Dedication takes a lifetime, but dreams only last for a night.

This quote is from All Time Low's song, Stay Awake. We all have dreams about what we're going to do and who we're going to be as we grow up. We have this wonderful picture in our head that includes our dream career, love life, success, family, but just dreaming and thinking about these things are not enough. In order to get the life we want and become who we want to be, we have to dedicate ourselves to working hard to get there. We cannot expect things just to happen out of thin air...that one day I'll just wake up and be skinny, or I'll wake up with a boyfriend. No, that's not going to happen. I have to work out and eat healthily to lose weight. I have to put myself out there, date some douche bags, and find the man of my dreams. If we really want these fabulous lives that we deserve, we have to put our heart and soul and all into everything we do. One day, we'll get those things that we want, but we will never get them if we don't dedicate ourselves to making those dreams become a reality.

What defines you is your priorities in life

Patti Stanger~Millionaire Matchmaker

Though Patti uses this in reference to finding love, the quote is really all about life and being ourselves. We always want people to think the best of us, but how can they do that if all we care about and concentrate on are the material and superficial aspects of life? There are other ways to show our desire and love for life than just money, success, and being on top. Though our passions may lend to these eventually, our passions should be our priorities, not being rich and being on top. As Patti also says, leading with your "business foot" gets you no where. People don't want to hear your brag about how well your business is doing or how much money you're making. That makes you look boring, self centered, and one dimensional. Talk about things that interest you, focus on your passions and make happiness a priority in life. Success will follow and you may find yourself in a better place all together.

Live for yourself, Love those around you but realize they’ve got their own agendas

~Alex Gaskarth [All Time Low]

If there is one thing that we all need to remember in life, it's this. We need to live for ourselves and please ourselves. Yes, it feels great to know that we made someone else proud of us, but we deserve to feel pride in ourselves too. Do things that make you happy and find your own path to success. Your sense of success, happiness, and pride is probably different than your parents', best friend's, or sibling's idea of those ideas. There's no shame in that! The only shame is doing things and working towards things that aren't really what you are passionate about and what you want to do. Those who care about you and love you the most will be proud of you no matter what you do as long as you are happy and proud of yourself.

Best.Advice.Ever Part 19

If you missed the other parts of this, check them out here. This obviously is to do with my absolute obsession with "Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen" If you haven't seen the video, it is posted on part 1, or you can easily youtube it.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

It's true...even when I read some parts of Glamour or Cosmo (which i LOVE) sometimes I feel inadequate...maybe it's best to take these magazines with a grain of salt...I've tried to read them just for fashion and other advice, but some days I sink back into old habits.

To do Good...

I'm the type of person who loves quotes and anything that means something to me. I'm always looking them up. The other day day I came across a quote that someone had tweeted and I really liked it. "To do good, you actually have to do something". I like this quote because it's very true. We can all say were going to do something and make something better but until we actually do it were not accomplishing anything and no good it being done.

Who knows the definition of perfection?

I'm a big music fan. Any genre, any artist, you name it, I'll give a listen once.

I've been listening to The Summer Set for probably about 2 years now.

Their band members, as well as lyrics are inspirational, and here's a little example.

When creeping guitarist John Gomez's formspring (http://www.formspring.me/johngomez) today I found this...

Question: Advice for people who are trying to find their place in this world?

Answer: Be yourself, you DONT need to look for your place in this world, you have ALWAYS been in the right place you always will

Don't change who you are just to fit in. You're perfect the way you are, and everyone who tells you otherwise sucks ass.

Xoxo, Allison

I'm Not Sorry For All My Imperfections

The title of this blog post is actually lyrics from one of my favorite songs by the band Days Difference, who are friends of mine.

The song is titled Imperfections, and the moment I heard it, I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the lyrics. This song means a lot to me. I relate to it in a very personal way. A lot of times we beat ourselves up for all of our imperfections especially when it comes to having imperfections in a relationship. In my last relationship, I used to constantly blame myself for everything. Maybe if I hadn’t done this, maybe if I hadn’t said this, things would have turned out differently. But you know what? It wasn’t all my fault. Nothing is ever all one person’s fault in a relationship, and this song kind of explains that you shouldn’t have to apologize for your imperfections, period. You don't have to apologize for your imperfections in a relationship because it's not all your fault. Never let your partner tell you it is. It takes two to tango. Besides, our imperfections in a relationship is how we learn and grow and what makes the relationship stronger. You also don't have to apologize for the imperfections you have as a person. We all have flaws but that is what makes us who we are. And someday you will find someone who loves you for all of you, even for your imperfections that you might not like. Embrace your imperfections. Embrace who you are. Never apologize for it.

I am going to leave you with the lyrics to the song. If you want to hear the song, you can youtube it or look it up on itunes. It really is a beautiful song, and the arrangement/backing vocals are stunning.

Imperfections by Days Difference:

It's just a quarter past eight
Right by the phone you wait
Stay up all night to hear my voice
You don't know where I am
The truth is I'm all alone
Right by the telephone
Three days have passed since we've last spoken
I don't know where I've been

Say what you want to say to me
We're running in circles
Take what you want to take from me
We're going nowhere fast
I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry
For all my imperfections
I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry
For all my imperfections
I'm not sorry, I'm not sorry

An ocean we'll never cross
I can't replace what we've lost
This Brooklyn bridge is burning down
Between your heart and mine
Words that we never spoke
Promises that I broke
It doesn't matter if I'm wrong or right
Cause I'm wrong every time

Say what you want to say to me
We're running in circles
Take what you want to take from me
We're going nowhere fast
I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry
For all my imperfections
I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry
For all my imperfections
I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry
For all my imperfections
I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry
For all my imperfections

I can lose you
I can find you
If I chose to
I can't hide it
I can't fight it
I'll admit it
I said too much
But not enough

I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry, no I'm not sorry
For all my imperfections

Believe In The Best Version of Yourself

“You can choose to live in a place of fear or you can believe in the best version of yourself.”
–Mac Taylor

I heard this quote today while watching an episode of CSI: NY called “Green Piece.” Even though a friend of mine had told me about this particular scene countless times and paraphrased the quote to me, it struck something new in me, hearing the words exactly like that. In the scene, Detective Mac Taylor is talking to Detective Danny Messer about marriage, and Danny’s fear of failing the woman he loves, but wants so badly to be with. The quote isn’t rooted in that though; the statement on its own can be set in a million different situations.

We all have our fears. Human nature is rooted in being afraid. Some people are afraid of everyday things, like spiders or clowns. (I plead guilty to both.) Sometimes, they’re silly fears, and we wish we didn’t have them. (Pleading guilty to this as well.) In some cases, these fears are much deeper, and much more life-altering. Staying with a boyfriend you know isn’t right for you, because you’ve been together for 5 years and the fear of being alone is just too much to handle. Passing up the job opportunity you desperately want, because you’re comfortable at the job you have now. So, fear takes over us and limits the possibilities we wish we could have in our lives.

There is no cure for being afraid. Sure, I can kill a spider and once it’s dead not have to worry about it anymore. But there will always be another spider to be afraid of. All we can do is face our fears one day, one situation at a time. It’s not always easy and there might even be times when it doesn’t feel worth it. But there will always, in every person’s life, come a time when we need to overcome our fears in order to live up to the potential we all see in ourselves. Like Det. Mac Taylor says, we need to believe the best version of ourselves.

So, Danny and Lindsay got married. I still need my dad to kill the spiders for me, and I refuse to go to the circus. But that’s all okay. The best version of ourselves doesn’t have to mean being fearless, or conquering all our fears every single day. It just means that we have to conquer those life-altering fears one situation, one day at a time. That’s when we become the best people we possibly can be. But we can only become the best person we can be once we believe in ourselves first. So believe in yourself, in the very best possible version of you. There’s nobody else who can believe in the best version of you unless you prove to the world just how awesome you are.

Knowledge Is A Wonderful Thing.

"The only true knowledge in life is knowing you know nothing." - Socrates.

Knowledge. It is something that many of us strive to have. We all attend school to obtain some sort of knowledge; knowledge about the past, knowledge about how the world works. We obtain skills that will help us in the real world; skills that will help us in our careers. Most of will go on to college to gain even more knowledge, only this time we strive to learn more about what we want to learn about, what we want do as a career in the real world. There is more than one kind of knowledge, though. Knowledge from schooling is for an educational purpose. But there are different types. What about common sense or street smarts as many like to call it? This could be considered a kind of knowledge to. This knowledge can help one survive on their own; survive when put in a sticky situation. There is also knowledge that comes from the wise. This kind of knowledge is knowledge about life and the world from someone who has had many life's experiences behind them.

Knowledge is great. Being educated is very important. But, I believe a huge part of knowledge or being educated is knowing exactly what Socrates said, "the only true knowledge in life is knowing you know nothing." If you think about it, this is a fact. This is a true statement because absolutely NOTHING in this life, in this world is certain. Things are constantly changing so even if something is true at one point in time, a few months, years or maybe even decades down the road, it could very well not be true anymore. This applies to educational knowledge and life knowledge. Think about the career you want to pursue. I know that with my career, working in the education system, I learn something new everyday, and the educational policies are CONSTANTLY changing. So things that were once true are no longer true, and I have to change my method of teaching or view to fit the new ways. This could apply to every career; music industry, doctors, etc. And then we get to the life knowledge. Yes, it's true that a person can learn from their experiences, but life is constantly changing and it's surprising. How many times has life throw something at you, and you were like, "Woah. I wasn't expecting that." I guess we call those the curve balls of life. Yes, we get through them. We use our strength and even our knowledge to move on but we didn't have the knowledge to prevent it because we never knew it was coming.

Everything about our lives and our world is constantly changing, and we're lucky if we can stay in the game. There is the saying that says people will fight to make their way to the top but the truth is most of us just fight to keep up. And with all of the changes and unexpected curve balls, we're lucky if we can keep up. So just know this, even with all the knowledge you acquire over your lifetime, you still really don't know anything because you will have to adjust to all of the changes that come with life.

A Quote to Live by

There was the quote that I came across today and it instantly became one of my favorites. "There won't be a better tomorrow if we can't move on from today." To me this quote means that we all worry about what happened in the past and because of that we never truly move on. So in the end we never really enjoy want comes next. If we stop worrying about things that we can't control we can move on and the next day will be better than the one before.

Find Your IT, Make IT Happen.

"So stop talking about IT and do IT. Remember your dreams. Chase after IT, whatever IT may be."

For myself, personally, I have always loves quotes, song lyrics, etc. I think it might be because there always seems to be one quote, or song lyric that fits your current mood or feelings just perfectly. Then there are also those quotes and song lyrics that just hit you and have this immediate impact. You might not feel that exact way when you read it, but it just hits you and has this immediate impact because it's inspirational. It's telling you something that's true.

Tonight, I found this quote while browsing around online and I loved it right away. I feel the need to share it with everyone because well this is a true statement. I feel like all of out there have so many things we would like to do, so many things we would like to accomplish, and of course we talk about them. We talk about them with our friends, with our families, with anyone who will listen, but we never actually do anything about it. Talking about something is all fine and good because it helps get your feelings out there and you can express what you want to do, but we all need to take action as well. We need to talk about it and then do something about it.

Whatever your IT is, go out and do it. There may even be more than one IT, and you know what it doesn't even have to be a BIG IT like a career or traveling the world. IT could be simple and small. For example, tell someone how you feel about them, take too many pictures, etc. Take a look at all the musicians, actresses, actors, athletes in the world. We all look up to these people because they are talented and following their dreams. Well guess what, YOU can do the same thing. Sure, not all of are musically talented or star athletes, but WE ARE ALL good at something. We all have a talent that we can contribute to the world. Just because it's not music or a sport doesn't make any less relevant. I think we are all held back by our fears. We are afraid that we won't succeed. We are afraid that we won't be great, we're afraid to fall. But you know what, that's why you KEEP trying. Just like the quote says, you keep chasing IT.

So I propose that we all stop talking out ITS and we just go out and chase after them. Don't be afraid. Remember what you love. Remember what you want to do. Remember what you want to accomplish. Remember ALL of you dreams, remember all of your ITS and just DO. It may not happen for you all at once or right away, but in time you will be able to achieve IT. Never forget what IT is, and never stop trying to chase it.

-Stephanie (http://www.twitter.com/smiley_steph)

Best Advice Ever Part 3

If you missed the first 2 parts of this, check them out here. This obviously is to do with my absolute obsessed with "Everybody Must Wear Sunscreen" If you haven't seen the video, it is posted on part 1, or you can easily youtube it.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Challenge yourself to face your fears; chances are, these things that are holding us back are really not that serious, and with rational and positive thinking, we can at least trick ourselves for the moment that we are not scared of these things. Whether it is public speaking, or trying new foods, go for it. You never know what you can open up by being brave just one time.

Do your best to be your best

Excellence is not an art, but a habit

Excellence is not something that anyone is; instead, it is something that we create on our own. The only standard of excellence is the one that you create. As long as you put your best into everything you do, you will find excellence.

Let your dreams soar

For those of you that know me, you'll know that I am a huge There For Tomorrow fan and my favorite member happens to be Christian Climer.
Among his many tattoos, there is the above quote...

To me, it really just means don't let anything stand in the way of your dreams. Your dreams can never be a reality unless you get over the fear of failure and let them take you where they will.
So in closing I say, good luck to all of you dreamers, and fuck off to your fears.

Xoxo, Allison

Which do you want to be?

There are three types of people in this world:
Those who make things happen
Those who let things happen
Those who wonder what happened

Who are you? Who do you want to be?


Take control of your life; don't let other people do things for you because it's easy. In order to be truly happy with your life and your accomplishments, you've got to make things happen for yourself. Start with small steps; even those baby steps that start things out eventually build on to bigger and better things. In a rut? Try different things to get yourself out of it; you never know what you will discover and what you will make happen. Be confident that you can do things and build yourself up; just think about how amazing it will feel. We can all be one of those who makes things happen if we try. I can do it; you can do it; we all can do it.

Think about it.

Life is a Journey

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
-ancient Chinese philosopher

To achieve our goals in life, we cannot only dream. Dreaming big is great; that's how we decide what we want to do; it can keep us inspired, but it really doesn't do anything. Wanting something so bad that you can taste it does nothing. The only way something is going to get done is if we go out and take steps to make these things happen. Start with baby steps; do some research, ask around. Convince yourself that these dreams and wants can become a reality. The more you know about something, the more enticed you will be to actually approach and work towards these goals. The things that we want in life will not be just handed to us; we have to work towards them, taking steps towards the achievement. Think of how many things you've achieved so far. Not all of them were easy, and it probably took a long time and hard work to get to where you are now. The steps may not be easy; you might want to quit at times, but think of how good it feels to achieve. The achievement can give you the fuel to go on and work towards something else. The next time you're feeling down, think of all that you've done, and all that you are working towards doing. There is so much to be proud of, and you can thank yourself for having the courage and drive to take that first step. This is how we begin to become who we want to be; taking the steps to do things that we want to do, no matter who is behind us and who is telling us we can't. These steps make us stronger and builds us up to the amazing people that we are and will be.

To live is to learn is to grow

"What you did is not important, what you learn from it is"

I was going to blog this on my personal blog, and I probably still will, but I wanted to share it here as well. I am not sure who said this, or if there is a certain person to attribute to this quote, but I think that it is one of the best quotes to live by. Life is a learning experience. We live, we do things, we make mistakes. The only way we can grow is to learn from these mistakes. To become the best person; the person who we want to be, we must take cues from both our mistakes and from what other people tell us (even if they are hinting subtly or silently) in order to truly become us. No one is perfect, and no one will ever be perfect, but to be happy, we must let ourselves learn, grow, adapt, and prosper. Life is learning, growing is learning, becoming a better person is learning. Mistakes are only opportunities to learn and grow.

20 Tips for a Positive New Year

I know we're a quarter of the way in already, but I just found this. These are still good reminders and I thought I would share:

20 Tips for a Positive New Year
by: Jon Gordon



1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can know that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.


2. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is_______________________.


3. Take a morning walk of gratitude. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.


4. Instead of being disappointed about where you are think optimistically about where you are going.


5. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.


6. Transform adversity into success by deciding that change is not your enemy but your friend. In the challenge discover the opportunity.


7. Make a difference in the lives of others.


8. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.


9. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.


10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.


11. Live with the 3 E's. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.


12. Remember there’s no substitute for hard work.


13. Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.


14. Instead of complaining focus on solutions. It’s the key to innovation.


15. Read more books than you did in 2009. I happen to know of a few good ones.


16. Learn from mistakes and let them teach you to make positive changes.


17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.


18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:


I am thankful for __________.


Today I accomplished____________.


19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.


20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

Best.Advice.Ever (part 2)

If you missed part one of this series, check out this post. Be sure to watch the video if you have not.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying
is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your
worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Worrying seems to be second nature for most of us; we worry about getting places on time, whether things will work out or not, and where will will be in a year, five, or ten. This is a piece of advice that I definitely need to take to heart. I am about to graduate and all I seem to do when I don't busy myself is worry about my job situation, and where I will be come May 16. This worrying has taken a huge toll on me-I've lost sleep and have come near ruining a very dear friendship. The dark side of worrying is scary, especially when your worry becomes too much to bear. Even though I worry-a lot, I am a huge believer in "shit happens" and "right time-right place", as well as "everything happens for a reason". I know, I am so cliche, but when I do finally get myself to relax and be rational again, I look at the way things in my life have fallen into place so far and realize that these things are true. Some shit does have to happen in order for you to appreciate the good and learn from the bad, and the shit is going to happen; worrying about it won't get you anywhere. As with everything, going in with a positive attitude; maybe saying Okay, if this doesn't work out, I still have options and back up. Yes, you've got to give yourself those options and backup, but having them, and thinking positively about situations will help you throw your worries away for a while. With less worry, you will be able to see the positive things in life and be able to appreciate them, as they are making your life worth it, in spite of all the worries and uncertainty that you have. Please, don't let those worries keep you from living your life.

Best Advice.Ever. (part 1)

If you have not heard Baz Lurhmann's "Everybody Must Wear Sunscreen" (based on an essay by Mary Schmich), you MUST. This commencement speech does have the best advice that anyone and everyone can use.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

We all have this problem. I can look at myself in the mirror every day and find at least 5 things that I don't like. I'm embarrassed to say that, but it is true; and for most women, it happens. I challenge you to look in the mirror and really look at what you are seeing. So what if I have a zit; maybe my eyes are a little puffy or dark today; I don't like my nose. Maybe I see a little bit of a muffin top when i wear jeans, maybe my arms aren't as firm as they should be, but that's me. Next time you look in the mirror, try to see the beautiful person that you are; no one notices those flaws as much as you do. Anyone who notices those flaws and uses them to discount you from the beautiful person that you are has no business in your life.

All of those things you see; the flaws that make you want to hide on some days. They can be fixed. It may take some time, but being positive and most importantly not cutting yourself down, will help you find ways to fix these things. Don't concentrate too much on a diet because you will think that others will find you more attractive. Do it because it will make you feel better. Don't call yourself fat; instead, celebrate yourself and the progress you've made. Keep having fun while in the process of bettering yourself, that way when you reach your goal, you will have all of those memories and beautiful times to look back on. Life doesn't put itself on hold just because you aren't satisfied with yourself, and you should never put your life on hold for that reason. Focus on your positives aspects while improving on what you perceive as your negatives.