Posts tagged orange county
Traveling Is Good For Mind, Body, And Soul

We’re two weeks into 2019, and I’m making it a point to explore a lot more of California and hopefully travel out of state a few times this year. I love to travel, and I am already getting antsy from keeping still for too long, and I’ve only been in California for a year. I believe traveling and getting beyond your comfort zone is so important for growth and in realizing that there is so much more beyond us and outside our little box that we create for ourselves sometimes.

Over the weekend, we took a drive to Oceanside, which is around an hour from where I live. You don’t need to hop on a plane to travel - just hop in your car! I was absolutely blown away by the colors of the sunset and the water when I arrived. I did not want to leave! I’ll be sharing a few photos from that day and a brief writeup from one of my Hello Lovely Living contributors about why traveling is so good for you.

 
hellolovelyliving
hellolovelyliving
 

Have you booked your next vacation yet? You should, as traveling is good for your mind, body, and soul. If you know you are long overdue for a holiday, let this article offer you the incentives you need to book your next flight and escape into your nearest getaway. You might then reach new levels in your life, giving you a sense of renewal in a holistic and meaningful way.

 
 

Traveling is good for the mind


You probably don't need us to tell you this, but for your mental wellbeing, traveling is a must. It will sharpen your mind, and you will be forced to think on your feet, such as when you're trying to navigate new places or make sense of foreign languages.

According to this article, traveling is also a number one mood booster because getting away from it all is an effective way to alleviate the symptoms of stress and depression.

You will also increase in knowledge since while traveling, you will get to experience new cultures, tastes, sights, and sounds, each of which will grow your mind and your perspectives on life.

 
hellolovelyliving.com | Traveling Is Good For Mind, Body, And Soul | Oceanside Pier, California
hellolovelyliving.com | Traveling Is Good For Mind, Body, And Soul | Oceanside Pier, California
 

Traveling is good for the body


This depends on you, of course. If you spend all of your vacation time sunbathing on the beach and eating and drinking anything that is an escape from your usually carefully-prescribed diet, then you are doing your body a disservice.

On the other hand, if you explore your surroundings by hiking on foot or by using a bicycle, spend some of your days swimming in the sea or in the pool, and make use of the exercise facilities at the hotel, then you are going to do your body a lot of good.

That mixed with the health benefits of the sun in more tropical climates and the courage to try some of the more healthier cuisines will ensure your body feels the benefits while away.

 
hellolovelyliving.com | Traveling Is Good For Mind, Body, And Soul | Oceanside Pier, California
hellolovelyliving.com | Traveling Is Good For Mind, Body, And Soul | Oceanside Pier, California
 

Traveling is good for the soul


We aren't necessarily talking about the religious benefits of traveling, although many people do find the ability to connect with their faith when away. Rather, we are suggesting that traveling is a good way to help you connect with yourself.

This is your opportunity to get away from it all, so while you might still keep in touch with friends and family back home through phone or this physical address service, you might also want to remove yourself from the chaos and people of your life by finding time to be alone.

It's while you are away that you will be able to gain a new perspective on your life and on who you are as a person. You might spend time meditating on mountain tops or on a secluded part of a tropical beach to ponder life's bigger questions.

You will have the opportunity to think without your usual distractions getting in the way. As you learn new things about yourself, and as you get a better sense of reality away from life's worries, you should return home with a renewed soul and vigor for life.

 
hellolovelyliving.com | Traveling Is Good For Mind, Body, And Soul | Oceanside Pier, California
 

So, what are you waiting for? For both body, mind and soul, getting away from it all could be the best thing you do this year. Book a flight away, and renew every aspect of your life. It could be just what you need to do to feel complete again.

If you are looking for a place to stay while traveling, I highly recommend Airbnb. You can find really affordable and convenient places to stay within the area you want to explore while still feeling at home. Get $40 off your first Airbnb trip with the link below!

 

 

HELLO LOVELY LIVING

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hellolovelyliving.com | Traveling Is Good For Mind, Body, And Soul | Oceanside Pier, California
 

where are you wanting to travel to this year?


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Guest Post | Design Matters: An interview with branding expert Debbie Millman

I’m back with another post, and today we’re talking about a few important tips to creating a brand presence that is authentic to you. On this blog, I love to discuss topics that are real and often vulnerable, and in this article, we reinforce the idea of getting outside of our comfort zones.

I often work with women that are starting a brand new blog or website, and if there’s any advice that I try to share with them from the get-go, it is exactly the advice that you will read in this article. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it inspires you to just get out there are share your story (struggles and all), be yourself, and be confident in it all.

 
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We recently got the opportunity to sit down with Debbie Millman: author, educator, curator, and host of the podcast Design Mattersone of the world's first and longest-running podcasts. 

As the host of Design Matters, Millman has interviewed over 400 artists, designers, and cultural commentators. In the 13 years since its inception, the show has garnered over five million downloads per year, honored with a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and designated one of the best overall podcasts by iTunes. 

Debbie is the author of six books and President Emeritus of AIGA, one of five women to hold the position in the organization’s 100-year history. She's a frequent speaker on design and branding and has been a juror for competitions including Cannes Lions, The Clio’s, the One Club and many, many more.

Here, she shares her thoughts on authenticity and vulnerability in branding and life. 


Debbie, tell us a little bit about yourself.  

I am a designer, an author, and an educator at the School of Visual Arts. I co-founded and run a graduate program in branding. I'm also the host of a podcast called Design Matters.
 

What tips can you offer to someone who wants to create a new brand presence for themselves?

Well, I wouldn't recommend that someone ever recreate themselves; I would recommend that they feature who they are on their best day, in a way that feels very authentic and true to their soul and being. People tend to respond more favorably to people that are being themselves, and, in many ways, holding that "freak" flag really high, because they can then relate and be able to connect with them in a much more visceral manner.

So, my recommendation would be to celebrate who you are on your best day, speak from the heart, and offer an opportunity for people to get to know who you really are.
 

A lot of people are hesitant to really put themselves out there. What would you say to them?

Watch Brené Brown's TED Talk about vulnerability. I really, truly believe that vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity, and you can't be creative and say something that is going to touch or reach other people unless you are doing it with your own open heart. So there really is no choice. If you're not comfortable with being vulnerable, my strong recommendation would be to get comfortable being vulnerable, because why else would anybody want to get to know you or pay attention to what you have to say? What are they getting to know, then? Some false friend?
 

How can people get out of their comfort zone and become more authentic?

Take small steps, small moves. You don't have to reveal everything about your childhood in your first email, but if you can share some part of yourself that you feel is worthy of connecting with other people, and people will feel is honest, then why wouldn't you want to do that?

That's what people want to know about you. They don't want to know all of the successes and all of the amazing things you're doing. They want to know how you've struggled, or how you've overcome an obstacle, or what lesson you learned in the process of doing something. And the more you can share that, I think the more value it has, both to yourself and to others.


Specifically, what kind of value does sharing your failures provide?

Well, everybody has experienced failure. And if you aren't able or capable of sharing what you've done wrong, why would anybody care if you're sharing what you've done right? And I feel that if we're putting a face forward that's only positive and only impressive, then we're manufacturing our meaning, because that's only one small part of what it means to be human, and strive, and long for things, and create things, and make things. And there is none of that without failure, rejection, vulnerability, fear. All of those things are just part of the process of being a maker.

 

Are there any particular failures or struggles that you can recount from your professional career that helped you become who you are today?

Well, almost anything I've done has been fueled by an enormous amount of rejection, whether it be book ideas, business ideas, or new pitches. My past is riddled and littered with rejections and failures. But, there are very few that I can actually look back on now and say, "I didn't either learn something, or overcome something to get to a better place, or create something out of that failure, that then became successful."

And, of course, it's easy to look back on it and say in hindsight, "Well, if that hadn't happened, then that wouldn't have happened, and then that wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't be sitting right here," but I can tell you that it's really true.

 

Are there any other places that you turn to for inspiration in your career? 

Well, I love to read. I love to learn, so for me, some of the people that I'm either mentored by or inspired by are people like Seth Godin, who is one of the most generous, smartest, kindest people on the planet. And he does a daily blog, seven days a week, and so you can get daily morning inspiration from him. Also, Steven Heller. He's somebody that has also been enormously supportive and helpful to me, and mentored me, and inspired me, and educated me in ways that I could never have imagined. So those are two people, on a daily basis, that I turn to, both personally and professionally, online and offline.

 

Finally: What's your number one tip for brands who want to create a better connection with their audience?

Think about the benefit you can provide your audience. People aren't really interested in another form, or another flavor. They're interested in what kind of difference you can make in their lives. So, what can you offer your audience that will help them grow, help them become more successful, help them learn something that they wouldn't have expected or had the opportunity to do? What can you offer your audience that no one else can?

 

Interested in hearing more from Debbie? Check out her podcast, Design Matters

 
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I hope you enjoyed that short inspirational post. I know how hard it is to be vulnerable, especially in this online space. I can personally say that I have shrunk back a little just due to a lot that has happened within the past couple years within my personal life. I feel like I have a lot to share, but I don’t know where to start. It can be overwhelming. It IS tough to share our struggles, but at the end of the day, that is what helps us get through them.

Lately I’ve just been feeling the pressure to have it all together. Perhaps this opens a new chapter for me to share more struggles that I’ve been through. This interview really brought me back to why I’m here in the first place. I want to continue to create a space that is inspiring and real. This may be the start for more sharing and being confident in my imperfect story.

A special thank you to Emma for this guest post. They have many amazing marketing resources to help you with your online business. I especially enjoy their Email Showdown series where they compare the email marketing of two brands. I highly recommend their resources, so do check them out if you are needing help with email marketing and want marketing tips from the pros!

In addition, if you are needing help developing your brand, I am here to help you from start to finish. Get in touch with me here for a free consultation.

is being vulnerable something that you struggle with and how? i’d love to have a discussion below.



The Never-Ending Weekend

I am a firm believer in gaining freedom over your life. Society has the ability to pressure us into believing that there is a certain way to do things, and to ultimately live. In this short post, I want to inspire you to get out of your routine and set your weekends on your own terms.

 
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
 

I remember when I was working over 120 hours every two weeks at my full-time day job. I was so exhausted. It took a huge toll on me mentally and physically. I literally did not have any time for myself. A part of me was screaming inside, wanting to end the cycle and regain control over my life. 

This is why, today, I feel so passionately about spreading the message of living life on your own terms and creating the life you want and pursuing work that you love. It's not even about the money for me because freedom, to me, is priceless.

No one has the luxury to change things overnight, which is why I always encourage people to start out small. What if I told you that the first thing you had to do was change your mentality? Well, if there were one piece of advice that would lead you on that path toward independence, that is exactly the first thing I would tell you. It sounds simple, but it simply isn't.

Changing your mentality is something that could take years to accomplish, so let's start out small. Let's carve out days during the week where you feel like you are rebelling against the "norm". Instead of waiting until the weekend to do things that you love to do, why not try to incorporate those activities into your weekly schedule?

I am going to be sharing three ways of how I create a never-ending weekend in my daily life or how I carry my weekend into the work week. What may seem a joyous activity to me, may not be the same for you, so I would like you to start thinking about what makes you happy and use this as inspiration.

 


How

I create my never-ending weekend


 
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
 
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
 

Working at my passion

Believe it or not, I love working on the weekends, which is why I put less pressure on myself during the week and just see every day as an opportunity to pursue what makes me happy. A lot of us wait until the weekends to do what we love, which is why I believe we should be carrying that into the week. Don't wait until the weekend to pursue your side-hustle or something that you're curious about pursuing or learning about. Get at it during the week, even if you have to stay up late or set aside a few hours toward it. It will all add up, so don't think that your efforts are too small to see any results.

 
 
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
 

Doing spontaneous activities

If you follow me anywhere on social media, you'll know that the beach is one of my most favorite places to be. With that being said, I actually like to go to the beach during the week because it is a lot less busy, and I feel like I am taking a mini-vacation. When you do things that you would ordinarily reserve for the weekend, It feels so freeing and liberating, kinda like when you wear a bra that feels like it's not even there, am I right?! It makes me feel so grateful for the life that I live despite the challenges I face and makes me appreciate the day so much more, which fuels me to continue on this path. I also love to explore Los Angeles or Orange County whenever I feel like I'm craving a new experience. Not only does it expose me to different things that I wouldn't normally have done, it inspires me to keep creating even more new experiences.

 
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend
 

Enjoying my favorite foods and drinks

I don't know about you, but food and drinks can make me so happy and get me excited about my day. I take special care to think about what it is that I could eat or drink that would make me happy. Instead of having pancakes only on the weekends, I literally will have it every day if that's what I feel would make me happy. I can be a little extreme when it comes to food, so if I feel like eating something, in particular, I don't care how long it will take me to make it; I make it! It feels so great to listen to your body and feed it what it wants no matter what day of the week it is. 

 
hellolovelyliving.com | The Never-Ending Weekend

 

So, ladies and gents, that is my never-ending weekend. I know, I'm a rebel. Nothing new to see here haha. I mix work with play, do spontaneous activities, and eat whatever I want! Sounds like a good plan, 'ey? I hope you enjoyed this! I am all for supporting companies that share the same philosophy as me such as helping women feel empowered. True & Co. strives to create products that empower women to embrace comfort and luxury every day of the week.

 

What does your never-ending weekend look like? 


A special thank you to True&Co for partnering with me on this post. Be sure to check them out for more ways to mix comfort + luxury into your life!  

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my privacy policy for a complete disclosure.