that masterpiece took a thousand strokes

a letter to myself:

whats up babygirl. are you being the best you, you could possibly be? i want you to know that you are capable of accomplishing anything it is you desire. there's a clear difference between having a goal and realizing the details it'll take to make that into a reality. realize the details. do you know what that means? it means that the grand picture is pixels and pixels of continuous work that needs to be accomplished. a masterpiece painting didn't take a couple strokes. it didn't take a few hundred strokes and then you stopped because it was 'good enough.' no, it took a thousand strokes day in and day out. but the reason why it became a masterpiece was that the artist had the final picture in their mind. and what they worked towards continously was the vision they held in their mind.

never let go of your vision.

i know. at this age, it's easy to become distracted. and its easy to do things simply 'for the fun of it.' and that's fine, in moderation. but i want you. right now. to create an outline of all the things you want to accomplish.

there is an infinite amount of possibilities out there for you.

you can volunteer in Cedars-Sinai Hospital so that you can see which field in healthcare interests you.
you can take the time to work with the organization in Philippines that helps impoverished communities.
you can save some money to do some volunteer work in Ethiopia.
you can research internships in music, writing, or photography. Nickelodeon on Sunet, BET in Los Angeles, research all these companies you're interested in.

you CAN. The word 'can' indicates a physical or mental ability. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY.

let me just to tell you, to never compare yourself to others or get jealous. because your thoughts are bricks. and ever thought that isn't 'building' you into a better person, or isn't helping you reach that perfect 'masterpiece' is a step back.

and you're too cute and capable to be stepping back when God has blessed you with the ability to accomplish whatever it is your heart desires.

Now, remember what Dalai Lama said:

The best meditation for you to do is to critically assess what's wrong with the world.. and to see how your talents can fit in you to alleviate the problems in the world.

what is it you love to do?

ask yourself this question & take the time to paint out those strokes.
never give up, because in due time, your masterpiece is going to shine.

stay blessed & beautiful,
Elainne 21 y.o.