Listen close, kid...

Here are a few important things to know about life...



-- BE YOURSELF!!!

There is someone out there who is going to love you for who you are... there's a good chance it wont be the person you think it will be... so don't be afraid to really look.

Be the person YOU want you to be... not the person someone else wants you to be... someone out there is going to fall in love with YOU.

Never let someone change you... unless it's a change you want to make, that is for the best.

Do what brings you JOY not what makes you happy. I promise there is a difference.

Never be embarassed to be yourself.


-- LIVE LUCKY!!!

Wish on shooting stars.

Magical things happen at 11:11.

Four leaf clovers are rare, if you ever find one... make a wish fast before your luck runs out ;)

Eyelashes fall out for a reason.

You only have a birthday once a year... you deserve to make a wish :)


-- BE THE BEST YOU, THAT YOU CAN BE!!!

Never let someone break your spirit... it's the only thing that's all yours.

Rember, when your head pops off that pillow, you make the next move... you control how you feel all day.

Choose the Right.

Remember who you are, and what you stand for.

There is something good that you have, that noone else has... figure out what it is.

Watch your thoughts; they turn into words. Watch your word;, they turn into actions. Watch your actions; they become habbits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

It is never to late to change.

Think before you speak, it'll save others from a lot of hurt, and you from a lot of regret.

Guilt is one of the best feelings you can have. It means you know that you messed up... so fix it! When you stop feeling guilt for the bad things you do... that's when you're in trouble.

There is always a reason to smile.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Good girls don't want to kiss a dirty mouth.

Swearing just shows that you aren't smart enough to think of a better word to use.

Be the type of man that you would want your daughter to marry.

If you know something you shouldn't, keep it to yourself.... other people probably shouldn't know it either.

Be someone that everyone wants to spend time with.

Learn from your mistakes... appreciate the lesson you learned, and don't let it happen again.

Try to gain as much knowledge as possible. It'll pay off.

Serve others. It will help you a lot more than it will help them.

When you've tried everything, and nothing has worked... the last thing you want is the only option you have left... it's a blessing in disguise.

Be a peacemaker.

Even the smallest actions can have huge consequences... good or bad.

Before anyone else can forgive you, you have to forgive yourself.

Have a dream and do whatever it takes to accomplish it.

Never doubt yourself.

Don't let your anger or temper get the best of you.

Don't get offended.

-- BE AWARE OF WHO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME WITH, THEIR ACTIONS AFFECT YOU, AND YOUR ACTIONS AFFECT THEM!!!

Looks don't mean a thing. A lot of the time, the best looking people physically can be the worst looking inside.

You have a best friend. Even if it's not the person you think it is... Someout out there would take a bullet for you. And if you can't think of someone you have like that, let me know, 'cause I'll be that friend for you.

EVERYONE deserves a second chance.

There is always someone who has gone through the same things you have... don't be afraid to ask them for help and advice.

Always give more than you take.

There's a lot more to family than just having the same blood.

Your words have a lot more power than you can even imagine... but your actions still speak louder.

You don't have to talk to let someone know how you feel.

Never tell someone something you don't mean just to make them feel better... It'll end up hurting them a lot worse.

First impressions are important, but people will always remember the last thing you said to them.

Never leave a room or go to bed angry.

Everyone has something new you can learn from them.

Our fingerprints never fade from the lives we touch.

God loves all his children, never do anything that will make anyone feel any different.

Always be conscious of your actions, you never know who is watching, and how it will make them feel.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Know who your TRUE friends are... and never let them go.

If you know someone who can make you laugh, no matter what... spend as much time as possible with them.

On occasion, surprise your friends, family or co-workers with treats or something. Fresh baked cookies can make anyone smile.

Share your feelings and thoughts with others... you never know if it's just what they needed to hear.

A simple smile or hug can completely turn someones day around.

Surround yourself with people who will help you grow closer to the Lord, and be that person for them.

No one is perfect. Don't judge other peoples imperfections.

-- HAVE SOME FUN!!!

Smile.

Don't let someone else control your emotions.

Don't dance like no one is watching. Make sure people ARE watching, 'cause they could probably use a good laugh.

If you love what you do... you'll never work a day in your life.

Attitude is everything.

Be able to laugh at yourself.

Say something in an awkward situation to make it more awkward... everyone will laugh and it will be less awkward.

Wear goofy socks to church.. no one will see them... but it will make you happy everytime you think about it :)

Sing loud when you're in the car or shower... just about anything can be turned into a microphone :)

Every once in a while, splurge and buy yourself something you really want... but don't make it a habbit.

Try something new.

Listen to music that just makes you want to dance, then, actually dance.

Find your happy place, and go there.

Sometimes, the smallest things you do can turn into the best memories.

Just be happy :)

-- NEVER GIVE UP.

Everytimne one door closes, another one opens.

Nothing is as bad as it seems.

Everyt cloud has a silver lining.

When you've hit rock bottom, there is nowhere to go but up.

-- DON'T TAKE LIFE TO SERIOUSLY, NO ONE MAKES IT OUT ALIVE ANYWAY!!!

Live like you were dying, because we are always a little closer to death than we were the second before.

You never know what tomorrow will bring... Don't let anything go unsaid, you might never get the chance to say it.

Everything can change in the blink of an eye.

You never what tomorrow holds, so live life with no regrets.

-- ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO PUT YOU HERE!!!

You have a big brother who loves you more than you could ever imagine, and he'll never turn his back on you.

When you have no one to talk to... get on your knees, close your eyes and talk to your father, he'll always be there listening.

God will never tempt you above that which you are able... But, your choices can.

Never lose faith.

Never give your all to someone, unless it's somone who has given his life so you can return to him someday.

Never do anything you don't want to have to explain to your father, He will already know about it when you finally get to see him again.

Life your life as if Jesus is always with you, 'cause if you do, He will be.

Even when everything goes wrong... You're NEVER alone.

There are NO shortcuts on the straight and narrow path.

-- BEING IN LOVE IS THE MOST AMAZING FEELING YOU CAN IMAGINE!!!

Never EVER give up on the person you love.

Love yourself. It'll make it easier for you to love others, and them to love you.

Never be afraid to fall in love. You'll get hurt plenty of times, but you'll learn something new each time and be a better person when you meet "the one."

No one is worth your tears, and the only person who is, will never make you cry.

Make the person you love feel like the most important person you know, 'Cause they should be.

Never give up on someone you can't go a day without thinking about.

You don't step into love, you fall in... head over heels.

You deserve to be with someone who wants to be with you as much as you want to be with them.

There is a big difference between letting someone go... and giving up.

"Love is what is left over when being 'in love' has burned out. Love is not breathlessness, it is not a constant happiness. Love is frustration and anger and still feeling so strongly for that person that you would still kill for them"

When you love someone, no matter how much it kills you... you have to let them go, and just hope with all your heart that they love you enough to come back. You can't make someone love you as much as you love them... and if they don't come back, you're better off.

-- I wrote this to myself... I just thought I'd share with you... It's time for me to take my own advice.

From today on, I'm going to be a better person. I WILL be more Christlike... I am now the new and improved Zackary Joel...

This started off as a list about what makes me amd, and what's wrong with the world, but as I was typing it, I couldn't stop thinking about the good stuff... So I started over... These are just some things I need to focus on.

But yeah, if you ever need anything... I'm always here for you.

- Love always
Zackary Joel

Music (and shtuff)

It's amazing how music can change how I feel.

On nights like tonight, when I'm feeling down, and worried, and nervous, and anxious I can turn on my iPod, turn on a band I know can make me feel better, and just get lost in the music. It's like it takes me away from all my problems, even if it's just for a little while. It makes me feel like someone out there knows how I'm feeling. And I can listen to certain songs that describe my feelings perfectly. Like it was written for me. It almost makes me feel connected to the artist.

But the same way that music can make me feel better, there are songs that bring back memories that just make me feel sad. They remind of things that I miss, or things that were bad at the time, and make me feel that way again.

I think tonight, I'm gonna listen to the first kind.



People-

I'm not a real big fan.
I'm sorry, but... I dunno how to explain it.
People bug me.

But also, I love people.
Sometimes, people you don't expect will say something and not even realize how much it can help you. The other day, I was in one of my 'moods' and someone who I worked with a few years ago for a couple months just made a small comment that really helped me. He's quite a bit older than me, but not an old guy... I don't talk to him all that often, but his small comment on Facebook just helped me see that other people go through all the same stuff I am.

I dunno, that's just what I've been thinking about tonight, ha ha.

Here we go!

This is my first blog. After reading a blog of a friend of mine, he suggested I make my own blog. So here we go... I don't even know what to talk about... I don't have deep thoughts or anything. I'm usually thinking about Dora the Explorer, or golf.

Here's something though!

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about people. And how judgemental I am. There are some people who in the past I've looked at and thought that they were weird, and I wouldn't want to be seen talking to them. Which is bad, I know. But, lately, I've made an effort to talk to people who I havn't before, and it's really nice. It's nice to talk to people who you have stuff in common with, especially if you didn't originally think you would.

Yeah, so that's a little personal 'goal' I've been working on.

Plus when I said 'goal'... I never know when I'm supposed to use ' or "... But the the first one looks better, so I usually go for that... ha ha.