From The Dad I Wish I Knew

Dear Cutie-Pie,

Recently, your mother and I were searching for an answer on Google. Halfway through entering the question, Google returned a list of the most popular searches in the world. Perched at the top of the list was "How to keep him interested."

It startled me. I scanned several of the countless articles about how to be sexy and sexual, when to bring him a beer versus a sandwich, and the ways to make him feel smart and superior.

And I got angry.

Little One, it is not, has never been, and never will be your job to "keep him interested."

Little One, your only task is to know deeply in your soul -- in that unshakeable place that isn't rattled by rejection and loss and ego -- that you are worthy of interest. (If you can remember that everyone else is worthy of interest also, the battle of your life will be mostly won. But that is a letter for another day.)

If you can trust your worth in this way, you will be attractive in the most important sense of the word: you will attract a boy who is both capable of interest and who wants to spend his one life investing all of his interest in you.

Little One, I want to tell you about the boy who doesn't need to be keptinterested, because he knows you are interesting:

I don't care if he puts his elbows on the dinner table -- as long as he puts his eyes on the way your nose scrunches when you smile. And then can't stop looking.

I don't care if he can't play a bit of golf with me -- as long as he can play with the children you give him and revel in all the glorious and frustrating ways they are just like you.

I don't care if he doesn't follow his wallet -- as long as he follows his heart and it always leads him back to you.

I don't care if he is strong -- as long as he gives you the space to exercise the strength that is in your heart.

I couldn't care less how he votes -- as long as he wakes up every morning and daily elects you to a place of honor in your home and a place of reverence in his heart.

I don't care about the color of his skin -- as long as he paints the canvas of your lives with brushstrokes of patience, and sacrifice, and vulnerability, and tenderness.

I don't care if he was raised in this religion or that religion or no religion -- as long as he was raised to value the sacred and to know every moment of life, and every moment of life with you, is deeply sacred.

In the end, Little One, if you stumble across a man like that and he and I have nothing else in common, we will have the most important thing in common:

You.

Because in the end, Little One, the only thing you should have to do to "keep him interested" is to be you.

Your eternally interested guy,

Daddy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-m-flanagan/a-daddys-letter-to-his-li_b_3185190.html

What A Woman Will Do

Ever wonder what a woman is truly capable of doing in her spare time? Well check out the image below and you'll find out exactly what they are capable of doing.

No offense to the guys out there, you guys are great. But it's time for the ladies to get some recognition!

BeYOUtiful

Since August marks the month for back to school, here's a little story about realizing your true inner beauty. Who knows? Maybe it will be just enough to make you have shining and great new school year. 

Lizzie BeYOUtiful

March 8, 2013 By Anna-Alizette Ruiz Leave a Comment

Have you ever been bullied? Do you wish you could change something about yourself, like  your hair, your eyes or your nose? Better yet, what if you learned to love yourself instead? Yes, it is hard, but it is possible if you change one thing… your outlook on life. Changing your outlook on the way you look changes the way you look at life. You will find yourself to be happier and wanting to try more things.

One young girl changed her outlook and her life changed forever. She has since written two books and has been interviewed by The Today Show, The Doctors, Entertainment Tonight, and Dr. Drew. She has spoken to groups of young kids, teens, and adults on anti-bullying and the importance of learning to love yourself.

Lizzie Velasquez, 23, is your everyday American girl. She enjoys spending time with friends, shopping, and listening to music. As a student at Texas State University, Lizzie is studying Communications and English.

Courtesy from aboutlizzie.com

Lizzie may just be like you or me, but she is different and unique. She was born with a rare genetic disorder that prevents her from gaining weight. She is also blind in her left eye. Lizzie had to deal with many people who called her names and stared at her funny. The bullying used to get to her but now she does not let those bullies take over her life. She is in control and she loves who she is!

Now as a motivational speaker, Lizzie is standing up against bullying and moving many people with her story.

What makes Lizzie so remarkable and how did she get to where she was? It was not always easy; in fact, it took some time for Lizzie to accept herself and it did not happen overnight. The hardest thing for Lizzie to let go was the fact that she could “never look like one of the popular girls.”  She then took the negative things in her life and turned them into positive. That is when she realized there are so many blessings in life, little things, to be grateful and happy for. She is blind in one eye and often gets frustrated with her vision, but she is still grateful that she can see through the other eye. Her advice in the journey to loving yourself is to realize your purpose and go for your dreams.

The journey to loving yourself takes time and hard work. You might find yourself bullied into thinking you cannot do it. Here’s some advice from Lizzie, “the best way to get back [at your bully] is with accomplishments and successes. It’s the foolproof way to get rid of them by turning the negative into something positive.” Her advice for someone who is bullying other people is to “take time out and look at [yourself] and ask why they are doing things to hurt others.” What if you were bullied back? Put yourself in those shoes and sees how it feels to be bullied. Most likely, it will not feel good, so treat others the way you want to be treated.

To stay motivated in this journey Lizzie turned to music. Christian/worship music is her favorite go to music if she ever has an off day. She also goes to her fan email account and reads the messages from people who share their story with her and how Lizzie’s story changed their life. Lizzie recalls one touching story from outside the country. The letter was her first email from a teenager telling her how grateful they were for sharing her story. The teenager thought about committing suicide until they saw Lizzie’s story and decided to turn their life around. Lizzie realized then that her mission to help others was way bigger than what existed around her.

Lizzie Velasquez will graduate in May 2013 from Texas State University. She hopes one day to create a business to encourage good self-esteem and provide help for those who are being bullied. Her books are available through her website at aboutlizzie.com

A Featured Story on Latinitas Magazine: http://laslatinitas.com/featured/lizzie-beyoutiful