This post isn’t about you. It’s not about me….or anyone really. It’s not personal.
NOTHING is EVER PERSONAL. You owe it to yourself to keep your peace of mind by refraining from internalizing any negativity that may spontaneously occupy the same space as you. Keep this in mind as you go about your day.
Remember,
life is like guacamole. It’s GOOOD!
Just over a week into the official start of summer, July is here! Here are TheBr!ghtSideBlog’s FAVORITE things about the month that proudly claims National Ice Cream Day(7/21)!
MUSIC: There is just something about the energy in Summer music! Here are the releases we’re looking forward to!
Miguels Wildheart & Bassnectars Into The Sun both released on 6/30 but that doesn’t mean they can’t get honorable mention!
Owl City Mobile Orchestra 7/10 Joss Stone – Water for Your Soul 7/31
SUMMER STAPLES: Sunnies, denim shorts & durable bags are a must!
I suggest trying out the flirty cat eye(above), but the classic aviator or wayfarer are great (& unisex) choices too! If you’re like me, you LIVE in the ever versatile denim short this time of year. Personalize them with patches & they can serve as a fun DIY project. Last but not least, a backpack loaded up with all your summer essentials is perfect to take to the beach or that music festival you’ve waited all year for!
MUSIC FESTIVALS! From EDM to Hip Hop, BSB has got you covered from coast to coast!
High Sierra 7/2-7/5 Quincy, CA #BSB’s fav duo HONEYHONEY will be taking the stage as well as Lake Street Dive & Galactic! Learn about tickets,lineup & MORE!
Mamby On The Beach 7/11-7/12 Chicago, IL Held on Oakwood Beach this lakeside party focuses on indie-dance music w/ acts like Cashmere Cat & Felix Da Housecat you dont wanna miss out! Learn MORE!
Forecastle Music Festival Louisville,KY 7/17-7/19 boasts an impressive lineup that includes Modest Mouse, Sam Smith & Cold War Kids.Learn about tickets,lineup & MORE!
PitchFork 7/17-7/19 Chicago, IL Union Park Celebrating its 10 year anniversary with acts Chicago Chance The rapper, Future Islands, Pitchfork highlights the best in new and emerging music. Learn MORE!
Big Dub 7/29-8/2 Artemas, PA A party in the mountain that seeks to bring about peace, love, unity and respect through EDM of course! Learn MORE!
FIREWORKS!! We cant forget the 4th of July! 
Undoubtedly an important date, Celebrate the Independence Day with a spectacular fireworks display. Here are some of the most awe inspiring fireworks from around the country as reported by the Travel Channel
Take time to enjoy the little things too. July is perfect for spending evenings on the patio with close friends, sipping sweet tea(if I have anything to do with it) & counting fireflies.
Life is like guacamole, it’s good!
Amber Yholeata
….Or does it?
The ever-present theme here at TheBriteside is, well… living on the brightside of life! That is to say, you deserve to live THE best life possible! Most of us have a vague idea of what that life “should” be. This life exists in a day-dreamy stream of consciousness that generally results in lottery winnings, living happily ever after etc.
Though very possible… we rarely have any real grasp on how to bridge the gap in making the ever elusive daydream a reality.
AGAIN, you deserve the best life has to offer. That however, is an exact mirror of what YOU offer( switch the O & the E & + T= EFFORT ). If you’ve ever heard: “You get out of it what you put in”, then you’re already halfway there. Read on!
Life is too short NOT to make it amazing! Notice I said “MAKE”. Make + Effort = were on a roll now!!! Make the effort to be in control of your experiences, otherwise you’ll render yourself solely reactive, with limited options… life HAPPENING to you.
From personal experience, I can honestly say that I’ve wasted the most time & energy being indecisive. My advice,since you’re asking, is to DECIDE on what it is that you truly need to be happy & fulfilled. If you’re not sure what you want,(Trust me,I’ve been there) here’s my general rule of thumb: Go with your instinct. Always trust your gut…if you have one. If your instinct isn’t sending out 4g signals, well then, just start with the most logical.
Once you’ve decided on WHAT to do, then do your due diligence to figure out HOW to go about doing it efficiently.Time management is instrumental. Make a to-do list & prioritize items on your list based on what your able to do today,next week,next month & so on depending on the goal. Make a timeline (this is beginning to sound a lot like a project. SO WHAT !?! keep reading) of afore mentioned tasks & hold YOURSELF accountable . For help with goal-setting & planning click HERE.
Follow through to the end. The truth is, you may need to re-evaluate these steps as you go. Understandably so, there will be setbacks. Careless lapses in judgement however, are not on the list of approved setbacks . Sometimes your estimated timeline is not realistic. You are NOT going to be the President of the United States at 19 , you’re just not! Here’s why. Remember that due diligence I mentioned earlier? It really is quite useful. You have to figure out what works for YOU. Putting forth the effort to do so takes time & patience. I can promise you, the time wasted playing catch up FAR outweighs the small amount of time you invest in being proactive.
And just like that you’ve created your own Exclusive brand of “luck”. You’re in a constant state of readiness -prepared for very opportunity that presents itself to you. All because you decided to take initiative. You made the effort! You have had such a resolute focus that you’ve not allowed disruptions to veer you from what it is that you’ve decided is the life you deserve. The days of running behind are looooong gone! No more waiting to simply “luck up”. You are able to enjoy life- the challenges, lessons & victories. You are living the life you chose & you are living it on purpose. You are confident, empowered & beaming with the energy that comes with living on the Briteside. As you should be 🙂
Remember, life is like guacamole, …it’s goood! -Amber Yholeata
Hey Br!ghtSiders,
Just a quick announcement,
I’ve been recording some new material & I’d like to get some real live human feedback (you’d be surprised how indifferent my cats can be at times. 😾)
That said, I’ll be popping up in a few different cities on the east coast. If you’re in the cities I’ve posted, come on out and hear some of my new music, tell me if it sucks or nah, buy some Amber Yholeata music & Merch and MOST IMPORTANTLY … let me know some good diners/breakfast places to try while I’m in your neck of the woods! Maybe we’ll have lunch!
Dreaming for the World,
-Amber Yholeata
Amber Yholeata
I can’t… it’s too late, no ones ever done it successfully…. You often hear people speak about disadvantage or their current unfavorable circumstances with a defeatist attitude. That shouldn’t be accepted as “normal” frequent & average maybe but not NORMAL by my definition!
What if we stop accepting these circumstances as cages to our growth. What if we no longer asked permission to soar, giving others the chance to tell us all the reasons we can’t. These reasons ,of course, aren’t likely to be based off of the scientific exactness of our potential, but rather compared to the general populations current precedents. If we would only allow ourselves the mere opportunity to excel, we could face our reflections with courageous revere & meet the boundless power that lies untapped within us. No is only in our minds…
I’d previously heard of Amy Purdy on Dancing with The Stars but hadn’t delved into her story until recently. At age 19, Amy contracted Neisseria meningitis, ] & as a result, both of her legs had to be amputated just below the knees.
Amy has turned impossible to “been there, done that” multiple times & has excelled despite her “circumstances” She is the embodiment of perseverance & faith in things unprecedented. She didn’t ask permission to live her best life nor did she take no for an answer. No matter our situation, we can all draw inspiration from Amy’s story. So let’s get soaring!!!
Remember, life is like guacamole…it’s GOOD!
Chronically optimistic & infecting the masses,
– Amber Yoleata
Hey Br!ghtsiders the holidays are upon us &if you’re anything like me, you haven’t been to a single store. Never fear, the 2014 “Briteguide” to gifting is here!
Stuff to stuff in stockings
Courtesy of my friends @ Papersource
For the foxy lady in your life:
foxy socks
Master the art of #Sleating (eating & sleeping at the same time) with this cool pillow:
let the sleating begin
A groovy idea for the undiagnosed OCD music lover in your life!
Record coasters
For bacon lovers everywhere:
bacon flavored jelly beans
White Elephant party gifts:
My sister so graciously informed me that at these social gatherings, guests exchange terrible, cheap, tacky gag gifts for fun! If you ever get invited to such an event, here’s what you should bring:
Nothing says I love you like shoes!
Two of my favorite footwear brands are Dr.Martens & Jeffrey Campbell (I wore the neon purple JC Lita’s in the music video for Party At My House ) Check em out!
Uber comfy, uber tall, and uber cute! You can’t go wrong with Jeffery Campbell’s Lita platform. A variety of styles and colors to fit every mood!
Lita platform
Take two of these & call me in the morning. Practical, stylish and comfortable(they’re already broken in) the guy in your life will absolutely love the 1460 Dr. Marten 8 eyelet boot!
1460 Dr. Marten
Last but not least, go download my newest single “Party At My House” on iTunes now and add it to your feelgood playlist!!! ( see post about Jeffrey Campbell above to watch the music video)
I hope you find this helpful in your search for cool presents for your FRamily!
Happy shopping & Happy Holidays
~ Amber Yholeata
VELCRO, PENICILLIN, POPSICLES … What do these things have in common? They were all, much like Americas “discovery”, Accidents… I believe Serendipity is what it’s called. The accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it. In keeping w/ the holiday I wanted to share a few unintended discoveries & inventions that we use everyday. These products of serendipity prove there is beauty in “mis-adventure”.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqArHwtvE9Y%5DLEARN TO RECOGNIZE an AHA!!! moment & roll with it. Life is not lived in black & white. While planning & focus are necessary, equally important is flexibility. Like the inventions/discoveries in the video you never know what you may create or who you might inspire. Just stay on your toes & be ready to dance when life yells SURPRISE!!!! Remember, life is like guacamole, …it’s goood!
Chronically optimistic & infecting the masses, -Amber Yholeata
IN DECIDING WHAT WOULD BE THE FLAGSHIP POST of The Br!ghtSideBlog I wanted to share something with you that truly captured its essence. I was editing & re-editing a post (I can’t even remember what it was about now) when my computer crashed. I thought I’d lost everything! I was forced to revert back to the centuries old practice of actually writing …on paper…with a pen. {I have an aversion to pencils} In that moment inspiration was born! What I realized was that simple was the best way to go. So I present to you a simple truth that represents just what this blog is about; the idea of looking on the br!ght side. An option that is ever-present yet, oftentimes overlooked.
SO SOMEONE CUT YOU OFF IN TRAFFIC! Life has so much to offer, most of which can’t be seen or appreciated by someone frivolously wasting energy, reacting to every-little-thing! LOOK! You just missed your exit! See what I’m talking about? Being even momentarily afflicted w/ these negative feelings has an impact. The tiniest thing can snowball & ruin your lunch, day, or ENTIRE WEEK!!! Let it go! There’s a study by the University of Texas: { you can read it here: http://cmhc.utexas.edu/stressrecess/Level_One/fof.html } that says the brain triggers the release of the chemicals cortisol & adrenaline into the bloodstream in stressful moments, as a sort of defense mechanism. The catch however, is the brains inability to distinguish between stress that is occurring and stress that is perceived! Try not to dwell on what has already taken place or worry about what’s to come. Your cute little brain doesn’t know the difference between that & the real thing, so it reacts the same way in BOTH instances. That’s like playing a prank on your brain where you trick it into believing “insert traumatic event here” is happening when it isn’t. STOP DOING THAT! It has enough going on trying to keep you upright & functioning-don’t be ungrateful, K?
THE MORAL OF THE STORY boys & girls is DO NOT pass GO & DO NOT, at any cost, collect 200 stress dollars…Stress has too many negative effects (If you don’t believe me you’ve obviously bypassed the link for the study I so thoughtfully placed above for your convenience). That’s cool, I’ll get over it…
YOU OWE IT TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL SELF to be present in each and every moment, for they are fleeting! FLEETING I tell you! If that’s not reason enough to relax, just remember, it takes more muscles to frown than it takes to smile. That, ladies & gents means wrinkles. In closing I leave you w/ the aforementioned “idea”, a song that perfectly embodies TheBr!ghtSide lifestyle. It’s called “By the Weekend” & it just so happens to be my new single! I made it with you in mind so give it a listen & remember, life is like guacamole, ….it’s goood!
Chronically optimistic & infecting the masses, -Amber Yholeata
The Br!ght Side Blog 