What Have I Been Up to Lately..??

In case you haven't noticed the increased amount of radio silence, lately...

I have been one busy girl!

Since April, I've:

- bought a new computer (!)
- installed/been playing around with Photoshop
- been practicing more drawing
- uploaded some drawings and am digitally coloring them! (so fun and exciting!)
- been working on some secret things!
- GIVEN THIS BLOG A MAKEOVER (Have you seen?! Do you like?!)

I've been implementing small changes here and there on my home on the web, but this weekend, I especially took some time to make myself cross-eyed, staring at so much coding.

Whew.

I think I may have *finally* gotten it to a place that I'm 90% pleased with.. But there's still that small 10% that isn't quite so satisfied, and probably never will be! (Bah!)


But yes...

If you're reading this, and happen to find yourself with some spare time, please do take a look around and CLICK on everything clickable that you see! Please tell me if everything works!

And most exciting of all.. Do you see that last little item on my top menu bar? The one that says "SHOP"...???

Part of the secret things I've been secretly working on!

All still in the 'planning' stages, mind you, but I'm trying.



Stay tuned.

 

G.

Always Keep Fighting

I've been debating with myself whether or not I want to post this, but here goes...

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably already heard/read by now the story behind this t-shirt designed by actor Jared Padalecki. Proceeds from the sale of it went to benefit To Write Love on Her Arms, a charity that works to raise awareness for depression, anxiety, addiction, and self harm.

Jared himself has recently been very vocal about his own struggles with depression, (in case you haven't already read about the lovely candle tribute the fans recently gifted him with at SDCC2015, check it out right now!)

Some people, (like him), choose to be open about this stuff.. other people, (like me), not so much. And it's okay! I don't think there's anything wrong with choosing either option. It all depends on how you feel about it.  I've never been one who can easily admit when I'm having problems, (much  less speak about them in detail to others..), but I have to admit that sometimes it IS necessary, and it DOES help!

Anxiety and depression seem to go hand in hand, and they've both played a part in my life for some time now. I used to get really bad panic attacks, but I'm happy to report that I think I've finally learned how to control them, and I haven't felt one surface in a long time - *knocks on wood*
But I still get anxious in other ways, and my body is highly sensitive to stress - (which rears it's ugly head literally most of the time, haha). But I've been trying to find new ways to deal. 

The best and most important practice that I've learned is self acceptance. Being kind to yourself. 

If you ask your friends/family members, I can guarantee that most, if not all, have had similar experiences with stressful life moments, or struggle with these things on a daily basis as well. NOBODY enjoys it, but on the bright side, it means that nobody is in this alone.

A close friend of mine recently got hit with some crappy life stuff, and she opened up to me about it. And since I, myself, have also been having a rough time these past couple of weeks, (the day I took the photo above was especially crappy, for lots of reasons. Ugh!), I decided to open up to her as well. She said something to me that nobody had ever said before, and it ended up becoming one of the best compliments I've ever received.

Do you know what she said?

She called me "STRONG".

It's a word that I've never really thought of myself as.  I mean, I've always longed to fit it, but I never really thought that I did.

But you know what? I am strong. I can overcome stressful times and things. I can and will keep fighting. 

And YOU can, and should, too.

So thank you Jared Padalecki, for caring enough to inspire us all by showing us we all battle with demons from time to time, and it's okay, so long as you don't let them win ;)


Always Keep Fighting!

 

G.

 

Six Ways to Deal with Mean People: a Guide for Sensitive Beings

The other day was tough.  While at work, I encountered a customer who gave me a long verbal beating when I wouldn't give in to her demands, (because they were against policy)... I mean, it just came out of nowhere and escalated quickly and left me feeling drained!

If you've ever worked in retail, or in any job where you have to provide some form of customer service and speak to people, then you know how rough it can be to deal with these super rude/loud/entitled types of folks. You also know how tricky it can be to navigate a situation like this. Thankfully, they only come around once in a while. And when they do, you don't have to let the encounter ruin the rest of your day!

I am by no means an expert advice-giver, and I can't say that I was able to completely get over the situation right away. Honestly, it did make me upset. I have always been a sensitive person. When I was in kindergarten, a rude little boy called me "ugly" at recess and I pretty much cried about it the rest of the day. Things like this can make a lasting impression on sensitive people! But I'm trying to work on being tougher. It's a process, but here are some ways to deal:

1. Detach, Detach, Detach

Do NOT, under any circumstances, attach your personal feelings to anything the rude person is saying. You don't know them, and more importantly, they don't know you. So if they try to insult you by saying something that starts with "you" such as "you don't know how to do your job right", it does NOT make it true. So don't let yourself believe them for even one second. Shield up.

2. Remember to breathe

When the verbal tirade starts, it's easy to lose focus on where you are and what you're doing because you're trying to listen to the customer. You may even forget to breathe properly - so if you're able to walk away, or wait until they finish their tantrum and leave, take a deep breath. Then another.

3. Remember "Karma" is on your side

If the encounter happens while you're at your job, then you know it's impossible to allow yourself to lose your cool and return the rudeness back, (even though you might really want to!) Don't get in trouble. If you are able to stay as calm as possible and remain courteous, then that makes YOU the better person. You are the one giving respect. They are the ones giving negativity - Not to sound cheesy, but honestly: the universe will return that to them one day! Whatever you put out is what you get back. Trust.

4. Vent

You should, of course, inform your supervisors of what went down (if they don't already know - hopefully they were beside you helping diffuse the situation anyways). But save the venting for your BFF/significant other/cat. For me, my mom is always ready to listen when I get home. Cleanse your insides of the grime that built up! If no one is available to lend an ear, another great thing is to let it all out on paper. Grab your journal or any blank sheet of paper and let loose! And when you're done, slam the book shut, or rip up the paper and throw it away! It's no longer a part of you!

5. Don't think about it anymore

Once you've let it all out on paper, or told the tale to someone who loves you and is on your side, turn your mind to other things! What's the number one thing that would make you so happy in that moment? Getting started on that new painting? Listening to your favorite album? Popping in your favorite dvd and consuming copious amounts of chocolate? Do it. After I got home that day, I watched X-Men: Days of Future Past and nibbled on a chocolate bar and it turned the rest of the day around! Another thing you can try that is guaranteed to take your mind off of ANYthing is crochet or knitting. I recently started learning crochet, and the intense amount of focus it takes to keep the correct count of stitches you make at all times is kind of insane. It makes you forget everything. And of course, there's always reading. Escape somewhere else and become a different person for a little while. Let your hurt feelings heal in peace.

And finally,

6. Remember that it could always be worse.

If all else fails, at least try to remember that there are people in the world who go through much worse situations in their lives than you are when dealing with a mean person. Let the meanie put on their show. It's only temporary. Soon they'll be finished and out of your face and you can go about the rest of your day. Be thankful for the positive things you've got going in that moment, (make a mental list!), and move on.


I hope that was helpful.

What are some of your tips for dealing with rude strangers?