My First PR Event

Today was the day of my first public relations event. To say that I was nervous is a complete understatement. I spent about 15 minutes contemplating on whether or not I should wear a blazer with my dress. Though I'm dressed in an all black outfit, I opted for the blazer. So, I had to take the bus to get to my location but today the HSR was not on my side-- kind of. I left ten minutes early because I knew it would take me a bit longer to get to the bus stop with heels on. The bus stop is about a one minute walk normally. I don't know if I'm a lot slower than I anticipated or if the bus arrived too early but there it was headed towards my stop and I wasn't there yet. I flagged him down to get him to wait for me because I was about 10 seconds away. He shrugged his shoulders and drove off without me on the bus. "Oh no, I'm going to be late for my first public relations event," I thought to myself. Let's be real though, I don't give up that easily. I took off my heels and ran 30 meters to the next bus stop. It was pretty embarrassing. Fortunately, another bus came and I got to my destination on time. No one was able to notice that I had run a marathon to chase a bus. Phew! The event was absolutely amazing. We were able to network and ask any question we'd like to professionals in the industry. Every single person noted that I stood out for various reasons. Everyone commented on the fact that I was a philosophy graduate and how in the long run I would be a huge asset to organizations for being rational and ethical in nature, especially since I want to work in the financial sector. I was told by one person that I was an enthusiastic speaker who looked around the room and engaged the audience. I have done presentations in front of a room of 700 parents and students before so I guess that helped me out there. They also noted that my personality and goals would make me successful in the public relations field. However, I was discouraged from starting my own public relations firm as there are too many consulting firms out there. I was told it would be best to pick a company and advance from there. I was also given valuable information on what steps would be best for the financial sector such as completing courses and designations that most of the staff would have taken. Overall, it was a great opportunity and I look forward to being a mentee for the Canadian Public Relations Society and to being in the field.

The Secret to Success

I constantly work to become successful. I'm the classic 'Type A personality' overachiever. I rarely fail at school or work because I work too damn hard to ever let it happen. When I want something, I want it bad and I always get it. Most people say it's because I'm lucky. It's not though. I devote an insane amount of time and energy towards every project that I'm passionate about. When I get excited about something, it shows. Success doesn't happen easily though. There are a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of hiccups along the road, and a lot of rejection. To the outsider, it looks simple. It's not.The journey is a difficult one but once you've won your first award or landed your dream job or whatever it is you're seeking, it's the greatest feeling ever. The high is better than when you go skydiving. Why? Well, it's because it took longer to get there, you worked harder for it, and the results last longer. Below is a video I recently watched that described how to attain success in a way that I never could. Personally, I found it highly influential and inspirational. If you don't strive to be successful, ask yourself why? We need to challenge ourselves on a regular basis, to grow and to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. Every person on this planet holds the power to make a difference in the world. If we all come together and use our strengths to our maximum potential we could change everything for the better. Of course, it's not that simple. Nothing is ever going to be simple. Step by step, we can take the actions to move forward though. I challenge all of you to strive to be the best versions of your self on a daily basis.

Bungee Jumping

About four days before I went skydiving, I went bungee jumping. It was absolutely terrifying! When you watch the video, you'll notice they did the countdown and I didn't jump. Yeah, I told you it was terrifying At the last minute, I told them that I wasn't brave enough to jump. The workers laughed at me and said the hardest part was the climb up (which was also terrifying) and that the jump would be over before I know it. To get to the top, I had to climb this fragile ladder which felt like it was going to break at any second. I was one pound over the minimum weight so I honestly have no idea how people closer to the maximum weight do it. There was duct tape holding parts of the ladder together. So there I was, after having someone put this thin velcro band around my ankles, staring at this lake that I was about to get dunked into. I was trying to overcome my fear of heights and moments later I did. As you're falling, you feel the inside of your stomach move towards your throat. Before you know it, you're under water and then suddenly you're flying. Unfortunately, bungee jumping is short. I felt like it only lasted about ten seconds. Yet, I did get a neat certificate which told me that I defied all rationality and logic. As a philosophy graduate, I think that says a lot!

If any of you would like to see a video, let me know. I didn't upload it because there is swearing in the background, which may offend some.

Oh snap, I've Committed Suicide

As a lot of you know, I have been trying new things to live life to the fullest for the past couple of months. However, I find that though I've changed, a lot of people around me haven't changed at all. I don't mean to offend anyone with this post, I'm simply trying to open your eyes. Before I had my eye-opening experience, I was just like everyone else. My cousin Andre died of a heart attack at the age of twenty about 5 years ago. In a lot of ways, he saved my life. I spent the past summer crying over a guy who broke my heart and didn't even care. As I was lying in bed one night hoping that the overwhelming tears would eventually knock me out, I thought about my cousin. This made me cry even more. Why did my cousin have to die? Who dies of a heart attack at the age of twenty? It honestly makes no sense. Suddenly, it hit me. I thought to myself, "Oh snap, I've committed suicide." Sure my heart was still beating and I was still breathing but I've never explored the world, I've never challenged myself, and I've never truly been happy. I was a robot, simply on the planet completing basic functions. I ate, I slept, I worked. Man, I was so useless. There's this line from Ingrid Michaelson's song "Keep Breathing" and it states, "I want to change the world, instead I sleep." When I was a child, I was so ambitious and wanted to change the world. What happened to all of that childhood ambition? Well you know what? It's back. I'm going to change the world. I can't be dead anymore. Some of you may be wondering how I'm going to tackle this massive task. Step one: Wake the world up. I'm going to be working on a project to make this happen. If you want to be involved in it, let me know.

For those of you who are currently in a rut, here's a list of some songs that have inspired me and get me going when I begin to lose motivation.

All American Rejects - Move Along
Gwen Stefani - What you waiting for?
S Club 7 - Bring it All Back
U2 - It's a beautiful day
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
Bon Jovi - It's my life
Celine Dion - New Day
New Radicals - Get what you give
Switchfoot - Dare you to move
Survivor - Eye of the tiger

Weight Loss Journey Accomplishment

About two years ago, I went to visit my doctor for an annual check-up. After looking at me for about 5 seconds, he said, "Get on the scale." Uh oh! So, I stepped onto the scale and he said, "193 pounds. Ms. Ferreira, you're going to need to work on that. You're obese." Some of you might be wondering what I did. Well, let me tell you!

First, I cried. And cried. And then I cried some more. How the heck did I not realize that I was obese? When did this all happen? Now, you might be looking at the picture to the left and be thinking, "She does not look like she weighed 193 pounds in that picture." You're right, I didn't weight that much in that picture. I didn't take pictures when I was obese because I felt too ugly to be photographed. Some of you might have 'lose weight' on your bucket lists. It was definitely on mine and to be honest I still haven't crossed it off yet. I'm not trying to lose anymore weight but I haven't finished challenging my body physically yet. My next challenge for myself: get abs. So for those of you who are obese or close to, the beginning will be the most challenging part. Actually, the beginning might be the hardest part for any of you trying to lose weight. However, if any of you need an extra push or a workout buddy, I'd be more than happy to help out. The reason why I referred to getting abs as 'my next challenge' is because it really is challenging. It takes a lot of hard work, focus and energy to accomplish. I'm optimistic that I will reach my goal because I'm determined to do it. I also have faith that those of you trying to cross this off your bucket list can do it too! Once you've lost most or all of the weight you plan on losing, you have much more energy, you're more confident and you feel invincible!

Here are some tips that helped me lose close to ninety pounds in 2 years:

Go for a walk with your iPod for about an hour a day. Do little bursts of running to build up your cardio and do not allow your body to get used to a certain pattern. Build up to do fifteen minutes of running a day. When I first started running, I was only able to run for 3 seconds and then I'd be out of breath. Run a few times during your one hour walk. If you need good pump up music playlists, let me know!
Stop drinking alcohol, pop and juice. Drink a lot of water. Once you've lost the weight, you can drink a little bit of alcohol every now and then. Some alcoholic beverages have more calories than the meals you eat.
Control your meal portions. I personally don't do the eat 6 smaller portions throughout the day, simply because I don't have time to make so many meals throughout the day. However, if you're eating too much food, eat a bit less. Don't eat so little that you're starving because that's also ineffective.
Don't eat after 8 pm.  Resist the urge to have a midnight snack.
Go to bed early. Your body needs rest and so does your mind. Relax. Manage your time wisely throughout the day so that you don't need to be up all night doing assignments or studying for tests.

For those of you trying to get abs, check out the following video. I heard that it's effective and that people have had success by doing the workouts. I will be doing it regularly so I will be keeping you updated!

A Jolt of Inspiration

Every now and then I wake up with this strong motivation to live life to the fullest. For the past two months, it's been happening frequently. Two months ago today, I went skydiving for the first time. After the jump, my friends told me that I was brave for doing something so terrifying. I'm going to be honest, I was so scared that I went to Church twice that week, promised to give up alcohol for a year, threw up more than once half an hour before the jump and said my goodbyes to everyone. I was convinced that I was about to die. I definitely wouldn't call myself brave. I am a risk-taker though. I truly believe that in order to become a better person, you constantly need to challenge yourself. When you wake up in the morning remind yourself to be the best that you can be. You don't need to be as adventurous as I am to create a meaningful life for yourself. However, do step outside of your comfort zone every now and then. There will be times when you take a chance on something or someone and it all falls apart. But then you have these moments, where it all works out flawlessly and it feels fantastic. I went white water rafting without knowing how to swim. I have gone bungee jumping despite my fear of heights. I jumped out of a plane 12,500 feet in the sky with a fear of death in mind. Had I not done those things, I would be a completely different person than I am today.

They say that actions speak louder than words but words can still be influential. Thus, I will be updating this blog regularly with details about the adventures that I'm going on. To all of my readers out there, I am open to suggestions for things to do to live life meaningfully or to challenge myself as a person. Some of the things that I do may be a little out there, others may be completely traditional, but they will all help me recognize my strengths and weaknesses as a person. If any of you ever want to join me on one of my adventures let me know, it's better to do things with groups of people anyways!

Here's my skydiving video for a little motivation to get out there. It really was the best time of my life!

Warning: I didn't create the video and the first song in the video does have swearing. It is censored, however, it may be ideal to keep the volume off. I apologize for the inconvenience.



Untitled from Nicole Ferreira on Vimeo.