What I Wish I Knew Going Into High School

You don't need a boyfriend to be loved, happy, valuable, etc.

The people who are your best friends the first day of freshman year may end up as strangers before you know it.

The people you never thought you'd talk to may end up being your best friends.

Everybody has her or his story, so don't be too quick to judge. That mean girl might be mean because that's all she's ever known.

Nobody fits their stereotype. We are all unique, and that's okay.

It's important to be aware and respectful of differences, but don't forget to look for similarities.

We all have a lot more in common than you think.

Get involved! You can always quit a club or activity if it's too time consuming, but you'll never know what awesome people you'll meet and experiences you'll have unless you try!

As distracting as your social life may be, school always should come first. Procrastinating never serves any good, and just puts more pressure on you later!

If it's past midnight and you're still freaking out studying for that test, take a nice hot shower to relax and go to bed. You can't learn anything this late, and you'll forget what you do know without enough sleep!

I'm sure your parents have told you this a million times, but it's true: these four years will fly by and you'll wonder where the time went. So cherish every moment of these years and make them count!

Peace&Love,
Natalie

We're Closer Than You Think

When I think of a blessing in disguise, I think of God stepping in when the plan we have for ourselves isn't the same as God's plan for us. At first, we don't like it when things don't go according to our plan. But after a while, we realize that it was, indeed, a blessing in disguise.

More than anything, I wanted to fit a French Honors Seminar into my schedule this year. That didn't work out, and I now take a course called World Religions. I wasn't happy at first, because it wasn't what I had planned. But I've come to learn that God's plan for me is much better than anything I could plan for myself.

World Religions is exactly what it sounds like - a class to learn about the beliefs and practices of religions other than our own. I've been struggling with my religion a lot lately, and this class is quite the godsend. It's shown me that no matter what religion we practice - or don't practice - we are all ultimately worshiping the same God and we all have the same goal. We might have different names for Him or Her - God, Father, Yahweh, Allah, Brahman - but it's the same ultimate truth that we all seek. We might have different names for our ultimate achievement - heaven, Moksha, Nirvana - but we all seek to be rewarded by living good lives during our time on earth.

These religions at face value seem so different, and they each do have their unique characteristics, but when it comes down to it, they are all connected.

So why the interfaith hate? I wish that everyone could have the opportunity to learn about the different religions of our world. We could break so many stereotypes; we could get rid of so much fear of that which is different. If we could all see how similar we truly are, amazing things could happen.

So let's start with ourselves, and spread the knowledge. Knowledge leads to understanding, and understanding leads to peace. Before we know it, this ripple effect could spread farther than we could possibly imagine.

One person can make all the difference.

Peace & Love,

Natalie

I Love You

I don't love you for your body.

I don't love you for your hair.

I don't love you for your eyes.

I don't love you for your teeth.

I don't love you for your clothes.

I don't love you for your popularity.

I don't love you for your shoes.

I don't love you for your money.

I love you for your honesty.

I love you for your loyalty.

I love you for your friendship.

I love you for your sense of humor.

I love you for your kindness.

I love you for your compassion.

I love you for your heart.

I love you for your mind.

I love you for your soul.

I don't love you for what you look like.

I love you for your inner beauty.

I love you for you.

Thought for the Day

If you want to be able to laugh at others, you must first learn to laugh at yourself.

Let loose, laugh out loud, be silly. Life is too short to do anything but enjoy it.

Peace & Love,

Natalie

Thought for the Day

In order to see peace in this world, we must first learn how to love.

Why Does It Matter?

Why does it matter...

- if we're black, white, yellow, or purple?

- if we're male or female?

- if we're Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist?

- if we're gay, straight, or bisexual?

When it comes down to it, we're all simply human.

We're all different, which makes us all the same.

Acceptance. Try it sometime.

Peace & Love,

Natalie

Quote of the Day

"There's no such thing as strangers - just friends we haven't met yet." - Unknown

One of my dreams for this world is for this mindset to seep through everyone's skulls. Think of how much friendlier, and more peaceful the world could be if we put aside our differences and started seeing each and every person as a future friend.

It only takes one drop of rain to send a ripple throughout the water, it only takes one spark to start a fire, and it only takes one person to make a difference.

Peace & Love,

Natalie