Life Lessons from "A Work In Progress" and "In Real Life"

For so many years now I have been obsessed with YouTube and the content creators on the site called "YouTubers" many people don't understand why. The answer is that I feel real and genuine connections to these people. They seem more real to me and have taught me so many things about life and I feel like I know them. In reality, I don't know these people. Sure, I know a lot about them like their likes and dislikes, what they do for fun, what their lives are like on a daily basis. For some YouTuber's it is easier for them to put their whole story out there, for others it isn't. '

I'm so proud of all of the creators that I am subscribed to and what they are doing in their lives. More importantly, I am so happy that they are delving even further into their lives to share their stories with their viewers. Many YouTubers are writing books and that makes me really happy because I love to read. For my birthday I was given an Amazon gift card and I purchased 2 books that I was dying to read. "In Real Life" by Joey Graceffa and "A Work In Progress" by Connor Franta. 

It's crazy to think of how far both of these males have come since they first started their YouTube channels. Finding a new YouTuber that I like isn't always easy for me to do. I want to be inspired by what they are saying and what they are doing. I want to really enjoy the content that they decided to upload on a daily or weekly basis. When I was obsessed with music parodies I stumbled across Joey's channel "WinterSpringPro" Now, when I was in 5th or 6th grade I was in love with these videos. The songs that they created were so catchy and I wanted to see more. After a while, Joey started his own channel and I loved watching his personality on camera. I've seen every single video of his and I'm proud to say that. I don't know where I found the time for this but I did. Joey is such a strong individual and I'm so glad I read his book. Here are some lessons I learned from "In Real Life" 

1.) Your imagination is a great thing and you should use it. 

2.) Everyone has major struggles and life and we need to realize and appreciate the struggles. They are there for a reason. Without struggles nobody would be where they are today 

3.) Rejection is OKAY. No matter what happens you are ultimately responsible for how you respond. Getting rejected from your dream school not once, but twice can't be easy."No matter how much a situation can suck, it's ultimately your choice as to whether you're going to let it drag you down." 

4.) You should be able to share your hardships. No matter what it may be there is someone that will come along and you will be able to open up to them about everything you've gone through in life. 

5.) Don't stay in friendships if they are toxic for you. Friends are supposed to be there for you and want to do things with you. If you are in a friendship with someone and nothing ever seems to work out leave. It isn't worth your time. 

6.) Violence is still NEVER the answer 

7.) Forgiveness is important 

8.) You should be proud to be who you are. No matter what the circumstance everyone should be able to feel comfortable in their own skin. 

9.) Don't force someone to come out of the closet. Asking "Are you gay?" all the time isn't really helping that person. If they are then let them be and don't force them to say anything to anyone. If they aren't then stop asking. If they are struggling then it's best to leave them alone. Asking over and over again isn't helping them any more then it is helping you. 

10.) You have love and support. If you're just a typical ordinary person like me you have friends and family who will support you through everything in life. If it so happens that you are like Joey, then you have support from millions of fans and your close friends and family. 

11.) You never know when life will change. Sometimes it throws a curve ball. Stick to what you're doing and good things may come along. 

12.) Haters will exist and there isn't much you can do about it. You need to be able to distance yourself from them and not add fuel to their fire. Know that what you're doing is what you want to be doing. Don't let them define who you are and what you do. If you have to, take a break for a while. 

13.) Stay close to the people you trust. Friendship is about the quality not the quantity 

14.) "Small things can lead to huge changes, and if those changes end up being obstacles, try to learn from them instead of letting them crush you. 

As for Connor, I've always loved his words of wisdom on his videos posted weekly. I feel that he's real and not trying to hide anything. I'm not sure how I even found Connor. After a while all the YouTuber's start to blend together. I'm sure he was just a suggested video that popped up so I clicked on it. I was introduced to his world and I've begun to see my world in a whole new light. He's made me cry and he's made me laugh, and he's been there through the hard times. The thing is, he doesn't even know who I am and that's what I love about YouTube. After reading Connor's book I was shocked at how much a 22 year old could change my views on life. I've learned so many things that I'm not even sure how to summarize but I will do my best. Here are the things I learned from "A Work In Progress" 

1.) No one has to be anything. Guys can do girl things and girls can do guy things. Actually, why is there even a label on what guys and girls can or can't do. I hate hearing the saying "No you can't do that because it's a boy thing" or "No, that's a girls toy you shouldn't play with that" What Connor says in his book is this "Gender is specific only to your reproductive organs (and sometimes not even those), not your interests, likes, dislikes, goals, and ambitions. Guys need feminine energy just as much as girls need masculine energy to get by in the world." 

2.) You shouldn't have to over think things. Go with your gut. 

3.) Stay true to yourself. "In a world conditioned to follow the herd mentality, a lot of people find it hard to stay true to themselves and accept the things particular to them. It's easy to give in to peer pressure and simply settle with what everyone else is doing, but never forget that each of us is different. You are your own individual, with your own particular set of dreams, desires, and aspirations." 

4.) Everything has a purpose 

5.) "Wholeheartedly pursue your passions. Do the things you love and love the things you do."

6.) "Failure is your teacher, not your judge"

7.) Be creative take the risk and embrace failure. Go with the ideas you have. If you need to embarrass yourself at a restaurant by standing on a chair to get the perfect picture of your food that you want, then do it. 

8.) Look at the finer details "Life is about looking beneath the surface and seeing what lies beyond different appearances."

9.) If you let your scars own you then they will. Don't ignore scars, they are daily reminders that something happened to us. 

10.) The "flaws" we carry make us unique. 

11.) Friendship: It's not about the quantity its about the quality. "True friendship is counted in memories, experiences, troubles shared; it's a bond built up over time in person, not a virtual tally on the internet. It finds you; you don't find it."

12.) You don't need to like everyone and everyone doesn't have to like you. 

13.) If you want to have a good time, make it a good time. There is no point in saying people can't have fun without you. If you are concerned that you are missing out talk to some friends and go and do something. You need to care less about missing out on things and do things for yourself. The present is now and you won't get it back.

14.) Change perspective. "If you do, the big things that haunted you at school seem so pointless." 

15.) Social Media is addicting. Okay, who doesn't know this obviously it is. 

16.) "If you are truly confident, you don't need to seek the likes of others." I'm all for posting a selfie if you feel you look great. Here's the thing, you don't just need likes on that picture. You shouldn't focus on the numbers. It doesn't matter how many people liked it. "It's okay to seek likes. But it's not okay if you allow those likes to become the foundation of your sense of self-worth..." "Be numb to the numbers, don't let them numb you."

17.) "The choice is ours: engage with real life or escape into a virtual world. Do you want to communicate with living, breathing people right in front of you? Or wait until some lifeless words pop up on a screen? You decide which is more fulfilling." This really got me thinking. As a society I think everyone is on their phones a little to much but we were raised with technology. I honestly believe that people have forgotten how to talk. I've thought about this for a while (if you call a day after reading this a while) and when I'm with people I'm putting my phone away. I want to value conversation and actually be with that person and not wrapped in a conversation with someone else on a screen. 

18.) Labels. "We humans are complex beings; we cannot simply be categorized." Labels provide a "launch pad for judgement" People are going to view you based on what you do, wear, say, read, watch, anything really. Let other people apply labels but don't let those labels define who you are. "Use the opportunity to take those labels and redefine them. Enhance it. Expand on it. Break through the barriers and limitations. Carve out an identity that is unique to you. Don't agree to be marked, filed, and put into a box that will hinder your true potential. Who are you? The answer: You are who you are in this given moment. Label-less. Limitless. Remember that from this day forward." 

19.) "Live now, worry later." Now, I'm not saying that I learned to just be crazy and do whatever but do things in the now. In the future, you'll look back and not like the fact that you sat and did nothing as a teenager or you sat on social media for a whole night when you could have been doing something with friends.

20.) Every decision you make is a building block for the future, 

21.) Finding yourself won't end in high school it will most likely be a lifetime journey

22.) "All of us have barriers in the way." "What do you want to do, be, or say, but feel you can't or shouldn't, based on the limitations and expectations within you or those around you? Remember this: your thoughts, wants, needs, and desires are valid. If you keep coming back to a lane in your life that you're to afraid to take, perhaps accept that life is leading you there; maybe one day, try taking it. Get past the fear of the what-if and just do it. Then, and only then, can you know the truth about yourself." 

23.) Why do we need struggles in life? "Without the struggles the triumphs wouldn't taste as sweet." You can't hide the low periods in life. You need to accept that they are there. 

24.) If you are in a rough patch in your life, the only person able to pull you out of it is yourself. Be the conqueror not the helpless victim, 

25.) Being lonely isn't such a bad thing. Loneliness can offer you time to process you thoughts and to really get to know who you are. 

26.) Life doesn't wait for anyone. You need to be happy with what you are doing and accept who you are and what you have. Sitting around being ungrateful helps nothing. If you want to live a happy life then live it, go do something make friends, eat good food, find a frantastic (see what I did there? ;) ) book to read. You need to be yourself and be happy with what you are doing in your life. You can't sit around and wait for life and exciting things to come to you, you need to find them. 

27.) Pursue your dreams. If anything that I've learned from this book this is something I am carrying with me. I've learned so many new things about life and my eyes have been opened up to a whole new world. I know that in order to do what I want and be successful I need to go out and pursue that dream.

This is why I love YouTubers, after reading their books they have become even more real to me then they ever have. I feel like I've known them for years even though I've never had a real conversation with them. Sharing their lives on the Internet can't be easy, also delving into parts of their past that they probably wished to cover up can't be easy either. I just want to say Thanks. Without you doing so I wouldn't have this new-found perspective on how to live my life. 

All I can say is Thank You! Thank you Connor and Thank you Joey. You've been big parts of my life for quite some time and I can't express how much both of you have changed my life, I've learned so much from each of you just by watching your videos. In the 2 days that it took me to read both of your books, I can honestly say it was worth it. You both deserve to be where you are right now. Your struggles have made you stronger and I'm so proud of both of you for how far you've come. You have both given me equal amounts of laughs and even made me cry a few times. I'm going to treasure these books forever and look back on them from time to time and hopefully learn something new whenever I read them again. Thank you for the new perspective on life. 

The Problem with Society today: Labeling (Lizzie Velasquez)

Let's take a second to talk about something that really truly bugs me about today's society. There is way too much judgement. I know that judging is a part of human nature, but is it really necessary to label people? Clearly everyone on this earth isn't the same and I am aware of this. Everyone else should be too. What makes it even worse is that we can label someone as "the ugliest person in the world". This really is a problem. Lizzie Velasquez was labeled as this.

I think it's really wrong to label someone as "the ugliest person  in the world" because in reality she isn't ugly at all. Beauty doesn't come just from your appearance it comes from your personality as well. After seeing she was labeled this I wanted to know who she was. I wanted to see what else was beyond her other than just that she was labeled something so horrible. I looked her up and I found all that I could on her. There is really no ugliness to her. She has struggled, and she honestly seems like the most sweetest person ever. 

So the really big problem we are faced with today is labeling and it's wrong. I'm going to always say it's wrong. I don't care who you are there should be NO REASON to EVER label someone as "The most ugliest person in the world". You don't know that persons story, where they come from, what happened to them. You just want to label this person all because you saw a picture and just thought they were unappealing. So next time don't label or judge anyone. Is it really worth it?

With much love, 

Kristina Rene' 

PS. The picture used is from Lizzie's website. http://www.aboutlizzie.com/ go check it out! 

July Music Favorites

Yes, I know I am 10 days late and I apologize, but I think July has some pretty good music, well maybe. I've been quite obsessed with Rent this much so I have some more favorites from the movie.. I can't help it, I become obsessed with musicals.

1.) Rent: from the Musical Rent
I think this song is really amazing, and it is the perfect opening for a musical if I do say so myself. I usually don't listen to rock music but, this is absolutely amazing and I am obsessed with Anthony Rapp's voice. If I was a guy, I would want to play Mark Cohen in Rent, he is amazing, and we can relate. For example in La Vie Boheme, which is a song in the musical at the end of the song all of these couples are together and being all lovey and Mark is just dancing all crazy like, that's totally me.

2.) Best of 2012 Pop Mashup: Anthem Lights
I discovered this group on Pandora, and I have heard this arangement of songs for quite some time, but this past month it came on a lot and I Love it especially the end. "Call Me Maybe at a Payphone Wide Awake and standing on a Starship waiting while we're young tonight." It's perfect!

3.) The Scientist: Coldplay
This song has always been one of my favorites and in the nights when I couldn't go to sleep I would put this song on repeat and it would soothe me to sleep. I love this song, and a while back I could relate to this song, and whenever I listen to it I remember how I got through some hard times.

4.) Another Day: From the musical Rent
I love this song, and just everyone singing it. Everyone that was involved in this song are perfect, They are so talented and I love this song so much because of that. Even though the scene isn't in the movie it is on the deleted scenes, and it's also on the movie soundtrack. I wish they hadn't cut this scene from the movie because this song is perfect and makes the movie a tad bit more understandable.

5.) Elephant Love Medley: from Moulin Rouge
I love this medley of songs and it is perfect! I mean perfect. I can't even describe how much I've listened to this..

6.) Feeling Good: Michael Buble'
Michael Buble is one of those go to artists when I am just upset or if I just am in desperate need of some good music. I love this song, and though I can't sing it the greatest, I love to hear it.

7.) Take a Look at Me Now (Against All Odds): Phil Collins
I have listened to this song a million times.. I am not even kidding, I feel so connected to this song, and I get emotional every time I sing it. I also put up a cover of this song not to long ago check that out here.

That's it for July, I hope you all are enjoying them! There isn't much this month, there could be so much more  but, I don't want to put the whole Rent soundtrack on here.  Can't wait to do August! It will be exciting.

He didn't die he just took the midnight train going anywhere

Isn't it strange how most teenagers will obsess over a celebrity? Yet, we don't really realize how much it would effect us when they are gone? I heard so many things about Cory from the internet and most of his cast mates on twitter. He seemed like the nicest guy anyone could know. I wanted to meet him someday, and now I'll never get the chance. My heart brakes for his family, friends, cast mates, and Lea Michele. I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to loose a loved one so unexpectedly. He still had more of a life to live and he doesn't get that chance.

Honestly when I find out that Cory had passed I thought it wasn't true and then I went online to read it and I saw it all over news sites. Part of me is wishing to hear that this isn't happening and that it isn't true. I know though that things like this happen and they can't be undone. I feel so bad for Cory and I know that he was struggling with a substance addiction. When he checked out of rehab and he seemed to be doing so much better I thought he was going to be one of the ones that made it out of addiction alive. I think all of his fans thought so. Ever since I first saw Glee Cory was one of my favorites. I loved the way he acted on screen and I couldn't wait to see him in every episode. It is hard to loose an idol or inspiration but I still can't imagine what his family, and friends are going through.

I think it is just best to hang out to the idols and inspirations you have, one day you could wake up and just find out that they are gone, unexpectedly. I know that Cory is in a better place now, out of struggle, and safe from harm. We all just need to know that Cory will be looking down on all of his fans and seeing how much he actually changed their lives. Today, I'm going to remember Cory for the inspiration he gave me, and know that maybe God just needed a 6 ft 3 talented, nice, and inspirational Canadian.

Cory started of his Glee journey performing "Don't Stop Believing" and he ended it performing it. "He didn't die he just took the train going anywhere"

This is no longer just a scene from Glee 

June Music Favorites

I wanted to do this post on the first of June I just got so busy and didn't have time. I am however super glad to be writing it now!

Let's start off with a song that I can't get out of my head first
1.) Mirrors: Justin Timberlake
I never really listened to Justin Timberlake before but honestly after this song I don't know why I never did. I love this song and its amazing. It's been on repeat for me lately. It's my go to song for inspiration right now.

2.) Take Me or Leave Me: from the Broadway musical Rent and also the movie.
I love Broadway songs and I watched Rent and absolutely loved it and pretty much all of the songs in it. This song is just amazing and I could listen to it over and over again and never get tired of it. Honestly I feel that a lot of people don't like and or care for me anymore but this  song really makes me think just screw them. They can either take me for what I am, who I was meant to be or they can leave.

3.) The A Team: Ed Sheeran
This song is just beautiful. I think Ed is extremely talented. I never really listened to him much before, I knew of him but never took time to listen to him and boy was that a mistake. This song is truly beautiful and one of my favorites of all time now.

4.) Where We Used to Run: Landon Austin
What would a favorites be without something by the amazing Landon. I don't know why I am so obsessed with this song but I am and I have been since May. Is it time for a new favorite song? I don't think so. I really do love this song though and all the lyrics behind it as well. And of course I love Landon Austin because he is beyond talented ans you ha  to admit he's cute to(:

5.) I'll Cover You: Rent
This song and the emotion behind it is beautiful, I love it! I promise I won't go on a splurge of rent songs even though I really want to. It's a perfect love song.

6.) Brown Eyed Girl: Van Morrison
I have loved this song for a long time but haven't listened to it much until last month. I bought it on itunes and I just listened to it over and over again. It is one of those songs that I would love someone to sing to me someday. I just feel happy whenever I hear it and I don't even know why.

7.) Check Yes Juliet: We The Kings
I remember when I loved this song and I would listen to it everyday. I heard it on Pandora at the beginning of June and I just listened to it a lot throughout June. It is a really good song and I love it.

8.) Lightning: Alex Goot
I love this song and I used to listen to it a lot. Throughout June I did a lot listening to a lot of the music on my Ipod to fall asleep at night. I came across this song and I just listened to it a lot and I love Alex Goot, he is amazingly talented. Soon I would love to be able to see him in concert and actually meet him. I think the rest of this post should be dedicated to how adorable Alex looks in that tie.... hmm maybe we shouldn't do that.

9.) Fine by Me: Andy Grammer
I love all of the songs by Andy Grammer he is a great musician and I love hearing all of his songs they make me happy. I heard this song almost everyday on Pandora and I was alright with that. It is a great song and most of Andy Grammers music is.

10.) Summer Love: Luke Conard
I love love love Luke Conard. I have so much respect for him as a person and as a musician. He is one of the reasons I am making YouTube videos. This is cheating a little though, it came out around the end of June but oh well. I also just love this song! It truly is amazing, I think it's one of those songs that most people could relate to having a summer love and what not. Just being in love in general really. I am also super super super excited for Luke to be making his first professional studio album.

I really hope that you all enjoy this post and I will be doing another one the first of August for July. So stay tuned!! I am starting to be less busy so hopefully I will be able to start blogging more and staring more weekly or monthly things.

Life Photos

I felt that I needed to show some photos that I have taken and edited. I've posted them in various places but not on my blog.

Photography is a beautiful way to capture life. I love taking pictures. I get this really happy feeling inside whenever I find something to take a picture of and after it's edited and complete I just get this great sense of accomplishment. Pictures are beautiful and it's a great way to capture beauty and life.

With much love, 

Kristina Rene'

Imagination

I was thinking today. I really needed to clear my head. I listened to music and just shut my eyes, this didn't seem to help. I ended up turning off everything just sitting in a room, just me and my dog. I needed to calm down be at peace not worry about anything. So, I sat there, took a deep breath and let it all out. I shut my eyes and imagined the most peaceful place I could think of.

A quiet, peaceful meadow with flowers. The flowers are scattered all over the meadow. There are so many colors red, orange, yellow, blue, purple every color flower that can be imagined. The grass is bright green, it's short freshly cut grass. Soft, not scratchy. So many tall trees that give shade. There are really old trees that stretch up high and some brand new trees that are just starting to reach towards the sky.

The meadow has no people, it is filled with the sounds of nature. Leaves rustling while a slight breeze passes through. There are chirps of birds. Not enough to cause an annoyance just enough to have a peaceful sound. There are sounds of animals running around, their feet hitting the ground as they scurry about.

The meadow has a small river. Filled with tiny rocks and big rocks. I imagine myself walking across these rocks and just listening to the sound of nature. The water is slightly hitting the rocks creating the most peaceful sound. The river isn't huge, it isn't deep it's the perfect size to walk bare foot through and just enjoy the flow of the cold water.

This meadow is the perfect place. It is the most calm and relaxing thing I have though of in a long time. It is the perfect stress reliever. I want to find a place like this someday. I know I will. I sat and imagined this place for 15 minutes or so. It was probably the most calming moment I have had in a long time.

With much love, 

Kristina Rene'