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So, it seems that Wellness Wednesdays don’t necessarily mean only talking about food, weight loss and exercise. It’s also talking about our lives and how we live them. I’m not trying to get all ‘woo-woo’ on you, but in reality we do only have one life to live, so why not try and make it the best possible given our own unique circumstances?

Here’s the thing, I have always been a go-getter, striving for the best, etc. During college, I really didn’t have any special plans for myself until I had the opportunity to travel to Australia. I remember being exposed to world of opportunity. Specifically, I remember thinking, “Holy shit, the world is really big, I basically could do anything I wanted.” After that, I promised myself to step out of my comfort zone more often, never to be confined to a box where everyone did the same thing. Hence, small changes.

I also hadn’t really discovered my passion yet. I mean, I knew I LOVED food, but little did I know that it could change my life completely. You see my dream job after college was to work at General Mills. Seriously! How amazing, I thought to have the opportunity to join this wonderful company. As soon as I began working there, I started my blog. That was in August of 2011. Flash forward to August 2014: I was ready to take Ambitious Kitchen full-time. It wasn’t like this all just magically happened though; it was hard work, long nights, dedication, learning and above all PASSION.

I know it seems silly to emphasize it, but if I didn’t love what I was doing, I wouldn’t have kept going. Ambitious Kitchen has never felt like a ‘job’. It feels like I’m just doing what I thoroughly enjoy. Sure, there are parts that are hard to figure out, but that’s also the best aspect of it I’m constantly learning about advertising, social media, working with brands, technology and how quickly digital media is changing. My mind is still blown that I get to do this every single day.

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So small changes. Yes, they absolutely matter. Your experiences matter. I think many of us have a constant chatter in our heads, telling us not to do something because we’re too busy or perhaps because we have certain responsibilities. While that may be true, you also don’t want to look back on your life in 10 years, or even 20, wondering WHAT IF? You can create your own story today. Every single decision you make matters – this goes for anything.

For example, let’s say you want to lose weight – what if you could stop eating ice cream or Oreos for a month? Or even a week? Perhaps that would help to improve your will power and give you more confidence in the choices you make when you eat. Maybe the week after, you’d choose a salad instead of fries at dinner. Or maybe you’d buy more vegetables and commit to eating them. You see, it all started with one simple small decision.

The best part is when you start achieving goals, you gain momentum. Each time you accomplish something, no matter how small it is, it pushes you more — to do better, be better.

Another example? Your career. I havereceivedd so many emails about how many of you would love to change jobs, or pursue your passion in a completely different industry. That’s great! Congrats, you’re thinking about making a change! I can completely relate. I thought about how much I wanted to quit my job for months. So, what did I do in preparation? Talk about it, think about it, explore other opportunities, continue blogging, work really fucking hard. It took me nearly three years. Now my life is completely different then it was. And it all started out by me starting a food blog.

Of course nothing happens overnight. I had to move to Washington D.C. and LA in between before I figured out that food was my true calling. I think I had this expectation that I would just get a job I loved and everything would be perfect. Oh, how I was so wrong.

We can’t expect to just quit our jobs, lose weight, travel the world or become drastically different. All of this takes time. However, I truly believe that if you want to do something different, you can. Every thing you say, eat, purchase – heck, everything you do adds up. This become your life, your experiences — who you are. You choices are like pieces of your life puzzle. All of my moving, traveling and engaging in different cultures with different people taught me so much about myself.

For me, it’s not like this blog is my ultimate goal for my career. I don’t pretend to be an expert. But the New Year is here, and I’d love to give out a little encouragement; honestly I believe anyone can do anything they set their minds to. Think about it, we all have unique talents and abilities. What’s preventing you from exploring who you are truly meant to be?

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Here are 5 ways to make small changes in your life:

1. Learn something new each month. It doesn’t matter what it is. Maybe you want to learn more about politics. Or how nutrition works. Or how to start a blog. Do your research and learn! It will motivate and encourage you.

2. Practice willpower. One day I read this quote: “When your internal world begins to shift, the perception of the outside world begins to change.” True, isn’t it? Willpower is the unwavering strength to carry out your wishes. If you have the will to do it, then you can.

3. Make a list of things you need to do to get to where you want to be. I’ve done this a few times. First, it helps me clear out the must dos to get to where I need to be.

4. Network! I’ve learned SO much from others in the blogging world. It’s wonderful to have a resource that you can chat with. And surprisingly, most people are more than willing to talk to you about your dreams, goals and passions.

5. Read more. Books are a wealth of information. When I first started my blog, there weren’t tutorials on how to create a website, so I purchased a book and read. Since then I’ve purchased a few books on how to monetize my business and be a better photographer.

Question: What’s preventing you from doing what you love? Do you have a passion in life – if so, what is it?