest. Life is too short to spend it unhappy. We have to take time for ourselves to ensure the feeling of completeness. Happiness is the key component here, and we deserve to achieve the feeling of complete happiness. Like in Matilda, we are surrounded by negativity and cannot be ourselves. In her efforts to escape the unfortunate negativity, Matilda discovers her love for books, magical powers, and companionship with Miss Honey. Life for Matilda was far from a fantasy. Sometimes, we have to create our own happiness if it does not come to our life on its own. There might come a time when we have to discover our powers to escape from negativity and people who drag us down. The lesson to be learned from Matilda is that age knows no difference; we should never grow too old to be happy, and hold the happy innocence everyone should. In a world full of Agatha Trunchbulls, be a Miss Honey and spread beams of happiness. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2016 Once two people have reached and surpassed the seven-year threshold, the friendship is meant to last a lifetime. With just having celebrated International Friendship Day (yesterday), it makes me appreciate my friendship with Jennifer even more. Come December, it will be our ninth friend-iversary. I think it is safe to say that after almost nine years of friendship, there will never come a day when we are not friends. We are like two peas in a pod until it comes to those rare and few things that we are polar opposites on; I guess that is what has made it work. Going through high school at a new school and maneuvering through college life brought on its challenges, but we had our quirks to push through. Our regular study dates via Skype made for some late nights, but we always rocked our tests, especially for history and economics. She was my go-to person when I needed some extra help in math, and I was her grammar patrol for anything English. At school, we were practically inseparable, and everyone knew it. We could talk across a room without uttering a word; our looks said it all. After graduation, our schooling has branched off in different directions. While she is in the middle of her nursing program, I am at school in a different state, and free time comes at a commodity. But when our free times happen to fall at the same time, we take full advantage of it. The local frozen yogurt shop is a tasty treat after those hard days by the books. I like to call these fro-yo runs little life celebrations, but in all reality, they are just an excuse to see my bestie and indulge in a sweet treat. Friends come in all shapes and sizes. I could not celebrate International Friendship Day without mentioning my little buddies too. I have had the great pleasure of babysitting two adorable kids for the past two years. We have so much fun together, and I often forget that I am the ‘grown-up.’ I honestly do not know who has more fun, me or them. They keep me on my toes, that is for sure. I have found myself doing some crazy, yet kid-friendly, activities over the years. We have done scavenger hunts, homemade goop and bubble experiments, and sing-along sessions that spanned from nursery rhymes to the Mary Poppins soundtrack, not to mention the umpteen viewings of Beauty And The Beast; I pretty much know the movie by heart. But nothing will ever top the time I tied a loose tooth to a remote-controlled car with floss for a memorable extraction. I never knew two little kiddos could leave such an imprint on my heart. We are like the Three Musketeers, and our play dates usually bring some element of adventure. There is never a dull moment. I now hold the title of professional PB&J sandwich maker and the official snuggle referee when it comes to who gets to sit in my lap first. I love them to pieces, and the bond only grows stronger with each hour of play. This does not begin to describe every aspect of my friendships, but it is a pretty good start. Friends are the family we get to choose, and I do not know what I would do without my friends. We keep each other accountable and sane. Making times for friends is important, and it is well worth the time away from the responsibilities of life, whether it is with the big or little friends. Take advantage of the time spent with friends and make memories while you can. It just may be the difference between being friends and forever friends. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2016 What is summer without a good playlist and go-to album? Music makes me happy, and I can come up with a song for almost every occasion. Summer 2016 is no exception to this, especially when I scored tickets to a concert I never thought I would have the chance to see. This summer’s playlist was determined within the ten minutes it took from the ticket sales opening to the confirmation email. In an instant, The Beach Boys was playing non-stop, all day, every day. Not that this was anything new, but with the concert a few months away, I wanted to be on my A-Game. My excitement was through the roof, and so the countdown from April to July was on. Some may be wondering how I, being born in the mid-nineties, could understand and appreciate the timeless and iconic music of The Beach Boys thirty-four years later. I can thank the endless reruns of Full House for this one. There is no denying that Full House was my favorite childhood show, and to love Full House meant loving family, friends, Elvis Presley, and of course, The Beach Boys. From the Tanners going to a concert and joining in on “Kokomo” and “Barbara Ann,” to Mike Love singing “Be True To Your School” during the “‘We Love Our Children’ Telethon ’90,” The Beach Boys made their presence memorable to a young generation. And I cannot go on without mentioning the famous “Forever” serenade made by Uncle Jesse at his wedding or the basement jam session with Mike and Bruce singing “Surfin’ USA.” It was moments like these that developed my love for this music, and they proved that no matter the age, everyone could relate somehow to The Beach Boys. I can remember getting my first CD of The Beach Boys. It was right before a trip to Indiana for a family reunion, and after my parents caught on that I was beginning to form my own musical preferences, they bought me The Greatest Hits: The Beach Boys—20 Good Vibrations album. It is a wonder I did not wear that disk out. It was played on repeat to the point my parents were wishing they had packed a Walkman for me to listen to my favorites through headphones in the backseat. That CD was and still is near and dear to me. Likewise, with mine and Jen’s road trip up north, the obvious choice for our listening enjoyment was the 50th Anniversary album. Those forty-two songs kept us happily entertained for hours on end. Ever since I can remember, Jen and I thought of “Fun, Fun, Fun” as our friendship anthem. Anytime we have something to look forward to, one starts with, “and we’ll have fun, fun, fun,” while the other follows with, “til daddy takes the T-bird away.” After I got my own car, I would swap out T-bird for Focus once in a while, but the ring just was not the same. Well, enough with the history of my fandom. Let me get to the long-awaited day that finally had arrived. My excitement kept me distracted from the weather forecast, and regardless how it turned out, nothing was going to ruin the night. Like typical girls, Jen and I took forever getting ready and had a pre-concert jam session. With everything we do, there is never a dull moment, and that is only half of the fun we have. While dark clouds rolled in, we headed out for dinner. As we watched the rain come, we could only hope it would stop before the concert, and if the rain made the air ten degrees cooler, that would okay too. Soon the rain stopped, the sun came out, and a dash to the car had us on our way to Centennial Terrace for a music-filled evening under a perfect July night sky. Seated in the front row, Jen and I eagerly waited for the grand appearance of The Beach Boys. I was ready to party like it was 1961. Soon, the lights began flashing, music was playing, and the members emerged on the stage. I felt like I was in a dream and could not believe that I would be in the presence of founding member, Mike Love, and original member, Bruce Johnston, for the next two hours. The greatest hits of The Beach Boys’ musical vault were nothing less than perfect. And sitting in the front row, I would like to think that each wave and wink in our direction was a sign of acknowledgement from Mike Love, himself. Nothing compares to a concert under the stars and listening to live music. The music of The Beach Boys is timeless, and there will never come a day when it does not bring a smile to my face. Mike and the other Beach Boys did not disappoint; nothing had changed, except age. Mike still had his laid-back surfer moves, and Bruce still sported his million-dollar smile. The energy on the stage was as if time had stood still for decades. The legacy of The Beach Boys will forever live on. I left the concert an extremely happy person hoping no one would pinch me to snap out of this dream come true. So many memories came from that night, and all I was feeling was good vibes in summer times. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2016 |
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