What's Your Vision?

I recently had to watch the Jordan Belfort's Straight Line of Persuasion video series for work. Ya know, Jordan Belfort? There was a small movie that came out a while ago about his life.. it was called "Wolf of Wall Street" I think..

yeah this movie

And here's the real Jordan Belfort



This guy. This guy knows his shit. Watching his videos quite literally changed the way I think. And if you have watched his modules, I'm not talking about his ways of persuasion, or selling, or speaking, I'm talking about his way of thinking when it comes to goals. Yes, GOALS.  For the longest time I had weekly goals, monthly goals, yearly goals, and I thought if I met those goals, I'd be set! Wrong. Let me tell you why you can't live your life with weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.

Goals should only be stepping stones to something greater you want in life: your vision. Sure, accomplishing your goals are great, but what about afterwards? You meet a goal and you ask "now what?" or worse, "is that it?" That, in my opinion, is the worst feeling. Now I'm not saying being goal-oriented is a bad thing, no no. It's just not good enough, per say. You should be VISION-oriented. And if you don't think that's a word, I don't care. Add it to you vocabulary.

Another thing Jordan mentions in his videos is never using the word "should." He hates that word. He ABHORS that word. "Oh I should work out." "I should apply for that job." No. No no no. Remove that shitty word from your vocabulary and replace it with "must" and "will." Those are actionable words. "Should" is a fluff word. You SHOULD, but will you? I don't know. When you start saying you MUST do something, or you WILL do something, it further motivates you to actually do it. Such a small thing, but it makes a pretty big difference.

Alright, I'm going to get off my soap box and ask a question already. What is YOUR vision? What do you want to create for your life? What would get you up early and keep you up late at night? And what actions are you taking right now to get you closer to that vision?

Okay so that was more than one question but you get my drift, yes or yes?

Maybe I'll talk a bit more about my vision for my life in a separate blog post... We'll see.


xoxo
Barshen

Oy vey...

So it's been a while. Yikes. Four months of no updates to this blog, that is absurd. For the people who do read this blog (probably a total of three people, myself included), I am not dead, just very very sorry. I MUST update this blog more. This is my pre-2016 New Years Resolution. 

Anyhow, let's get to the life updates, shall we? We shall.

Well, I've moved! I picked up and left little ol' Iowa and have ventured out to La Jolla, California to help a friend with his start up business. Say what?! Yes. I dropped everything in Iowa to come out to SoCal for something that statistically has a 90% change of failing.

Why did I do it? Because I've always wanted to come out here. Ever since I was little, I've wanted to live here after visiting San Francisco and Hollywood for the first time. I fell in love with California at a young age, and it never went away. Still hasn't. The weather, the people, the California "lifestyle", the opportunities, did I mention the weather? Sure, it's crazy expensive to live here but I'd rather live on Ramen noodles everyday here in California than be able to eat lobster everyday anywhere else. Ya feel me?

though I'm quite partial to getting In-N-Out occasionally :D

So what do I do? I'm the Chief Operating Officer (oohhh fancy fancy) at a biotech, bioethics, and genomics company. For the past month I've been here, I've worked harder and learned faster than I ever have. I don't know if it's just the atmosphere of being somewhere I love, or if it's because I want this company to be successful. Probably both, right? Right.

I have never taken a leap of faith this big in my life. Before coming out here, I was terrified. It was the first time I had ever truly been on my own, in a completely different state. But sometimes you really do need to take giant leap like this. Or else you'll be the in the same place, doing the same thing, day in and day out. In hindsight, THAT is more terrifying than picking up and moving somewhere you've never lived before.


xoxo,
Barshen

Get to Know Me

Welp, I was going to do a long winded post on the best shopping deals at my local Tanger Outlet Center, but that plan went out the window. My apologies. Instead, I'm going to answer some questions I found on getting to know the person whose blog you're reading :) here we go!

1. What does the last text you sent say? And to whom?

I lost my mom at Kohl's and couldn't find her. Also, my phone decided to correct "are" to "at." Dumb.

2. What does the last text you received say? And from whom?

Again, my mom :) I had the shirt she was looking for

3. Are you afraid of walking alone at night?

I live in a constant state of paranoia, so yes. I am petrified of walking alone at night. 

4. Where did your last kiss take place and with whom?

Last kiss was at my boyfriend's house... with my boyfriend.

5. Do/did you get into trouble a lot at school?

HAHA that's funny. I was the poster child for obedience and never questioning authority back in elementary, middle, high school, and college. I was boring. Still am.

6. Do you enjoy your job? If unemployed, are you content being so?

I do not have a job, no. Awkward. And am I content not having a job, and not having spending money?? Oh yeah. It's fantastic...

7. Do you often pick up on double entendres and innuendos?

Ha. Ha ha. Why yes. Yes, I do.

8. Have you ever been offered drugs but declined?

Nope, I was never cool enough to be offered drugs. Again, still not cool enough now.

9. Have you ever met someone who has completely altered your way of thinking?

I don't think so?.. And if I have, I got rid of that person real quick because I like my way of thinking, thank you very much.

10. Have you ever been offered drugs and accepted?

SIGH. I reiterate. Not cool enough to be offered drugs to decline or accept. 

11. Tell us something weird that turns you on.

Ok, that just got real personal real quick. No comment. Ya pervert.

12. What time do you wake up most mornings?

Well... if I have somewhere I definitely need to be or important things that need to get done, I'm up by 8am BUT most days I'm a lazy bum who has the habit of turning OFF the alarm instead of hitting snooze :D

13. When did someone last admit romantic or sexual feelings for you? Was the feeling mutual?

Well, besides the boyfriend (who I clearly have mutual feelings for, duh)... last person to say some shit like that would probably be a drunk dude at the bar or something. And no, those feelings are never mutual. Ick. Go away.

14. What is something you have given a lot of thought to lately?

Ugh. My future. My life. My career. My inability to figure out what I want for my future, life, and career.

15. When did you last swallow your beliefs to avoid an argument or confrontation?

Everyday. I do this everyday whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, and talking to people in person.

16. Do you usually initiate hugs?

YES. I am a very huggy (is that a word?) person. I love hugs.

17. Are you a very affectionate person?

As the lovely Audrey Hepburn so eloquently put it, "I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it."

18. Can you roll your own cigarettes?

Ew, no! Gross gross gross!

19. What are you looking forward to?

Dinner. I'm really looking forward to dinner tonight. Yellow curry with naan, I LOVE Indian food... Wait, was this question asking what I'm looking forward to now or in years to come?.. Either way, it's always food.

20. What do you do to relax at the end of a stressful day?

Enough said

21. Do you have any tattoos? Do you want any/more?

I have one tattoo on my ribcage, it's of a dreamcatcher (cuz I'm a basic bitch). And I may or may not want more depending on where I'm at in my life and what's happening.

22. Are you mentally strong?

I'd like to think so? I've only had one mental breakdown in my life and it was junior year of college LOL

23. Are you physically strong?

Oh good god, no. My legs are strong, but my arms are flimsy as hell.

24. Do you think you're a good person?

Duh. I'm a great person. Who would willingly admit that they're not a good person? Weird question.

25. Name one thing you wish you could change about your life right now.

Just one thing? Hmm... Living comfortably in Manhattan instead of boring Coralville, IA.

26. What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Old fashioned oatmeal with flaxseeds, cinnamon, chia seeds and a sliced banana.. yum!

Whew! Hopefully you enjoyed this post and gotten to know yours truly a little bit better! Until next time :)

xoxo,

Barshen

Thug Kitchen Tries??

A few months ago, I got the Thug Kitchen cookbook (thanks Dayna!) and so far, I've only made one recipe. Oops. Regardless, the one recipe I did try turned out great, and I thought, why not try every single recipe in this book and make a blog post series on it??

By the way, if you aren't a fan of swear words, I suggest you skip these posts since these recipes do include some very colorful language :)

Thug Kitchen started out as a blog encouraging its readers to "EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A FUCK" and to "inspire the shit out of some mother fuckers to eat better and have a healthier lifestyle" through their healthy, vegan meals. 

(note the lack of meat above)

Now, one thing you need to know about me: I am not a vegan, nor will I ever BE a vegan. I cannot do it. I am of Kazakh ethnicity, and going vegan would essentially be me slapping my culture in the face every second for the rest of my life. I love eggs, I love beef, I love chicken, I love fish (omg I could LIVE off of sushi alone). Though I have cut out dairy in my life, I cannot, CANNOT, cut out meat. No. Thank. You. 

Kazakh pride, muthafucka

With that being said, I still enjoy trying out different food! Though I've never had a veggie burger, I'd never say no to trying it at least once. Who knows, maybe I'll end up loving lentil tacos... I said maybe.

Being a huge breakfast lover, I, naturally, had to try out the "To-Go Breakfast Bars" on my first go with this cookbook. Though I didn't document the process, it was quick, easy, and tasted HEAVENLY. My parents and I finished 12 bars in one day (that part I don't recommend you doing).

For future "Thug Kitchen Tries" posts, I thought I'd break it down with the following:

1. The ingredients: how much it costs for the total recipe, and how easy or difficult it is to get these ingredients

2. The process: what steps went smoothly, what steps didn't, and a picture of the final product

3. The taste: personal rating from 1 - 10, what ingredients I would take out and replace with, and a rating from whoever is willing to be my taste tester

4. The overall impression: did I like it? would I make it again? and if no, why not?

Hope you enjoyed this quick post on an upcoming blog series, and stay tuned for more!

xoxo,

Barshen

Kansas City

Yesterday I posted a few moments from my road trip to St. Louis with my parents. This time around, I'm sharing some pictures from our time in Kansas City.

Our first stop was the World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial. Inside the museum, we were able to see the weapons used in the war, the various uniforms, recruitment posters, and watched a couple films regarding our involvement in the war.

Afterwards, we went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary art museums (mainly because I have no clue what those paintings, sculptures, and pieces mean) but this museum also had an abundance of European, Native American, and Asian art. 

Our last stop in Kansas City was the Arabia Steamboat Museum (if you can't tell, we like museums). This museum has a huge collection of everyday objects that were pulled from a steamboat that sunk on the Missouri River in 1856. 

The other place we went to in Kansas City was the Country Club Plaza which is a HUGE outdoor shopping center. I would've taken pictures of the stores but my mom and I were too preoccupied window shopping and lusting over everything in Tiffany & Co., Burberry, and Anthropologie 😁

Hope you enjoyed this quick post on the last part of my Missouri trip. 'Till next time!

xoxo,

Barshen

St. Louis

I recently went on a road trip with my parents to Missouri for the first time and I thought I'd share some pictures from the first part of our trip to St. Louis!

It was our first time being in St. Louis so obviously we had to be tourist-y and go to the Gateway Arch

My dad trying to get a picture of the entire Arch. On the ground. lol

Near St. Louis, on the border of Missouri and Illinois, there's a historic site called the Cahokia Mounds, a pre-Columbian Native American city. 

The accompanying museum was really interesting and informative, and the view from the top of the mounds was incredible. It was definitely a trek going up those stairs but well worth the burning thighs.

The next day, we decided to go on another small adventure to Elephant Rocks State Park, home of the 1.5 billion year old Precambrian granite in the Saint Francois Mountains. (look how tiny people look next to the boulders!)

Last but certainly not least, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery was our final stop in our three-day St. Louis excursion. The brewery hosts complimentary tours around the facility, which was a lot of fun but we could have dealt without the 100 degree heat and humidity outside... Although the free samples of Budweiser beer was a nice treat :)

Friendly people, fine weather, great views, and crisp beer. Needless to say, St. Louis was a fantastic city. Kansas City blog post will be up next!

xoxo,

Barshen

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my blog :D I'm Barshen and I have FINALLY decided to write something for this blog after putting it off for months... Oops. 

A tiny bit about myself:

- I'm 23 years old, recently graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in American Studies and Psychology 

- I LOVE to bake, cook, clean, organize, and go on Pinterest for hours on end

- I'm petrified of clowns, dolls, and 

touching mushy food while doing the dishes (irrational, I know)

Now, let's get to the good stuff, the actual blog. I (like many other 20-something year olds) am in a rut. I have no clue what I want to be doing with my life, and I feel as though blogging and getting my creative juices flowing will do me some good. With that being said, this blog will cover a whole bunch of things: lifestyle, fashion, beauty, recipes, writing prompts, Pinterest wins/fails, and so on.

Alright, let's get bloggin' 

<3