Hello, It's Joelle

     Happy Monday! I'm not feeling well, so I don't have a deeply thought-out post this week; HOWEVER, I was recently scrolling through my old videos on YouTube (you should check them out!) and stumbled across this lovely gem:

       Ironically, I recorded this
song when I had quite the snuffly
cold, so I suppose the  theme of
today's blog is don't let your 
circumstance back you into a
corner.

       As the journalist Germany Kent once said, “It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”

         Make sure to take care of the big three— mind, body, and spirit— while making sure one is never neglected for another. It's important to take care of yourself in all aspects, especially your spirit: your soul, your love, and your joyfulness.

       If I hadn't done something to lift my mood that day, I would have been letting my body overtake my spirit; after I finished recording, I rested for two days after to make sure my body was able to get better, too. I've learned over the years that a lifted spirit and a joyful, grateful heart will do more to heal your mind and body than other, more logical things might. What makes you truly joyful? 

        Joy isn't the same as happiness, it's a feeling of grateful excitement that comes from within, not from the things around you.

          Remember, love yourself.

                            —Joelle

Coming Out is In

DEAR
     LGBTQ people:
            In a way, I feel speechless.

            People always talk about how you should embrace who you really are, not hide your true feelings and problems, not shy away from your inner monsters. For some people, it's a short struggle. For others, it takes years. As someone who has depression, I suppose I can somewhat understand how this might feel. In other ways, though, I can not even begin to imagine the inner turmoil.

           One of my favorite YouTubers came out as gay today. You have no idea how flabbergasted I was that someone who is nearly always under the media's eye was able to keep that secret so hidden. Sharing something so personal with the world is difficult, and I massively respect that.

            One thing a lot of people would bring up is whether or not being gay is "right" or "good", as many might. (As a Christian, I'd like to point out that being gay is not a sin, it's having sexual intercourse with another of the same sex that is considered a sin. Just because you've been born gay doesn't mean you're instantly destined for the Hot Place. But that's another more in-depth discussion.) But what is always overlooked is that we have no inkling of how anyone going through this truly feels. What it is like. What being looked at in a certain way by the rest of the world is like. I honestly don't have a solid opinion, because all I know is that I feel sympathy. The closest thing I can compare it to is depression, because that is all I know. (A sad comparison, I know. But it's the best my mind can do.)

           What would you do if you had something different as part of your innermost mind, something you couldn't shake, and you couldn't control? You learn to coexist. You learn to appreciate things you never noticed before. You learn to change.

            Being ashamed of something can pull you back, just as being too prideful can do the same. But as it has always been said, admitting something is the first step to getting anywhere. Kudos to you. You've faced an inner monster. Keep inspiring good in others; keep talking about about depression and how to learn to be more optimistic. You're pushing people around the world to think for themselves. You've done a pretty frantastic job with your life so far. Keep it up. I hope I haven't offended you too much; I'm just being honest with what I know.

           Everyone was created the way they are for a reason. We are all meant for something greater than ourselves, even if it seems insignificant to us. The choices we make after the fact are what define us.

With Respect (And Rainbows),

Joélle.

Ah, Randomness....

        So, the other day, we got a pedometer. Don't ask why, we just did. Everything in the package looked normal enough, but then I read the instructions. At the bottom of the page, under Notes: it said odd things such as

     3. When changing battery, please call the expert, or maybe cause damage

And my personal favorite,

     4. Breakable does not drop and wet

    I was totally baffled, albeit amused, but then I turned over the box and saw a tiny label that said Made in China. I can only imagine a confused little Chinese lady being handed the instructions in her language and being told to translate them into English. Apparently, she was really nervous!

       When we think of something funny, the same things always pop up in our minds- jokes, weird advertisements, stupid stuff we've done or been through (boy, have I got a collection of those!), and, of course, great (which means stupid) YouTube videos. Here's a list of all that stuff:

   The Jokes: (and to make it even more ridiculous, the first one's Christmas themed!)

            So there was this penguin who just happened to be on his roof on Christmas Eve, and he decided to put out a big bowl of oatmeal. As he was setting the oatmeal by the chimney, his wife joined him (for some odd reason) and asked, "What are you doing?" The penguin replied, "I'm putting out a snack for the reindeer." His wife said disbelievingly, "Yeah, right. Reindeer can't fly! That's ridiculous." And her husband said, "Well, look at us, we're talking penguins."

            Here's the other joke:

Q: How do you know a doofus has been using your computer?

A: Because there's white-out all over the screen!

   The weird advertisements:

            So I saw this really horrific advertisement in the newspaper for a fuzzy bathrobe that was amazing! and so comfortable! that apparently, You'll never want to wear clothes again! Does that or does that not just sound so WRONG?!

   And last, but absolutely not least, the YouTube videos:

              One of my absolute favorite videos off of YouTube is a random short by the actors of iCarly, a silly and awesome TV show. It is appropriately titled April Fools! and just has everyone spouting random and idiotic words and questions. Ointment!!!!  Here's the URL. I also LOVE the fake infomercial for an item accurately named The Sack.

   So, obviously, this is a very random blog post. Why, you ask? Because normal blogs aren't random at all, they are planned, meticulous, and careful. I do not enjoy sticking to the norm. Hence THIS blog. :) I couldn't stick to a regimanted blog schedule if I wanted to...

  

Tyler Ward Replied to my E-mail (asdfghjkl)

     Well, hello, there, everyone! Or, at least, hey, there, one person who reads this. :) Anyways, yes, I am two and a half-ish days off on my postings. (shhhhhhhh) Don't tell anyone.* Anyway, UPDATE! I am currently taking voice lessons and working on my singing skillz... And I am trying as hard as I can to get some covers down so I can record them. So possibly look out for something on YouTube later this month. (Now that I've told the general public, I have to do it, mwahahaha. This is how I motivate myself: scare factor.)

     What else? Oh, yeah. There is this amazing singer who started out on YouTube known as Tyler Ward, and you should check him out. He is definitely an inspiration to me. Plus, he has fabulous hair. (lol) Here's a link to his channel: Tyler Ward Music- YouTube. Anyway, I found a general e-mail for him on his website, and I thought, "Well, hey, why not? I've got nothing to lose and anything to gain." So I sent him a message, asking for advice, and on a whim, mentioned something along the lines of looking for a mentor. And HE E-MAILED ME BACK. :) He said he might be having a contest or something to find a few new artists to work with, and he said he'd keep me posted. Needless to say, I am happy just because he took the time to respect my courage (and *cough* desperation *cough*). So I suppose we'll see if anything happens in the next few months.

     Anything else? Um, I got a new laptop. It is fabulous and incredibly annoying at the same time. Ah, well, whatcha gonna do. Macs....

     Ta-ta for now! I'll type you next week.

*SHAME ON YOU You told, didn't you?