Tag: Inspiring Articles

Inspiring Articles

Goals for 2020? Pfft…You need to see my achievements in 2019 first.

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on Goals for 2020? Pfft…You need to see my achievements in 2019 first.

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Hello my beauts and sweets! Lyss here, and boy am I excited you are here to listen. More importantly, I am glad you have decided to pop by and take a peek at my blog… specifically this exact post. Recently we all just celebrated a brand new year, 2020. Wow. Whether you were in your jammies, all dressed up and fancy or even just playing a game of scrabble, as soon as it hit midnight, it happened. A new year has begun and you know what that means? It’s time to reflect. I love taking a step back and analyzing what the actual hell happened in 2019. Often however, I feel like we analyze the year and automatically think how we can improve ourselves for the next year. We analyze every single fuck up we made, and think how we can improve on that. Trust me, that’s fantastic we want to improve on ourselves and we will get there. But in reality, did you take the ten minutes on New Years Eve, New Years Day or this past week and acknowledge all the accomplishments you achieved this past year? Want to know a secret? My brain automatically jumped to, “how can I improve”, or “what new years resolution will I create for myself this year?“. My brain didn’t stop and congratulate myself on my achievements big or small from this past year. In fact, I had to really sit back and think hard about what I really was proud of, isn’t that sad? I hate how little I give myself credit at times. As humans, we are so hard on ourselves, it’s so insane but it’s also reality. So I want to take a second and ask you, “What were you proud of in 2019?”.8B75B8B3-D5B8-407E-B6D7-303268408FAE

Sure, maybe it was not the greatest year of all time. Maybe you had a severe heartbreak, maybe you got written up at your job, maybe you got fired from a job, had a falling out with the family or even had a death happen within the family. Life is tough, it throws curveballs at you and expects you to just get over things. That is not always the case. Even so, that certain event that had taken place may even have ruined your year of 2019. For two seconds, I want you to open your mind to a positive viewpoint. Push past that negative voice digging at you to only remember that unfortunate event. I know deep down you had some pretty amazing things happen to you this year. Even if they are the tiniest little things, I want you to make a list. Read it. Share it. Embrace it. In fact, I sat back and wrote a small list myself.

  1. Remember the time at work when you were involved with Summer Program, and your boss mentioned to you that a parent was wondering if you worked at the Daycare as well? Remember when you were not super close with this child, but apparently she had mentioned you at home so many times and how much of an impact you had on her? That was a pretty damn good feeling.
  2. Remember that time you gave your dad an amazing birthday present? Remember how you left him speechless, and you had a drawing created for him by an artist. This amazing artist drew your dad, aunt and their deceased mother hugging them. Do you remember how beautiful this moment was?
  3. Remember when you went on your first beautiful vacation with the love of your life? You went on your first cruise and shared so many amazing memories together. You visited different places and cherished the time you spent.
  4. Remember how many amazing companies you got to collaborate with? How many friendships you created online and the beautiful comments the companies stated about your work ethic? I do.
  5. Remember the time you brought your coworker a muffin and a tea from timmies unexpectedly. She was having an off day and you wanted to change her mood.

Honest to god, when it hit 2020, I was set and ready. I was ready to improve on so many different things which is amazing. There’s always room for improvement, but I forgot to take the time to give myself a pat on the back. This really hasn’t been the easiest year in the world. A lot of shit has happened, a lot that I didn’t think I was strong enough to get through. I have never really taken the time to say, “wow…. you are one badass bitch”. I honestly needed to hear that. Take the time to pat yourself on the back, think about what an amazing human being you were this year, and congratulate yourself, you made it. You are here. You are jumping into 2020. Hold on tight.
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When it comes to 2020, I literally think, “holy hell”. This has to be the best year right? I need this to be the best damn year yet, after all…. it’s 2020. I know for a fact that my nutrition needed to change for the better, I need a smoking hot ass body this year for sure. I picture myself as those fit models on Instagram. Often I jump to these huge goals that kind of scare the shit out of me to be quite honest. Taking baby steps is always the best idea and I need to remind myself of that. Instead of waking up wishing I had Jillian Michael’s body, I will try to drink more water and cut out some of the junk food I munch on daily. Creating smaller goals will help ease you into the year, they are attainable they are achievable. This year, I am for sure going to create smaller goals for myself. As much as I would love to just say, “I want a hot body“, I am going to focus more on being optimistic and encouraging myself on the daily. A few goals that I have in mind would be to create more conversations amongst coworkers, try to make more eye contact (even if it’s only for a few seconds), wake up everyday and really try to go into work with a positive attitude. While working on these smaller goals, I am going to encourage myself, and acknowledge when I make small progress. If I ask Sally at work if she had a great weekend and what her plans were….. you better be damned I am going to congratulate myself for that effort. One piece of advice that I am going to offer to you beauts is to love yourself for the small progress you make. To be quite honest, I have not been doing this too often and I am going to work on this! I really hope you do too! Creating a more optimistic lifestyle is never an easy thing to do, but it is something that can be worked on!
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So when someone asks you what your goals are for 2020, go ahead and make your list. But I want you to answer this question first, “What accomplishments happened in 2019 and what are you proud of?”. Even though it may have not been the year of your dreams, I know for sure you did something in that year that impacted someone else in a positive way. Keep doing YOU.

Anxiety, Inspiring Articles

So youโ€™re โ€œShyโ€? Own it.

by alyssahotrum6 Comments on So youโ€™re โ€œShyโ€? Own it.

Hey beauts! I hope everyone is having a great week & I am so happy itโ€™s Friday tomorrow thank god! Phew! It has been an up and down week but felt pretty productive so I am happy about that! I finally am starting to feel more productive with my days & that truly is a blessing. Not going to lie, some days I really just want to lounge, chill and lay in bed. Iโ€™m not sad by any means, I honestly just donโ€™t know what to do with my days sometimes, or I just have very little energy. Anyone with me? Lately though, I have developed a โ€œroutineโ€ if you want to call it, mainly for work and that helps me out a ton. Not only do you feel more energized, but you feel like you are actually doing something with your days. You let your body start to follow the same routine and daily tasks start to become easier. I used to find it so difficult to get up in the mornings, I would not feel refreshed at all, I would feel sluggish and I would honestly think about my nap later on. Now, my body naturally wakes up around 6 or 7 and I do feel refreshed. Of course somedays I do wake up wanting more sleep... I mean I wouldnโ€™t be normal if I didnโ€™t think that somedays no matter how much sleep I got.

I truly feel like I am starting to better myself in really good ways and that honestly makes me feel so happy. I am finding ways to better myself but I am still learning to accept my flaws, and that my beauts, is not an easy thing to do. I have struggled for years and years trying to accept one of my biggest flaws that I have. This flaw has literally drove me crazy for years. This flaw my beauts, is the dreaded โ€œSโ€ word. The word that has haunted me since forever and has always stuck with me through elementary school, high school, university and still lingers beside me even to this day. Shyness. Oh god , that word used to make me cringe and I felt so ashamed to have this โ€œawfulโ€ trait.

I have so many vivid memories of this personality trait and characteristic holding me back from certain situations or events. I hated it. High school was a nightmare because I was so afraid to get out of my comfort zone and mingle with people. I only new my twin sister and was super new to Hamilton. I knew no one and I could not push myself to talk to anyone. I sat with my sister for lunch and didnโ€™t really make too many friends.

Fast forward to university, for first year of university I was in residence and I hated it. I went home every weekend because I was so shy. I didnโ€™t know anyone & I didnโ€™t want to talk to anyone on my floor. I was secretly known as the โ€œstuck up bitchโ€ which I had mentioned in a previous blog post because I was so โ€œshyโ€.

You automatically get judged when you are shy. I have literally heard so many times before โ€œ why are you so shy?โ€ Or I often have people throwing in my face that they are not shy, that talking to people is a breeze. I remember when I was going through university to be a teacher, and I was asked one question that literally killed me. I was asked, โ€œhow are you supposed to be a teacher if you canโ€™t talk to anyoneโ€. That shot my confidence down a ton and I hated how I was. I was often judged so bad for this trait that I felt ashamed to be known as โ€œthe shy girl โ€œ. I often sat in my room at night time, wishing and dreaming, that I would be cured of this awful trait. I wish I could talk to a random joe blow on the corner and ask what time it was. I wish I could be like Tana Mongeau and not give to shits about things!

I wish I could be the life of the party and show up not even drunk & chat up a storm. My list was big. Boy did I ever wish I could just change how I was , and be more โ€œoutgoingโ€. I always wondered, โ€œwhy me?โ€, and thought that if I was more outgoing, I would have more friends. I dreamt.

It literally took me 25 years. 25 years to finally accept my personality, my traits and how I presented myself to others. Do I accept myself and love myself 110% all the time? No . Am I kinder to myself and watch how I speak to myself now? Absolutely. Although I am working on accepting some of my other flaws, the one flaw that I finally have accepted is being โ€œthat shy girlโ€, and you know what? I’m going to friggen work being that “shy girl”. After all these years of thinking I had some sort of disease, thinking โ€œwhy me?โ€, I proudly can say fuck it. Fuck the feeling of having to come off as the โ€œoutgoing girlโ€ all the time, and screw the individuals that donโ€™t accept who you are, they donโ€™t deserve to be in your life. They donโ€™t deserve to get to know you or to know you better. Bye Felecia! See you next Tuesday!

I remember clear as day, my younger sister came home upset a while back because of what one of her exโ€™s mom had said. She apparently didnโ€™t really like my sister because she was โ€œshyโ€. I couldnโ€™t believe it. How dare somebody dislike something like that about someone, something that makes you YOU. Of course this broke my sister and made her feel embarrassed, ashamed and upset. Do you want to know what that family ended up missing out on? A beautiful girl inside & out, someone who is extremely artistic , someone who puts others before themselves and someone who has a heart of gold. Often people who are shy are judged so easily right off the bat and this absolutely grinds my gears. Even though someone is suffering from shyness, doesnโ€™t mean that they are stuck up or any less of a person. We so often shame people for having this trait and that disgusts me.

Sure I may have a very hard time engaging in conversations with individuals face to face sometimes, my heart may start to race when I have to speak publicly, I may stumble on my words when speaking out loud, or I may even turn down some social events because I feel like they are too much. You know what? Thatโ€™s okay. I have finally learned that itโ€™s okay. Itโ€™s okay to maybe skip out on the big social event thatโ€™s coming up if it helps you sleep better. Itโ€™s okay to pass on big gatherings if thatโ€™s not your cup of tea. Itโ€™s also however okay to push yourself when you can out of your comfort zone. Even if that means you are extremely quiet at that big huge event. Even if that means you only speak to your best friend out of 100 individuals there. Itโ€™s also okay to have that one glass of red wine to calm those nerves.

I have been so ashamed for years but I can not express the importance of taking a step back, taking a deep breath, & saying in the mirror โ€œI love who I am, my shyness and allโ€. One thing I do really find that helps me out a ton when dealing with my little extra โ€œfriendโ€ (hence I didnโ€™t say disease!), are people around me that have patience and understanding. My boyfriend is amazing for that. I truly could not have found a more understanding and beautiful soul. My boyfriend, Dayten, isnโ€™t really shy and sometimes tries to help me get out of my comfort zone, but without pushing me too far! At social events, he offers to grab my glass of wine and stands by my side. He knows that I struggle with interactions at times, so always ensures I am good. He holds my hand and helps me engage in some difficult conversations with others. He doesnโ€™t push me to-attend things I am not that fond of, and never once puts me down or centres out of “shyness“. He is a breath of fresh air.

Find someone who doesnโ€™t centre out your shyness, and find someone who doesnโ€™t judge. You need to surround yourself with positive people in your life, ones who uplift you. So you are shy? Big deal. You are just as smart, just as beautiful and just as important as that outgoing girl down the street. Donโ€™t let anyone make you feel like you are a failure because you are a little quieter than others, I know the feeling, and trust me, you are far from that. So you were nominated as valedictorian & had to turn it down because the thought of speaking in front of your class was enough to make you puke. I get it. I wouldโ€™ve done the same. But hey, girl you graduated and thatโ€™s something you should be extremely proud of yourself for. You effin graduated! Off to the next chapter! You got this and I couldnโ€™t be more proud of you!

There are so many opportunities in this world and you have so much to be proud about. YOU DO YOU!

โ€œIโ€™m bringing shyness back, yeah! Them other f*ckers donโ€™t know how to act, yeah!โ€ – que Justin Timberlake.

Collaborations, Fashion Finds

My Collaboration with โ€œ I Am Who I Am Apparelโ€

by alyssahotrum5 Comments on My Collaboration with โ€œ I Am Who I Am Apparelโ€

Hey beauts, welcome to my channel, I am so glad you chose to pop in and say hi! I hope you beauts have been doing well. I have been busy blogging lately and have been babysitting my mom’s dog for the week while they are on vacation for March break! Lucky Bum’s! I don’t mind being with baby winnie though, we are bonding and having a great time together! I have recently been collaborating with a clothing brand called, “I am who I am Apparel”, and let me just say this, they are a newer company but are amazing so far and their clothing is inspirational as well. As you beauts know I am all about positive vibes and love anything that has to do with inspiration and empowering vibes. I am who I am is a Canadian Clothing company that stands for showing the world who you are; quirks, flaws, and all! I absolutely love this! Also, they emphasize the quote, “be proud of everything you are”.ย On their Instagram page, I love how it says in their bio, “peace and self-love”. I am all about self-love, practising self-love and expressing it as much as possible.ย  I was so ecstatic when the company agreed to collaborate with me on a blog post, I love working with different companies and was thrilled to see this was a Canadianย company which was awesome. There are so many different t shirts and hoodies to choose from which was great! I chose two specific t-shirts that caught my eye right away. The first is called theย  “Probably Late Tee”, which retails in store for $22.00. I got my shirt in the royal blue colour which was absolutely stunning. I feel like you can pair these shirts with a lot of different outfits which is great. I simply paired mine with a pair of ripped jeans, combat boots, and a baseball hat.

(Clearly couldn’t just decide on one picture because I liked them all as you can tell !) I just absolutely love and adore this shirt! It completely suits me because I am usually always late to things, I like to take my sweet ass time getting ready!

The next shirt that I received in the mail is absolutely adorable as well and I am in love! It suits me to a T. This shirt is called the , “Seriously Sassy Tee”, and it retails in store for $22.00. I love this shirt as well I think it is absolutely adorable and looks so cute on. I got mine in the colour black and it literally goes with anything which I love! I do feel extremely sassy in this t shirt which is awesome. Of course had to wear this with my sunnies!

Inspiring Articles

Dear Girl Afraid of Falling Behind

by alyssahotrum1 Comment on Dear Girl Afraid of Falling Behind
Dear Girl Afraid of Falling Behind


Dear girl afraid of falling behind,ย 

You’re not alone trust me. There are days where I look around me and wonder “Why don’t I have a big girl job yet?”, or how come I can’t seem to find a job in my field. Sure I have had babysitting and nanny jobs in the past but it’s not the same. I did not go to Brock University for 4 years to come out and apply for waitressing jobs. I am behind, everyone is going forward without me, and I am stuck. I want to scream for the world to slow down so I can quickly move up and not be so far behind. I am almost 24 years old, I should have my life together by now, I should be out of school, having my career dream job, starting a family in the next 5 years but somehow I feel so behind. Why? Don’t you hate that? Your thoughts in your head that won’t shut off even when you close your eyes to sleep and turn off the world around you? There are some days where I feel on top of the world as if no oneย can get on my level and bring me down. Other days I drown in my thoughts and wonder why I am moving so slow through life when others around me are running through it. It makes me feel like a failure. Welcome to my negative side. She often comes out when there are too many thoughts strolling and wandering through my mind. She’s terrible but doesn’t know it. I hate when she comes out, it’s as if everything I do is not good enough, that I need to try harder in life to succeed. But what if I let her win? What if everything I did I considered a failure in life? I would be miserable. I would hate who I was as an individual and I would be so burnt out from trying too hard. I am not going to let her win. She can’t and doesn’t deserve to. She’s miserable and that’s no way to live. What if I told her to look at things from a different perspective? Then what.ย 


Dear girl afraid of falling behind,ย 

Did you tell her? Let’s take a second to break down those things you see as “failures in life”. So you don’t have a big girl job yet, so what. Sure you want one, but how did you get that degree in the first place? By studying, by sleepless nights, by breakdowns, by endless amounts of presentations and assignments, and by four years of hard work. Now take a step back and ask yourself, “Do you really see that as a failure?”. Or those of you who have tried school and can’t seem to find the right program for yourselves. That’s okay because guess what. I thought I was going to be a teacher since I was 5 years old, and I found out that just wasn’t the right career path for me. So I tried a new route and love the program I am in right now. There are so many different programs out there that how the hell are you supposed to narrow it down and just chose one? It takes time, and I feel like everyone thinks time just runs out like that. Sure we grow older and get wrinkles eventually but that’s years down the road, not tomorrow, not the next day, or the day after that. You have TIME. And we need to reassureย ourselves that we do. Even if we take a second out of our days to remind ourselves about this, that’s okay. I have to remind myself that I am not behind in life, that I am not falling behind. In fact, I am taking my time. I am not rushing, I am simply waiting for opportunities to come and find me as if it’s a game. I have been hiding for so long, that I think my hiding spot is too good for opportunities to find me. But then again, everything happens for a reason, and I truly believe in that saying and live by it. So girl afraid of falling behind, you’re only 2 seconds behind, not a year, not 2, not 3. It’s okay to not be on the same route as everyone else, and it’s okay to take that extra time for yourself to figure out what you truly want in life. Decisions are difficult. And it’s okay to take time for them.

Dear girl afraid of falling behind,ย 

Focus on you. Focus on which plan you want to do next and stop worrying about the speed around you, you’ll get there. I know it feels like your miles behind but you’re not. Don’t let her win. There are times she’ll try to make you feel like you’re nothing, that you’re a failure, but you are far from that. Look at your accomplishments and everything you’ve done in life, it was not easy to get there, you worked for it. Even though time does not stop and people are continuing on with their lives around you, you go at your pace. Jobs will always be there, school will always be there and you’ve got nothing but time, endless amounts of it. You go do things at your own speed and life will accommodate you, trust me. I believe in you, and you’re never far behind. Things happen for a reason and always remind yourself of that.ย 

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Inspiring Articles

The meaning behind ” It’s the Little Things in Life that Matter “

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on The meaning behind ” It’s the Little Things in Life that Matter “
The meaning behind ” It’s the Little Things in Life that Matter “


Hello, beauts and happy Saturday! It’s finally fall and I couldn’t be any more excited that it’s finally here. Fall is my favourite season in the whole world, I just love everything about it! From being super cozy , to pumpkins, to plaid and to blanket scarves … it’s just perfect. So I have been pondering and wondering what blog post to do this weekend for you beauts and it came to my attention that I have never shared with you the reason and meaning behind my blogging name! When starting out with blogging, I had to think of a name for my blog and trust me it was super hard. I sat there thinking and thinking and wondering what I was going to name it because I wanted something that screams ” me ” and is something I valued and treasured. Then it hit me. Honestly, I am a very happy go lucky individual and often the littlest things make me happy. I thought ” hey … it’s honestly the little things in life that matter in the world “. It could be looking forward to that coffee in the morning in your favourite mug that makes your morning. It could be throwing on your favourite cozy PJs before you go and watch an amazing romantic movie before bed. It could be receiving a ” good morning beautiful ” text from your significant other. It could be receiving that support from your mom before writing a final for your class. It’s honestly the little things in life that matter.


I used to take things for granted. I thought that everyone was privileged like I was, that everyone got things like I did and was blessed with certain outcomes. But that wasn’t the case . When my stepmom got into a horrible car accident a year ago everything changed. The fact that she was an innocent bystander and passed away two times on the operating table was unimaginable. I really thought to myself “ wow, how could this have happened ?! “. This could have been me. So now at night, I hug my boyfriend a little bit tighter, I make sure I say I love you to my parents through a text, I check in on my sisters every now in then cause you never know. These things are so little yet they matter because you never know if you are going to have a tomorrow. I truly stand by my name even more now and am so grateful for a today let alone a tomorrow if it comes. ย I am so blessed to be here, to be alive and I cherish every moment I get being here on earth. I am thankful and proud.

“…enjoy the little things”


I am so thankful to have so many supportive people in my life and never thought my blog would have taken off like it did today. I never thought I would have been given so many opportunities to collaborate and meet so many beautiful kind people. I love reaching out to people to know their stories and their background information. That’s why I chose to start interviewing people. I love hearing about their talents and their amazing careers and goals. It’s the little things that matter in life. So make sure you thank those who are supportive in your life. Tell those you care about how much you love them. Hug those who need a hug and laugh a ton when things are messing up. Just laugh it off. Be happy and proud you’re here that you get to experience new things in life and treasure the great memories you have. Remember, it’s the little things in life that matter in this world.


Be sure to check out my other social media accounts located on my homepage and subscribe to my blogging channel for more upcoming blog posts to come in the near future. Thanks again for all your love and support! xo

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Anxiety, Inspiring Articles

Dear Anxious Girl Afraid to Ask for Help

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on Dear Anxious Girl Afraid to Ask for Help
Dear Anxious Girl Afraid to Ask for Help



Hey my beauts , hope you all are having a wonderful week so far ! I keep forgetting it’s a four day week so pretty much have been confused all week as to what day it is , living on the edge a little bit. As you guys know , I have been doing more inspiring stories lately just because I see people each day who would use a little pick me up here and there. I really enjoy writing these types of blog posts , you can actually find more of the ones that I have completed early on, maybe last year on my blogging page ? I have recently gotten back into the swing of it and some of you have really enjoyed these types of posts. This one is for those who are anxious to admit that something needs to change, that “I” need help and are too afraid to ask for it. 


Dear anxious girl afraid to ask for help,

I’ve been there. In fact, some days I am still there. It’s probably one of the hardest things to admit to yourself , to literally sit down and say out loud ” I need help”. I have been in your shoes. I have been where you are all through university, struggling and trying to hide that I had a few dark secrets. It’s pretty easy to hide things that you don’t want to face , trust me , anxiety and I have been playing this game for years . But finally , I did it. Enough was enough. Sure I could’ve  taken that bottle of Tylenol that was spilled all over my bed, sure I could’ve locked my door so my roommate didn’t have to burst in, and sure I could’ve been silent on the phone with my mom. But what would this all have solved? Would this have made life easier, better ? No. In fact , that would have made me selfish and bitter towards life. There’s way too much to live for , I didn’t want anxiety taking that away from me . He wasn’t going to take that away from me . It’s okay to ask for help anxious girl. I was that anxious girl too . 


I know what you’re thinking, ” what will others think of me?“. Your true friends, the ones who hold your hair back when your puking after too much vodka, the ones who let you cry on their shoulder and the ones who encourage you to smile will understand. But what about the rest of the world you may ask? What about them. I bet you they have their own problems going on , maybe even worse than yours. My therapist once told me , ” don’t let anxiety take over your life, it’s okay to admit that changes need to take place“. That is exactly why I participated in a group that took place every Wednesday evening. That is why I would tense up before 6 o’clock hit. And that is why I would be exhausted coming home around 8 o’clock that day. Mentally exhausted because I pushed myself. I admitted to the internet, friends and family , but most importantly to myself that I needed help. And I am okay. Sure I may get anxious here and there, I may have to miss work once a month to see a therapist, I may have to take 3 mandatory pills a day for my anxiety , but I am okay.

Dear anxious girl afraid to ask for help, 

I know you will be okay too . If you need me I am here to talk to. I know you’re scared and I was too. In fact anxious girl, I strongly encourage you to get that help you need today. Don’t let your problems or underlying issues drag behind you all your life. That is no place to live. That’s not living, that is simply getting by. I don’t want you to just get by, I want you to laugh uncontrollably until you pee your pants, I want you to be cheering on your sisters at their talent show , I want you to love life.  At one point I didn’t love life, but admitting I need that help was one of the biggest accomplishments I have ever made. Now that I have asked for help, I am more comfortable asking for help when it comes to other things. When it comes to my eating habits I am getting the help , and guess what. I am okay. I know you can do this , it takes two seconds out of your day to finally listen to yourself. Friends have always told you you’re a good listener right? I heard you’re very good at it, so show me. Show me you can do this and show yourself you can do this . 

My names Alyssa Hotrum, I am 23 years old . I have underlying eating disorders and am diagnosed with general anxiety as well as social anxiety . I admitted this to myself, can you ?

Inspiring Articles

Dear Girl on the Verge of Quitting

by alyssahotrum4 Comments on Dear Girl on the Verge of Quitting
Dear Girl on the Verge of Quitting

Hey my beauts, hope you all had a wonderful weekend spent with friends and family! These are the times and moments you have to treasure and remember. I recently have been inspired to do more of my “inspiring blog posts” lately, such as my dear letters. Sometimes these type of blog posts come to me and sometimes I will be sitting in front of the computer for hours trying to get something to come to me, it’s really a hit or a miss. I have been inspired to do a letter geared around the theme of quitting. ย I know for me, if I do not want to do something or I am not motivated, I will just say f*** it, I am tired, or I will do this tomorrow. This letter is meant for those on the verge of quitting, on the verge of saying “I will just do this tomorrow“, this is for you.

Dear girl on the verge of quitting,

“You’re fine, you’re good, you can just pick up the pieces tomorrow and start fresh that day”. Do these sound familiar? Your brain can be an absolute beautiful pleasure to have, filled with wonderful thoughts and encouraging statement pieces. On the other hand, it can be your fuel girl on the verge of quitting. Don’t let these thoughts fuel your fire. You’re better than that. I know life would be so much easier if one could just start a new process the next day, leaving today a day to relive your normal unsatisfying routine that you wanted to change. Girl on the verge of quitting, do you remember why you started? I remember. You only told me a thousand times why would want to change up your routine, and better yourself. It was only those numerous nights where you kept reminding yourself in the morning you are going to start. So start. Go and be that morning person you always wanted to be. Don’t think that you can’t do this, I have seen what you can do. I think that you are blind to the amount of amazing things you can do. Were you fast asleep when you won your university 45-minute debate in front of your seminar? Remember that sleepless night before hand? Did you show up to your seminar stating, “I am going to do this tomorrow“? No. You did it. You won. You knew deep down you had this even though I know you are not 100% sure of yourself. Don’t worry girl on the verge of quitting, that is something we can work on another time, but let’s focus on the aspect of quitting, and how you did not quit in that moment. How good did that feel? I know you were completely out of your comfort zone, I think that is life right? Life is about doing things you would not normally do, and you did just that. I think you surprised yourself, don’t you think?

Dear girl on the verge of quitting,

Can you remind yourself why you started this journey? If you need some help, why don’t you grab that pen and paper over there and write out your reasons, I think you could name 10. But that’s just me. Your reasons are not dumb, do you need to be reminded of that? I know you thought of these reasons for a purpose, so let’s continue to strive for that short or long term goal. If you need me to help push you, I think you should hang your reasons above your bed, that is what I usually do. I know it’s hard girl on the verge of quitting, but can you just do me one thing? I don’t ask for a lot. Can you please stick through this one thing and push yourself as soon as you wake up and get out of bed? I know this is a really big commitment, and you’re probably scared to take on the challenge. May I remind you of the time you went completely out of your comfort zone and joined a treatment program? No, it’s not something to be ashamed about, so get that thought out of your mind. Where would you be right now if you said, “ I am going to do this another time, not today”? Would you be reaching out to lots of people in regards to blog collaborations, let me just add in there that you have never even met half of these beautiful individuals, but you did it. I am proud. I know you want to say you are secretly proud of yourself as well. It’s okay to take that credit once in a while you know. In those moments, you did not quit. You were not a quitter. You are not a quitter.

Dear girl on the verge of quitting,

You can do this. I know you got this. I know you regret some things in life, but don’t let this be one of them. Don’t let this opportunity slip and run away from you. You are already in the moment, you’re here, so let’s stay here and hold onto that promise. You need to let go of things that you quit in the past, you’re not that same person anymore remember. That isn’t you. Let’s show you what you’re capable of. ย So girl on the verge of quitting, I hope I got through to you a little bit. I know it may take a few reminders here and there to not let this opportunity slide, this is why I am here. You may read me anytime you wish, okay? ย I just think that some days I may know you a little better than you may know yourself. I know for a fact you’re a strong girl with many ambitions and goals in life. Keep this goal on your list, don’t scratch it out until it’s completed.

Remember all those nights where you questioned yourself in university and stated, “I don’t know if I can do this”. Remember when your palms were super sweaty before presentations and you had to borrow your friend’s water bottle in order to add some moisture to your throat because it was so dry before that one presentation. Remember when you scored a 90 on that presentation and you hate public speaking? I remember. In fact, I will always remember. If you need a pick me up, I want you to take a second and glance at that diploma hanging on the wall. Did you quit that? No. You did that, you got that education. That was all you. Do you see how much stuff you’re capable of? Don’t let yourself down, because I know you’re better than that.

Daer girl on the verge of quitting, you’re not a quitter.

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Inspiring Articles

A powerful Transformation and Life Journey with Fitness Model Sara Stoneย 

by alyssahotrum8 Comments on A powerful Transformation and Life Journey with Fitness Model Sara Stoneย 
A powerful Transformation and Life Journey with Fitness Model Sara Stoneย 

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)

Hi my beauts and welcome to my channel if you are new here! I hope you guys are having a wonderful Easter long weekend so far ! So I have been super excited and have shared the news on Facebook and with friends and family already! Recently, I reached out to one of my idols and role models when it comes to fitness. I have been following this girl since she first started her journey and was completely blown away at her transformation pictures! I mean come on, just look at them, its mind blowing!


Through hard work and dedication, this beautiful soul managed to tone up and build up muscle to achieve her dream body. I remember my sister , Stefanie, telling me to check out this girl’s Instagram account because her story and journey is incredible. Right away I followed her and kept on following throughout her whole journey. I knew I wanted to do a collaboration with her for sure , but was completely hesitant to reach out to her considering she is so well known and has 15,000 subscribers , so who the hell am I ! Haha ! I literally thought,” what is the harm in asking?”. I was so thrown off and overwhelmed with excitement when I received a DM on my Instagram account! It was none other one of my absolute favourite fitness models but Sara Stone. I had given her the link to my blog to check it out and to let me know if she was interested in collaborating  with me . She responded that she really liked the content of my blog and would be more than happy to ! I couldn’t believe it ! Honestly, for you guys that do follow her on Instagram she is known for her rock hard abs and amazing body . But aside from her looks, I do not know Sara on a personal level but I can tell she’s such a sweetheart already. The way she awknowledges her fans , and her messages she was sending me , you can tell she is a very sincere and genuine person. So here we are today! I hope you guys really enjoy this collaboration as much as I did putting it together , shall we get into it or what ?!( I can’t wait any longer).

Photographer- Peter Levins (@Peterlevins)

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)


I had so many questions that have built up over the years that I wanted to ask her ! Sara is a 25-year- old girl from Central NY who lives with her husband. Sara states, “my husband is my biggest fan. He may not be in the ‘fitness world’ and to be honest, i have grown to like it that way. He has such an outside perspective and at the end of the day, keeps me grounded. My brother is my best friend and the person who helped me learn to workout and continues to support and teach me things daily. My friends! I would be lost without the unconditional love of my friends. Some get it, some dont but all of them show up and at the end of the day, those are the people you want on your side”.  You honestly need to have a great support system in order to accomplish some of your goals and dreams , exactly what Sara is doing. I think it’s wonderful that her husband strongly supports her through her fitness journey even though he may not even be involved within the fitness world! What do they say again? Opposites do attract.  I absolutely love this.

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)

I went in to ask Sara right away when she actually started getting into fitness, I thought this was a good place to start! Sara shares, “I got into fitness around the age of 20!. I have always been active, I played basketball for seven years, golf for four years, as well as tennis for two. But my passion for fitness came after college”. 

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)

Do you do your workouts only at the gym, or do you do home workouts as well? “I prefer to work out at a gym, I find it to be more motivating, and I have full access to all of the equipment needed to complete my workouts”. I could not agree more Sara! Even though I have my mat at home and my weights, I still somedays can not find that motivation to workout at home. If I am at home I would rather stuff myself with a bag of chips to be quite honest while watching the notebook as I bawl my eyes out, literally. 

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)

Staying on the topic of motivation, I asked Sara how she personally stays motivated. I know this is a big issue for a lot of individuals, and I personally need all the help I can get! Sara explains, “Motivation is tricky because sometimes it doesnt exist. My solution most of the time is to show up anyway. Sometimes if I don’t feel like doing something, I remind myself that if I do the thing that I reallyyy dont want to do at that moment, then the next time I’m presented with something I may not want to do, it will be easier to do it”. I think that’s wonderful words of motivation , to just show up! Often if I do not have the motivation to workout I just don’t go to the gym, but I am going to try this method to just show up . I think by just showing up ,  I will eventually just workout and do it! I will let you know how this goes Sara!

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)

I was super super curious to find out if Sara had a personal trainer at all ! I know for a fact I could not get the body she has on my own! I thought for sure and was almost certain that Sara had a personal trainer. Sara states,”no personal trainer for me, and I typically train 5/6 days a week”. Good for you Sara that is unreal I am super proud of all your accomplishments and where you have gotten yourself today ! Working out close to everyday is not an easy thing, but leave it up to Sara! (You go glen coco).

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)

Do you ever have any cheat days or believe in cheat meals? ” I am currently in competition prep so my diet is a direct reflection of the goals associated with stepping on stage. Outside of this, I do not track macros or diet. I am much more relaxed, eat intuively and dont consider any meals โ€œcheat mealsโ€.  I love this . You can see how dedicated Sara is to her fitness yet she still makes sure she lives a little at the same time. That is extremely important. Often when we look at well known individuals, we often think they do not have a life outside of their hobby or passion or career. Hearing this is always refreshing. It helps us keep in mind that these are normal human beings.

“I’m no stranger to the feelings that comes following a competition and sometimes we need to check ourselves. Sometimes we are the toxic person. We bring on the negativity. Sometimes the problem is our selves. And that doesn’t make us unworthy. Keep on growing. Keep on checking. Do better. You’re only human”- Sara Stone



Have you competed in any competitions? ” Yes! I will be competing in my fourth competition in 2 days actually.  I hire a coach for competition prep, this past time i prepped for 20 weeks in order to get ready for 2 shows back to back!”. Good for you! Wow 4 completions already that is insane. Sara puts so much time and dedication into her fitness it is honestly so inspiring (hence my reaching out to her). Wow ! 20 weeks! That is a long time , you for sure have to have the proper mindset to take on this journey! I could not be more proud of this beautiful soul.


Who else is dying to know how Sara gets those rock hard abs and amazing bod? I am ! I had to ask Sara just how she does it ! Sara explains, “ I dont think anyone is going to like my answer but abs come when i clean my diet up. I have trained abs for many years so i have build some muscle maturity but it’s not until i diet down and lose total body fat, that they come out to play”. I can totally see that how abs are literally made from the kitchen! It really is all about eating clean in order for those abs to come out just like Sara said! Even though we don’t want to hear it someone has to say it! Lets all take into consideration that Sara Stone is saying this, she’s not just a pretty face!


What do you usually eat each day as I am assuming you meal prep? ” My meals vary based on my macros! A few of my daily staples during prep are shredded chicken breast (crock pot!), ground turkey, basmati rice, brussel sprouts (fave veggie) & kettle corn rice cakes with PB!” It’s nice to know that I am on the right track with my meals as I eat a lot of these things too! How unreal is the peanut butter on rice cakes though?! I add some honey and it makes such a great snack with a glass of milk! Mmmmmmm!

Are you always conscious about what you eat? Do you count your calories? “During competition prep, i track my macros and outside of that, I eat intuitively. I try to live by 80/20!”. 



Now moving onto the gym and workout topics! I was so interested to hear about Sara at the gym and using the equipment . I had asked Sara how long she works out for at the gym. Sara states, “My workouts range usually 1-2 hours, depending. My favorite muscle group to train would probably be back”.  When I workout I usually workout for around 1 and a half hours or so. I think 1 to 2 hours is the perfect amount of time at the gym to still get other things accomplished afterwards.

“Do not lose sight of who you are on this journey”- Sara Stone

Photographer-Emily Olin (@darling.em)

Best advice someone has given you when it comes to fitness? “That’s a tough one but something that I was told that has always stuck with me was to not loose sight of who you are on this journey. It’s something that can be interpreted in many ways but i think the root of the message is to stay true to who you are. (Which can apply to all aspects of life, really!)”. I absolutely love this quote and statement. I honestly think that is going to stick with me too! I think that’s a great reminder in the back of your head going through life and basically going through any path or journey. Be you. Don’t be someone else and don’t lose touch of who you are as an individual.

“… take it slow, there is no finish line”

Photographer- Emily Olin (@darling.em)

I really wanted to know Sara’s advice and thoughts for someone who was just starting out in the fitness world and literally had no idea where to start off. Sara shares, “The best advice i can give to someone just starting out would be to take it slow! There is no finish line and making drastic changes in a short time is not sustainable for anyone. To follow up on taking it slow, my next peice of advice would be to be persistent & consistent! :-)”. Thanks for the awesome advice Sara! I think hearing this will be so beneficial to someone who is new with the type of lifestyle and wanted to start. It can be extremely overwhelming that is for sure when it comes to trying something new. Hearing others advice is something I absolutely love hearing.

Photographer- Emily Olin (@darling.em)

What do you like to do in your spare time? “I spend a lot of my spare time with my husband, friends and family. I enjoy going out to dinner (ahem dessert), being outdoors, going on adventures, traveling. I also love relaxing at home. I am a very busy person so sometimes i really appreciate just being a home body”.  That’s interesting to hear Sara! There is nothing better than spending quality time with friends and family members. I also enjoy doing  those things as well , even being the home body is always nice some days too ! I think that everyone needs that for sure!! I am glad that you have other hobbies as well !

Photographer- Nicola Vincenzo Rinaldo (@nicola_visuals)

Finishing up this collaboration I wanted to find out what Sara Stone’s goals were in general. Sara explains, “my goals change quite frequently. Right now, my short term goal is to finish this 20 week prep to the best of my abilities. 2 more days! Longer term goals would be to find and maintain balance in my life again. I’m truly looking forward to living a flexibly, healthy, happy life.”. I absolutely love this and think these are amazing short term and long term goals! I wish you nothing but the best Sara with your 20 week prep and your future competitions! You have done absolutely amazing so far pushing your self each and every day! You have so much determination and motivation you should be so proud of where you have gotten yourself! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to do a collaboration with little old me ! You truly are an inspiration and deserve nothing but the best in life ! I still can’t believe you reached back out to me, I literally have not gotten a good sleep in days because I was way too damn excited for life. You are such a beautiful human being and inspire so many people all across the world to just “go for it”, keep up the great work Sara !

Photographer-Emily Olin (@darling.em)

I hope you beauts enjoyed this blog post and learned so much from the talented and beautiful Sara Stone! I am sure we can all take home lots of important messages from reading this blog and seeing her output on certain things. Be sure to follow my other social media sites located on my home page to stay up to date with the latest blogs!

(Going to try to get a good sleep tonight, probably won’t but wish me luck, still too stoked for life).

(uhmmmmm….. I think this is the highlight to my blog, she looks better than me saying it, you’re hired Sara Stone!)