words worth repeating / 38

words worth repeating 38 by ana maria munoz // anamu Taking chances. That's what life is all about. With a new year right around the corner, there's not better time to take a leap of faith into whatever your latest opportunity may be. A new career path, a move, a new hobby, a new relationship, a new beginning...you will never know what greatness lies ahead unless you step out of your comfort zone to go for it.

My mom always told me "you will either get a 'yes' or a 'no' but you have to ask first". I'm now applying that to starting a new business venture that can either succeed in the way I envision it or it could totally bomb. If the latter were to happen I would take what I learned and move on to the next thing proudly knowing that I took a chance and did everything I could to make it work. And if the former happens, I'll be right where I saw myself (and the business) the moment I said yes to trying something new.

In the grand scheme of things there is so much to gain and not much to lose when saying yes to change or taking a risk. It's not always easy, cheap, or fun, but what comes out of it is invaluable. I was initially scared to move to London from LA and it took a lot of work and sacrifices to make it happen but now, with our second international home under our belts, I can't even imagine what life would be like had I been too scared to change my surroundings and follow my heart. With no regrets, moving has definitely confirmed that taking chances is far better than living with "what ifs" and missed opportunities. Life is too short and awesome to be afraid of change so go stir something up and give that next idea or opportunity a chance!

Now tell me, have you ever taken a chance that proved invaluable to your life today?

for more quotes visit Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss.

words worth repeating / 35

words worth repeating 35 by ana maria munoz--anamu The holiday season has a way of making me feel lazy. All I want to do is cuddle up in a blanket, watch movies, and do anything but work. For those of you who might be falling into the holiday work slump with me, let's remember how good it feels to cross off the day's action items one at a time. A productive today will make the actual holiday tomorrow feel that much sweeter.

Cheers to a good Hump Day!

for more quotes visit Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss.

words worth repeating / 34

words worth repeating 34 by ana maria munoz--anamu No one is upset around here (and I hope you aren't either) but it's often too easy to take what we have for granted. With Thanksgiving happening in the States tomorrow let's all take a minute to give thanks for all of the good people and things in our lives. Because really, when it's all boiled down to the basics there is lots to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, America!

for more quotes visit Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss.

words worth repeating / 32

quote 32 Last week I mentioned that I'm working on launching a print shop (woo hoo!). I also mentioned that I've been thinking/waiting to do it for nearly one year. What have I been waiting for? I don't know but I sure do love this quote for kicking my butt into action. Let's do this thang!

for more quotes visit Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss.

words worth repeating / 20

Quote 20 It wasn't until after college that I began to really view the world through a different lens.  A lens of adventure, appreciation, and intrigue. I had re-discovered my hometown of Los Angeles and threw myself into enjoying everything it had to offer from museums, distinct neighborhoods, to quintessential moments like watching the sun set over the Pacific. I've been trying to get back to the explorer me that made LA seem new again, made London home, and will make KL the experience it's meant to be. Going to Jalan Alor for dinner this weekend was my personal attempt at embracing what we have here and relishing it...and that I did. It still may be a while before I feel 100% comfortable going out on my own (due to this) but I know that it's just a matter of time. Until then I don't mind waiting for the weekend to explore with my hunny. I shouldn't get to have all of the fun, after all.

Here's to enjoying the the journey whether near or far!

for more quotes visit Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss. 

(design by Ana Maria Muñoz)

words worth repeating / 19

Quote 19 I've been quietly nurturing a little invention of mine and while it may or may not ultimately become something, I will be doing my best to live this quote until I know either way. These words are great for everyday dreaming and doing... you simply can't accomplish anything without the two working hand-in-hand.

 

more quotes visit Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss. 

(design by Ana Maria Muñoz)

words worth repeating / 18

words worth repeating Every other day or so I open my inbox to find a sweet video of my two little nieces...they make me smile and laugh so much. Little do they know that their silly antics make my day and in general add so much value to my life. After emails I see if my mom and dad are free for a video chat. We share our stories of living in different countries, the good and the bad. Even though they are from Colombia, re-settling there after being in LA for nearly thirty years doesn't come without the "it's so tragic it's funny" moments. Their stories make me laugh and my recent one of our first rickety bus ride here didn't disappoint either! Just imagine a bus that's been to hell and back - painted 100 times over with no avail, bumper is hanging on for dear life, no front door - and a lady standing on the opening's ledge screaming the destination as it putt putts by the bus stop. It was pretty amazing.

Today I'm thankful for the technology that helps make those smiles and belly laughs possible even though we're so far away. SO thankful.

AND, I'm also thankful for Anne of City Sage for sharing this video via twitter. It's a good thing that I heard the song Call Me Maybe last week so that I knew what Mr. Cookie Monster was talking about! It is Hi-larious. And yes, I just heard that song last week for the first time - I had to find it on You Tube after I kept seeing it mentioned everywhere. What do you expect, I live in Malaysia and don't listen to Top 40 radio stations...I'm in my own little bubble but sometimes I burst it for the sake of pop culture ;)

 

more quotes on Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss. 

(design by Ana Maria Muñoz)

words worth repeating / 17

quote-17-V3 Thank you to all who left comments on yesterday's post (and to those who took the time to read it, too, 'twas lengthy). Just writing it all out made me feel better and got me back to focusing on what is good about life right now. Thankfully, there's lots. Here's to enjoying the ride.

 

Do you have any quotes that help you get going in the morning? You’re invited to submit them on Howdy Day! – I’d love to share them! Howdy Day!, a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss. 

(design by Ana Maria Muñoz)

 

words worth repeating / 11

Quote 11

I had a moment of homesickness yesterday after being disappointed by a disgusting packet of string cheese. Silly how the smallest things can set you off but it happens. I then started to think about all of the familiar and comfortable things that I miss from the States but when I realized that I was struggling to make a solid list I felt much more at ease. Though I miss my network of close friends and family tremendously, I have everything I need right here: a place to call home and Joe. Screw the string cheese.

For more quotes or to submit your favorite visit Howdy Day!. Howdy Day! is a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss. Learn more here.

(design by Ana Maria Muñoz)

words worth repeating / 5

quote 5 My parents recently moved back to Colombia - their native country- where they're setting their roots down after decades of being away. They were the first from their families to fly the coop when they were eighteen and nineteen years old, opting for new adventures that would eventually create our own beautiful family. Their spirits, bravery, and yes, craziness, have been the biggest inspirations in my life. They were the first to tell me to follow my heart and move halfway across the world with Joe - "go, have an adventure" they said "it's what life is all about". They are always so right.

Joe and I are now pending final word on something that could bring an entirely new world our way. We're ready to take it and go for a ride...fingers crossed!

for more quotes or to submit your own visit Howdy Day! (design by me)

words worth repeating

quote 1 On Monday I mentioned the launch of my new blog project, Howdy Day!, so today I thought I'd give it a proper introduction via a new weekly post, words worth repeating.

I love inspirational and motivational quotes, I think many people do. So one day when I got really tired of my web browser opening up to the latest (and saddest) news of the day I thought man, I just really want to see something positive first thing in the morning. I searched for sites that focused on positive news but only found wonky pages with even wonkier stories (local firemen saving a cat can only be so interesting). I then turned my attention to inspirational quote sites and ugh...there are so many with too too much clutter. Design-wise, most of them seem to be stuck in the eras of many of the quotes they reference. I wanted to be inspired by words, not be turned off by bad websites at 7am. I wanted something simple, clean, and to the point.

Howdy Day! is just that: one daily quote on a page, quick and simple. I have it set as my browser's homepage and it makes a world of difference to see something positive or personally thought provoking as soon as I get online. I eventually read the news but it no longer sets the tone for my morning and I've said goodbye to the default Google homepage. Google always wanted something from me right away (search me! click today's theme logo for a video!). A simple daily quote just says "welcome to your day, make it a good one"... at least it does for me and I hope it does the same for you. I will bring some of the wise words shared on Howdy Day! to this blog once per week in a designed format. This post and design has been very popular so I'm thinking you may not hate seeing a bit more of its kind around here :)

I'd love for Howdy Day! to be a collaborative blog so if you have any favorite quotes that you'd like to share, you can submit them here. To get your daily dose you can subscribe via email, RSS, or do as I do and set Howdy Day! as your default homepage. Okay, now go get inspired and motivated for a great day...

(design: by me)