“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” -Charles R. Swindoll

Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Life lessons of Summer, Entry 1

Its days like today I’m reminded why I love where I live.

See, today was not your typical summer day in Los Angeles. I woke up and could not find the sun. The clouds and gloom of the morning were hiding it. This could have frustrated some, probably those who were not born and raised in the city of angels, however, I saw the lack of sun as a positive thing-a much needed break from the heat and a chance to adventure out and explore a section of the city. This desire to get out and do something took me the Beverly Hills.

Life is simple and graceful, eating should be, too. Enter Lemonade.

I lunched at Lemonade on Beverly and was reminded of how simple good food can be. (FYI: Lemonade is the name of the restaurant, not to be confused with the refreshing, summertime classic drink) I munched on sweet potatoes and pistachios (weird, but oh so delicious combination) and fresh kale with lightly seared ahi tuna slices. Yum, yum yum. Adding to the perfection that was the meal was a large Arnold-Palmer made with ginger peach lemonade. This place (http://www.lemonadela.com/locations/beverly-boulevard-) knows how to do lunch right and I can’t wait to explore more of their locations

As the clocked ticked closer to noon, the sun emerged. Summer continued. It happened quickly, with no warning. In that moment I was reminded of how quickly life seems to go by. So, it was at Lemonade on Beverly that I decided I am just going to let life happen. I’m not going to try and plan every moment of every day because life is as ever changing as a day in July. One moment it’s gloomy, and in an instant the sun comes out.

Anticipation

Anticipating a vacation is almost as exciting as the actual trip. I love planning. Toying with various itineraries, spending hours talking and day-dreaming about possibilities and packing makes even a dull day, one of wonder and joy. There are no limits as to what our minds can imagine. It is this idea, that gets me through writing papers, taking tests and spending time in the gym to get in French-women-don't-get-fat shape.

The word anticipation can be used again to describe the feeling of my quickly approaching graduation from college. I find myself often thinking, time really does fly. Each day goes quicker than the last, swiftly disappearing into a memory. Because of this, I have come to the recent conclusion that I want to focus the direction of this blog more on the daily life of me, the writer. Why now make this decision? My favorite blog, cupcakes&cashmere has shown me how exploration and reflection on our daily lives can prove to be beautiful.

So you want to learn to surf?

It all starts out innocently enough. You get the idea to surf...just to try it out (and just for the record, this is the point I'm at, seeing as I have only been surfing a couple of times). But I have this dream. See, I've heard the more you do it, the better you get, and the more you like it. Finally, it gets to the point that when the waves are good, you're calling in sick to work or school and ditching life's responsibilities. Then it all depends on the waves. Good Waves = calling in sick to work, ETC. Finally, you lose your job. You get fired. You fail your classes. You move into a VW van, because you don't make enough money to live in a house/apartment. You go to Mexico, in your van, because it's cheaper to live, and the waves are better. It's a downward spiral, but you're the one who wants to surf. So, although I don't plan on giving up my possessions and moving to Mexico anytime soon, I am very interested in become a still-functioning-in-the-real-world surf bum. Details on my journey toward this goal coming soon.

"Discovering this idyllic place, we find ourselves filled with a yearning to linger here, where time stands still and beauty overwhelms."

Hot yoga is more than a trend.

Yoga, an ancient art form rooted in spirituality, has channeled to the forefront of culture through a resurging interest in esoteric new-age thinking. While most "new-age" trends are vacuous of any genuine philosophy, yoga is an exception. My new obsession is hot vinyasa yoga. Going through the poses, you're forced to let go of your need for control. It's a personal experience that puts you in touch with your self as you recognize your own limits and work to push beyond them. When used for personal health maintenance, Vinyasa Yoga is the ultimate cross training system, with low impact movement, aerobic, and muscle toning benefits. In class, you will literally sweat more than you ever have in your entire life in one 90 minute session. Every class repeats the same sequence with standing warm ups and proceeding through four vinyasa flows in 105 degrees and 60% humidity. So, why put yourself through such a hot challenge?

Immersing yourself in hot yoga practice is said to:

• release toxins
• improve flexibility and range of motion
• increase weight loss
• develop muscle tone
• build the immune system

Everything from stamina to skin appearance have been reported as improved among the faithful adherents to the discipline. Hot yoga additionally yields the benefit of increased metabolism, fat burning, and improved flexibility. This practice is about uniting the mind, body, and spirit for the purposes of greater health and wellness. Yoga in a warm room provides a unique challenge to the mind and body while rewarding the efforts with results more quickly than other modalities. Inches can disappear off your body with regular practice and tone will be developed. For the healthy participant, hot yoga is safe, fun, and effective while also being challenging, relaxing, and freeing. Adding heat not only has an impact on the work of the mind and body, but it requires the spirit to engage and provide the strength to endure.

(Before going to a hot yoga class, make sure you have drank LITERS of water! During the class continue hydration and end class with more H2O and some electrolytes)