Raewyn Rapunzel

Oh, that’s tough, actually. Rather, it’s tough because I have my own idea of what being awesome means, but it’s fit for me personally, my beliefs, my tendencies, etc. I wouldn’t say, “HEY! THIS IS HOW ANYONE CAN BE A ROCKSTAR!” You gotta figure that out yourself.

Therefore, for ME:

-BEING AWESOME is thanking the universe/God/Jesus/Buddha/Allah/Zeus/Kami-sama every time you take a bite your first bite of food, especially if it’s something scrumptious or healthy. People look at me like “wtf” when I freak out over stuff like bubble tea. The thing is, I know how lucky we are just to have an easy source of food at all, let alone one where we have choices in the matter. A lot of people don’t have that. I’m not just talking about outside this country, either. Some kids? Their only meal of the day is the one they get at school, and that’s if they’re lucky enough to go to school at all. So, saying that silent thank you, being grateful, that’s awesome.

In fact, stretching this practice to anything material can only aid one’s positive attitude.

-BEING AWESOME is realizing who in  your life is amazing, and hanging on to them with all your might. 

Friendships involve a fair degree of sacrifice and selflessness. I try to spend time with mine as often as I can. When I can’t physically be with them, I’ll chat them up via Tumblr or AIM. And you know, don’t just look at it like, “Well what can this person give me?” Be the one who starts! Throw them parties, randomly get them presents, tell them how lovely they are, give them big hugs. If it’s within your power, help them when they need it.

DON’T put your friends down. This is not to say that arguments won’t happen, because they will, but don’t put your friends down on a regular basis. This is also not to say it’s wrong to criticize your friend EVER. (If you think they’re having a serious problem, it’s okay to present it, but try to be constructive, not destructive.) I know some people play insult their friends, and that’s okay as long as the receiving party knows it’s joking. Being awesome means raising your friends UP.

Someone who has caring friends is blessed indeed. Most people are awesome in their own ways, but it is so rare to have them compliment enough to form a strong friendship. I’m not saying a gaggle of friends is the only blessing. For years, I only hung out with one very good friend, and I was still quite happy.

Same with romantic relationships. I am a heavy believer that successful romantic relationships are just friendships with special additions. Your partner should bring out your best you, and you should do the same for them. If you’re in a committed relationship, treat it that way! Treat that person like they are are your partner for life (which they could be!). Treat that person like they put the stars in the sky.

This include families, too. I have a very kind-hearted family, strong as oxen, able to weather even the roughest of storms. If you’re lucky enough to have family that loves you and treats you right, be grateful! If not, focus on the people in your life who do treat you well, and don’t let your family get you down.

-BEING AWESOME means treating others with kindness and respect. After all, who knows when you’re going to meet someone who is going to profoundly change your life? And it makes you and other people feel good. >w<

-BEING AWESOME is standing up for others, especially when they need more voices or can’t stand up for themselves. I can’t tolerate bullies. They come in an unfortunate variety of shapes and sizes. Some are at schools. Some are at workplaces. Some are even political figures. I try never to underestimate the power of one person saying, “Hey! This is wrong.” Don’t be afraid to be that person. Your act could lead to a lot of good things!

-BEING AWESOME means knowing that one person can make all the difference. I have admitted before and will admit it again, I want to save the world. While I do try to consider this on an actual global scale and do things like donating to (LEGITIMATELY USEFUL!!) charities, signing petitions, going to rallies, spread along information about injustices, and being careful about where my purchased goods come from, even small-scale actions a personal level can change someone’s world. Obviously I try to be a good friend. I can’t even remember how many times friends have told me that they appreciate having me in their lives because I really do value them, and they never had that before. Alternatively, Dee specifically uses my actions as a moral compass, saying What Would Rae Do? LOL!

I’m not trying to brag here, honestly. Just saying that love, genuine love, can go a long way. So, love people with your everyday actions.

-BEING AWESOME means respecting yourself enough to know when it’s time to let go. Think of it this way: you spend so much time catering to or worrying about whoever/whatever it is that it starts to affect YOU negatively. YOU start to be negative, whether their perspective starts rubbing off on you or you just become frustrated from the ordeal. YOU start to lose your sense of self, or your self-respect. YOU start to believe this treatment is acceptable. Not okay. The time you spend with this person could be spent with people who actually care about you and treat you well.

-BEING AWESOME means forgiving yourself for mistakes you’ve made. IT’S OKAY TO SCREW UP! WE’RE HUMAN! I know what you’re thinking. “I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’m just improvising! I keep screwing up! SOMEONE WILL NOTICE!” Darling, EVERYONE is improvising! No one truly knows what the hell they’re doing! There’s no secret screw-up police that’s going to read your thoughts and arrest you for winging it, or toss you in a cell for tanking it hardcore on several occasions. As long as you’re trying, learn from your mistakes, and have good intentions, it’ll be okay.

-BEING AWESOME means accepting and loving yourself for who you are, and accepting imperfections. Hi, my name is Rae. I love Disney, Doctor Who, Sailor Moon, personality tests, plushies, baking, pho, and bursting out into random songs about whatever I’m doing or whoever I’m with. I like to go on walks and make little stories in my head. I have REALLY long hair that makes me feel like a princess. Impromptu adventures make me extremely happy, as do surprise parties. At any given moment, if you ask me where my keys are, I probably won’t know. I take out more books from the library than I could possibly read, given my attention span. I’ve always wanted to teach English in an East or Southeast Asian country. My heart is oddly wiser than my head, so I usually follow that. The only time I tend to be critical is over books or movies, and that’s only because I’ve been well-trained to do so, being a previous writer myself! I’ve secretly always wanted a real lolita dress to wear. (Just one, because they’re hard to take care of and are expensive.) I love the way I look, but usually won’t say so because I don’t want to be immodest. Planning a trip to Disney World, even one three years away, gives me hope. I truly believe most people are good people who have just been hurt themselves, which is why I try so hard to understand them. I study psychology, sociology, and religion for this exact reason, especially typology. Bubble tea is the place that fixes me. When I’m alone, I still play pretend. I make terrible, TERRIBLE puns. (Like the one about pizza! Nah, way too cheesy.) I am human. I make mistakes. I am a strong person because I have survived. I AM AWESOME.

If you’re at a stage where you really can’t love yourself, don’t worry about it! It DOES happen. Things happen! When you can’t love yourself, just take care of yourself. Be gentle with yourself. I would also recommend looking into personality typology, such as MBTI. Sometimes we have a hard time loving ourselves because we feel like something’s wrong with us, like we don’t fit. Personality tests like MBTI can give you some info about yourself, and let’s you know that hey, a good portion of the population is just like you!

-BEING AWESOME means accepting others for who they are, and accepting imperfections. Despite being part of one human race, people think differently. Differing cultural/social norms, nature, nurture, what-have-you… In the end, we’re different. It’s good to have a strong sense of your own morals and even perhaps sharing them with others, but you can’t exactly force them on other people. People have different experiences and learn different lessons, so again while it’s good to express your own feelings on the subject, it might not amount to anything. People are not perfect. You’ll be much happier if you can just try to understand how people work and accepting it instead of trying to change them. (I’m talking about personal levels here, not political.)

And you know, those imperfections, I often find them to be beautiful. There’s a Japanese philosophy on the aesthetics of imperfection. Teaware will be made with chips or scuff marks. Flower arrangements are created with slight asymmetry. This is thought to enhance the beauty of the object. Try to accept (and even appreciate) the quirks in other people when you can. Keep an open mind about it! You can learn a lot from people who think on a different wavelength.

If you just can’t accept them, let them go.

-BEING AWESOME means you know you deserve to be happy.

-BEING AWESOME is realizing every moment of life is precious and should be treated as such.