The Benefits of Failure

Good afternoon! So, yet another week that I will not get to post a video blog because the internet connection in my house has been down for TWO weeks now; which is extremely disappointing. I am currently sitting at a coffee shop near my house just so I can upload this blog post. If you can't tell, I'm pretty upset that I haven't posted a video yet, I put an immense amount of my time and effort into this blog. Whenever I get a free moment, I'm either writing up a draft on my phone or jotting down potential blog post ideas for the future. I'm not complaining at all because I choose to write and it's something I love to do, its just frustrating that something as small as an internet connection is standing in the way of me upgrading the stature of my blog with videos; but enough sad talk! I have a great, absolutely remarkable, video that I would like to share with you today. It tops ANY video that I could ever post.

Anyone who knows me, knows I admire J.K. Rowling more than just about anyone else on this earth. (And I am also undeniably obsessed with the Harry Potter novels) This video is J.K. Rowling giving a speech at Harvard college's 2008 graduation ceremony.

Beach Essentials! (On A Budget)

Happy Saturday! Thanks for stopping by! This morning when I woke up, I realized it's ALREADY August 10; which means summer is almost over. With summer coming to an end, most people make it a point to squeeze in as many beach days as they can. If you're thinking about hitting the beach soon, here are some essentials that you should bring along with you! 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - $17.99

Pick up a new book! Reading is one of the best forms of relaxation; combine that with the beach and it's a zen heaven! You could also bring school textbooks! Don't let your summer classes keep you inside; study on the beach!

Eos Lip Balm - $2.99

Keep your lips hydrated with some lip balm! One of the most important beach essentials. The sun can dry out your lips causing them to be serverely chapped. So, be smart and keep some lip balm on hand!

Famous Failures

Good afternoon everyone, thanks for stopping by my blog! I have a very interesting topic I'd like to write about today: failure. There has been countless times I haven't succeeded at something I've wanted to do; whether it was because someone told me I wasn't good enough and got in the way or I got in my own way. But, either way there's ALWAYS going to be critics in your life. I once read somewhere that you are your worst critic. Now, I don't know if I really believe that but I do know that criticism hurts. Whether it's from you or from someone that you barley know. I decided to dedicate this blog post to extremely successful people who have been harshly criticized and have overcome the odds. Every single one of these people have inspired me and I hope they have the same effect on you.

Steven Spielberg was rejected from his dream school, the University of Southern California, three times. He sought out education elsewhere and later dropped out to be a director. If, today, you read his bio on IMDB.com here's what you'll see, " Undoubtedly one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film, Steven Spielberg is perhaps Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world."

Marilyn Monroe's first contract with Columbia Pictures expired because they told her she wasn't pretty or talented enough to be an actress. She is now one of the most known idols, models, actresses and sex symbols in the world today.

Vera Wang failed to make the U.S. Olympic figure-skating team. Then she became an editor at Vogue and was passed over for the editor-in-chief position. She began designing wedding gowns at 40 and today is the premier designer in the business, with a multi-billion dollar industry.

One of my personal favorite success stories, Walt Disney. He was was fired by a newspaper editor because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas." Several more of his businesses failed before the premiere of his movie Snow White. Today, most childhoods wouldn't be the same without his ideas. If he were alive today, he would be worth $36 billion dollars.

Albert Einstein didn't speak until age four and didn't read until age seven. His teachers labeled him "slow" and "mentally handicapped." But Einstein just had a different way of thinking. He later won the Nobel prize in physics.

Oprah Winfrey experienced considerable hardship during her childhood, saying she was raped at age nine and became pregnant at 14; her son died in infancy. She was so poor she claimed her only pet was a cockroach living in her house. Winfrey often wore dresses made of potato sacks, for which the local children made fun of her. Oprah was fired from her television reporting job because they told her she wasn't fit to be on screen. But Winfrey rebounded and became the undisputed queen of television talk shows. Oh, and, she's also a billionaire.

Dr. Seuss' first book was rejected by 27 different publishers. He's now the most popular children's book author ever.

J.K. Rowling was unemployed, divorced and raising a daughter on social security while writing the first Harry Potter novel. She is now internationally renowned for her 7 book Harry Potter series and is the first person to become a billionaire from writing. 

Stephen King was initially so frustrated with his first novel, Carrie that he threw it in the trash. King's wife found the manuscript in the trash and took it out. To date his 49 novels have sold 350 million copies.

He may have made himself a household name, but in 1954 Elvis Presley was still a nobody. After only one performance he was fired by the manager of the Grand Ole Opry with Jimmy Denny telling him 'You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck.'

Hillary, of Lady Antebellum, auditioned twice for American Idol and was rejected both times, 'I never even got to see the judges. I literally performed for the production assistants and the interns and I just didn't make it.' All those Grammys will show 'em!

The people listed above have so much drive and determination that it's impossible to not be inspired by the obstacles they overcame. I also have a short video of some "famous failures" some I have listed above but others haven't been written about. 

There's no doubt that this is one of my favorite blogs out of the ones I've written so far. Each story means a lot and is very influential. I really hope you enjoyed this blog and I hope you have a great weekend!

Happy Hump Day!

It's finally the middle of the work week! Only two more days until the weekend and I know everyone's excited for that!! One of my favorite things to do during work whenever I get a free second is look at quotes on Pinterest, We Heart It and Tumblr! Over the past week I've accumulated some quotes that I really like and would like to share with you!

Go On A Blind Date With A Book!

I love reading; almost as much as I love writing. There has been countless occasions where I completely disregarded a book sitting on a shelf because of it's cover art, which is totally judgmental of me. Now that I've started a blog, I realized how upset I would be if someone disregarded my blog post based off of the title. The picture on the outside of the book shouldn't matter as much as the material written inside of the book. The picture we paint for ourselves inside our head while reading the book is more prominent in our minds than any cover page ever could be. A book is suppose to make you feel something, anything, and these feelings can differ from person to person; which is why I think it's ridiculous to judge a book by it's cover. One person could fall in love with a piece of art, while another hates it; the same goes for cover art. It's nearly impossible to choose artwork that satisfies everyone, so why not just pick a book based solely on the content? 

I've heard of one person blind dating another person but I've never heard of a person going on a blind date with a book! It's something that a few book stores and libraries have been picking up on recently. It's simple! The idea is to make sure the person buying the book CAN'T see the cover. You can use any kind of paper (brown paper is used here) and decorate it in any type of way that interests you (they added a simple bow as seen above)! You could find these simple, inexpensive, items at your local CVS or Dollar Store! Once the book is all wrapped up, remember that you have to put the price on it as well as a few descriptive words for the book; so try not to over decorate! The few words will grab the readers attention and have them interested in the content of the book as opposed to the cover. It will also arouse their curiosity regarding the "blind date" process. If you're thinking about hosting your own "Blind Date With A Book" it would be a great idea to test it out at a yard sale! Books are usually huge hits at yard sales!