"Note to Self: A Collection of Thoughts on Life" was featured in its first news article, by Khaas Baat. Check it out below: "In this debut book, Tampa native and University of South Florida graduate Cheryl Cherian has put together some ramblings and random thoughts on essential life topics such as forgiveness, friends and foes, grief, kindness, identity, positive vibes, relationships, struggles, happiness, etc. “Most of these were little pieces of observations or advice to myself, which in a way were my inspiration,” she notes. Well, the notes could also be motivational for the reader. While admitting that forgiveness can be challenging, she writes, “… it’s what I strive for, for my own peace of mind … Most importantly however, we have to learn to forgive ourselves. Sometimes we are our own greatest critic.” On struggles in life: “Whatever might be your obstacle in life right now, if you challenge yourselves to overcome it, I guarantee that you can meet the countless

Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I got with such supportive parents. Thanks for being there through thick and thin 🙏

We often neglect to give ourselves credit. When I do something incorrectly, or perhaps not to the best of my ability I can be hard on myself. I'm such a perfectionist that it kills me to not deliver. Perhaps it's because I know what I'm capable of. I've had a strong work ethic ever since I was young, and have come out on top more times than not. The issue with being a perfectionist is that everything suddenly has to be the best. It's draining to say the least. Every email and every initiative. Tuning into my perfectionist nature has showed me that there are so many things I don't need to be a perfectionist for. An obsession with perfection does not always work to your favor. It can be excessive and stressful for no reason. Other times, I'm happy to be a perfectionist. When I was writing my book, my parents wondered why it was taking so long after I told them the writing process was done. I edited and edited, designed and designed. I wanted it to be absolu

The beautiful roses I got today 🌹

We experience hurt and pain in many different ways. The little things sometimes hurt the most, and it really just boils down to kindness. Kindness is simply being considerate of the feelings of others At times it's the unsolicited unkindness that does the most damage. I try to be as kind, as sensitive, as helpful, and as positive as possible. Most days, at least. That's why when people people are rude, disrespectful, or behave in hurtful ways to me, it just doesn't make sense. I almost think to myself, "Why?" It's easy to take it to heart, but it has always been the case that the way someone acts is a reflection of who they are. It certainly takes a great deal of courage to be the bigger person and not retaliate. But that doesn't mean anyone should have to bear the pain of it all. Nothing about someone else behaving in such a way towards you is in your control. I was driven to write this because I experienced a situation like this today that really just

By this age, I have been through a lot of endings and beginnings. High school, college, grad school, relationships, and places I've lived, to name a few. Sometimes it's just a mental thing. You feel like something has ended, and something else is beginning. Even if some things aren't entirely gone out of your life to constitute an ending, it might be the end of a phase and the start of a new one. I've been nostalgic lately, probably owing to watching This Is Us, the most nostalgic show ever known to man. The show is about a core family. A husband and wife whom we see grow old as they have 3 children, and then grandchildren. We see them and their children reminisce on their dating life before marriage, and their childhood respectively. It just makes me look back upon my life, childhood, grade school, high school, and college. I think of all of the things I have been through, the experiences, the people I met that I shared memories with, who are now gone, not really

How peaceful and beautiful!

Notes of love and encouragement on my walls ✨

Self-improvement is interesting, because truth is, you're never really done. It's not a single thought out action, but rather a lifestyle. It can be frustrating to look at yourself and wonder why you do things a certain way, why you feel a certain way, or why a situation played out the way that it did. That frustration can lead to negative self talk and take away from self-esteem, which is never really the best way to channel frustration. Take it as a challenge to improve. To be better tomorrow, than the person you are today. Doing something about it, rather than sitting on it, makes all the difference. Change doesn't happen overnight; it never does. Still, making small changes each day brings it all to life. I always find things about myself that I want to improve, perhaps because once upon a time there were so many changes that I wanted to make that I didn't even know where to start. Note that there is no such thing as perfection. What is perfect anyway? In self-impr

It's no secret that I love journaling. I rave about it almost all the time. To journaling beginners it might seem daunting, but there's no right or wrong way to journal- that's the best part. A journal is just a personal space to write WHATEVER you want! 1. Make it personal If you've heard of bullet journals, then you know how cool they are. I could literally look at pictures of bullet journals the whole day long. The bullet journal approach is that a journal can look how you want it to, and it can take on any form you'd like. People put a lot of effort into these, whether it be through their calligraphy, artwork, diagrams, or organization. I've seen a lot of bullet journals with quotes, pictures, and more. The more personal your journal is, the more meaning it'll have for you. 2. Make it work for you So why are you journaling? A lot of people journal to write their thoughts and emotions. For that purpose it makes sense if you have space for lots of

In 2016, Stephen Hawking spoke in a lecture: "The message of this lecture is that black holes ain't as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought." "Things can get out of a black hold both on the outside and possibly to another universe. So if you feel you are in a black hole, don't give up - there's a way out." When Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with his motor neuron disease in 1963, they told him he had another 2 years left to live. He lived for another 55 years. January 8, 1942 - March 14, 2018 Source:  http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/stephen-hawking-advise-depression/ -Cheryl Cherian

It's interesting how so many people are raised entirely as Christians, attending Christian schools, going to church every Sunday, and going to Sunday school. However, many of these people go on to become nonbelievers. I've always found it so interesting that those who are most immersed either want the same (if not more) as adults, or take the opposite route. Is it something that we can catch onto while they are still young? If it isn't working for them, perhaps take a different approach? Or does it just take its natural course? My family is of course a church-going family, however as a child I never felt  personally connected to God. Many children don't. It's not that I didn't consider myself a Christian. Of course I did. I enjoyed going to church. I knew it was the right thing to do. I knew God loved me, and I prayed to Him. There were plenty of prayers and plenty of church songs. Plenty of amazing memories growing up in church. Perhaps I just had to find th

Forgiving can be so incredibly hard. Especially when someone wrongs you and it just brings back everything that same person ever did to you. Why would you want to forgive them? Why do we forgive? The simple answer is, for peace of mind. I’m having a hard time forgiving someone and it just reminds me as always, that forgiveness is a gift that you give yourself. When you find yourself recalling a certain situation over and over, and the pain it caused you, it takes away from your happiness. It’s not fair to yourself, to you who has already been wronged, to do another injustice to yourself by not forgiving. Love yourself by letting it go. If you want to maintain these relationships, it becomes very important to actually talk about what happened. Without closure, the situation will only find a way to come back to the surface again. Why did the situation take place the way that it did? Does the other party know just how it made you feel? Can we be sure this won't happen again? These

I mentioned in my book about my trip to Tanzania and the many children I met while volunteering there. These are just some of the beautiful faces of the kids I met there.

Welcome to my blog! I recently published my self-improvement book "Note to Self: A Collection of Thoughts on Life" available below: Note to Self: A Collection of Thoughts on Life I thought to start this blog as a way to share the rest of my thoughts, whether they be book-related, self-improvement, my favorite things, or random tid bits of life. Welome :) -Cheryl Cherian