Tag: entrepreneur

Reading list for 2018

Recommended Books & My 2018 Reading List

by memoallure, posted in Lifestyle, Motivation

One of my goals for this year is to read 2 books each month, so by 2019 I will have read 24 books. I believe this goal is attainable and realistic.

Last year, my goal was to read 50 books, which I did not get anywhere close to that. Why? Because my goal was unrealistic (not everyone can be Bill Gates), and not achievable from the start. That is not to say that I cannot achieve that goal maybe in a year or two, but I just need to build momentum first.

If you want a list of my all-time favorite self-help books, you can check out this post here.

2017 was a good year for some amazing books, but there are some I haven’t finished yet. I tend to read about 3 books at a time. Who else does that? I like to go from one book to another depending on my mood. At the end of the day, reading should be enjoyable. It’s kind of like watching TV; you tune into the show or movie you are in the mood to watch, so I tend to do the same with books.

Here is My 2017 Recommended Books:

  1. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters

This was the last book I read in 2017, and was a great choice. This is written by the co-founder of PayPal and advises on anyone who is looking to start a business, although, if that is not your goal, it’s also a great read for anyone interested in stories of many companies and powerful people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. This book was very well written and super insightful. It’s one of those books that you can look back on and reread any parts that are helpful. It’s an easy and quick read, which is also great for anyone that doesn’t want to commit to a long book. This is also a great book to inspire you to keep the “American Dream” going as Peter shows you that there is still so much we have yet to discover.

  1. The $100 Start-Up By Chris Guillebeau

This is a great book for anyone who is looking to travel and work remotely by building a startup with a low cost. It’s also inspiring to know that you don’t need millions of dollars to start a company. I really enjoyed this one to get some ideas on how I could be creative myself.

  1. The Four-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris

This is a great book for anyone in the work field and who wants to maximize their efficiency in their work and how to be effective every single hour of the day. We don’t realize how much time gets wasted in the day by minuscular things. Tim shows you how you can fix the process and shorten the time for projects or meetings. He talks about how to be productive and how you can migrate your work or outsource unto others. There was even a story of how one guy outsourced all his work to an assistant in India, where she would even reply to his wife. Crazy, I know. This is also a great book for anyone who owns their own blog/business/start-up. It teaches and gives you so many resources. This book is raved about for all the good reasons.

  1. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

If one of your goals this year is to get out of debt, or to be better with your money, then Dave Ramsey is your guy. This book shows you how to quickly, but realistically, get out of debt. If you have student loans – this is your book. If you don’t, you still would benefit from this book tremendously as it shows you how any average American can become a millionaire by saving and putting their money in the right investments. It was quite eye opening for me.

  1. Boost Your Brain Power in 60 Seconds by Michelle Schoffro Cook

On the contrary, if one of your goals is to be healthier, this book is for you. It shows you how we can prevent many diseases by the foods we eat, how each food effects our body and what is best to feed our brain for optimal use. I enjoyed this book very much and it’s still by my bedside for as a reference for any of the concepts.

  1. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Lastly, if you read any book from my list, make sure it’s this one. This one wins my favorite for 2017. I have it on my Audible app, and re-listen to it whenever I feel that I need to hear Elizabeth’s words again. If her name sounds familiar to you, it’s because it is, she is the author of Eat, Pray, Love. This was beautifully written and the audible is narrated by Elizabeth herself, which is so calming to listen to. I absolutely love this book and cannot reiterate how much every creative person needs this book in their life. It shows you concepts of Law of Attraction, talks about how to tackle your fears and how to be the best version of yourself. I read/listened to this book 3 times this year.

List of Books to Read in 2018:

  1. Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowits

This book is about how big corporations, or the government takes all our information and uses it. I quickly became interested in this book after I heard the speech from one of the data analytics, who shared his process of how he helped Trump win office from all the research they did with our data. Facebook is one of the places where a lot of these companies go and I figured it’s time to learn what kind of information is getting used and what they know about who we are.

  1. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks by Steven Pressfield

I saw Mel Robbins reading and recommending this on her Instagram story, so I figured I’d give it a try. It’s a book about breaking out of your fears and succeeding in your creative space. For anyone that is wanting to create something, but having blockage from your own thoughts, I think this would be a nice book. This book talks about resistance – which deters you from showing up, and not giving it your best.

  1. The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield

The author of this is the co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Souls – popular series of books. This is a classic and maybe you guys already know about this. I think this book will be good for me to change my mindset, how to build my mind to be stronger, to persevere and how to be an achiever. So much of success comes from within your mind and I think this will teach me how to have a stronger mind. From my recommendations I’ve received, this seems like a good one to pick up if you are looking to create your dream life.

  1. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

This book is a good book if you want to be consistent with your work. It also talks about small wins, which is something I highly value. Seems to be a good book to learn about good work ethics and how to persevere through any work.

  1. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

Brief history of humans – I think it would be interesting to learn more about humans and the history of how we have evolved.

  1. Storyteller’s Secret by Carmine Gallo

This one teaches you how to be a better public speaker, which I believe everyone can benefit from. It’s a skillset you need as an adult and it’s better to be prepared now, then hope you knew more about the topic once an event comes up.

7. The Company of Women by Grace Bonney.

This book interviews a bunch of women entrepreneurs, which I’m sure as a female will be quite inspiring. With so many movements in the few couple of months for women; this year really feels like the year of women – so I’m sure this will be a good read.

8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Lastly, this one is a classic. I’m sure you probably have already read this or it may also be on your reading list. I have yet to read it, and I am excited to see what the rave is all about. I heard that it has the law of attraction embedded in it without being too much.

That is all for all my recommended list and 2018 wish list! If you can tell – I love learning and I find that consistently growing your mind is super important, hence why most of my books are self-help. I find these types of books, personally, are the ones that grow my mind the most. You may be different and that is totally okay.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any recommendations for me!

Thanks for reading and have an amazing day!

xxo,

Ozzy

Disclaimer: For full disclosure of my blog, please read this.

“I am part of everything that I have read.” – Theodore Roosevelt

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Reading list for 2018

Top Recommended Books & My 2018 Reading List

by , posted in Lifestyle, Motivation

One of my goals for this year is to read 2 books each month, so by 2019 I will have read 24 books. I believe this goal is attainable and realistic.

Last year, my goal was to read 50 books, which I did not get anywhere close to that. Why? Because my goal was unrealistic (not everyone can be Bill Gates), and not achievable from the start. That is not to say that I cannot achieve that goal maybe in a year or two, but I just need to build momentum first.

If you want a list of my all-time favorite self-help books, you can check out this post here.

2017 was a good year for some amazing books, but there are some I haven’t finished yet. I tend to read about 3 books at a time. Who else does that? I like to go from one book to another depending on my mood. At the end of the day, reading should be enjoyable. It’s kind of like watching TV; you tune into the show or movie you are in the mood to watch, so I tend to do the same with books.

Here is My 2017 Recommended Books:

  1. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters

This was the last book I read in 2017, and was a great choice. This is written by the co-founder of PayPal and advises on anyone who is looking to start a business, although, if that is not your goal, it’s also a great read for anyone interested in stories of many companies and powerful people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. This book was very well written and super insightful. It’s one of those books that you can look back on and reread any parts that are helpful. It’s an easy and quick read, which is also great for anyone that doesn’t want to commit to a long book. This is also a great book to inspire you to keep the “American Dream” going as Peter shows you that there is still so much we have yet to discover.

  1. The $100 Start-Up By Chris Guillebeau

This is a great book for anyone who is looking to travel and work remotely by building a startup with a low cost. It’s also inspiring to know that you don’t need millions of dollars to start a company. I really enjoyed this one to get some ideas on how I could be creative myself.

  1. The Four-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris

This is a great book for anyone in the work field and who wants to maximize their efficiency in their work and how to be effective every single hour of the day. We don’t realize how much time gets wasted in the day by minuscular things. Tim shows you how you can fix the process and shorten the time for projects or meetings. He talks about how to be productive and how you can migrate your work or outsource unto others. There was even a story of how one guy outsourced all his work to an assistant in India, where she would even reply to his wife. Crazy, I know. This is also a great book for anyone who owns their own blog/business/start-up. It teaches and gives you so many resources. This book is raved about for all the good reasons.

  1. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

If one of your goals this year is to get out of debt, or to be better with your money, then Dave Ramsey is your guy. This book shows you how to quickly, but realistically, get out of debt. If you have student loans – this is your book. If you don’t, you still would benefit from this book tremendously as it shows you how any average American can become a millionaire by saving and putting their money in the right investments. It was quite eye opening for me.

  1. Boost Your Brain Power in 60 Seconds by Michelle Schoffro Cook

On the contrary, if one of your goals is to be healthier, this book is for you. It shows you how we can prevent many diseases by the foods we eat, how each food effects our body and what is best to feed our brain for optimal use. I enjoyed this book very much and it’s still by my bedside for as a reference for any of the concepts.

  1. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Lastly, if you read any book from my list, make sure it’s this one. This one wins my favorite for 2017. I have it on my Audible app, and re-listen to it whenever I feel that I need to hear Elizabeth’s words again. If her name sounds familiar to you, it’s because it is, she is the author of Eat, Pray, Love. This was beautifully written and the audible is narrated by Elizabeth herself, which is so calming to listen to. I absolutely love this book and cannot reiterate how much every creative person needs this book in their life. It shows you concepts of Law of Attraction, talks about how to tackle your fears and how to be the best version of yourself. I read/listened to this book 3 times this year.

List of Books to Read in 2018:

  1. Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowits

This book is about how big corporations, or the government takes all our information and uses it. I quickly became interested in this book after I heard the speech from one of the data analytics, who shared his process of how he helped Trump win office from all the research they did with our data. Facebook is one of the places where a lot of these companies go and I figured it’s time to learn what kind of information is getting used and what they know about who we are.

  1. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks by Steven Pressfield

I saw Mel Robbins reading and recommending this on her Instagram story, so I figured I’d give it a try. It’s a book about breaking out of your fears and succeeding in your creative space. For anyone that is wanting to create something, but having blockage from your own thoughts, I think this would be a nice book. This book talks about resistance – which deters you from showing up, and not giving it your best.

  1. The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield

The author of this is the co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Souls – popular series of books. This is a classic and maybe you guys already know about this. I think this book will be good for me to change my mindset, how to build my mind to be stronger, to persevere and how to be an achiever. So much of success comes from within your mind and I think this will teach me how to have a stronger mind. From my recommendations I’ve received, this seems like a good one to pick up if you are looking to create your dream life.

  1. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

This book is a good book if you want to be consistent with your work. It also talks about small wins, which is something I highly value. Seems to be a good book to learn about good work ethics and how to persevere through any work.

  1. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

Brief history of humans – I think it would be interesting to learn more about humans and the history of how we have evolved.

  1. Storyteller’s Secret by Carmine Gallo

This one teaches you how to be a better public speaker, which I believe everyone can benefit from. It’s a skillset you need as an adult and it’s better to be prepared now, then hope you knew more about the topic once an event comes up.

7. The Company of Women by Grace Bonney.

This book interviews a bunch of women entrepreneurs, which I’m sure as a female will be quite inspiring. With so many movements in the few couple of months for women; this year really feels like the year of women – so I’m sure this will be a good read.

8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Lastly, this one is a classic. I’m sure you probably have already read this or it may also be on your reading list. I have yet to read it, and I am excited to see what the rave is all about. I heard that it has the law of attraction embedded in it without being too much.

That is all for all my recommended list and 2018 wish list! If you can tell – I love learning and I find that consistently growing your mind is super important, hence why most of my books are self-help. I find these types of books, personally, are the ones that grow my mind the most. You may be different and that is totally okay.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any recommendations for me!

Thanks for reading and have an amazing day!

xxo,

Ozzy

“I am part of everything that I have read.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Playlist to get over your ex

Soundtrack You Need to Get Over Your Ex

by memoallure, posted in Lifestyle

Hey Ladies!

Thought it would be fun to share with you guys my soundtrack for days when I was “Miss Independent”, and listened to this playlist to remind myself that I don’t need a man to make me powerful, strong and to feel good being alone.

For any of you ladies that are struggling to get over your ex or struggling to feel confident while being single – this playlist is for you!

Ladies repeat after me: I DON’T NEED A MAN – I am strong, smart, confident and beautiful all on my own!

Playlist to get over your ex

This playlist that I have here is something I would always listen to at the gym to pump myself up and get me even more excited about being single. Honestly, being single is a beautiful time to get to know yourself better, to become a better version of yourself and truly learn how to be independent and confident. You really don’t need a man to fulfill you or to make you who you are, you can do it all on your own. And when you become the best version of yourself is when you can give back so much more to the relationship.

As it is repeatedly said, you cannot love someone else if you don’t love yourself first. So, ladies (or guys), start to fall in love with yourself – completely and unconditionally because you deserve your own love! I’m sending positive vibes your way and I know that you deserve every ounce of love and affection that is coming your way so soon. Don’t be hard on yourself and know that your time is coming. Everyone has a different timeline; whether that is in terms of success or to finding your other half. In the meantime, enjoy the process and fall in love with your life now!

Here’s the Soundtrack You Need to Get Over Your Ex:

  1. I Don’t Need A Man – The Pussycat Dolls
  2. Raining Men – Rihanna, Nicki Minaj
  3. Ridin’ Solo – Jason Derulo
  4. Woohoo – Christina Aguilera, Nicki Minaj
  5. Upgrade U – Beyoncé
  6. Goodbye – Kristina DeBarge
  7. Do It Like A Dude – Jessie J
  8. Blue Jeans – Jessie James
  9. Girl On Fire – Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj
  10. Independent Women, Pt. 1 – Destiny’s Child
  11. Dua Lipa – New Rules

I added the last one, which was not originally in my playlist a few years back, but it’s such a good vibe song that I think could help you! Now, go dance around in your PJ’s in your room and have fun with being single and getting to know yourself better. Trust the universe – I know you’re in a good place!

Let me know in the comments below, what songs makes you feel confident, strong and sexy!

Thanks for readings and have an amazing day!

Until next time,

Memoallure signature

Disclaimer: For full disclosure of my blog, please read this.

memoallure

25 Things I’ve Learned In 25 Years

by memoallure, posted in Lifestyle, Motivation

25 Things I've Learned In 25 Years

Today is my last day as a 25 year old. Goodbye to my joked-about-but-actually-serious quarter-life crisis age!

For anyone who is older, let me allow you to reminisce on how it was to be a 25 year old. And for anyone who is slowly approaching this age, let me allow you to have some clear insight of what will come about in your near future.

25 is an interesting age and is an age where things still don’t quite click in your head. You are still confused as heck of what you want to do with your life and hence the “quarter life crisis” joke, but I believe it is the tipping age. It’s the age where you get to really find out who you really are as long as you keep a curious mindset. You get to find out what you want to tolerate and what you no longer will allow to be part of your life. You learn to respect yourself immensely. You learn that you have a voice and you should use it. You also learn that you still know nothing at all. Being a 25 year old is confusing, challenging and an age where you still have so many questions about life. Like they say, every age has its beauty and the beauty of being a 25 year old is finally realizing that you get to create your life going forward and that your past doesn’t have to come along with you.

As today is the day I get to say goodbye to this age and say hello to a new chapter of my life, I wanted to share with you guys 25 things I’ve learned along the way. I have always been someone who questioned life, questioned my purpose, questioned what anything really means, had unfortunate events happen, had good things happen, had lessons that were hard to learn and events that were out of my control. Basically, I’ve had life happen to me. Life throws curveballs at you and you have to be ready. One thing that always echoes in my head is what my mom has always told me, which is; you have to be tougher than life. You can’t be scared of life, it has to be scared of you. With anything that I do, I have always taken action with those words in mind, and have always strived to be stronger, tougher and fearless because….. life is tough and we all could use a helmet.

Here are 25 Things I Have Learned In 25 Years:

1.       Nobody owes you anything; not your parents, not your siblings, not your friends – you have to fight for what you want and what you believe in and go out there and give it all you got. You never want to look back and regret life due to laziness or because you spent too much time blaming your circumstance on others.

2.       Not everyone has your best intentions and that is okay. Be strong enough to walk away from things and people who no longer serve you well without burning any bridges.

3.       Be yourself. This is so important. There is only one you and do not ever apologize for being you. When you become your truest self is when you start to enjoy your life. 

4.       Be accepting of others. Be thoughtful and kind to others’ feelings and words, you don’t know their story and you don’t know what they are dealing with. Being kind will cost you nothing.

5.       It is better to give than to receive. Help others without expecting anything in return because our souls naturally thrive on giving and in return this will help you tremendously.

6.       Smile. There is so many things and reasons to be happy. Don’t let situations bring you down and always change your perspective because life is truly too short to fret over the little things. Time will pass either way.

7.       Be there for people. You may not always have the right words to say but your presence sometimes is enough and all that is needed.

8.       Don’t keep your thoughts and ideas to yourself, share it with the world. You never know who is in desperate need of what you have to say and give back to this world.

9.       Success is different for everyone. Your path and someone else is path is completely different. Don’t worry about what age you start something, just start. Enjoy the process and don’t forget to be nice to people who are helping you along the way.

10.   Forgive. Don’t hold grudges. It’s not good for your soul and everyone has a different story don’t judge it too much and move on.

11.   To have a friend, you have to be a friend. Make an effort to be there for your friends, which sometimes means doing things you really don’t want to do.

12.   Moments, smiles, memories, hugs, laughter, love…. all free and all you really need to feel true happiness.

13.   Follow your passion. One thing I’ve learned as a finance major is that the biggest risks reap the biggest results, so take that risk, you never know what awaits at the end of your fear. Just go for it and never look back.

14.   Not everyone is going to like you, you can’t please everyone, and you don’t need to. Know who you are and be confident that you are enough.

15.   Talk to yourself nicely every day. Self-pep talk is so important to improve your mood. Tell yourself every day that you are a badass and that you can handle anything.

16.   Happiness isn’t coming, it’s here now in the present moment. Live each day mindfully and learn to love each moment. Stop looking at your phone and talk to your parents more often, appreciate your siblings and always give your full attention to the person you are talking to. You never know what you miss out on by living in auto mode.

17.   You can get addicted to almost anything in life. Things, people, drugs, food, hate, bad habits.

18.   Spending time in a different culture changes your perspective about your life, opens your heart and allows you to feel so small in this big planet. Go out there and see how the rest of the world lives and know that any of your problems are so minor.

19.   Be grateful – it’s the key of life. Thank the universe every single day for everything it has given you and consistently have a grateful heart for all your gifts.

20.   When your 5-year plan doesn’t work, don’t see it as a failure, see it as a path that was not meant for you. Trust that the universe has your back and better things are coming your way.

21.   The best way to change the world is to change yourself. Take care of you every single day. Do something to grow your mind and reinvent yourself every day because only when you are at your best self is when you can give back.

22.   Don’t be average.  Thrive onto what you are meant to do. On your death bed, you will not remember your failures as they were your learning curves, but you will remember all your contributions to this world.

23.   You are the creator of your own life. No one can sing your song, no one can write what you write, and no one can be who you are. No one else can think or feel or experience this life for you so experience it to the fullest. Don’t get stuck in your negative feelings and unleash your inner child.

24.   Don’t let other’s write your story and don’t let society tell you who to be. Define your own version of what this life should be like for your own self. 

25.   Last and foremost, YOU ARE NOT YOUR PAST. Your childhood matters, but learn from it and don’t let it control your adulthood. Things that happened in your past are out of your control and do not define how your future will be. You get a chance to write your own life and experience it exactly how you want to. So, write your story well and let go of the past.

That is all! As I am getting older, I am starting to realize I am becoming more of who I was as a kid – which is fearless, “daredevil” (meaning of my name), confident and genuinely happy because life has many reasons for all of us to be happy, you just have to notice the little things and be grateful for it. 🙂

Thank you for reading and let me know in the comments below what is one significant  thing you’ve learned in your life.

Until next time,

Ozzy

Disclaimer: For full disclosure of this site, please read this.

“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshue J. Marine

 

Life's too short eat the dessert first

Life Is Unpredictable & Short – Eat the Dessert First!

by memoallure, posted in Motivation

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Hope everyone is with the ones they love this holiday season and hope that your heart is a little more giving this time of year to share the joy of one another.

I’m sure most of you will be eating more desert than you ever have in the next few days and so I figured….why not talk about it.

This brings to mind the saying/quote; ‘Life’s too short, eat the desert first.’

I want to take a moment to digest that saying and to fully understand it….

Some of the most cliched sayings have the most truth to them because life really is too short to be anything but happy. To be able to do the things you love, you must eat the dessert first!

This may go against what your mother has taught you with ‘eat your dinner first’, but what I am trying to say is things in life don’t always go in perfect order.

Let’s try to understand it with 3 different points:

1) Life Is A Beautiful Chaos

There is beauty in the imperfect and the chaos of everyday life. Once you see that and once you embrace it, the second part of your life begins. You do not need to wait until the right moment comes because in reality no one is guaranteed this life. You were gifted this life but death is our reality as we know it. Since that is all we know in this age, why wait to start your life now and to create it with the magic you were given? I say you should have the courage to bring forth what is within you and share your treasures with the world.

2) Perfection Is Overrated

Trying to achieve perfection is a dead end road. Perfection, in its definition, is flawless. In reality, perfection is the only impossible thing as we know it on this planet that I believe is unachievable.

What is perfect, in my opinion, is this life. Life has so much to give to us, and there is so many beautiful things that surround us every single day. All we have to do is take a moment to see it and to fully appreciate it. This earth is imperfectly perfect. There is so much beauty in it without it being perfect. In another point, nothing about this life is normal and if you don’t believe that there are any ounce of magic in it, then you may need to look closer.

There is so much beauty in the imperfect and beauty in embracing things for what they are. There is tremendous amounts of beauty in taking action and taking small steps into your goals. I have learned that it is better to make mistakes and learn then to be too timid to start. I started this blog on a whim and had no idea what I was getting myself into, but all I knew was I rather start then to always wonder “what if”.

More often than not, chasing perfection puts you at a bad place because it is not achievable. All that is achievable is being a better person than you were yesterday and the only day that is perfect is today. Live your life each day as a beautiful mess that it is.

3) Your Journey Is Your Own

One of my favorite songs lately has been “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. I know it is overplayed and perhaps many people don’t like it anymore after the show, “The Hills”, but the other day I was listening to it and I noticed how beautiful the lyrics truly are. It’s funny how the universe gives you things when you need it the most and you don’t notice it when it doesn’t relate to your life.

This song is exactly where I am in my life – which is in its simplest terms, to live my life to the fullest and to live my best life creating it the way I want to. I am at an age where it is time to see what I have to offer to this world and it’s a new chapter in my life. It’s all scary and exciting in one breath.

In the song, I love how she says: “Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you.” and “No one else can speak the words on your lips.” Both of those are incredibly true. They are so simple yet so powerful.

This is your life to live. Don’t apologize for living it the way that you want to live it. If you want to have the best part happen now (aka ‘eat the dessert now’), then just do it! Go for it! Don’t wait because I would not want  you to waste a single moment in our imperfectly, perfect world. Don’t reach for perfection rather reach for progress and follow your heart.

I hope your journey is meaningful, loving and I hope it makes the little girl or boy proud. I hope you achieve all of your dreams.

Lastly, I hope you always eat the dessert first because this life is unpredictable and imperfectly your own journey to live out. You get to decide to live the best moments now….in this moment right now, how exciting and amazing is that?! Your life is a blank book in which you get to create for yourself and like Natasha Beddingfield said – the rest is unwritten. Now, go write your own story!

Happy holidays!

Lots of love,

Ozzy

“‘Life’s Too Short’ is repeated often enough to be a cliché, but this time it’s true. You don’t have enough time to be both unhappy and mediocre. It’s not just pointless; it’s painful.” – Seth Godin

Disclaimer: For full disclosure of this site, please read this.

 

 

 

Advice from a CEO

Advice From a CEO

by memoallure, posted in Lifestyle, Motivation

About a year ago I had the chance to sit down and have breakfast with a CEO. It was one of the most inspiring meetings I’ve had, albeit, I was joined with 20 other folks, but it was still such a memorable experience!

To be that close to a person who’s had power and has done all that he can to drive himself to succeed was truly inspiring to be around. Our meeting was for about an hour and he did not get to answer all our questions. It was a bit disappointing, but of course I couldn’t let him go without answering my question, so I decided to email him after our meeting.

For privacy purposes, I will not disclose his name.

I love knowing and analyzing how people think and I saw this as a great opportunity. To be able to know how someone of his level got to where he is, I believe, great knowledge for all of us that aspire to achieve great things.

Daily Habits of the Successful…

Why are we all obsessed with the daily habits of the uber successful people? Well, for one, they must be doing something right if they are where they are, right? And for two, I think they think differently than most. I don’t truly think they are any different than us other than the fact that they think differently, take action and are resourceful.

So, what does that mean for you? It means you can replicate what they have done to come up with similar results to achieve your goals.

Advice from a CEO

Here’s the Advice From a CEO:

My Question – 

What would you tell your 20 something year old self now to be successful in the future?

His response –

Ozge,
 
It was great to meet you this morning as well, and get feedback from you and the group.
 
My advice to a 20 something is anything but theoretical as I have a 27, 25, 21 and 18 year old children…so here goes…
 
  • Do something you like and that you are interested in
  • Do it to the very best of your ability, performance in any organization matters
  • Try different things, particularly early in your career…don’t let yourself get stuck in a rut
  • Take career risk, don’t be afraid to jump into something that you are not fully qualified for, the most effective learning happens when you stretch yourself
  • Be a good teammate, make the people around you better…it will be noticed
  • Get a mentor
  • YOU are the CEO of your career, do not leave it for someone else to manage
  • Make sure you have balance in your life…family, friends, activities…your diversity as a person will make you a more effective employee
  • And Have fun along the way

I was shocked when he answered my email. He is, of course, a super busy man, but this proves you are never too busy or too high in power to answer other people and to be able to connect with others!

I think this is probably the best advice I have ever gotten, and I will treasure this forever as it fully relates to me personally.

This is What I’ve Made of His Advice:

Do Something You Like & That You Are Interested In & Do It To Your Best Ability.

This one seems to be a no-brainer, but in our 20’s we tend to be confused about what career path to take or in honesty what we actually really like doing. His advice allows us to keep trying to find it as it is achievable if you keep looking. Another quote or advice pops in my head as, ‘If you are not doing something you like, then you are wasting your time.’ Sometimes we can be so discouraged with life because we haven’t reached a position that seems to be what aligns with our values, and for that reason you should always experience new things and try something new repeatedly to grow your mind. Once you’ve found what you are passionate about, like he has said – do it to your best ability, it shows.

Do Different Things – Particularly Early In Your Career.

I also agree with this and strive for this for myself. I don’t want to wake up in 5 years to find out I did not diversify and try new things. I want to strive to always listen to exactly what my heart wants and to see what I can give back to this world. In order to do something you like, you need to try new things. There really is no other way to find out until you experiment it for yourself. Don’t be afraid to take risks, it’s where you will either find that it’s completely not what you want to do or it’s something that was exactly meant for you. You don’t lose either way. Don’t be afraid to fail. Les Brown always says, in order to do something you’ve never done, you have to become someone you’ve never been. To do this, you have to do step out of your comfort zone.

You Are Your Own CEO – Don’t Leave It For Someone Else To Manage.

My favorite point he made is that you are your own CEO of your career. The way I interpret is that you are your own CEO of how your life turns out. You have the steering wheel to control the results that unfold.  You should never let others control your direction nor tell you which way to go. You may be directed in many different directions, but you are in control of which ones you want to pursue. And as long as you listen to your heart, I believe you will never be redirected in the wrong path.

Diversify Yourself By Making Time For Others.

The other point he made is to diversify yourself by making time for people, family and friends is also something I’ve found to be very true. Whenever I spend more time with others I tend to not only grow more of a compassionate heart, but I also gain more skills and feel more connected to the world. You always learn something new when you spend time with others as we are all individuals that can bring forth something new and inspiring.

Be A Good Team Member, Make Others Better.

I feel that it is always important to leave with a good mark and you never know when those people will reappear in your life. Time is better spent when you spend it making other people better. Not that you should do anything with the intention of benefiting you, but it will come back to you in some way.

Take Risks & Don’t Be Afraid To Jump Into Something You Are Not Fully Qualified For.

I’ve heard this one repeatedly from various people – to jump into something that you are not fully ready for as it is where real growth lies. Whenever you feel that you are not growing in a career or being challenged that is when red signals should appear for you to leave and move on. You never want to feel like you are not growing, it’s not good for your brain nor your health. Why spend your life uninspired and not growing when you can feel so alive doing something that allows you to grow and pursue your passion every single day?

Lastly, Have Fun.

So simple, yet we always forget about this one. Sometimes you want something so bad that you forget about the present moment and how precious it is. The process sometimes can be the best part. The part where you figure yourself out, the part where you take action, take risks and where you step forth into the person you’ve never been before. It’s going to be exhilarating and scary all at the same time. Don’t waste your days wishing the moment you’ve been waiting for arrives – it’s already here. Have fun with it and enjoy your time during the process and never take yourself too seriously. The end result is only a fraction of the time you spend in your life, the most important part is who you become during that process and what you do with that time.

Thank you for reading. Hope this will help you as much as it has helped me and continues to help me. Whether you are in your 20’s or not, I believe we can all take something from this at any age. I know that I will.

Until next time,

Memoallure signature

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“You’ve got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It’s called perseverance.” – Lee Iacocca

Motivation for laziness

The Best Way to Change the World is to Change Yourself

by memoallure, posted in Motivation

Your weakness can be your strength. It’s not easy to accept that nor is it easy to see in the moment of struggles. Your misfortunes and weakness’ build character and build a new height of strength — a new level of you. Pain is temporary. Like most things in life. You can get through it by pushing your limits every day to become the most resilient human being you can be.

Focus on where you are and what’s important to you. Yes, life isn’t guaranteed to you and you never know if you will make it to tomorrow, but it is also important to realize that things don’t get built overnight. Life is a repeated events of new seasons, new days, new experiences, new feelings, new beginnings and a new day to accomplish your biggest dream. So, enjoy the journey because each day is a different day to get closer to changing the world. And remember, winning is a process. Continue reading “The Best Way to Change the World is to Change Yourself” →

how to find happiness

Is Opposite of Happiness Boredom?

by memoallure, posted in Motivation

Content is to discontent.

Love is the opposite side of the coin to hate.

Compassion is the opposite of indifference.

But is happiness really the opposite of sadness?

In my view, no. I think the thing that really makes a soul unhappy is boredom. Boredom of doing the same thing everyday, which brings to mind the quote “Insanity is doing the same thing everyday and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein

I am writing this post with some insight from this past weekend. As some of you may know, I got my wisdom teeth out this past weekend. I really could not do anything all weekend. I was bed ridden all weekend including Monday. All I did was watch T.V., eat ice cream and hang out with my boyfriend. I know it might sound somewhat relaxing and nice — but it wasn’t.

“You never want to regret life due to laziness.”

It allowed me to be lazy. I woke up Tuesday morning not having motivation to do anything and all I wanted to do was stay in my bed and watch makeup tutorials all day and probably eat more ice cream.

I was bored all weekend. And I really couldn’t do anything about it due to my circumstance. I wasn’t taking my life by the horns. I was unlively. I was bored and had no motivation to do anything with my life…. Really, I was comfortable. 

Interesting fact I found out recently is that the word boredom wasn’t really used often until the 18th century. No one really knows for sure, but it may be due to the fact that around this time is when real entertainment started to begin and modern novels were becoming big. People started comparing their happiness to the adventure, romance and glamour they could experience through entertainment.

The insight that this brought in today’s world is; politicians need to be entertaining in order to have an audience, we listen to our headphones to entertain us from our commute, and we watch T.V. to alleviate our boredom. But why?

Boredom = Unhappiness.

Politicians need to keep us entertained to keep up with us easily getting bored. We get bored of doing one thing so quickly. You may even have gotten bored reading this at this point. Comment below if you lasted this long!

It’s easier for us to get bored more than ever now. We have so many “entertaining” devices nowadays. We have Netflix, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, video games… the list goes on. These keep us entertained for some time, but it’s like a stimulant – it expires at some point.

We try to stay “happy” by using these stimulants — but for how long and at what cost? I just don’t really believe these entertainment resources are our answers. I think improving ourselves each day and doing things outside of what we normally do is what will alleviate boredom.

What I am trying to say is last weekend I was very unmotivated. I was bored and yet I had no motivation to do anything. I never want to feel like that again. It’s easy to not do anything, to go through life without any aspiration or beliefs. And it is so easy to just sit around eat ice cream and lay around watching T.V. all day. What is not easy is to go after the things you want. To have the courage to know what you want and to go full speed trying to reach your goals. It’s not easy trying to figure out your process or trying to figure out what you really want and your purpose, but each day that you try is another step forward.

Wake Up With a Purpose:

One way to make sure your life is inspiring and full of purpose is to have something you want to wake up for. For me, that is the gym. By going to the gym, I find my inner and outer strength. I get to push all of my limits that my head is so easily trying to convince me I can’t. I have a sick obsession of trying to prove my head wrong.

Find out what is your motivator to wake up each day with a purpose. That could be reading, learning something new, painting, taking pictures, meditating — whatever it is that you enjoy doing, do that.

It’s not easy to wake up and go push yourself out of your limits, but it will always be worth it. We’re not meant to be lazy and uninspiring living creatures. We are meant to inspire and create. I truly and strongly believe we all have a purpose, although, you will never know your purpose if you lay around doing nothing.

You are human, yes you will be attacked and be a victim of boredom, but never stay there for too long. In fact, never stay at one state of mind for too long, unless that is happiness.

En۰dur۰ance (noun): the power to withstand pain or hardship; the ability or strength to continue despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions.

Thank you for reading.

Until next time,

Ozzy

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