just in time for valentine's day, i believe in true love.

i'm quite the cynic when it comes to love. i often say (much to the chagrin of my mom and friends) that i'm never going to find anyone and that i'll wind up a crazy cat lady (i hate cats so this is just unrealistic anyway), but yesterday made me believe in true love like never before.

my mom's parents divorced when she was 11. my beloved grandfather passed away in february of last year. my equally beloved grandmother was diagnosed with leukemia in may. her prognosis wasn't good; doctors gave her through the summer at best. but like the warrior that she was, my grandma made it through the summer and the holiday season. she passed away yesterday peacefully, surrounded by her children and husband. february 6th, 367 days after my grandpa, her ex husband.

jane adelaide froman tiedeman was one of the best people i've ever encountered. she was independent, ferociously passionate about everything she did, and tremendously loving. she was also brilliant, and could offer the most perceptive advice even if she didn't know the whole story.

the short time since my grandfather died and my grandma got sick has given me the opportunity to consider what love is: what it means, what it looks like, and most of all, the power it has. i know that my grandparents loved each other up until the days they each died. maybe not in the same way that they did when they were married or when they fell in love in high school, but they did love each other. and that love makes me feel a little better about them passing so close together. i find solace in the image of them being together, watching down on me for eternity. i am grateful that i had them for 20/21 years, and i know they will continue to influence my life everyday.

true love always prevails.

"love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous;

love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly;

it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

love never fails...but now faith, hope, love, abide these three;

but the greatest of these is love."

it's all worth it

i'm a major proponent of public education.

i've actually decided to devote my life and career to figuring out ways to fix it.

the most effective way i've found thus far to ease the troubles our public education system faces is by working with kids one-on-one. i participate in a mentorship program through my university, and so for the past year i've been mentoring a little girl named monica.

monica attends a school in a very rough area of oakland. the school is surrounded by dilapidated houses and dangerous looking people in the streets. but the school is incredible. the teachers and administrators put so much effort into changing the lives of their students. it inspires me to challenge myself to be better and put forth more of myself to help.

monica is so fun and i absolutely love working with her. she was very shy at first but after a few visits she warmed up to me. in the beginning i would help her with her reading (because english is not her first language) and math, but now she's acing tests and doing incredibly well.

this afternoon, i was swinging on the swingset with monica and she turns to me and says

"jordan, now i wanna go to college!"

that's what it's all about. that's why i devote the hours i do

and that's why i can't stop smiling now.

it only takes a spark.

some friday morning pinspiration

i could seriously pin all day.

the above come from my words to live by board.

if you're not on pinterest yet, go right now. immediately.

and prepare to spend the rest of your friday oohing and ahhing

reflections on happiness.

Yesterday I woke up to an email from dear ol' dad. He knows how much I swoon over a good quote, and I smiled so much when I read the following:

“A person will be just about as happy as they make up their mind to be."

-Abe Lincoln

Taking accountability for my own happiness is something I've been working on lately. I used to get so worked up over little things and never owned up to the responsibility of making things better for myself. If someone made me mad or sad, it was their fault, not mine. I never took charge of fixing my own mood.

Nowadays, I'm challenging myself to be the boss of being happy.

And it's working.

I am taking ownership of doin' me and making myself happy.

Have a very happy day

:)

I won an awesome give away!

You guys, I'm so excited to have won Christine's Project Have Hope give away!

If you know me well, you know that I never win anything. Seriously. At Sober Grad Night after high school graduation (where everyone is guaranteed a prize) I didn't win a single. thing. The entire night. Nothing. So I'm very excited to have won my first blog give away!

What is most special about this give away is that it comes from such an amazing organization. From PHH's website:

"Project Have Hope works with a group of 100 women in the Acholi Quarter of Uganda and helps them transform their lives and the lives of their families. Through the sale of their beautiful, handmade paper bead jewelry, the women can feed their families, send their children to school, and look forward to a richer future."

There's nothing I love more than community-focused empowerment and action, so I feel like I won double with this. I am getting some awesome hand-made paper products AND I found a fantastic organization to support.

I recommend you check out Project Have Hope's website. They also have a fundraising program for people here in the states to support families in Uganda.

Such a great way to start my week. Hope you're all having a happy Monday!

On the Healthy Living Soapbox

The other day my best friend demanded that I teach her my healthy living ways. Now, I’m the first to admit I wasn’t always so healthy. Up until around January, working out was something I had to do because it was necessary if I wanted to lose weight. That’s the mindset that I began my fitness journey with. Jordan, don’t have that cookie! You’re never gonna lose weight if you have it. Jordan, get your booty to the gym! How do you ever expect to lose weight if you’re this lazy?!

But then something happened. Some inner working I had been longing for finally clicked, and exercise and healthy eating became something I got to do, rather than had to do. And that’s when the weight finally started coming off. I exercised everyday because it made me feel good, and I ate healthy because I needed powerful fuel to get me through my work outs.

And I’ve continued this healthy lifestyle. People comment on my weight loss a lot, and while I am excited about fitting into old clothes and looking in the mirror and thinking “Damn girl!,” I’m mostly excited that I’ve become fully committed to making healthy life choices. And I figure if I can inspire one person to do the same, my purpose is fulfilled.

So, that’s what brings me to this blog post: what is it specifically that I love about exercise and healthy eating? This was a question I hadn’t really pondered, aside from the broad “I like the way it makes me feel.” In true Happy List fashion, I’ve compiled a list of the reasons why I have become nearly obsessive with health and wellness:

1. I love getting creative about my meals. My mom always keeps the kitchen stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, and I love being able to put them together. Last week I had egg whites with avocado, spinach, and tomatoes, and last night I made myself tomato and carrot juice. Eating only fresh foods allows me to make colorful and healthy combinations.
2. That feeling when you think your heart might pound out of your chest? I live for it. I love challenging my body and finding out it is capable of doing things I never would have guessed. If someone told me 6 months ago that I would be running regularly (and loving it), I would have laughed in their faces. But now I am addicted to the adrenaline rush. Runner’s high is such a true thing.
3. It helps me sleep. My mom has terrible insomnia, and in the fall I was getting early hints of it—not being able to sleep longer than an hour, sleeping the whole night but waking up exhausted—but when I’m jammin’ on my exercise and eating healthy routine, I sleep soundly through the night.
4. “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” Enough said.
5. I feel good about myself.

So there you have it. I'm so happy with the changes I've made, and I definitely wouldn't have been able to make them without the inspiration of the blogging community. :)

Time for some exercise!

if i were engaged...

...i would choose this little number to wear on my special day.

some inspiration

Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.

-Leroy Satchel Paige

Finals will end. I will get home. I will be tan, rested, and happy.

I will not give up.

And I will be thankful for the good and the bad,

because it all teaches me something.

**low quality iPhone picture of the actual happy list.

Coming full circle, you know.

Words to Live By

I've been wandering around the blogosphere the past couple of days, and I've stumbled upon some amazing people. One of them is Angela from Oh She Glows. She's the woman who invented the Green Monster, and for that I am eternally grateful! As I was poking around her blog, I found a quote that really resonated with me:

“You can do anything, but not everything.”

~David Allen

Something very important for me to keep in mind these next few weeks with research papers and finals on the horizon!

be well.