Author: Deseree

If you are thinking about dating a daddy's girl, you better suit up because her standards are high. 

Someday she will find her Prince, but her daddy will always be her King. 

1. She knows how to be treated by a man. 

He is the one who sets the standard so high for a future husband because of the way he treats her, loves her, and most importantly, because of the example of love he has set by the way he loves her mom. 

He is always her Valentine, surprising her with flowers and a special gift every year. He holds her hand through every challenge, figuratively and literally. She is treated like a Princess while at the same time teaching her how to be an independent and responsible adult. His love sets the template for how she expects to be treated by her husband. 

2. She has learned just about everything from her dad. 

She knows how important it is to be there for someone because of the way he has been there for her. He taught her that it is okay to trust men. Being spoiled has taught her that she deserves to be happy, so she works so hard with the work ethic she got from him to create herself a happy life. He taught her that chivalry is not dead, and a man being a gentleman is always in style. 

She knows how to recognize good people. 

3. She will talk about her dad a lot. 

Her dad is the most important man in her life. He is her lifeline, mentor, hero, and best friend. She looks up to him in every way, so of course she will talk about him a lot. She loves her dad, and it is important that you do too. 

4. They have joint passions. 

They have a lot in common and spent almost all of their time together growing up; therefore they have a lot of the same passions. Whether it be sports, certain movies, books, etc. 

These topics will always find their ways in the conversations and they will get so excited about it. 

5. She thinks so highly of you because you have similar traits. 

They say that girls marry the one that reminds them of their dad. If she loves, admires, and thinks highly of you, some of it has to do with the fact that you have some of the traits she was raised with, receiving unconditional love from her dad. 

Kindness, patience, ambition, thoughtfulness – whatever it is, you and her dad have some attributes in common. 

6. She is very handy. 

As stated before, they spent a lot of time together as she was growing up so she learned a lot. She can fix her own flat tire, and build her own desk. Car trouble is no trouble. She knows the basics of remodeling, and definitely knows how to fix little things around the house. 

She knows all of the tool names and knows how to work them. 

7. Her dream is to marry a man who will be as good a dad to your future kids as he was to her. 

She was raised with a lifelong best friend who did everything with her and loved her without end. She could always rely on her dad, and told him everything. He is the first one she calls when something good or bad happens. 

The bond they share is so unique and special; she can only dream that you will have that same bond with your future kids. 

I was always the girl who did her own thing. Instead of learning how to do makeup, I was out in the dirt blowing up explosives with my cousins. I was riding dirt bikes and playing softball every weekend instead of going to pool parties. I always did what I loved to do rather than what everyone else was doing. 

I love the idea and practice of leadership. As a small business owner, I am learning just how important it is to have effective leadership skills. My dad would come home with leadership books all the time when I was about 13 and I read EVERY single one of them. (Thanks, dad!) As helpful as the books were, getting out there in the real world and experiencing leadership for yourself is undeniably the best way to learn how to be a leader, and what kind of leader you are. Here are 5 keys to strong leadership, no matter what kind if leadership style it is that you have. (or if you don't know what type of leader you are!)

Key #1: Face Challenges Head on. 

People who are in positions that require leadership will face challenges almost continuously. It is a daily effort to try and prevent challenges, but you will be blindsided and things will come up. When this happens, it is so important to remain level-headed and face this challenge in a clear thought of mind. Do not run away from it hoping it will go away, and do not try and put it on other people so they can deal with it instead of you. Great leaders are brave when working through an obstacle. Think of every scenario, see what will provide the best outcome that makes sense, and do the tasks that are required to get through it. 

*Keep employees in the loop. If the situation allows it, let them know the good and not so good things that are going on. Employees that work hard and care about the company really do value when their leaders are honest with them. 

Key #2: Win Trust. 

Let people know that you have their best interest at heart and that you care about them beyond what they do at work. Do not pry, but ask how their baseball game went or how their kid is doing. Showing that you want to know about how they are doing outside of work shows that you care. People who trust their leaders are harder working and more enthusiastic about their work. Also, if they make a mistake, do not correct them in anger or belittle them. They will either get discouraged or angry as well. To give them constructive criticism and let them know what they can do to avoid their mistake next time will keep them encouraged and enjoy learning more on the job. 

Key #3: Be authentic and real. 

People can see through fake people very easily and quickly. Do not try and be someone you're not just because you are in a position of power. I think it is easy for bosses to want to try and be their employees friend, which is fine, but I also think there is a fine line between being a good friend with your employee and just trying to be cool with them and get on their good side to be well liked rather than well respected. 

Key #4: Earn Respect.

Following key number 3, earning respect is very important. When you conduct yourself in a way that shows moral and ethical traits, earning respect will come authentic and natural. To have values and to act on them is what makes others earn respect. Nobody enjoys someone who says one thing and does another. This really ties in with being authentic. 

Key #5: Stay Curious.

This one is huge. Always look for ways to learn how to be a better leader, how to do your job better, and look for new insights and ideas to improve yourself and the business (or whatever it is that you have a leadership role in). There is always something to learn and to improve on. Read books, watch the news, be aware of your surroundings, attend seminars, etc. There are endless ways to learn. Staying curious means you keep that interest in your business and truly want it to be the best you can make it. 

After reading these 5 keys, are there any others you can think of that can help you be or become a leader? Above all, just remember to do what you love, and do it the best of your ability. 

I realize that I have been blessed beyond words to have such an inspiring example of true love to look up to by my parents. It is incredibly sad to me that not everyone has that; but I believe that sharing what I have learned from my parent's relationship may inspire some of you, too. 

1. My parents are best friends. 

In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of a relationship. Everyday I watch my parents drink their coffee in the morning while talking about anything and everything, I watch them laugh and make jokes all the time, I watch them make the simplest chores fun, always go to each other for everything and they are always there for each other. For example, if my mom is having a rough day or something happened, my dad will have him and I run into her room, jump on her bed and tell her how much we love her. She can't help but cheer up! They are so fun together and make each other smile everyday. It is beautiful. 

2. They truly trust one another. 

I have never seen my parents give each other a reason to lose trust in each other, nor have I ever seen them get jealous in any way. They have such a strong bond that is based on trust and loyalty, and it is amazing to know that. 

3. They respect one another. 

My parents are alike in a lot of ways; but they have quite a few differences as well. They have some different interests and some different ways of doing things, but they absolutely respect their differences. They are individuals who have their own lives, but they are also a couple who come together and conquer everything together. They have the utmost respect for each other. 

4. They have fun. 

21 years of marriage and they still sing to each other, hold hands, dance together, make inside jokes, call each other "honey bunny", and most importantly, laugh together, almost all the time! I know this because my mother's laugh is almost as loud as mine.. hard to imagine, right? 

5. They do not fight about silly things. 

In my 20 years with my parents, I have never seen them fight or argue. I have seen them bicker and it usually just ends up in laughter. They realize the important things and life, and what is worth actually discussing and what is meant to slide by. I am sure behind closed doors they have disagreements, but none of which I have heard. I admire that they do not fight in front of their kids. 

My parents are truly amazing, and as I said before, I never take for granted how blessed I am to have them as my example of true love. I am thankful for the relationship they have, how they have raised me in such a loving environment, and the ways they have taught me what is important without them probably even knowing I was paying such close attention to how they treat each other. I can only hope to have such a loving relationship as they do. 

I love you, mom and dad! 

1. Netflix will always be there for you. 

Tough night? Netflix. Bored? Netflix. Can't sleep? Netflix. Want to procrastinate? Ne… Well you get the point. 

2. You will not have it all together like you thought you would. 

Remember when you were in high school and thought everyone who was 18 or older had it all together? Well, shortly you will realize just how wrong you were.. truth is, when you get into your 20's, you realize no one has it all together, and we don't even try to pretend we do. Our situations are not situated all the time, but that's okay. It makes life fun and adventurous, and of course, stressful. But hey, that's what Netflix is for. 

3. Things will change… a lot. 

It seems like 10 things change a week in your 20's. Adventures happen, tragedies happen, fights happen, but most of all, opportunities happen. It seems like just about everyone around me in their 20's have all kinds of opportunities come throughout their years. Job offers, traveling, love, moving. I promise that life will be nothing like you thought it would be when you were younger. Absolutely nothing like it. 

4. Life is hard. 

This may be obvious. Life has always been hard. But what I have learned is that no one told us life would be this hard, but no one promised it would be easy either. You are not promised anything, and every challenge offers a lesson or teaches you what you want or don't want in life. Sometimes tough times will come crashing down all at once, and sometimes it will happen just after you thought you found true happiness. Life is full of surprises, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel that reminds you why you are here living this adventure in the first place. Keep going, I promise it's worth it to keep seeking happiness and overcoming challenges. 

5. We are all on a search for happiness. 

Going off of number 4, we are all on a search for that undying happiness we see in movies. We all have our own idea of happiness, but at the end of the day, we all just want to radiate enthusiasm and joy throughout our life. But at what point to we stop craving happiness and just learn to be content with what we have? No matter what we have in life, we always see one thing that we believe could makes us happier. Maybe it is time to just live in the moment and be happy with where we are at right now. 

6. Your heart will break and it will hurt. 

This one is a tough one. At some point our hearts will break whether it be the person we thought was "the one", a long lasting friendship, or losing a family member. Heart break is not beautiful, and it may be one of the most painful things you go through. They say it is necessary to go through and things will get better, but cliches aside, it really hurts and it takes more out of you than you think. But yes, it will get better and you will learn from it. 

7. Mental Health comes first. 

I cannot stress this enough. The past few years, this has been the biggest realization I have made. If you are miserable, you need to reach out and try and get better. Whatever it is you are going through, get help. Do what makes you happy. Learn to work through it and you will become stronger. Let go of the fear, keep living, and learn how to control whatever it is you are going through. I absolutely understand that depression and anxiety do not go away, but I know for a fact that getting help will let you learn what to do about it. Please, please put your mental health above all. 

8. Physical health comes second. 

I am not saying become a body builder, or a crazy gym rat. What I am saying is to get exercise and do what you can to stay moving. Working out helps you feel better, creates a healthy lifestyle, and helps your mental health. It helps balance, energy, endurance, strength, and how you feel about yourself. 

9. You will do things that scare the hell out of you. 

This one is self-explanatory. We all have different fears, but we will all do something that scares us yet helps us grow. Moving out, graduating college, getting into the real world, reconnecting with someone. It is all about growing!!

10. Life will never make sense. 

This probably doesn't make sense to some of you right now because things may be going great. But how did you get to that point? What if you hadn't gone into the coffee shop where you met the love of your life? What if you hadn't taken that 101 class that changed your life? Life is weird. Embrace it. 

11. You will learn everyone is fighting a battle. 

The people with the brightest smiles, loudest laughs, and contagious happiness is going through a tough battle, guaranteed. We all have our challenges, so be kind to all that you meet. They may really need it. 

12. Having a soft heart in a cruel world is tough. 

For those of you who give love to all those you meet, put your whole heart into relationships, and really have a compassionate and caring heart, are courageous. That is really tough to have in a world full of people who are insensitive, angry, and rude. But know that there are a lot of people out there who have soft hearts, and it is great only because not everyone has one. It makes it easy to appreciate. 

13. Friendship keeps you going. 

Find those friends who call you when you need a laugh. The ones who genuinely care about you and love to remind you how great you are. The ones who just "get you" and remember small details about your life and be that same kind of friend in return. They will be so important to you. Friendship is a beautiful thing. 

14. Everyone goes through life at a different pace. 

When in your 20's, you are at that age where some of your friends are getting engaged, some are having babies, and some are too drunk to find their phone. Don't feel bad for where you are at in life; you are where you are supposed to be as long as you are doing what you love, and living life the way you want to. We all have different paths. Again, life is weird and doesn't make sense to us. 

15. You will meet all kinds of people. 

You will meet people that you cannot believe exist, some who have crazy talents that seem impossible, and some who you feel you cannot live without. This world is full of different people, and that is what makes life fun. Embrace all types of people. 

16. No one in their 20's knows how to "adult". 

What is this thing people call "adulting"? How does one do that? I think I will just find an adultier adult because growing up sucks and I don't know what I am doing. My favorite is when people ask me what I am doing with my life and all I can respond with is "uh.. it's a surprise." 

17. Getting ready for the day becomes a chore. 

Remember in high school how we would spend hours getting ready to look good? Yeah that ends really quickly. Now we sit in class at college and think to ourselves "shoot.. did I even brush my hair today? Ah, who cares." 

18. Sleep any chance you get. 

This is totally acceptable because soon you will be in the real world and won't remember what sleep even feels like… 

19. Live in the moment, not in your phone. 

It seems everywhere we go, people are too busy taking pictures of what is happening rather that living in the moment. Don't do it for the insta. Be where you are. That is what true happiness is. Besides, you won't get as many 'likes' as you thought you would, even if you use the dog snapchat filter. 

20. The best way to learn is to travel and experience. 

Life is so fun when you take a break from your routine to go on trips, learn about other cultures, experience life outside of your comfort zone. Now that is real "on the job" training, except it pertains to life training. Go explore! The greatest thing you can spend your money on is experiences. 

21. Love is the strongest currency at all. 

All those medals on the wall, degrees and certificates, and money in your bank account means little to nothing if you do not have someone you love to share it with. I love love, and I know a lot of you do too. Love is a beautiful thing and I believe it keeps the world going. Love from family, friends, and significant others is true happiness. 

"In order to heal we must first forgive… and sometimes the person we must forgive is ourselves." – Mila Bron

I think most of us can agree that love is the strongest currency of all. Whether it is from friends, family, or significant others, love makes the world a better place. We also love giving love. It feels good to care about someone, and celebrate them. But can you imagine how happy we would be if we loved ourselves as much as we love others?

Forgiving yourself is the best thing you can do. 

Self-love is the most healthy and important thing we can do in our lives. Yes, we mess up. Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, we unintentionally hurt others. This is life, and everyone does it. The first step to making things right again is to forgive ourselves.

Stop keeping track of the mistakes you made. 

If you keep a roster of every mistake you make, you will live a miserable life. Regrets are unnecessary. What is important is trying to make things right, forgiving yourself, and moving forward. We are human. We will mess up. It is inevitable. 

You deserve to forgive yourself. 

You are enough. Let me repeat that so it goes through and sticks. You. Are. Enough. You are worthy of your own affection. In fact, you deserve it and you owe it to yourself. I know that life is hard and mistakes happen. Stop feeling guilty, stop beating yourself up, and stop feeling like you deserve the emotional pain you are feeling. It is time to let it go. You may have known the mistakes you were making, and you may not have. But it is time to forgive yourself, learn from the past, and move on. Life is a beautiful gift and the best part is that there is brighter days ahead and ways to improve your bad days. 

Mistakes build character. 

Think about this; if you didn't make mistakes, you wouldn't know any better. There is a saying that you have to be young and stupid to grow old and wise. This is the same thing. You have to make mistakes to know better in the future. Of course you can learn from other's mistakes, but you're going to make your own in life as well. Embrace it, take what you can learn from it, and know better next time. 

"Self-love is complete forgiveness, acceptance and respect for who you are deep down – all your beautiful and hideous parts included." – Aletheia Luna

All my love, 

Deseree

It is really easy to get discouraged in life when you feel like you are not doing "enough". I use the word "enough" loosely because we all have a different definition of it. What we need to realize is that we do not have to be super heroes to be doing something worthy in life. Being motivated, driven and ambitious are three clear signs that you are on track for a satisfying life!

1. You're still trying to improve your way of life. 

 If you are still trying to chase your dreams, work on a better lifestyle, or do whatever it is you think will satisfy you, you are doing much more than you think you are. It can be easy to get into a slump and let go of all your dreams when feeling discouraged, but if you stay above that and try your hardest to create the life you want, you are so far ahead of a lot of people! Keep going! 

2. You have a strong support group. 

Having a solid group of friends and a supportive family means they believe in you and know you are capable of great things. When you have that behind you, that means they know you are worthy. Make them proud, but most importantly, make yourself proud. 

3. You make mistakes. 

If you are making mistakes, it means you are trying. It takes some failures to create success. There will always be obstacles in life, but your character is built by how you face them and how you react to them. As long as you are making mistakes, you are working towards your goals. 

4. You still have dreams. 

Being a dreamer is one of the best things you can be. When you are a dreamer you are setting goals for yourself because you believe you can achieve them. This means you are confident that you are capable to do what you have your mind set to do. Believing in yourself is the first step you need to take when it comes to anything. If you can't believe in yourself, who will?

5. You are indecisive. 

Didn't expect this one, did you? Being indecisive can actually be a great thing. It means that you want to make the best decision possible that will be the most beneficial for what you are trying to do. It is really great that you want to put something into really careful thought before making a decision, but just remember that anytime you get overwhelmed or stressed about it, just take a step back and ask for some help. 

Almost 100% of the time, you are doing better than you think you are. We are our own worst critics and we compare our successes to others a lot. Just remember that every one of us have a different lifestyle, different obstacles, and different goals. It may seem as though some people have everything they want or things come easy to them, but I can almost guarantee you that is not the case. Nothing in life comes easy. Just focus on you and your goals so you can create the life you have always dreamed of. Do not worry if things go differently than planned, it will work out and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. 

"You are allowed to be both a Masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously." – Anonymous 

All my love,
Deseree