Road To Legacy

I sat here, looking at my blank computer screen just wondering how in the world would I even begin this next post. In all honesty, I could just shrug my shoulders and say "heck with it." and not even write about this topic, but... I believe that it needed to be talked about. Especially for me.  Forgiveness. It's a hard pill to swallow most times. Many of us have been hurt by people that we love, people that we watched out for, cared about and then all the sudden they throw you under the bus and use you only when they feel its beneficial to themselves. Others don't own up to their mistakes genuinely and disrespect your feelings, decisions, and life goals. All of this absolutely sucks...trust me, I know first hand.  The Webster's Dictionary definition of forgiveness is: "to cease to feel resentment against an offender. " To cease feeling resentment? That's a lot easier said than done. Have you ever really thought about that before? I started thinking a...

 Hi again... I know, it's been a while and I didn't mean for that to happen, but it did. Life just caught up with me and everything finally has been able to be caught up with, neatly put in a planner and put away in a basket. Life is back to normal...almost. Miss Louisiana was officially a month ago and what a week that was. So many memories made, walls broken through and decisions made and hearts made to be put at peace.  I say that last little phrase because I'm not used to being unplaced. In everything I've ever done I've always placed, except for maybe that talent show during my first year at bible camp with a red head that thought we could be the country duo Maddie and Tae. But in everything else I've always been in the top half of competition- whether it be in broadcast, writing, journalist, talent etc. I've never lost. I know that sounds crazy but it's true.  I don't know what it's like to truly lose. Well yeah, the LSU vs. Bama game back ...

 Dear Younger Me,  Honestly, I don't know where to start. There are so many things that come to mind, but I guess I should start out simply and truthfully. Life isn't everything that the movies make it out to be. It isn't the fairytales that you read. Life is hard, real hard. You're going to go through so much- things you wouldn't even have thought of. You're going to cry, you're going to feel pain and there will be days where you feel like you can't make it any longer. This will go on for a few years. Your life will feel miserable. There's a but in there, no worries. Within all these hard things, there are rainbows. There are days with snow flurries where you'll realize that everything will be alright. Life isn't all horrible, in it all, there will be beauty. You are strong, you are a one of a kind person- even if you feel like you are the most basic blonde headed girl in the room- you are someone special. You just don't realize it just ...

Good morning on this beautiful June morning. I've been up since 4 am because I have started a new summer job at my local gym, taking the morning shifts that begin at 5:15 am. That being said, tired is understatement. Starting out, I was fine, and then my life turned upside down- more than it has been since I won the Miss Southeastern Crown.      Miss Louisiana is in in 13 days, so that means extra prep time, practices, buying things for so many people- including myself. And it doesn't stop there. My life is hectic, working two jobs, and then moving out of my old apartment into a new one within two days (it's still not done by the way, boxes are EVERYWHERE). I have several appearances in the next week and a half, appointments to get myself looking my best and last minute touches on talent. Waking up before the sun even comes up. It gets a little overwhelming sometimes. I look back on the school year and I ask myself: " how in the world did I manage everything that I did...

 Life. It's sometimes sucky. It's sometimes the greatest thing since sliced bread and Betty White. Other times, it's just plan awful and you want a restart button. Life changes constantly, and sometimes that's what makes it so horrible.  Change can be anything. Change can be as small as changing what coffee cup you drink out of, or as big as your boyfriend graduating without you when you were supposed to graduate with him. Change is hard.  That's where I'm at right now. My whole life feels like it's spiraling into something that I can't control- and usually I'm okay with that, but being a titleholder and becoming accustomed to having everything planned out literal months in advance and having everything done and prepared for has spoiled me. I know what's about to hit me. I know what's coming, and that's why nothing can catch me off guard and blindside me. But this... I was never prepared for this. I mean I thought I was. But I'm not. ...

 Happy Mental Health Awareness Month everyone! As many of you (my readers) know, I am a survivor of Depression, Anxiety, and Anorexia. To pay tribute to this month and what I stand for, I have reached out to other titleholders across the nation and asked them to share their story with me so I can bring it to you. Last post, we had Miss Mile High, Shannon. This week, we have Miss Lancaster County, Kayla Myers! Her social impact Initiative is #choosehealth. She is vying for the job title of Miss Pennsylvania that will be held on June 17-19, 2021!  1: What made you choose your SII? I chose my social impact initiative #ChooseHealth as health and fitness has dramatically changed my life for the better and has allowed me to flourish as an individual. I believe a healthy lifestyle is important for everyone as there are innumerable benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, such as preventing disease, improving mental health, relieving stress, and creating a space for socialization. It i...

 As time moves on, I realize that I am not the only one who has suffered through the lonely road of mental and eating disorders, Shannon Hannaway, a fellow titleholder based out of Colorado, was generous enough to share her story with all of us! 1: how has mental and eating disorders affected you?   Besides seeing it from the outside watching loved ones struggle and die by suicide, I have been impacted by mental illness for as long as I can remember. Growing up I had anxiety with panic attacks, but due to a lack of education and awareness I didn’t know that was what I was experiencing. It took a head injury and Children’s Hospital Colorado for me to get the help and diagnosis I needed from their concussion team. With their help, medication, and therapy I was able to get my anxiety managed and actually came off all of it completely by the time I graduated high school. Unfortunately, my freshman year of college I experienced severe emotional trauma that led to PTSD, and unipolar...