Ashli

life is simple. as. SH*T. guys.

EASY. PEEZY.

it’s NOT HARD.

yet we are humans and we complicate things we have emotions and things arent black and white and we are complex creatures and we have many instances in life that make us differ from one another. sure, yes true, fine, TINA. you’re correct.

BUT.

i think i found the simple solution to a happy life. i know this differs for everyone but after all of my findings (aka opinions) this is what works for me. i don’t mean to be dramatic or act like the car accident i got in was the worst thing ever. i get that it could’ve been way worse and i am so thankful it wasnt, but it did affect *me*. especially in a way i am thankful for. which made me realize.

while looking out over the East River? k sure, but i realized before too. keep scrolling.

i truly believe that the secret to happiness is to stay grateful, truly grateful. and yes, i know how corny that sounds. but THINK ABOUT IT. what do you wish you could change right now? your relationship? your job? your apartment? think of all the time you spend thinking about how you wish it was different, how you can change it, how you want to get out. NOW think about those hours per day  (because you know for some things, you reflect on this EVERY DAY), what if you spent that time thinking about the parts of it that make you feel lucky? to feel thankful?

you chose that apartment because of all of the other ones, thats the one you wanted. you chose the job because after interviewing you thought “i could see myself there”. you chose the relationship because you felt seen, understood, butterflies, whatever. this applies to your closet, the city you live in, etc. etc. etc.

you CHOSE the life surrounding you, the life you tend to complain about from time to time. we CHOSE these parts of our lives. sit back and observe how many hours you devote to internally hating on something in your life for a week, then next week, challenge yourself to spend that SAME amount of time thinking thankful thoughts, doing something above and beyond, telling your job/relationship/friends that you appreciate xyz about them. do things that say “HEY THANKS” and watch your perspective change.

i’ll do it along with you and we can test this theory together. worst case scenario, we all put a little more gratitude out in the world. <3

xo Ashli

HAPPY FRIDAYS LOVE BUGS. got any big plans this weekend?? i do !!! follow me on instagram/snapchat at @ashli_p for updates because i’m going to have an amazing weekend that i can’t wait for !!!

-anyway-

i was texting a friend of mine about life and, lets be honest probably memes, and he randomly said to me… “are you happy, generally?” hmmmm good question. am i? i replied pretty instinctively because, with that question, arent your instincts the best indicator of how you really feel? seriously.

so what did i answer.

i said something along the lines of – “yeah i am! i really am. i have my basic needs met, i live in the best city in the world and not only do i have a job but i love it!”

he probably wanted to kill me for that generically cliche and uppity response. you might also.

but the truth is, my goal for this year is to take less for granted. not to hate my apartment bc its small but love it because ive made it into a home, it has everything i need, its close to the subway, i have a great roommate and landlord and it’s my happy place. not to ever complain about work because there are lay-offs left and right in my industry, im doing what i love, im working with intelligent, kind and hard working people, and what else would i want? im healthy and my needs are met. thats SUCH a huge win compared to others in the world and im thankful for that.

but if you need some help remembering the little things, or if you’re annoyed at my rantings, here are small victories we can all be thankful for that you may have overlooked. maybe when we notice the little things, we are all a little happier and what more could we do right now in this political climate but focus on our happiness, ya know?

i’m thankful for the line at starbucks because it gives me a second to zone out on my phone before heading into work calls, emails, etc.

i’m thankful for the busy subway, because when i first moved here i thought the energy of the trains felt so energetic and alive and i need to hold on to that.

i’m thankful for my overflowing laundry, because that means that i’ve had one helluva week with tons of different things going on.

i’m thankful for my glitchy internet, because even if it goes in and out, it lets me watch Netflix, Hulu, HBOGo, and write this blog post!

i’m thankful that i don’t have a dishwasher, central air or laundry in my apartment because OH MY GOD I CANT WAIT UNTIL I DO AGAIN AND ITS GOING TO BE THE MOST GLORIOUS DAY EVER.

i’m thankful for tacos, cause duh.

i’m thankful for the internet! i love that i have an outlet for my naturally oversharing tendencies, like my pictures of my shoes or pictures of me getting caught taking pictures of my shoes.

i’m thankful for seasons – winter makes me love summer, summer makes me crave winter, and so on. i can’t wait for rose on the water and rooftops etc etc etc.

i’m thankful for my shoe collection because CMON IT MAKES ME HAPPY okay??!?!

my point is – be thankful, it makes you happy. you could be in the shittiest possible situation on the planet, or maybe you have been or maybe you are, but you will bury yourself in doubt and insecurity if you can’t find light in the darkness. EW there’s that cliche attitude again.

basically, no matter how many hypothetical dishes you have in your sink, just know one day you’ll have a dishwasher.

better?

i wish you happiness, my friends. find little things to be thankful for today

xx Ashli

happy sunny Monday, love bugs 🙂 xx

maybe you follow me on IG, maybe we know each other from college, or maybe you don’t know me at all in which i’m sure your life is much better off (jkjkjk) – but for those who don’t know, i got in a car accident last week that’s kind of rattled me a bit… literally and figuratively. i was in an Uber heading to my friends wedding reception, sitting in the backseat behind the driver. i wanted to charge my phone, and the driver said i could use his cord but should move up to the front since the cord was shorter…so at the stop sign i moved to the front. once we went through the stop sign, we got smashed into by an SUV in the exact spot where i was JUST sitting in the back.

ya. freaky. i still have nightmares.

we all walked away without any cuts and scrapes and bruises thankfully but i did end up with a concussion. given that i couldve been at the point of impact, i will gladly take a concussion. so back to NYC i went, but i ended up not feeling so well when i got back…nausea, headaches, of course but the most concerning was that i couldnt exactly use my hands. i couldn’t write, i couldnt use my remote, etc. i saw a couple neurologists who all were concerned about what was going on so i got additional scans. TBD on the results, but i’m confident they will come back okay – mainly because as i’m typing this, a week after the accident, my hands starting working this morning again!! weaker but still properly – which i will take.

this whole experience to be honest, as a whole, is pretty mild – i’m not trying to over dramatize a situation that could have been much worse, and very well would have. plenty of people have concussions, they are solved by some R&R which can almost always be done at home, and will be fine in a couple weeks. i have my limbs, i have my senses, i dont need any surgery, etc.   the whole experience *did* really make me think a lot though, especially about those who live with something everyday. even now i have a headache and nausea, but nothing that inhibits my ability to work, or to write, or…to take selfies 🙂

it just makes you think about how “dont take your health for granted” really holds more weight than we give it credit. if you woke up this morning, got out of bed unassisted, walked perfectly to the bathroom with your legs and vision, and brushed your teeth, think of the abundance of bodily functions you just managed to execute without any true pain/agony, assistance, etc. i’m so much more thankful for my health, because of my slightly inconvenient concussion that ended up turning out 100% treatable and fixable.

if i had stayed in that backseat i wouldnt be able to say the same thing. my heart goes to those who have had accident or life events where it may have ended much worse for them.

ANYWAY. LIGHTER SUBJECT. has anyone else noticed that this is the first true “spring” we’ve had in NYC in …. years?? normally we get 2 weeks of chilly but awakening SPRING and then its blistering summer til Sept. i’m loving the transition – spring jackets, long tunics, and taking advantage of my favorite booties for just a little while longer!! enjoy some spring picks to replicate my outfit – all of which are on sale (UM SCORE??)

xx