“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

photo by Victoria G. Molinar

Time is an odd construct that we humans created. Too often, we allow it to constrict us and create anxiety. We tell ourselves that there is not enough time to do the things we enjoy or learn something new.

I struggle with time management myself, but I’m trying my best to help a positive shift in my life happen…well, it’s happening already. It’s happening because I let go of the things I couldn’t control and started investing my heart and passion into things that make a positive difference. We all move at our own pace, and while we shouldn’t push ourselves too much, it’s important that we MAKE time to do things that are good for not only ourselves, but the world around us as well.

Life is way, WAY too short to say you don’t have time to do things that are beneficial to you and those around you.

One good way to make time for these things is by evaluating the way you spend your time. Literally sit down and evaluate how you spend your day. Write it all down. Did you waste time arguing about things that don’t really matter? Did you spend a little more time than needed watching TV? I don’t ask these questions to sound self-righteous, because I’m definitely guilty of wasting some time, but it’s always good to stand back and reflect. It is then that we realize, “Ah, I could have spent less time doing ________ and spent that time doing ____________ instead.”

It’s amazing to simply be alive! Use that precious time to learn a new instrument or take up some yoga or dance classes. Watching TV is one way to unwind, but I don’t feel that its benefits compare to acquiring a new talent or doing things that are amazing for your body and soul. As a film buff, I don’t necessarily feel that time in front of the screen is wasted, I’m simply saying that it shouldn’t take away from time to do other things as well; things that well benefit you in the long run.

If it's not one thing, it's another: 

"Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day."

 If there is one thing I’m definitely learning about the key to success, it’s that it all boils down to attitude. With the wrong attitude, you’ll compare the successes of others to your “failures” and tell yourself that you’re too limited to accomplish some of these things. With the right attitude, you learn from the success of others, take people’s advice with a grain of salt (remembering to keep your mind open) and know that limitations and “failures” thrive on doubt. I use quotation marks with the word failures because I believe, as many do, that you only truly fail when you stop trying.

I’m definitely guilty of letting myself believe I can’t achieve something, but every day, I’m reminding myself that I can’t think that way. Even if I don’t become the exact actress/writer/singer/photographer/philanthropist/filmmaker/artist that I want to be, there is no harm in believing I can be those things one day. Age, social class, financial status and appearances should mean nothing because a strong drive is all it really takes and I can’t waste precious time on doubting myself. And neither can you. Let’s decide today to carry no more uncertainty with us.  As one of my close friends, Robert, said, “How does doubting yourself serve you? It doesn’t. So stop doing the things that no longer serve you.”

You can learn something from every person in your life

My first fashion shoot was with someone I met at school: Annabelle. Little did I know how far this aspiring model would go. This picture was taken on a patch of grass on campus.

I met this wonderful girl, Annabelle Lyttle, my junior year at New Mexico State University on the set of a student film. As a photographer, I was drawn to her look: unique and ethereal. I had never done any sort of fashion photography, so I asked her if I could take her portraits with a special theme I had in mind. It turned out modeling was one of her many aspirations (at 5’10” with her exceptional features, I could see why!). 

After taking her pictures and getting to know her a little, I knew she had the kind of attitude one needs in pursuit of reaching goals. She was confident yet humble; friendly yet kept her wits about her. At the time, she was 18 years old, but now, at 21, she has gone further than many have at 28.

Modeling and acting is something Annabelle has wanted to do since she was less than four feet tall. Like many of us, she played dress-up, was always ready for a picture and made movies with her friends and a little camcorder.

As a freshman at NMSU, Annabelle had already acted in several plays and films by the end of the spring semester. It came as a surprise to many of her peers when she did not return to NMSU. But the reason she didn’t return to the university had nothing to do with anything negative: it was simply because her experiences showed her what she was capable of and she decided to take a risk and walk another path to follow her ambitions. 

No risk-taking goes unrewarded (click "Read more" below)

“An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one.”

My first time displaying my artwork other than photography was this past summer at The Percolator. That green and brown block is a garden chess set which took longer to make than expected (closer pics of the set below). 

With the vast and rapid advancements of technology, both sharing your artwork with the world and discovering other artists is a matter a few clicks. The downside to this is that sometimes your talent gets lost in a sea of thousands of other artists. And it’s not that your work isn’t “original” enough or that it’s not worth looking at; it’s simply that there are just so many things to look at online and not enough time to discover every single talented person out there.

So what’s the solution? (Read more below)

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."

The other day, I took out this “giant word puzzle explosion” book that was given to me when I was about 11 or 12. I can’t believe that I still have it after all these years or that I remember who it was that gave it to me.

It was so long ago and I don't remember her name, but I know she was this blond woman who worked for Phelps Dodge (we went on a tour of her workplace). Most importantly, I remember that she was my very kind assigned mentor. We lost touch when I moved on to middle school and she moved to another state, but she still made a positive influence in my life.

Mentors really do change lives...

By now we’ve all learned that not all adults are kind, open-minded or supportive of our dreams. But after having a mentor, I learned that adults can be very encouraging, thoughtful and loving, even if they aren’t related to you.

I won’t say that having a mentor makes every bad thing in your life go away, but I am saying this: when you grow up with positive enforcement in your life, you learn that you can take control of it and do great things. It is because of the mentors in my life (including my family) that I joined band, choir, Upward Bound (a great program which I will discuss in another post) and graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree.

Bob Dylan once said, “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” For me, this means that we should try to help others for the good of the world when we have the freedom to do so. You don’t have to be rich, extremely smart or have your life all figured out in order to donate your time to someone in need of a friend. It just takes empathy, enthusiasm and the will to make positive and responsible decisions.

The way I see it; everyone is inevitably impacted by their surroundings including the people in them. So why not join a group that ensures that many children will be left with a good impact? (click "Read More" below)