Day 77 - Make an effort to mend a rift in a friendship.

Friendship is paramount to me; I cherish my friends, & will bend over backwards for them. For me friendship is one of the most treasured things in life. After all, friends love you at your worst, understand your past, believe in your future, & accept you today just the way you are. Friends are angels sent from heaven to catch you when you fall, speak when words are needed, & to share the silence when they are not.

In life, every single relationship you will have will require work; whether it be family, romantic, or friendship. There will always be hard times & good times, it's easy to enjoy the good times but when someone’s there for you through the bad – that’s true friendship. It basically comes down to you deciding whether working on that relationship is worth it or not.

According to one of my favorite philosophers of all time, Aristotle, there are three types of friendships throughout our lifetime: friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure, & friendships of the good.

I.                   Friends of Utility also known as friends of usefulness exist between you & someone who is useful to you in some way or the other. For instance, perhaps you’re friendly with your co-worker in the office next to yours because he helps you figure out the printer when it jams, or you keep in contact with that single girl from your study group because when you have no one else to go out with you know she's always accessible. Basically you scratch my back & I'll scratch yours; business partners, co-workers, & classmates often fit into this category.

II.                Next there's Friendships of Pleasure better known as friendships of mutual interests, they exist between those whose company you enjoy. The foundation of this friendship is a similar interest; in example sharing the same hobby such as painting, going for long bike rides, or gym buddies. This is the kind of person in which you enjoy a little chit-chat or a good joke. You& this person share a common enjoyment, & that's where your friendship is ingrained. If you lose interest in that common pleasure, there's a big possibility the friendship will end.

III.             Finally, saving the best for last, there's Friendships of the Good, better known as friendships of virtue. These types of friendships are based on mutual respect& admiration; they are usually the types of friendships that take longer to build than the other two kinds -- but they're also more powerful & enduring. You value one another as individuals, enjoy each other’s company& share similar values & goals. You are their friend, not for how they can benefit you or how they can bring you gratification, but simply because you are fond of them. This is definitely the highest form of friendship.

If you have a friendship of asset, you must realize it's hard to come about & you should work hard at maintaining it. They say that mending a rift in a friendship requires courage, honesty, & understanding; I agree to a certain extent, but the way I see it is that it's as simple as -- letting go of your pride.

The older I've gotten, I've learned that it is better to lose your pride with someone you love rather than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride. If I'm wrong, I admit I'm wrong because I don't want to be one of those people whose pride overtakes their happiness. I've had a friend whom I have been on a rocky foundation with for the last month or so. She recently ended things with her boyfriend & contacted me to apologize & say she missed me, I of course didn't reply because my thoughts were instantly 'friendship of utility'. Today, I decided to step up & let her know how I felt; we ended up mending our friendship & it felt nice knowing that I'm not being prideful or boastful, rather doing what I do best & being loving. You can't expect everyone to treat you how you treat them, but you can give them love from afar & not let their lack of enthusiasm affect you.

Today, be the bigger person & mend a rift in a friendship – especially if it's a friendship of high merit. Even if it's not, forgive that person, show them your peace & love so that you can move on with joy & happiness in your heart rather than arrogance. It will feel great in the long run & you'll know that as you travel along this path called life, you won't be leaving any feelings of regret, negativity, or pride behind you. ♥

“No one can make you feel inferior without your

consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. ♥

Day 76 - Drink eight glasses of water.

I've always been big on drinking water, even as a child I preferred water or juice over soda any day (I know – I was a weird kid). Many people don't realize the benefits that drinking water every day brings. Did you know that your body is made up of about 70% of water? Your brain alone is made up of 90% water & it does not function well unless it's hydrated.

In order for our bodies to function properly we need to drink enough water to make up for the amount of water our bodies release daily; your body loses water every time you breath, sweat, use the restroom, etc. Water hydrates & lubricates every cell & organ in your body, it also fights fatigue, surges your metabolism, plumps up the skin, & keeps headaches away.

For some people, like my mother for example, drinking water is torture because they absolutely despise the taste of ‘nothing’. Luckily for them, some foods such as celery, tomatoes, soups, & different types of melon are rich in fluid & help you obtain the water that your body requires.

During the week while at work I am excellent about drinking water & I usually drink at least a gallon of water a day without even trying; my trick to drinking so much water is, I buy the biggest water bottle of Evian from my local grocery store which is 1.5 Liters. Knowing that 1 Gallon contains 4 Liters, I make it a point to drink at least 3 bottles a day which is a little over a gallon. Don't get me wrong, some days I drink less & some days I'm like a fish & drink more, but it's all about getting your body used to it.

It’s funny because I’ve noticed the more water I drink the thirstier I get. The reason for that is that your body gets used to being quenched & once it reaches a normal intake, it desires more. Today I drank over 8 glasses of water & as always felt great; you should try doing the same & reap the benefits of drinking more water.

The following are 3 reasons you might want to opt and drink more H2O on a daily basis:

·         Drinking water has been proven by doctors to help withweight loss; although water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss it is more filling than any other beverage & is zero calories. Not to mention, when most people get hungry & get the urge to eat, your body is actually just thirsty & will be satisfied with a glass of water instead of that sweet snack you might want to grab that will go straight to your thighs.

·         In taking water boosts your energy levels & relieves fatigue; since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you focus & concentrate better, it also helps you be more alert.

·         Water improves your skin complexion by moisturizing your skin, keeping it fresh, soft, glowing & smooth. Another plus – it helps reduce wrinkles & is proven to be the best anti-aging treatment around.

Who wouldn't drink something that makes you beautiful, skinny, & healthy?? Next time you’re thirsty, go for some water, even if it's not 8 glasses, a little is better than none!!♥

Day 75 - Bake your favorite cookies, and share.

For those of you who know me, I am a cookie monster; in fact, I'd choose dessert over an actual meal any day of the week. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that this deed made me joyful, because not only did I have to do one of my favorite things – baking, but, I also got to eat one of my favorite things – brownies.

I decided instead of baking cookies, I would bake cookie dough brownies; they were part cookie dough so they should count as cookies and mostly because I really wanted one for myself. Lol.

I spent my entire Sunday evening slaving away in the kitchen baking while drinking wine – horrible night I know ;). The results were delicious; my family begged for them to be able to eat all of them and for me not to take any to my co-workers.  I of course objected and brought some into work this morning. My co-workers were delightedly stunned and the brownies were gone within 10 minutes.

I love pleasing others so it was nice to not only bring a smile to my families face but to also bring a smile to my co-workers on the most dreaded day of the week – Monday. I encourage everyone to make something sweet this week and share with whomever your heart desires you to share with; I promise it will make you happy you did so. Not to mention, who doesn’t love a baking/wine night?♥