day 49: you can be rich with no money

hello hello hello!!!

today's topic is about how rich you can be in life without having a penny to your name.

on day 46, i wrote about how family is one of nature's gifts to us. well, not just family members make us rich in life. our friends and our experiences also contribute to that.

in my opinion, i am currently so rich in this life. i have friends who i love, family who i care for and they care for me, and i've had so many once in a life time experiences already.

having a good group of people that you surround yourself with can make all the difference in your life. 

there are so many people out there who struggle with making friends or struggle to maintain good relationships that help them thrive, so don't take for granted anything you have now.

this actually reminds me of the COVID-19 pandemic a little bit. during the pandemic, we all realized everything we take for granted: going on walks, hanging out with friends, even going to the grocery store.

if you really think about it, some people can't even experience some of those things which makes me really sad. so, never take what you have for granted. please realize that we are so rich in life. we have lives, experiences, relationships, that some dream, of but will never have.

so tell those that you love that you love them. and cherish every moment you have. i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 48: try everything!

yello!! how's it going? (i hope well.)

today i'll be talking about how you should be proud of trying, even if you do end up failing.

please read the quote to the right.

i think that this is absolutely SO true. for some odd reason, many people of our generation laugh at others who try or express themselves freely. in my humble opinion, i think that being brave enough to try is an accomplishment in itself.

for our halloween spirit day at school this past year, i dressed up as the mouse from "if you give a mouse a cookie". i was planning this costume out for probably months at that point and was extremely excited about it. a ton of my friends complimented it, which made me super happy. 

later in the day, i walked into my friend's math class to pick something up from her and after i left, she told me that when i had walked into the room a few of the guys in the back were laughing at me. these guys, in fact, did not dress up for halloween, which just makes them the bums.

now, this little comment could have ruined the rest of my day, but i didn't let that happen. because i loved the costume and was planning this for months, i didn't care. i still walked with my head held high and a smile on my face.

here is a little picture of my costume!

i just wanted to remind you that in a world where it might be "embarrassing" to do something that you want to, don't be afraid. just try it. so what if you fail? so what if people laugh? part of life is expressing yourself and who you want to be.

i'll catch ya on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 47: stop doomscrolling

hi there!! today i'll be talking a bit about why we should put down our phone. 

as i'm sure all of us are aware, our generation is going through a doomscrolling epidemic. actually, not just us, some parents and adults are going through this with the rise of tiktok, instagram reels, and a billion other ones.

at the beginning of 2026, i saw this trend called something like "analog era" which basically means that people are trying to bring back regular hobbies that aren't online.

these types of hobbies include any type of crafting, going on walks, reading, and anything you can do off of your device.

though i have also fallen a victim of doomscrolling, i've been trying to make better habits of using my time more wisely so that i don't procrastinate and essentially waste my time. i try not to go on my phone every second i'm free, though it's tempting.

one thing that might be helpful is to first find a hobby that you enjoy. and second, maybe keep your phone away from your bed at night because i know that MANY of use (including me) scroll endlessly before going to sleep, which is extremely unhealthy. and this is also helpful to not immediately go on your phone as soon as you wake up.

so now, i have a question for you. how much screen time are you using on social media? do you think there's a problem with those numbers? let that sink in.

i hope this helped a little in giving you a reminder and i hope to catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 46: family is one of nature's masterpieces

hello hello hello!! i hope all is well with you. today's topic is about cherishing the time and love you have for your family.

a few weekends ago, my 6th grade brother, aslan, was obsessing over making these paracord bracelets and wanted me to help him. so, throughout the day i was helping him. 

later in the evening, i was doing homework and he asked if he could make a bracelet in my room. when i was going to sleep i just realized how much i love him. like my life without him would be so boring because he is that random facts kid who will tell you all of the things he believes from YouTube shorts and makes my days more interesting.

as a teenager sometimes you might be neglectful towards your family, but you should really soak in every moment with them because soon enough, you're going to be in college and might not live at home. when you get there, you're gonna miss them and wish that you didn't spend every waking moment doomscrolling or just in your room all alone.

we also do taekwondo together, so whenever he gets sick and i'm on my way to practice with only my dad in the car, i realize how much i'm going to miss him if i move away for college.

the same goes for my other brother, han, who is 6 and an absolute ball of energy. i didn't fully realize it before, but my brothers make my life so much brighter even if sometimes we bicker and argue.

so yeah, cherish every moment with your family members. if you don't, one day you definitely will regret not doing it.

thank you for reading today and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 45: everything will work out!

hello hello hello!! i hope everyone has had an amazing day and i apologize for the past two days crappy posts.

today i'm writing to you about the fact that everything will turn out fine. maybe even for the better.

this one is a bit similar to day 9, so please feel free to read that one as well!

first, read the quote to the left.

now, think about it for a minute. 

the things that you've suffered through and struggled through helped you be who you are today.

for example, if you kept failing your chemistry tests, it probably made you feel horrible, huh? well, if you saw your score and asked your teacher what you did wrong, you hopefully improved the next time around.

the things that bring you down help you come back even stronger the next time. when you feel stressed or frustrated about something, just know that you have to experience these struggles to gain knowledge and experience and everything will work out in the end.

even if it isn't the path you thought you would take. though i don't practice a certain religion, nor do i want to make this religious, i do want to say that i believe God has a plan for you. you got this!! keep persevering and i believe in you as well. 

thank you for reading and i hope to catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 44: just start it

hi there!! i don't have much time to write today because i definitely did NOT procrastinate...

but here it is!! today's topic is essentially to "just do it" or "it's never too late".

just start the gosh darn thing!!

this past year i kept putting off having to do my permit course. every school break i would tell myself to do, it but just wouldn't.

finally, i finished this past week and it feels like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

so this is your sign: start the youtube account or just start going to the gym. if you keep procrastinating, you'll keep putting it off and it will never happen.

you got this!! i'll catch you on the next one!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 43: be an ocean

hi! today is going to be a bit different that the fridays in the past where i give you something to watch and ponder. instead, today i'm going to be giving you a quote to read and interpret.

i saw this quote and genuinely didn't know what it meant. so if you have a clue please don't be afraid to leave a comment!!

as of right now, i think it means just be your whole true self, don't make yourself smaller for others, but what do you think??

thank you for your suggestions and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 42: intensity does nothing, consistency is everything

hey there! i'm glad you could make it today because we're talking about how consistency is everything.

if you know me, you know that i NEVER skip a day of taekwondo practice unless i'm absolutely sick or injured. basically, i'm always there.

because i'm so consistent i'm able to get properly educated and perfect my technique while also learning proper sparring tactics. if you read day 7, you know that i've been to excruciatingly hard practices that last for 4-5 hours each.

those practices are the ones that help build your endurance and perseverance and resilience but going only to those 5 hour practices isn't going to do much for you unless you show up consistently.

when you show up consistently you are able to improve your technique, stamina, strength and paired with those difficult practices, you're able to improve your mental game as well.

you can't just do one or the other.

don't get me wrong, intensity is important, but personally, i think that consistency wins. if you aren't consistent, things won't work out for you.

let's use getting abs as our example of today. if you want abs, you should do your ab routine every day or maybe every other day (i'm not exactly sure don't fact check me). but if you're doing a harsh abs session once every 2 weeks, it won't do anything. on top of doing your ab routine you also need to be in a caloric deficit so that you can actually see the abs as well.

i think that you just need to have a balance that works for you. be consistent but don't overwork yourself. the balance is key.

thank you for reading today and i'll catch ya on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 41: don't worry, be happy

hello hello hello!! today's post is all about not letting your worries take control over you.

yes, of course everyone has things that they're stressed about or worried about, but worrying doesn't make it go away. worrying just gets you more stressed out for no reason.

most of the time, the things that you worry about are actually no big deal, but you blow them up to be.

when you are too focused on your troubles, you aren't able to put your best foot forward. so, let go of those worries and just be prepared.

instead of being stressed about what could go wrong, you should you prepare yourself for that big exam or whatever it may be and you have to trust in your preparations that you will do well.

so don't pull an all-nighter or cram all of the material in the night before, make sure that you know all your information so that you can get the best grade possible.

you got this!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 40: don't let your ice cream melt while you're counting someone else's sprinkles

hi there!! today i'll be talking a little bit about comparison and focusing on yourself.

i've interpreted this quote on the left in two different ways, one is that comparison is the thief of joy (which i won't write about because i already have on day 28. read me here!!)

the second is to focus on yourself, because if you are laser- focused on improving yourself, you won't have time to focus on others.

today i saw this quote on pinterest, and was like, "wow that's actually such great timing." this past weekend, i was complaining to my mom about all of the people that have been annoying me.

after letting me get my feelings out, she told me to stop because this just shows how i'm actually not focused on myself. i'm focused on the people who tick me off that i can't improve on myself.

so, don't let other's behaviors take control of your attitudes and behaviors, because YOU are the one that is in control. as i'm trying to focus more on myself and less about others, i find myself becoming happier and (i'm not sure if this has anything to do with it but) spending more time with my family.

thank you for reading today and i hope to catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 39: small wins matter!

hello hello hello!! today's topic is about how all of your small wins matter.

if you are a high school student, i'm sure you get asked about what college you want to go to or what you want to study almost every time you meet an adult. personally, i don't know the answer to either of those questions and i'm not in too big of a rush.

this is because i know how big of a decision it is to answer either of those questions. 

so, it's okay to feel lost. it's okay to feel overwhelmed and frustrated and it's okay to feel every emotion you're feeling because your emotions are valid. 

now, because of this, celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small.

celebrate doing the things that you love and making time to love yourself, your family, and all of the privileges that you are blessed with.

don't be shy to be proud of the small things like making your bed or brushing your teeth because there are some out there who are struggling to do so.

i hope today's topic wasn't too all over the place and somewhat made sense. and most importantly, i hope it gave you a little reminder that it's okay not to have everything figured out yet. you got this!! i'll catch ya on the next one!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 38: you are flawless

hi! happy sunday! today i'm going to be talking about how nobody sees your flaws.

ya know when you make something or do something, but you didn't do it to your standards so now you see every little flaw? 

that's how i feel every time i do my nails (which is quite often).

and a while ago, i saw a video similar to the one i made above. 

the point of all this is that others don't see your insecurities or your flaws. they see you as a whole.

so, present yourself as you want to be perceived. if you want others to think that you are a confident person, be confident.

and if you can't put on a brave face (yet) to act the way you want to be perceived, FAKE IT 'TILL YOU MAKE IT!! that might sound a bit stupid or cliche, but it works.

if you act like you own the place and walk with a purpose, then you will dominate the room. so next time you're insecure about something, don't be. nobody can tell that that's what you're insecure about until you tell them. so simply don't be.

have a fantastic rest of your day and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 37: you can do hard things!!

hello hello hello!! welcome back to da blog and i hope you've been having a fantastic day so far.

so today we're going to be talking a bit about how you can do anything you set your mind to and that you can be brave from simply just trying things.

before we dive in, i want to say that you can read about growth mindset here. and that in order to try new things, you have to have that growth mindset

i'm sure you've heard someone say to you, "it won't hurt to try" or "the worst they can say is no". if nobody has, i'm here to say that to you. 

truly, the worst someone can say is no, and i'm going to be completely honest, i HATE rejection. so when people say "no" to me i get a kind of sting in my throat.

but that's besides the point. when you put yourself out there and try new things or ask a question, you are being brave. you sort of prepare yourself for possible rejection, and that is a-okay. 

by proving to yourself that you can step outside of your comfort zone (read more here!!), you show yourself that you can do hard things. some people prove to themselves that they can do hard things through eating their fear foods, going skydiving, or literally just going to talk to someone new. 

every person is different but by doing things you think are hard, you prove to yourself that you can be brave. it doesn't matter if you fail or succeed, what matters is that you prove to yourself that you can do anything that you set your mind to!! from that point forward, you'll keep that growth mindset, which will motivate you to do other hard things.

thank you for reading and i'll catch ya on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 36: don't get comfortable

hi there! today i have a little video for you to watch! 

so take what you will with these, and i hope this motivates you to come back stronger when you are brought down. ill catch ya tomorrow!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 35: do what lights your fire

hi there!! today i'm on a bit of a time crunch, so this one is gonna be a bit shorter than usual.

so, jumping right into it: do the things that make you happy.

if you don't currently have a hobby outside of watching TV or doom-scrolling, i highly recommend you find one. for me, the hobbies that i choose are ones that help me express my creativity. for example, i crochet, make birthday cards, paint, and so much more. 

these things genuinely make me happy and give me a break from the stresses of the world around me. 

each day, you should try your best to make time to do the things that you enjoy and make you happy. there is no "i don't have the time.", it's more of "i don't make the time." (you can read more about it on day 14.)

i encourage you to do more of things that light your fire and makes you happy, because when you're happier, you just enjoy life more. i hope to catch ya on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 34: it's okay to say "no"

hello hello hello!! today i'll be talking a bit about saying "no".

sometimes i struggle with saying "no" to things that i don't want to do or it's just me trying to be nice. but recently, i've been a bit more okay with setting that boundary.

for example, if someone is talking about a certain topic that you are uncomfortable with, it's more than okay to say no, change the topic, or simply just walk away.

a little while ago, i was at a birthday party where someone started talking about ICE, and while it is an ongoing problem, i was uncomfortable. because of this, i went with my best friend to the other room and we talked about something else. eventually the group migrated to where we were and we started another activity.

small things like this will help you build up to setting boundaries with larger things like saying "no" to someone venting to you about a certain topic if it makes you uncomfortable or puts a weight on your shoulders that you don't want to carry anymore.

saying "no" shouldn't feel scary because it prevents you from being in a situation that you don't want to be in. yes, there are times where it might be better to break outside of your comfort zone, but don't be afraid to say "no". 

if you liked this one, please check out day 6, which is "the power of 'yes'". thank you so much for reading and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 33: the pressure to be perfect

hi hello! how's it going? today i'm going to be writing about something that i constantly struggle with: 

being a perfectionist

in today's society, social media can take over someone's life. it can influence them to do good or bad things, but because everything we see on socials are just highlights of people's lives, it can unconsciously make us strive for that unrealistic "perfection". 

as you probably know, i do taekwondo and i'm currently training for my 2nd degree black belt exam which is in may. one of the components of our exam is grappling, which is essentially jujitsu. yesterday in class we were playing a grappling game where you have to get to a certain position and for some reason, i just couldn't get it. 

because i'm easily frustrated, i was pretty much going crazy. this isn't to make me sound cocky or like i'm "all that" but, i'm used to doing things and being able to easily understand how to do it. though for grappling, it's quite the opposite. 

when i got in the car, i started to cry, harder than i've cried in a long time. i cried because i was frustrated and i cried about other things that pissed me off that day, but through that experience, i realized i might be putting too much pressure on myself.

whenever i do or make something, i always strive to do it the best i can, because that's just who i am. now, i realize that i'm not perfect. nobody is perfect. but that's what makes us unique and special and who we are. not everyone is going to understand things at the same rate as others, and that is 100,000% okay. 

for grappling, i'm going to have to work extra hard to get where i want to be. i'll watch videos and ask my coach how to get better because i hate the feeling of not getting it.

so this is your reminder that it's okay to not get it. it's okay to not be the perfect person that lives up to every high standard ever, because there is no such person. the highlights that you see on social media are only 30 seconds of somebody's 30 years of life. in everyone's life they experience highs, lows, and all the in-between. so yeah, you're doing amazing already!!

i hope you enjoyed today and i'll catch you on the next one!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 32: cherish your culture

hi there! welcome/welcome back to the blog! today we'll be discussing the importance of learning about different cultures.

i'm sure you've heard the saying, "if everyone was the same, the world would be boring," or something like that. it is undeniable that this statement is SO true and can also be interpreted in many different ways. for the purpose of today's topic, i'll be writing just about culture. 

in america, there are people from probably every country in the world and when they immigrated here, they brought their culture and traditions with them.

each country has its own unique culture, though some can be very similar to each other. living in south florida, we see a lot of different south americans and many other nationalities. as we make friends with these people, we can learn so much more about their cultures than we think.

one of my good friends, antonia, is brazillian and whenever she comes to my house, i have to open the front door for her when she arrives and as she leaves. her mom explained this to my mom and i, saying that the guest will never be invited back because their friendship will end. 

now, i've actually started to do this and make sure to always open the door for my guests even if i don't explain the superstition behind it.

all this to say, never be ashamed or embarrassed of your culture. your culture is part of what makes you unique as well as your personality and character. 

i've heard many stories of asian kids being embarrassed about their home-cooked food that they would bring to lunch in elementary school, but thank goodness i never experienced that. i think that it's so important for younger kids to understand that embracing your culture is cool. 

it's really hard to explain that to younger kids because they want to be whatever they see as "cool". this usually means following the crowd and not drawing too much attention to yourself. now, i see that being "cool" is so subjective and anyone or anything could be seen as cool. 

one fantastic example of this would be alysa liu, a figure skater who recently won a gold medal at the 2026 olympic winter games in milano cortina. usually figure skaters are seen as very classy and stick to the stereotypes of figure skaters. alysa, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. she is so care-free and is just happy to be there. she has dyed hair and piercings and just not the conventional figure skater.

you can learn more about alysa's story through a quick google, youtube or tiktok search. she has gone viral because of her insane comeback and many are praising her for being so carefree and joyful while being on ice.

anyways, i hope you kind of understood today's topic and why embracing it is so important. i think that learning about the different traditions that my friends have is so much fun and interesting. so, what have you learned about another culture recently?

thank you so much for reading and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 31: yay one month!!

HELLO EVERYONE!! welcome or welcome back to maia & more!! 

i absolutely cannot believe i've been writing a blog post each day for the past month. i honestly used to hate writing, and saw it as a chore, but now i've grown to love it. by posting each day, i've come to realize how many lessons there are from just daily life (as you can see from any past day). 

for my one-month-iversary of maia & more, i'm going to be telling you about things that i've learned from having this wonderful blog.

1. making others happy genuinely makes me happy.

as i've been writing, i post each day to my snapchat story so that my friends are notified about that day's post. 

each day i get replies saying that the post was relatable or that day's post made them feel good. these types of comments make me feel like i'm writing for a reason, not just to write if that makes sense. i guess i feel a bit of social validation, which does make me feel good, but what makes me feel over the moon is when people like what i do.

for example, yesterday i wrote about the phone case that i made and when people said that they liked it, that made me feel so happy.

2. be the real you.

be authentic to yourself. don't cover up and put on a show because you're scared of the way that others will perceive you.

there are 8 billion people on this floating rock that we call home. because of this, you will find your people. i go to a school where there are 4,000+ students and to be completely honest, most everyone is willing to make new friends and meet new people. 

you will find people that appreciate you even if it isn't in this exact moment. be true to yourself. live loud. be who you truly are and if your friends cannot accept that, then they aren't your true friends and you need to get some better ones!! yes, it's easy to say but very hard to do. i believe in you!!

3. what if it all works out?

when i started this blog, i wasn't sure how it was going to go.

i'm going to be honest, i didn't even know what i was going to write about. 

after i wrote my introduction post, i started to write inspirational posts or just reminders of what people need to hear more and i've been loving it. through this process i've found out that my friends like hearing these things and enjoy tuning in each day. 

a lot of my friends as me how i have time to write a post each day, and i'm gonna be straight with you: i probably don't have the time, but i make the time. because i enjoy this so much, i take 20 minutes out of my day to write something that i was inspired by that day and let my creative juices flow.

my blog has turned into something that i do for fun. there's no rules, nobody to tell me what i can and can't do (though i made a few rules for myself) and it's just a butt-load of fun. 

so what if it does work out?

thank you for reading today's post and if you think someone you know might enjoy these too, don't be afraid to share!! i hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and i hope to catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 30: let whoever think whatever

hello hello hello!! welcome/welcome back to maia & more!!

today i held a little chinese new year dumpling wrapping party and was playing paranoia with my friends antonia and emma. according to wiki how, "Paranoia is a party game where you ask saucy questions about your friends. You're not supposed to let them know what the question is. Instead, answer with their name to make them paranoid." we played like this, but just told each other, not anyone who wasn't with us.

now that i'm thinking about it, this is actually a horrible game because i don't really like to talk about people behind their backs, but i didn't think that much of it in the moment.

this reminded me not to think so much about what other think. i've mentioned countless times on this blog that you should always remember that people are always going to have opinions about you and you have to accept that they aren't always going to be good things.

if you let others dictate who you are and essentially manipulate you into someone who you actually aren't (i hope this makes sense), you won't be happy.

basically what i'm trying to say is to BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF!!!!! 

people want to know you. they don't want to know some fake version of you, so stop letting other's opinions affect you so much. i truly know how hard it is, but once you try to stop caring as much, i guarantee you will become SO much happier.

for example, i wanted to decorate my phone case with jewels and one of my friends said it would be tacky and what-not, but i didn't let that stop me. i did it and literally the first day i wore it on my phone i got at least 5 compliments about it and i've been obsessed with it ever since. 

(you can watch me make it here!!)

i wasn't embarrassed that ONE person said it would look tacky. i did what i wanted and i got an even better outcome than i could have imagined. what i'm trying to say with all this is to be yourself. don't try so hard to be a people pleaser, because no everyone will be pleased with the same things. 

live your life as YOU want to. take the reins and don't have any regrets (read day 16, which is about regrets here!!). like manolo in the book of life, WRITE YOUR OWN STORY!!! someone i knew once said something along the lines of, "i'd rather die without regrets than live regretting every moment."

have a fantastic evening and i'll catch you on the next one!!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 29: everything is going to work out

hi there!! how's it going? happy friday!

like every friday, i'm going to leave you a quote to think about and here's today's:

i think this one is just good to have as a reminder for always. have a fantastic rest of your day and i'll catch ya on the next one!!

day 28: comparison is the thief of joy

hey there! i hope you are doing awesome and today we'll be talking a bit about comparison.

i'm sure that everyone has heard the phrase, "comparison is the thief of joy" from someone in their life. 

i think the first time i heard it was in my 8th grade language arts class when my teacher asked us to write about it for a warm-up. i don't remember what i wrote, but now, thinking about it, i completely agree.

there have been many times where i was extremely happy with my results of something and was so so proud. there was no doubt in my mind that i loved the product. then, i saw someone else's version and immediately i became insecure about mine. 

why? maybe because i thought that i didn't make mine as well as theirs. maybe i thought that mine "sucked" in comparison to theirs.

but there's the key word: comparison. 

before i saw the other person's result, i was 100,000% satisfied with mine. why did my satisfaction decrease after i saw the other's? i'm going to be honest, i really don't know. what i do know is that comparing yourself with someone else, or someone you see online steals your confidence. don't let those people take away your confidence.  

there are many, many beautiful people in the world, but beauty is not just determined by looks, it is determined by character and personality and a billion other factors. if we took away our characters and personalities, everybody would be the same. 

love yourself. love what you create. love what you do. don't let anyone take away how proud you are of what you do. if you are unhappy with your results, try again! that's the beauty of it all: you are allowed to try again. strive to create something that you love, but don't compare yourself to others. we are all unique, so embrace it.

have a fantastic rest of your day!! i'll catch you on the next one!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 27: growth mindset

hi there!! how's it going? i hope all is well and let's jump right into today's topic!

i'm not sure about florida, but in kansas, where i lived during elementary school, my school made it a point to talk about having a growth mindset. we would have our school counselor come in to our classes probably monthly, to talk about this and similar things.

yesterday, i was talking to a friend of mine who i met through taekwondo, daniel. daniel is a fantastic taekwondo athlete who is on the jamaican national team and has qualified for junior world championships 2026!! i'm so insanely happy and proud of him and i can't wait to watch him on tv!! 

anywho, i was explaining to him how throughout 2025 i was very discouraged because i constantly got injured. instead of telling me that i'll be okay, he told me to look at everything as a blessing instead of a curse. 

he put it like this, be glad that you got injured instead of getting knocked out. if i got knocked out, there is a possibility for concussion and being out for way longer.

when you think of things as a blessing and think on the bright side, you become so much happier. you make room for growth and you encourage yourself to continue moving forward. 

having a growth mindset not only helps you to become resilient but also helps you adapt to different environments easier. it will not only benefit you now, but if you continue to build a habit of keeping a growth mindset, it will be beneficial to you in the long run.

by looking on the bright side of things, you will be introduced to a new perspective that you never would have thought of before. have a fantastic rest of your day and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 26: finding your purpose

hello hello hello!! welcome back to maia & more! i hope all is well and let's jump right into today's topic.

my friend, fede, who is an avid reader of my blogs, had a fantastic idea for today:

finding one's purpose.

he was saying how he is watching this show (i don't know what it's called) and how if you take care of something enough, it will gain powers. for example, a pair of scissors can mean a lot to you and become supercharged. 

here's his question for you to meditate on, "is purpose something that we can give ourselves, or is it something that you can have?"

fede explains this concept very well while staying with the scissor example. "what if instead of using the scissors to cut, i hold it down and use it to flatten out a crease in a paper." what i'm taking from this is purpose is not something that is just given, you have to figure out what your purpose is.

is it to become a doctor? is it to pursue acting or become a firefighter or whatever you want to be? is it to fulfill your parents dreams of who you can become? or is your purpose something you've yet to figure out?

i think that one can have many, many purposes in life, and before fede brought this topic up, i would have never thought about it. i don't know what my purpose is (YET), and that's a-okay. i don't even know what i want to study in college yet.

but i'll leave you with this, do you think your purpose was given to you or have you yet to find it? let me know what you think, i'm so intrigued. 

special thanks to fede for this fantastic topic and i hope to catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 25: some people are only meant for a chapter

hello hello hello!! welcome or welcome back and i hope you enjoy today's topic.

today i wanted to write a little about relationships. not necessarily romantic relationships but friendships. right now, i'm 15 and a lot of the people who read these posts are also teenagers, so i feel like we can all relate to this topic in some way. 

sometimes we grow apart from our friends, or break up with someone you thought was going to be your lifetime partner. though these things happen and are natural in this stage of our lives, we can't stay stuck on it forever.

when i started middle school, my mom repeatedly told me that "you are who you hang around." i didn't really understand to what extent she meant until recently. now, in high school, i see all of the different groups of people around me and i'm eternally grateful that i made friends with people that value similar things as me. i also realize that her statement was entirely true.

if you hang around people who are constantly getting in trouble, eventually you'll get in trouble and that might not be who you are inside. you might not even realize it until it is too late.

over the course of middle and high school, we are learning about who we are and figuring out so many things about ourselves. through this process, you'll naturally grow apart from people and you truly have to accept that. there is no point in staying on a sinking ship.

similarly, there are some people who will change into somebody you aren't fond of anymore and that's okay too. 

and over time, you have to learn to let them go. don't stay hung up on someone that has already moved on, but reminisce on the joyful moments you had together. i thought that my childhood best friend would be my best friend forever, my bridesmaid at my wedding, all the things. but every for many years in a row, she forgot my birthday. for the first and second year i was heartbroken, because for some odd reason, birthdays matter SO much to me. i told her how i felt and the next year i got the same treatment. no happy birthday. nothing. even though i put in so much effort to write a huge paragraph on her birthday. 

i write all this to say, if they wanted to they would. this is a common phrase used for romantic relationships, but is applicable to every aspect of your life. sadly, it's the hard truth and i had to come to terms with that.

some people are meant for only one chapter of your life and it's okay to move on from things you thought would last forever. your story is long and will be filled with many more. it's okay that you both grew up and grew apart. keep those happy memories in your mind. there will be others who will cherish and love you more than you've ever known. keep those people near and dear.

have a fantastic rest of your day and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 24: what do you want to be known for?

hi there!! how's it going? today i'll be talking a bit about how you would prefer to be perceived. 

when you see someone in school, what do you think of them? 

for me, there are some people that i aspire to be like because of a specific character trait of theirs. some are hardworking and some are just good-looking.

what trait do you want people to associate with you?

if you want people to know you as a confident or determined person, then be that person. 

yes, i get that its hard to get there, but be confident in yourself. 

master cisco says this about running: "if you want to be faster, then just be faster." this quote can also translate to today's topic like this: if you want to be someone or act a certain way, then just do it. 

act like the person you want to be known as and fake it 'till you make it. this may seem a tad cringy, but act like you're the best and you'll eventually get there. 

changing your mindset to "i can do it" will change so much and i encourage you to do that. don't question yourself, just be confident and i know you'll become the person you want to be.

thank you for reading and i hope to catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 23: fall in love with yourself

hey there cutie! i hope you are doing lovely this valentine's day, with or without a valentine! personally, i don't have a valentine and that doesn't bother me that much.

a little while ago,iI was having a meeting with one of my dad's old co-workers who is a successful business woman now (i still don't really know what her job is), and i asked her what things i should pay focus on in life.

she told me that the most important thing is to take care of yourself before anyone else.

become your own best friend.

enjoy your own company.

but most of all, you must take care of yourself before you even think about caring for others.

like the oxygen masks in airplanes, you HAVE to put yours on before helping anyone else. to me, this means that you need to make time for yourself each day, do things that you love to do. whether that's playing your sport, going to the movies, hanging out with friends, literally whatever, take that time for yourself each day. 

by doing this, you are able to enjoy yourself and each of those things are a form of self care. if you care for yourself, you will be so much happier because you know it as well. once you realize this too, you'll soon be able to love others even more. so, today, take time to do something you love.

another thing that you should do this valentines day is tell the people that you love that you love them. as i've said billions of times before, you never know what is going on in someone else's life, so be a little extra kind.

today is all about love, but it doesn't have to be just romantic love, it can be familial or platonic, too. 

letting the your people know that you love them could brighten their day so much more than you know. my little brother, han, tells me randomly all the time that he loves me, and coming from a 6 year old, it means a lot.

in commemoration of this day, i'll insert a few pictures below of some of my favorite people.

thank you so much for reading today's post! i've been loving blogging so much and i'm so grateful that i have the privilege to do this. i absolutely love everyone that has read these because it just means so much to me. so have the best day eva! catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 22: your superpower

hi there! i hope you are enjoying your day and i hope to brighten it with this quote!

i want you to interpret this quote in your own way and leave it in the comments, so that's all for today!! i'll catch you on the next one!

day 21: chocolate sundae!!

hi there! i hope all is well and hope you enjoy today's post!

the inspiration for today is a bit abstract, but i think it is an important lesson for everyone. 

a little while ago, sabrina, my friend from aice classical, introduced me to the 2048 cupcakes game. i started to play and it was honestly very addicting. if you knew me in 8th grade, the obsession was very similar to the suika watermelon game. 

anyways, i would always play and never get past the cookies and creme cupcake, which would frustrate the heck out of me. after probably a month of playing, yesterday i finally got to the next cupcake, the chocolate sundae one!! 

before i reached the choc. sundae, i kept on loosing when i got to cookies and creme. i noticed that sabrina used this strategy of keeping the highest cupcakes at the bottom and so i tried it. lo and behold, it worked. 

this is a fantastic example that when you are frustrated or can't figure something out on your own, it is 100% okay to ask for help. sometimes you want the feeling of accomplishing something on your own, but if you try and you really can't do it, there is no harm in asking for help.

over the time of playing, i learned to persevere. each time i lost, i would keep on going because i was determined to get to the chocolate sundae. you have to realize that you should never give up if you want to achieve goals that you are proud of. giving up is not an option. you should try new routes to achieve the goal and with trial and error, you will get there. when you achieve a goal or get an accomplishment, you gain the confidence to keep going. once you build that confidence, it will help you achieve things you never thought were possible.

i hope you liked today's silly little post and understood what i was trying to say. i hope you have a great rest of your day and i'll catch you on the next one! never give up! you got this!

don't wish for it, work for it.

update (2/25/26):

i finally got to the white chocolate peppermint cupcake!! never stop trying because you will eventually succeed.

day 20: be in the moment

hello hello hello!!! i hope everyone is doing well and lets get into it!!

as many of you know, i do taekwondo. two summers ago, when we were in istanbul, my dad found a sports therapist for my brother and i, to essentially help unlock our full potential. and just to let you know, this sports therapist isn't just some random lady, she's coached many professional athletes, so you kinda know that she is good at her job.

one of the main things that she kept on reiterating to me during our sessions, was to be in the moment. 

after she pointed it out, i started to notice myself quite a lot more. my mindset was to go for the gold, but i never really thought of the process in getting there. i was always thinking about the result instead of the process, which was what i should have been focused on. subconsciously, i was thinking about winning. nothing else. i didn't visualize my matches or warming up, unless my parents actually forced me to do so.

i started to notice it in my day to day life as well. i would always be excited for the next birthday party or the next musical i would attend, but wouldn't actually soak up the moments that i was in. i was constantly just thinking about the future, which i'm not saying is a bad thing, but i wasn't living out these experiences to the fullest. 

my dad called me out on it a few times as well. i usually help out at my taekwondo dojang on fridays for our sparring class, which is at 5:30-6:30. one day, i was going out with my friends to watch a musical at our high school at 7:00 and told my master that i would have to leave by 6:45. my dad had told me not to say that because it just shows that i didn't want to be there at all. i said it anyways and my master replied, confused, saying that we would end before then and i wouldn't have to worry about it.  i was just too excited and didn't appreciate the fact that i get to help kids improve during this class, which i love.

now, i've started to focus more on every single moment and soak up every emotion because our lives are too short to not be in the moment. this has made me feel so much more grounded and made me appreciate my time more. from hanging out with my friends or going out to lunch with my family, i now don't take these moments for granted. 

what you should take away from today is to live in the moment (if you couldn't already tell). enjoy the laughs, cries, and even enjoy the soreness from practice because one day you won't be able to feel those things, but you will be able to re-tell the stories about your collection of experiences. have a fantastic rest of your day and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 19: the odd one out

hi again!! i hope all is well! today's topic is about making others feel included.

in elementary school, i was always left out. i always had been. maybe this was because my friends actually didn't like me, which is a possibility.  i was the one who would have to be the lava monster when we played. i was the 5th player in four-square. and always. no matter what. the one who walked on the grass next to the sidewalk, or behind the group.

throughout elementary school, i cried and cried to my mom each night while i sat on her lap and explained what had happened that day. i can't even imagine the pain my mom went through hearing that her sweet little girl was not being treated the best in school. so, when we moved to florida in the summer before 6th grade, i didn't even shed a tear as we drove out of our driveway for the very last time.

now, one of my very close friends, shylah, is someone that i immediately thought of when i started to write this post. she is one of the most caring people i know and she always makes sure me, and others, feel included. she'll explain the inside jokes to me, waits for me so that i don't walk alone and is just so understanding in a way that is unparalleled. so shout-out shylah!! love ya!!

people really underestimate how much it means to feel included. so when somebody seems left out of the conversation, try to explain to them what is happening. or if somebody is walking behind the group, walk with them. no matter what, i always try to do these things because i know how much it hurts to be the odd one out. especially when that group shoves it in your face.

explain the silly inside jokes even though it might feel a little weird having to explain them. but what feels even weirder is when two girls will talk about their inside joke and you just sit there, feeling dumber than you've ever felt in your life because though you've asked, "oh what does that mean??", those girls just keep talking.

for the reasons above, i never want anyone to feel this way. if someone asks about an inside joke, i'm the first to explain it. i hate talking about an event in front of a group that i know some people weren't invited to because it digs a pit into my stomach. but, i know that not everybody feels this way. some people don't care about others' feelings, and i'm not trying to change those people. the purpose of this post was to be a bit  of an eye-opener so that you can feel something you might have never felt, and understand someone else's perspective.

today's topic really dug deep for me and i hope that i was able to explain a feeling to you that i never ever want anyone to have to go through. have a fantastic rest of your day and i'll catch you on the next one!

don't wish for it, work for it.

day 18: the only thing more powerful than hate is love

hi there!! as many of you know, yesterday was superbowl LX. though it was the seahawks vs. the patriots, many people tuned in just for the halftime show. 

bad bunny's halftime show was deep and meant a lot to so many people. it explored the different communities of puerto rico and showed that america is made up of people from all around the world, not just white people. 

did you know that america's population is approximately 16% immigrants? 

although throughout the years there have been many halftime show performers from various latin countries, including names like JLo and Shakira. this year, having bad bunny as our halftime performer shook up America because of everything going on with ICE. now, i'm not going to get into that whatsoever, because that's not the focus of today's post.

the focus is really on the quote that was posted on the jumbotron (i don't think that's the right word for it) at the end of his performance.

i think that this quote is so meaningful and can be interpreted in a billion different ways, but this is how i interpret it:

there will always be haters out there, no matter what, but while their comments are strong, your support system is even stronger.

your support system can be made up of anybody in your life. common support systems include family, friends, coaches, and sometimes even teachers. these people want to see you succeed and will do anything in their power to support you through the end. it is so important to have a strong support system that you can go to whenever you need help or just need a hug. 

another interpretation that i have is just to be more kind. in the world we live in right now, there is so so much hatred and dislike towards certain people or certain groups, but being the light at the end of the tunnel can be so meaningful to somebody. remember, you never know the full story of what someone's life might look like. they could be going through the roughest patch of their life, but still put on a pretty face and thug it out. you can give back by giving just a simple smile or holding the door and this can make a bigger impact than you know. you can read more about kindness here.

also, i bet everybody knows by now, but the bushes in bad bunny's performance were ACTUAL PEOPLE!!! i thought that was absolutely hilarious and such a cool job. another fun fact was that the bride and groom from the wedding actually invited bad bunny to their wedding but he invited them to the superbowl!! imagine casually saying "oh yeah, i got married at superbowl LX😄😄!" or "yeah, you didn't know i was a bush in bad bunny's superbowl performance??" like wow.

you can watch the full performance here!!

anyways, thank you for joining today's blog and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.