· 16 lessons I learned at 16 ·

Might have turned 16 a couple months ago but it’s never too late to do something. So here goes this blog on 16 lessons I learned at 16. It gets a Lil deep and some of the lessons are pretty awesome: so, grab your blankets & tea and let’s get this going. 

LESSON 1:

 – messy Room = messy mind – 

Yup, you get the idea. The state that I leave my room in usually equates to the state of my mind. It doesn’t help with thinking when your environment isn’t tidy. Have you ever tried doing your homework, or tried finishing a project but distraction just keeps seeping in from all the silent noise which we call mess? I know, very annoying. Set aside time to give your base (a.k.a ur room) some appreciation and CLEAN. IT. UP. Also, just a heads up, this does not mean stuffing everything under your bed, in your closet, a backpack- you know what I’m talking about. Apart from being a good habit, cleaning up your room helps with mental clarity, too.

LESSON 2:

 – if it takes 5 minutes to do it, DO IT – 

AND I ACTUALLY MEAN DO IT. This is a lifesaver and applying this helped me so much with putting on my armor and defeating procrastination. You know you have that homework that would just take 5 minutes or less of your time if you really just put your mind to it? DO IT.  Do you see that small pile of dishes that would take barely a smidge of your time? DO IT. You’re going to thank yourself later. Think about it, if you just keep pushing off all the small tasks aside for “later”, they’re going to add up to an overwhelming amount. So, just to remind you: tackle that task, get it done, & just DO IT (now).

 

LESSON 3:  

 – fleeting pleasure < long-lasting happiness – 

It was kind of funny how I got to say that this lesson reached the list. There was just a random morning when I was walking with my sisters when this truth got knocked into me. This is what hit me: when we try reaching our goals, as innocent as it may seem, fleeting pleasures pop up luring us over to miss the opportunities we get for long-lasting happiness.

I repeated to my sisters saying “we keep choosing FLEETING PLEASURES OVER LONG-LASTING HAPPINESS, we. MUST. end. this.” Yes, I was very dramatic as I came to my conclusion.

Fast forward a couple days later: I was walking around the supermarket when my sisters and I reached the chips aisle. Yumma, Chipppps! I jumped in the air throwing some punches into the vastness as I waltzed my way to the Cheetos. I can confirm that my sisters shared my enthusiasm, however, as I attempted to grab a bag, my sisters, in unison, shouted in repeat: “FLEETING PLEASURES OVER LONG-LASTING HAPPINESS”. Ooooh, sweet mother of apple crumble pie. I continued to grab the chips anyway, looking at it intensely. I took a breath in, placed the chips back, and waltzed my way out. I muttered under my breath, “hahaha, you shall not win this time, fleeting pleasures…”

MY LONG-LASTING HAPPINESS: Improving my eating habits, and keeping my body healthy

(One of the) fleeting pleasures (that discreetly pop up): Chips

Okay, I know that this might not seem like such a big deal. But, IT IS. It represents fleeting pleasures that people choose which sabotage their plans for something more awesome. I learned that when you find yourself grabbing that bag of chips (this can be that drink, that slice of cake, that misdeed), take a breath and say to yourself “I want long-lasting happiness over this (silly) fleeting pleasure” and walk away. When you start this with the small stuff, you’ll be able to do it with bigger things in life that you face.

 

LESSON 4:  

– don’t take it personally if they don’t know you personally – 

There will be many times in your life when people choose to judge you without even thinking. They might say hurtful things that don’t make any sense to you, some people are just like that. You know yourself, and you are worth so much. So, don’t let what someone says about your bring you down and stay strong warrior.

 

LESSON 5:  

– guard your heart – 

“Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

Going off from the previous lesson it is so important to guard your heart. Your heart matters most of all. When we guard things (like a cute puppy we just adopted, for example) we protect it. Why? Because it is valuable. We guard things that are valuable. Your heart is the essence of who you are. Make it your top priority to guard your heart. What does guarding your heart mean? It means knowing your worth and believing it so much that whatever somebody else might say, YOU KNOW YOUR VALUE.

 

LESSON 6:  

– good music is good for the soul –

Music is amazing. Music is goooood. Good music = good vibes = happy soul. Sing out loud and dance, dance, DANCE.

 

LESSON 7:  

– don’t become the person who hurt you –

Be you, and be mind. I know it hurts. Don’t change who you are but learn from it. Please, remember, you are not the person who hurt you, you are a million times better than that. Not everyone has the same heart as you, so choose kindness no matter what others may show. The way someone acts is a reflection of themselves and not you. It’s okay to not be okay, but show the good human that you are.

 

LESSON 8:  

– you are who you surround yourself with –

Surround yourself with people who will be a positive influence in your life. Be around those who are kind, who support you, and bring out the best in you. Surround yourself with people who keep you smiling and that keeps you laughing until your tummy hurts.

 

 

LESSON 9:  

– saying “no” doesn’t mean you aren’t kind –

You have to learn how to say “No”. I know how hard it is. There might be someone asking for a favor from you but you really can’t or you don’t want to. I will tell you this, it’s okay to say “no”. The problem is, sometimes, when people know that you are kind, they try to take advantage of that. Saying “no” just means that you care about your own boundaries and limits, it does not make you a bad person.

 

LESSON 10:  

– you aren’t missing out if you decide to stay home and fix your life –

You need time for yourself. You need time to heal and get your life together. You’re not missing out if you decide to stay home, wear a face mask, play your favorite music, and skip the football game. One of my favorite self-care remedies is mixing together my peppermint and lemon oils and smelling them. It helps with distressing the stresses that life has. 

 

LESSON 11:  

– smile & give back –

Everyone has their story. Everyone is going through something. Sharing your smile with someone can go a long way. Giving back is so important. It’s your way of helping out in the community, making an impact, and so much more. Giving doesn’t always mean money donations, but it can also mean by your time. Volunteering and helping out around. Volunteering just brings me great joy as I help in any way I can to those who need it, and I’ve met some of the most amazing people, too.

 

LESSON 12:  

– a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor –

I know it’s a tough season that you might be going through. You will get through this. There is a reason for these things that happen and it can help us to grow, to grow in our experience, faith, maturity, and even relationships with other people. The tough seas will help as more adventures, seasons, and storms come at us. 

 

LESSON 13:  

– we are a team –

What happens when you’re in a team? You look out for each other. When someone is falling behind or needs a chance at shooting a shot, we help them, we cheer for them, we motivate them. When one of our team members makes a mistake we stand beside them and show them they’re not alone. That’s how a real team roles. They with each other and for each other. 

In reality, though, we are all in a team. Whether it’s that group of people you were placed with during your math class or a bunch of people you decided to have lunch with one afternoon. We are all in this together (yes, as famously quoted by High school musicallllll), it’s true. So, love what you are doing and love who you are doing it with. Help one another when one is struggling. Be the team player with everyone, and don’t give up on anyone.

 

LESSON 14:  

– character > reputation –

I learned this year that you need to stop investing so much time and effort into controlling other people’s opinions. It’s not possible. Be fully and unashamedly who you are. 

LESSON 15:  

– you might not be able to control what others do, but you can control how you react –

You can watch every step you do but there’s just going to be someone out there trying to make things unreasonably hard. Although we can’t control how others treat us, we can control our reaction to it. You can choose to pop like popcorn and scream your anger out like a kettle, or, you can take a walk, collect your thoughts, think about the reasons why that person might be acting that way, and respond kindly and move on.

 

LESSON 16:  

– family, always & forever –

Family, it’s so important. Whether it’s your birth family, your blended family, your chosen family, the health of your relationship with your family is important. Family isn’t always about being biologically connected. Family is so much more than just bloodlines or last names. Family doesn’t see race, color, differences. Family sees heart. Family are those people in our life who commit to love and support despite your shortcomings or mistakes. It’s secure, like roots, that help us through tough weather and is there holding us up. Family, keep them close and don’t let anyone make you feel bad for choosing them over others.

I’m still learning every day, and, I know some days may be tougher than others, but keeping these lessons in mind helps me to keep moving forward knowing that there’s a reason and that I will become stronger because of the storms. 

 

hope your monday was filled with endless laughs 🙂

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

 

 

PROject Python: Making a function

Quote of AWESOMENESS: “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers” ~ Ralph Leader

Hiii!

Functions are so useful and cool at the same time and right now I’m going to teach just how to make one!

But, before we go there, what exactly is a function? It’s somewhat like a pre-made command that you get to customize yourself. For example, you wanted to make five circles, imagine you would have to make each circle repeating how big you wanted it to be, the color, locations, and others. But, if you had a function, you would make it so much simpler in just adding the code and copy-pasting the function.

Here’s the code for a function:

[remember: WHITESPACE is very important in Python]

# This hastag is a comment and won't affect the code
# We start making function by defining it with the word def
# The thing written inside the parenthesis is called the argument
# Remember to put the colon then the indentation will be proper, too

def list(alist):
    # Here, I'm setting the variable a to number 0
    a = 0

    # This is a for-loop and the i just stands for index 
    for i in alist:
        if i > 0:
            a += 1
        else:
            pass
    print(a)


# Here is the actual function in action!
# Test section
mylist = [2,-4,5,-16,-20]
mylist2 = [2,6,8,-4]
mylist3 = [-5,-6,-7,-8,10]


list(mylist)
list(mylist2)
list(mylist3)

This is just a simple example of what you can make of a function. Try it out! 

 

Don’t forget to be awesome!

Yours truly, 

L.O.A.S.H

 

---

 © Elizabeth Anne Villoria 

 

L.O.A.S.H’s Guide to (nearly) Everything: Restarting Storage on Your Mac (Easy)

We wanted to clear the storage in our Mac Book but deleting all the files in the finder and countlessly searching on the internet didn’t seem to be helping us achieve our goal. If you go to the About this Mac, and select storage, you would see something like the screenshot below:

 

My mom kept murmuring about that she couldn’t delete her movies and that it was taking up to much storage space on her computer. I deliberately went to her to stop the fuss. In this blog, you will learn how to make your storage space lessened.

Step 1:

Go to System Preferences.   <— Looks like this. If you have a hard time looking for it, you can find it the spotlight at the top right area of your computer screen. It looks like a magnifying glass. 

Step 2:

When you open up your System Preferences, go to Startup Disk. I circle on the screenshot below.

 

Step 3:

When you are already on your Startup Disk, select the following to make changes. When you click on this, a verification will pop up asking you to put your password of your computer. Put your password and click Unlock.

 

 

 

 

Step 4:

When you are able to make changes, select the system and press Restart.

First, Select your system.

 

 

 

Then, select Restart.

 

Step 5:

After your computer restarts, you will be asked to sign in to your apple id. And, Tada!

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

Can you choose a diet by blood type? Maybe.

Although rumor spreads that according to what blood type you have a different type of diet, I’m still thinking which side I support.

Let’s get to the real stuff.

So, we all (should) know that there are different blood types (right?) but can there be a certain type of food which helps those different blood types in different and unique ways? I don’t know. But, it’s time to find out!

*Checks bookshelf* Unfortunately, I do not have any books which explain about the relations between blood and food. Maybe you do? Have you ever heard about the book Eat Right for Your Blood Type? It might be your first encounter with the book (it’s okay you’re not alone, haven’t heard of it till now either -__^) but you should know that this book was written by Dr. D’Adamo, a naturopathic doctor, who believes that our diet is determined by which blood type we are.

Intriguing, right? If this is true we might as well find out right now which diet should which blood type get:

---

Type O:

A.K.A The Hunters

Which diet?: High protein diet

Such as meat, fish, poultry, certain fruits, and veggies

What to avoid: Dairy, grains, and legumes

Somewhat close to the paleo diet

Type A:

A.K.A The Veggie-tarian | The Agrarian | The Cultivator

Which diet?: Veggies! Lotsa greens and rich in plants

Stuff like tofu and beans and other vegetables

What to avoid: Red Meat

Resembles a vegetarian diet

Type B:

A.K.A. Balanced Omnivore | The Nomad

Which diet?: Veggies, plants and most meats (except chicken and pork) and a bit of diary

What to avoid: Wheat, Corn, lentils, tomatoes, chicken, pork….. others

Type AB:

A.K.A The Enigma | Mixed diet in moderation

Which diet?: Eats foods like type A and B

Food such as: seafood, tofu, dairy, beans, and grains

What to avoid: Corn, beef, and chicken

---

 

Those were a few examples of the food diets that you should intake according to which blood type you are but there have been no hard scientific studies, yet. There are countless people really trying their hardest stick to this diet, do you believe this? The funny thing is I’m eating the food that matches with my blood type but unknowingly. Maybe it is true. Maybe the reason why this works is that different foods have different vitamins in them that help supports the different blood types.

I’m type O and I do kind of stick to this diet unaware by eating the foods like fish and chicken but sorry I just can’t stay away from ice cream.

Comment down below whether you believe in this or not and why.

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

 

 

 

 

 

L.O.A.S.H’s Guide to (nearly) Everything: How to Google Keep

What is Google Keep? 

You may wonder what this Google Keep is but today you shall find out. It’s an app and site that enables you to store anything from notes, lists, audio, videos, and videos. And, that’s not all, with google keep you have the choice to collaborate with other people! It’s simply a note – taking the device which was programmed and developed by google to help you to remember and share anything that you need to. Your google keep is connected with your email which means it’s in the cloud which helps you to access it anywhere.

What can you do on Google Keep?

Just as I’ve mentioned above, you can keep all your notes, lists, links and other things that you’ve just so happened to remember one day that you won’t want to forget. Also, what makes this different from other simple notes or a piece of paper, is that you can make you remember what you want when you want. You can set a date and time to what suits you most. So, if you want to remember something, it doesn’t just stay in your bag just to make you forget again!

You can also collaborate with others if you want to share what you know!

What devices is it compatible with?

Honestly, most devices are compatible with this. The devices that I’ve come across that allow the download is: Sony, Apple, Mac, Windows and much more. But, with a different device comes a different action. An example, when you use google keep with your phone, it allows you to access the notes that you’ve saved and the notes that have been collaborated with you the last time you were connected to the internet. On the other hand, if you download Notes of Google Keep on your computer, it does not allow you to access your notes without internet. So, personally, I enjoy using the phone version rather when it’s on my computer.

What other features does it have?

Other features? Hmmmm….

Oh ya! You can personalize you google keep to what color for each note that pleases you and the way you want you it to be formatted. Also, for each note that you make there will be small icons at the bottom for you to change.

Let’s learn more about these icons…..

The first button, the hand with the finger that looks like it just turned , is the remind me button. Once you click on this, a drop down box will fall exposing a few choice. You can set the date that you want it to remind you of something as long as the place! I found this feature to be extra helpful as I tend to have a lot of tasks to do and this helps me to fit them all together neatly while finishing multiple things!

 

The second button, the addition sign on top of a person’s shoulder , is the collaborator. The COLLABORATOR. Sounds serious, right? Hahaha. Anyways, once you click on this, you just have to enter the email of the person you would like to share the piece of information and *KABOOM* it will instantly share it with the other person. This can be classified as one of my favorite icons as it’s proven itself to be of great helpfulness. It has reached the maximum helpfulness bar. With our projects that we have to do, like writing a program together or finishing an essay, any two or more collaborators can help each other and edit and teach through this. And, as a student, I found this to be extremely helpful when needing to share information or even contact somebody a secret morse code message (like a spy).

The next icon, simply a pallet , is simply used to change the colour of your note. And, if you take a quick glance at the second screen shot, you will notice that the colour is teal. You will have a range of colours ( |  |  |  |  | ) to make your dashboard to your liking! Usually, when I first open my Google Keep, I get more happy vibes when I bombard my dashboard and notes with colour. Try it some time!

After the “change colour” icon comes a small coloured box with a down arrow at the centre . This is the archive. It’s used mainly to hide the notes that you don’t want to see for awhile or you could also use the archive to lessen the notes on your dashboard. I use this icon when I’ve finished an assignment that has been given to me. This is very useful if you want to keep you dashboard neat.

Finally, the last icon! Well, it’s the three dot thingy . I’m pretty sure this means more or other options (I think). Anyways, this helps to customise your notes more by giving you the option to add checkboxes and plenty more! You might encounter this so just to warn you, there was a time I accidentally hit my mouse and it hit archive and I didn’t know where my note went. And, you know me, I write super important highly classified information that can’t go missing- Just kidding. But, that’s what happened my study note just vanished and I didn’t know google keep so well so I only found the note like a few days after. So before you freak out that your note goes somewhere try checking your archive, first!

The rest is for you to explore! I hope you have fun in this new found app. This has really helped me in putting my time together and having fun at the same time. I just hope that you enjoy the other features you will soon find out by looking around yourself. So have fun!!!

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H