Pieces Of Ashley

It is very important for people to have positivity in their life. I know I talk about topics like this a lot, but it is only because I like encouraging others. You never know what someone is going through in everyday life. Sometimes we all need a little boost of support.  Helping Someone Shine Will Not Dim Your Light It’s good to support each other, that does not mean you will have a bad reputation for doing so. It doesn’t mean that you will not succeed in in everything you want to accomplish.  You are good enough  Do not let anyone tell you that you are not enough. If someone tries to belittle you and lower your self esteem, that means that they are going through something. Do not entertain their negativity energy, they feed of that.  You matter  You matter and you are loved! Don’t ever think that someone does not care about you because they do care. If you are around a great support system keep them close. You are important!  ...

A new year equals a fresh start, to do things the right way. So you have learned from your mistakes and life lessons taught you what to do differently this time around. I’m not an expert on life and I’m still figuring out my own. This isn’t me giving you advice, it’s just us group of friends talking. What this means is that I am going to be completely honest with you. You have the opportunity to change your story if you didn’t like the previous chapter. With that being said you should let go of any negative energy that followed you into this year. If you’re around toxic energy, that can have a major impact on your life. Sometimes we’re afraid of change and because of this we stay in our comfort zone. This is very understandable trust me, I’m talking to myself in this post too. When you are comfortable in a situation you think that, this is all you need. In any relationship you have, whether it’s with your significant others or friends you need to pay attention to who is in you...

A lot of people talk about the negative side of Instagram, but maybe you’re just looking in the wrong places. Do not get me wrong, I see the negatives on Instagram sometimes but I know it’s not all bad. A lot of times you may have to search for positive people and or posts. While on Instagram I find that three accounts always get me inspired when I’m just not feeling the best. So I decided to share them with you.  Mimi Ikonn I’ve been following  Mimi  for some years now on Instagram. She co-founded Luxy Hair with her sister Leyla years ago. But now she and her sister have moved on to new chapters in their lives. But anyway if you’re ever feeling down, just go to her account and you will be left feeling more positive. She is so inspiring and encouraging to others and gives you a different perspective on life you may not have known. Her words of wisdom helps you become more motivated to take on the world, it is refreshing. Yesterday she started the #mimisquat...

  I'm all for equality, it's something I strongly believe in. When you're younger, things aren't quite as complicated. Before  I continue, this is my opinion and how I feel. Everything is pretty simple and everyone looks at one another as the same. It's when you become an adult that things aren't quite as clear. Like many other kids when I was growing up, I didn't really see how sexist, racist, homophobic and judgmental this world really is.   No one should have to be afraid to show some skin, because it might give someone the "wrong" idea. Just because someone wears revealing clothing does not give people the right to take advantage of them. That doesn't give people the right to make them feel uncomfortable like they've done something wrong, no means no. Why is it that women have to be labeled as weak? Why can't a women do a "mans job" better than him? Wake up people it's the 21st century, a place where women have...

Remember when you were younger and you had like one hundred friends and by the time you reached adulthood you were lucky to have at least three real ones. Friends are a tricky situation and when you're little you have no idea what adulthood is really like. Honestly friends are hard to find, well at least in my opinion. I feel like you have to climb the biggest mountain in order to find a friend that's honest, loyal and respects you. If you have a friend with these qualities, consider yourself lucky.    Does friendships even have the same meaning anymore? I mean whatever happened to going to the movies or having slumber parties and painting each other's nails. I understand people take different paths in life, obviously it's apart of growing up. But when you don't keep in touch and everyone is busy, you wonder is the friendship even there. I remember being a senior in high school and I would hear people say, 95% of the people you're in school with you'...

No girl should be compared to another. No girl is better than the other. I've always said If I could inspire one person, that would complete a goal of mine. This choice was out of the blue, but I also thought long and hard about. You're probably saying hurry up already, so I'll just say it. I recently created a twitter page besides the one I already have. I almost gave up, but if you want something you have to work hard for it. As you all know Twitter can be a big problem with creating usernames, because all of them seem to have been taken. I came up with a lot of names, but when I searched for them users already had them. Some of them haven't even been on since a few years ago. But I guess this was my challenge. This was my test to see if I would give up.  So I kept searching and searching, then I realized I wanted to create a hashtag. Just like a username hashtags are just as hard. You have to be original, bring something new, something fresh and something di...

  Whether you're stressing out or feeling down, it's important to stay positive throughout the year. I know when I'm stress, I get really anxious. Then my whole mood gets ruined and I get upset. But whether you have anxiety or not stress happens to everyone. At least that's what I thought. So I decided to share some ways to help stay positive and experience less stress for the year. These are things that help me and hopefully they help you too. Now I've mentioned some of these in other posts, but that just shows how much I find these ways a must try.   Writing In A Journal   Writing has become a habit that I've enjoyed. This blog has helped me become a better writer. If you don't blog, writing in a journal is just as good. I remember when I was younger I used to have so many diaries. Especially if you enjoy creative writing, a journey is perfect. One day I want to write an ebook, so I'm working on that.    Drawing I know for drawing make...

  I really don't know how to start this off, but I guess the title is self explanatory. Anyone with anxiety knows the struggle, whether you deal with it daily or sometimes. I'm not an expert so this isn't an advice post. Everyone has different experiences with how they deal with anxiety but this is something we all have in common. Anxiety can be caused by a number of things, one of them being stress. Although there are tips to manage stress unfortunately it will always be there. Sometimes I feel like my mind is always going a hundred miles per hour. I am always overthinking about the craziest things. But I can't help it and sometimes I just cry about. People who don't understand think it's all made up but it's reality. Well at least the rest of us. If I don't make sense, I apologize in advance. I use to handle pressure pretty well. It's like I thrived from it and my adrenaline fed off of it. For example, I'm a procrastinator. Although not ne...

  Life isn't just about the finer things. Most of the times it's not the big things in life, that are special. For me I cherish the simple things in life more. I mean it's nice to indulge in a lavish lifestyle, who wouldn't enjoy that. But it's more important to appreciate the little things!  Tomorrow is Monday and everyone's favorite day to dislike. Trust I get Mondays are hectic and stressful, but it's important to stay positive throughout the week. I remember hearing someone say, "When you're in a bad mood first thing in the morning that will affect the whole day". Well I didn't believe this, but as I got older it was proven to be true. You're probably thinking what does this have to do with "The Simple Things In Life". But by the end of this you will find out.     Everyone is going through a tough time, whether you know the person or not. Some people need words of encouragement or friend to talk to. That's wha...

T hanksgiving isn't always about the food, although I enjoy that's not the main purpose. Sometimes the meaning gets lost and people forget. I have a lot of reasons to be thankful and as a quick disclaimer for you, the use of the word thankful will be seen multiple times in this post. I'm thankful to be alive and I'm truly grateful. There are many people that don't get the chance to say that. Even though I have moments where I'm upset or angry or sad, I stop to think about how thankful I am. I am blessed to have a roof over my head and clothes to wear. I'm also thankful I have food to eat. But then I stop to think about the people who don't have these things and it makes me very sad. No one deserves to be homeless and without clothes to wear and food to eat. Just thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes. To be honest even when it's not Thanksgiving, I think about things like this a lot.   Sometimes I feel guilty when I complain about not ...

  So many things have happened and it's making me reflect on my life as a person. Although this world is filled with negativity and darkness, but there is a "light at the end of the tunnel". Life is so precious and should not be taken for granted. Instead of looking at the negative things in life, I should start appreciating the positive things more. I want to life to the fullest, enjoying my family and the friends I've made along the way. I guess this is me trying to look at the bigger picture. You know looking outside of the box and being more open minded to the new things. Well I struggle with this so it's going to take me some time to do this. But like I've said before, I'm a work in progress and I for one am not perfect. I'm afraid of change and that's something I have to get use too. Life is constantly evolving whether I like it or not. So instead of fighting it I'm going to try and embrace it. I'm growing up and it's min...

  I'm not an expert on happiness or how to live a stress free life. But I can only pass on words of wisdom and encouragement. When you're at your lowest don't think for once, that's it. Things will get better, you just have to believe in yourself when no one else will. You're probably saying, why is she talking about this. My answer would be, because sometimes there is someone in the world that needs motivation. Sometimes people need a friend or shoulder to cry on. That's why it is good to have family and friends that love and support you! It's good to be around positive energy. There are so many times we doubt ourselves and the good things we can accomplish. I said we because I feel the same way sometimes. If you're not feeling down but you know someone who is, be there for them. Listen to them and the things they tell you. You never know, you just might be their light in this darkness.   I think as I get older I'm becoming more wiser. I...

  For me a new week equals a fresh start and I believe we all should feel like this. In the past I did not understand why people would say this, but I get it now. Don't dwell on the week before especially if it wasn't a good one. I feel like the negativity should be left in the past. Sometimes the negative vibes, whether it's the people around you or the environment can cause unnecessary stress. Remove yourself from this and you will feel a lot better trust me! I'm not a morning person but I find that waking up a few minutes early helps. I can feel the eye rolls I'm getting. But seriously if you take those few minutes to adjust and to take some deep breaths, you might feel better.   Monday's are the most toughest days, because everyone's starting to get back to normal from the weekend. It also seems like one of the longest. I remember when I was in high school the mood I was in, always showed on my face. But now that I'm older I look at as a re ...

The past few days have been an eye opener as well as a wake up call for me. When I was a kid I didn't realize all of the negativity that was in this world. But now as an adult I realized I was naïve to believe there was only good in this world. But I was oblivious to the negative behavior of others, until I experienced it first hand. It's crazy how after all these years people are still judgmental. I realized that life is almost like a superhero movie. There's always the hero and than there's a villain. I know the world can't always be rainbows and unicorns, but people deserve happiness. They deserve to feel like they matter instead of constantly feeling ignored.   Ignorance is the toxic we are dealing with. How can someone tell another person how to deal with an issue. Have you gone through it, if not who are you to say what they should and should not feel. It's too much hate in this world and I'm trying to figure out a way to stop it. But no matter ...

  Life can throw us more than we can handle. But it's important to stay positive. There are so many things that try to break us down like: negative people and situations or environments. It's ok to remove yourself from those situations. When you're near a toxic surrounding that sometimes affects your overall mood and the way you act. If that happens you should take a step back and re-evaluate your life.    I understand finding motivation and happiness can be hard, but it is possible. Do stuff that makes you happy whether it's: drawing, painting, writing, taking photos, singing or playing sports do it. For me I like to listen to music I feel relaxed and calm. Like I've said before remove yourself from people who affect your life in a negative way. That's just not good at all. You deserve to be around people who love you and care for you the same way you do about them. Choose who you want in your life wisely. These days it can be hard finding someone who ...

  Has there ever been a time where you felt unworthy? Unworthy of someone loving and caring for you. Have you ever disliked yourself so much, to the point where you would go into a dark place? I ask these questions not to necessarily get an answer back, but to let you know this happens to a lot of people. Self love is so important and everyone should feel good about themselves. Unfortunately in today's world that isn't the case at all. Society puts a label on what people should and should not look that. People judge one another 24 hours, 7 days a week and it's wrong. I've wanted to write this for a while now, but sometimes it's difficult. You don't want to offend anyone, but you also want to bring awareness to this topic. I'm not an expert on how to love yourself, but I do know what it's like to not have confidence. I know what it feels like to not think you're good enough, even when people tell you that you are.    I use to think I was I wa...

1. Not everyone liked me I was the kind of person who wanted to be liked. I mean I'm a nice, so why wouldn't anyone like me. I was completely clueless. You don't have to do anything wrong, there are just people that do not like you. As I got older I accepted that and I'm fine. 2. Everyone was not my friend   When I was a kid I thought everyone was my friend, until I entered middle school. From there it pretty much went left in high school. I went from believing I had "a lot" of friends to not having nothing, but a handful. I was confused about this, but I learned my lesson. 3. Losing friends isn't bad   When entering high I didn't think I would loose friends. Let's just say I was naive. But I guess that's because I would make better friends in the long run. I accepted the fact that I lost them. But for awhile I didnt understand why. I was the type of friend that was there. But I guess they didn't feel the same. You know...

  School never really prepares you for adulthood. I think that's why people feel stuck after high school. Do I think high school was a waste? No, but if they would have added classes or programs to help assist us for the real world, it would've been helpful. I mean don't get me wrong. I learned how to read, write, and do math; but what about other things like writing a resume or practicing for an interview. To be honest I used being in high school as a security blanket. I relied on school to help me for the real world, but I guess that wasn't suppose to happen. I actually set myself up for a big disappointment. I didn't think being an adult was easy, but I wasn't expecting a struggle.  Everyone goes through different paths in life. We all fight through obstacles, but sometimes I can't help but think about my childhood/teenage years. Everything was pretty much easy, with the exception  of the normal high school drama. I didn't really enjoy high s...

  It's always hard dealing with change, trust me I know. If you knew me, you would realize that it is hard for me to accept change. I like for things to stay the same, but I have come to realize that it's ok for life to evolve. Change is good if it's a positive one. My life is changing, the things I want to do are changing, and I am really excited. The word change still scares me though; although I feel differently now I feel a little scared inside. Maybe I'm scared of the changes around me. My personality has stayed the same, but maybe it wont fit with the change. Overall, good things can come from change.   I've learned that you can't let change stop you from going after a dream or a goal. There were a few opportunities I didn't take, because I was afraid of the possible change or affect it would have. Our world is constantly changing, people are changing and if these things are positive why should I be afraid. Part of life is about changing and t...

Feeling the blues on hump day? You're not the only one. I try to stay positive, but sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in. It's like you have so many things to do, but not enough time. It's so easy to loose confidence in yourself when things do not go as plan. Believe me I know, all I can say is keep trying. You're probably saying, "That's easier said, then done". I get it; I feel the exact same way, but having a negative vibe is not a good thing either. Having negative feelings can really crumble the whole day. For example, when I was in high school I would get up in a sad mood. That was the worst feeling ever. Everyday it was the same, instead of trying to find the good I was always thinking negative. Every morning I felt like I was closed in. The school work wasn't my problem, it was the people in it. I felt like no one liked me and my self-esteem was not great. I did have a few friends I talked to, but that wasn't enough. I felt ...