After experiencing instances of bad manners and etiquette, I wanted to highlight the importance of being polite and respectful. Simple good manners go a long way especially in the world of today.

As people become more and more entrenched in their phones and social media, they forget simple good behavior since the world keeps pushing the “me” concept. Social media says “look at me”, “I’m the best”, or “it’s all about me”. This is called-and I know some people hate to hear it-narcissism.

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It does not mean it is wrong to have social media or post on it, but rather to remember to be humble and grateful for what you have. Do not think you are better than others because of what you think you achieved; you may not see the whole picture. They may have other accomplishments they are not willing to share with you since you are constantly comparing yourself and putting yourself above them. They choose to succeed in the peace and quiet.

This is what I remind of and what she reminds me:

She wrote an article on this here:

The reason I choose to write about this though comes from something that happened recently to Lizzy. She was chosen as the winner of a scholarship from our church and thanked the group that rewarded it. Simple, right? Not exactly.

One of the ladies told our mom that no one has ever thanked them for the reward they received-ever. They have been giving this to young ladies for years and none of them ever said “thank you”? That’s just simple manners. Why wouldn’t you thank someone for free aid? Do these girls think because they have been going to this church longer than we have that they do not need manners? Or because they are Greek like the ladies of the group?

My sister and I have always wondered why we never fit in at this church with girls our age. The answer is that we are not Greek. They have their clique and they did not want to let anyone else in. But we realized we did not need them after finding out they are a bunch of fake friends; even to each other.

These ladies were so thankful that Lizzy thanked them, they suggested she apply to another scholarship, even though it is for high school seniors-she’s in her third year of college. I believe she deserves this more than anyone. They are excited for her to do it and seem to be keen to give it to her.

This brings me to my point: good manners go a very long way. Be respectful and polite to everyone, even if they are not the same back to you. I try to be grateful to recruiters who take the time to talk to me even if they do not hire me. I gracefully thank them for their consideration at the least. Imagine one day you try to apply again and they remember you were rude in an email-they most definitely will not hire you this time.

A simple thank you call or note
Respectful emails to professors or colleagues
Addressing people by their title
Addressing people as sir or ma’am
Letting someone go before you
Listening when someone needs to talk
Communication
Saying please, excuse me, thank you, and I’m sorry

All of these are ways to prove you are appreciative of what others do for you. To prove you are not only thinking of yourself. I have made friends in the past few years that I think I will never stop talking to because I was kind to them.

You leave a footprint or mark on this world and you can choose what you want it to be. Kind or rude? Well-mannered or ill-mannered? Grateful or ungrateful? Respectful or impolite? Retracing your steps and actions will prove what kind of impact you have made on everyone. Being kind means not expecting anything back but doing it anyways. This does not mean you let yourself get stepped on or used.

I wrote about this in my article on “The Steady Presence”, which I try to be for everyone. Someone to talk to, someone to rely on, someone to hug, someone to cry on.

Remember, when doing anything to be grateful and polite; your future may depend on it. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!

Finding Purpose When the World Demands Fear

Last night, I had a beautiful, heart-to-heart talk with my sister, Mena. I was confessing to her that I honestly have no idea what I’m doing with my life. Here I am, studying entrepreneurship and business in college, expecting to graduate in the spring of 2027, and yet the path ahead feels completely blank.

Life update: Still no internships :,)

Plainly, nobody hiring. I’m not even exaggerating when I say I have applied to over 300 jobs since starting college, not to mention the countless times I’ve reapplied to the same companies. Last week alone, I sent out at least 30 applications. Each response was the exact same: a cold rejection email. Not to mention the endless amount of hours I spend applying, fixing my resume, emailing, and ending the day with nothing but anxiety, burnout, and fear.

Exhausted, I told my sister, “I’m done. I don’t know what else to do, or what I’m supposed to do. I did everything right. Even the social media algorithm won’t help me.”

Follow my Insta

But when you think about it, why should the algorithm help? Mena and I began talking about how social media is entirely saturated with copy-pasted content on Instagram and Substack. There are “following the girlies” posts absolutely everywhere, full of people wanting to be seen while offering literally nothing of substance. They promise they’ll follow you back, and the hollow loop just keeps spinning. No one is offering real value.

I jokingly told Mena, “The algorithm must have taken a holiday.” Truly, doesn’t it feel like the algorithm has been on a really long vacation—or just died entirely? Every single subscriber or follower you get nowadays has to be manually sourced by you. You have to go out and interact with each individual person first just to get a single follow in return.

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The Weight of Everything

Realizing this left me exhausted. I have put in the hard work, updated my resume, stayed consistent on social media, and constantly jumped between ideas. First niching down, then deciding to expand my niche, wanting to do literally everything: acting, modeling, creating digital products, launching a skincare brand, a fashion brand, a makeup brand, a matcha and coffee brand, health supplements, and healthy snacks. I’ve thought about becoming a certified nutritionist, a wellness and fitness coach, learning martial arts, doing photography, trying new foods, and writing novels, poems, and cookbooks. The list keeps going.

I simply wanted to believe that as many times as I changed my goal, God would give me a sign for one of them and say, “This one is for you! You found your purpose!” But instead of a sign, I only got more stress.

My only excuse for this never-ending brainstorming process was, “It must be my entrepreneurial mindset.” I wanted so badly to believe I was on the verge of finding my direction.

But Mena disagreed. And what she told me made me realize something crazy about being a girl; something the modern world forced us to forget.

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Remembering the Caregivers

Mena told me that, perhaps, women were simply not meant to work in the way the modern system demands. Remember when our primary role was to bring children into the world and raise them? Think about your mom, and how much she did for you.

I love my Mom. She didn’t just teach us and homeschool us; she taught us everything. She taught my sister and me how to cook when we were only five years old. She taught us some Taekwondo from the classes she took back in college. She taught us respect, love, forgiveness, and how to be kind. She taught us to read, write, pray, and love God.

I specifically remember a time when she was incredibly busy, and I asked her to draw me a giraffe because I loved animals so much as a little girl. She paused what she was doing and drew it for me. A year later, I remember coming back and asking her to draw for me again. This time, she told me she was too busy. I remember my little self thinking, “Mom is busy. I need to let her work.” So, I went and drew the picture for myself.

What I didn’t realize at that young age was just how deeply busy she truly was. My Mom was taking care of five children—four of us only a year apart in age, plus our baby brother. Yet, she somehow made time for everything.

Women are naturally wired to be the creative thinkers and the caregivers of this world. Historically, a man’s job was to provide and protect his family. Because of our nature, girls are constantly trying to do so much; we naturally play the mother role whether we have children or not. We naturally want to relax, learn new things, read a good book, do art, and create. These are skills we teach ourselves so we can share them with others to do good. They weren’t originally meant to make us money; they are things women enjoy because they bring peace and build knowledge to pass down to our children.

I’m not saying women shouldn’t work, make money, or start businesses. What I am saying is that women desperately need a break, and the modern corporate workforce was not built with our design in mind. Women process information and learn creative skills rapidly—it simply flows more easily to us. Men are often naturally more aligned with the rigid, mathematical structures required to manage the external household, finances, and labor.

Refer a friend

Moving From Fear to Corporate Anxiety

At some point, the world got twisted. Things changed, and suddenly every single individual was forced to fend for themselves. We have been completely abused by the corporate machine. As young women, we were fed a specific narrative: you must go to college, you must get a degree, and you must climb the ladder because you can only depend on yourself. So, we listened. We followed the rules.

Why do they do this? By locking us out without a second thought, they are feeding us endless anxiety. They are creating a cycle of deep fear, making us terrified that we are somehow not smart enough, not qualified enough, or simply not good enough. They demand our absolute dedication, yet they literally never even give us a chance to show what we can do.

Heck, it all starts with the colleges. They have no problem taking thousands of dollars from each student; yet they completely ignore any emails we send to them. Like…apparently you need someone to respond to emails…hey! I’m a business student! I’ll do it for you 😭

The honest truth is, we don’t even want to study anymore. We don’t want to work for these massive companies, and we don’t want to have a boss. Why? Because every time they reject us, they are systematically killing our motivation.

This is the solid proof that we only go to school and study for a degree out of pure survival and fear, rather than genuine curiosity. It’s a vicious trap. The moment they reject us, our inner drive dies, and we are left staring at our homework questioning, “Why am I even studying this? What is the point of all this stress if the door is slammed in my face anyway?”

The very foundation we currently live on is fear—and where there is fear, there is no freedom. No one is out there to help you. As I mentioned, I am about to get my bachelor’s degree in business, which means I am technically qualified to step into marketing, human resources, data analytics, management, sales, or finance. Yet, the system tells me I never qualify.

It makes me think of when Captain America said, “This isn’t freedom; this is fear.” Those are the exact words everyone needs to contemplate when making choices today. The world operates on a deliberate process meant to make us feel completely numb to what is happening around us. With AI advancing at lightning speed, we really have no idea what is real and what to believe anymore. We sit at home and watch disasters play out on the news, yet we remain generally unphased.

In times like this, we have to trust that God is in complete control. We have to redirect our focus strictly to what we can control.

Humility as a Guide

The bottom line is this: us girls are meant to be creative. We are designed to have sudden outbursts of beautiful ideas and little inspirational sparks at any given moment. We are meant to be thinkers, helpers, dreamers, and teachers. Women possess peaceful, kind, and forgiving souls. Don’t let the pressures of a cold, corporate world tell you who you have to be.

Mena reminded me that we must always let God take the wheel; only He can steer us in the right direction. And as we navigate this road, we have to change how we present ourselves to the world. We don’t need to shout over the noise by boasting, showing off, or being consumed by pride. The world has enough fake, superficial noise.

Instead, what we need to do is simple: we need to spread our passions in an honest, authentic way. When you create from a place of pure humility and truth, your message becomes deeply relatable. People can feel the genuine heart behind it. Your audience will connect with you, not because you claim to have a perfect, flawless life, but because you are real.

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Before we Continue…

🌸The Michi’s Recs for your Daily Dose of Value🌸

Speaking of breaking free from the hollow, copy-pasted algorithm, I want to take a quick pause to highlight a few incredible minds and spaces that are doing things right. These are creators who offer genuine heart, deep knowledge, and true value to your feed. Drop your guard, pick up a cup of tea, and go show them some love:

— my sister, co-founder of The Michi, and biggest support and motivation to keep going🫶

— she's the warmest angel sending her aura through touching words and her personal journey <333

— sweetest doll, who reminded me how beautiful life is

— I didn’t know how much I needed a cozy, unpretentious corner of the internet until I landed here. She brings so much fun and unfiltered creative joy!

View my full recommendations list: HERE

The Chawan: Japanese Matcha Tea Cup

Whenever the weight of the corporate world starts to feel like too much, I find myself thinking about the lesson behind traditional matcha cups: the chawan. If you look closely at them, you’ll realize something beautiful: they don’t have handles.

There is an ancient, deliberate reason for this. In the era of the samurai, warriors entering a tea house were required to leave their swords outside the door. When they sat down to drink, the handle-less cup forced them to drop their guards entirely.

Because there was no loop to hold with a single finger, they had to cradle the warm clay using both hands.

This handle-less cup also teaches the art of divine timing. Because your palms are wrapped around the clay, the cup tells you exactly when it is ready. If the tea is too hot, it will burn your hands, signaling that you are rushing. It forces you to slow down, and wait for the temperature to soften into something comfortable. It tells you that the best things in life cannot be forced or hurried. Therefore, never blow on the tea. Cooling it down too fast is like trying to swim against the current. You’re trying to do something when it’s simply not the time.

The modern world wants us to grab everything with one rushed, aggressive hand; chasing algorithms, collecting corporate trophies, and running on fear, so we are led to make the wrong choices. But maybe our true purpose is found when we stop fighting the system and simply choose to drop our weapons; outside, like the samurai; out of sight, out of mind.

Even when the algorithm refuses to help you, and the job market closes its doors, keep going. Keep going, but do it for grace, personal growth, and knowledge. Cup the moments of your life with both hands. Every mistake, failed attempt, or barrier is simply a lesson we can learn from to find a way around. It is not the end of the road.

Let’s chat: Did any part of this message sit heavy on your heart today? If you’ve been feeling the corporate burnout or are trying to find your own unhurried timing, please leave a comment below. I would love to read your thoughts and chat over a virtual cup of tea. 🍵✨

If this piece brought a little bit of peace to your day, consider subscribing to my newsletter or sharing it with a friend who needs a reminder to drop their guard.🌸

P.S. You can also browse my current collection of digital guides and creative recipe cards over at our Shop.

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Your support means the absolute world to me and helps keep this creative dream alive.

Love you all! 🫶✨🌷🍵

After writing my article on “Love”, commented and was captivated by my section on the Steady Presence. I promised to highlighted this by giving it its own article where I can explore it more in depth. As mentioned in said article, this is my favorite to contemplate and work on.

Before we get into it, however I’m going to place my definition of love here for contemplation:

The Steady Presence: a Detailed Look

While I was in our Adult Spiritual Enrichment class on Sunday at Church, we listened to a priest talk about almost exactly what I wanted to say. The perfect example of this type of love is Jesus.

Jesus will forgive you no matter what if you are sorry. He is all-merciful no matter how far we stray or how much we hurt him. As long as you repent and try to do better He will forgive you. He knows we make mistakes and can easily be lead away from the straight and narrow path, but when we pick ourselves back up and get back on track, he is there.

A beautiful poem highlighting this very kind of love is “the Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson. God is compared to a hunting hound who is eternally in pursuit of the sinner. The sinner is trying to escape God with worldly pleasures and sins but finds only disappointed. But God does not force the sinner to come back; he pursues him from afar, waiting. The misery comes from the futile run from God, not from God himself, but the encounters with it are designed to bring the sinner back to Him. God is relentless, faithful, and deliberate, when pursuing us. He wants us to come back and wants to forgive us.

Since Jesus is all-merciful in this way, and He has committed no sin or offended us in any way, how can we not be merciful to others? How can we not forgive others for what they do to us? We certainly are not perfect so we must pray for the courage to find it in our hearts to forgive each other.

To love someone does not always mean hugging and kissing them and forgetting that they hurt you, but rather forgiving them and hoping for the best for them. If someone physically hurt you, for example, you are allowed to distance yourself and have time for yourself. This is where you pray; you pray for the strength to forgive them and not hold a grudge against them, making peace in your heart with them.

If they choose to keep hurting you, then this is on their soul. They have chosen the path to destruction since you have done everything you could to help them. You must remember to take care of your own body which is a sacred thing, and protect it from harm.

This is love takes waiting and patience; waiting for the person to see you, to see that you have been there for them. It takes patience to see them fall, run, or hurt themselves so many times before they realize you have been there all along.

It can also be the other way around: you finally realize someone has been there for you, waiting for you to notice. They have watched you make mistakes and dealt with your faults and yet they still wait, patiently.

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The Steady Presence: Examples

Now that we have looked at this enduring love in detail, we can look at a few more examples. The first one I described is the greatest love there is: Jesus’ love for you.

Once again we can see this love in the relationship between Thor and Loki. Thor who watches Loki make mistakes again and again, only harming himself. While Thor waits patiently for Loki to see him so that he can forgive him and they can be brothers again.

This is a minor example but Hermione’s love for Ron in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is also like this. When Ron starts dating Lavender, she still loves him but distances herself from him so she won’t be hurt. She waits for Ron to see that she loved him all along. He does see this pretty quickly though.

In Spider-Man 1-3, we see this love as well when Ursula cares for Peter Parker even while he is so invested in Mary Jane that he does not realize it. She is there for him when he needs someone, baking cake or cookies, or telling him Mary Jane called to cheer him up. She wants to see him happy even though he doesn’t notice her or love her back.

During Blair’s relationship with Prince Louis in Gossip Girl, Dan also displays this type of love. He is an unwavering presence while she navigates her stressful relationship with the Prince and her ever present feelings for Chuck. Even though she is not romantically involved with him at the time, he is the anchor she needs during this period of her life. He always made sure she was ok, addressed her feelings for the others before he started anything with her, and stood by her side the whole way.

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I also try to be this steady presence for my sister. No matter what I will always be there for her. There are sometimes I ask myself why I am doing something and it is the same answer every time: because I love her and because she wants this. Even when I do not understand what’s wrong or why she won’t talk sometimes. I will be everything for her: someone to talk to, someone to support her, encourage her, a quiet assurance, a shoulder to cry on, and most importantly, a friend and mentor.

Thank you guys for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments

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Dear ronins, travelers, and writers…Hear me out on this:

“Hey! I’m new here. Let’s connect.”

“Follow for follow?”

“Supporting all the girlies who interact with this post.”

Why do platforms have this desperation epidemic now?? It’s hollow and soul-sucking—just a friggin empty noise; an endless loop to nothing…

We see these new trends all the time where specific people somehow get caught up in the algorithm and they’re lucky enough to blow up. Yes, some of us are lucky for very few trends and maybe a couple pieces of content “blow up” but then when the trend dies (and very quickly") we die too.

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Then comes new creators, or not new at all sometimes, but they want to beg for follows and engagement. I see these Instagram reels with “follow for follow” or “Let’s connect”. How are people still falling for this?? OK, the first time I saw it and I thought ok, sure I’ll drop my niche and username…but no follows. Ever. These people never follow you back; and when you go to their account it’s filled with all these “follow for follow” reels and posts, like why are you constantly begging? Why is this your content? Where is your creativity? Where is your value and uniqueness? I’m just going to follow because you’re on a roll with begging?

There’s nothing to follow! Just comments filled with “follow me..I do this..”

Guys! This really doesn’t work. Stop being desperate. Period. When you start a social media and start creating content, don’t show up expecting mass growth and 100 followers every day. It’s a business. If you start a social media for the sake of followers or sales then quit it. You have to come with a purpose; with a reputation; with a brand; with a voice. What makes you special from the crowd? If you’re going to be like everyone else and beg for “follow for follow” how is that really going to work out for you?

Say you post a reel asking “Follow for follow” and assume you get a thousand follows from it. Now one thousand people expect you to follow them back; and if you don’t they’ll likely unfollow. Also, since they only followed for a follow back on their end, your engagement will suck. Think about it. They did it for a follow, and they most likely don’t even care about your content. They’ll never like your posts, comment, or share. Why would they? You were just one out of a billion of those desperate people begging for a follow.

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So please, this will hurt you and the algorithm! If your engagement sucks but you have thousands of followers, the algorithm will bury you. You want to have something that has people coming back for you. That has them wanting more. They should be the desperate ones begging for more content from you. Think about CoryxKenshin. He takes year long breaks and his community misses him like crazy. When he drops a new video after months, his views jump from zero to millions within an hour sometimes.

Don’t ever degrade yourself; be you, be real, post your content. Here on Substack I’m already seeing it…people posting “Let’s connect notes.”

—Stop!—

I immediately know that I don’t want to subscribe or follow these people. Why? I don’t see them offering anything for me. That’s how businesses work. You have to have something to offer.

As an entrepreneur student, I’ve learned that when you are desperate you seek validation in the wrong ways. This makes you vulnerable. You’re basically telling your audience that you don't love or respect yourself enough. You’re showing that you need to rely on other factors to fill your needs. No matter how hard you are struggling you are good enough.

Little note from me because, yes, it resonates with my content:

A Ronin doesn’t beg for attention; they command it through the quality of their work.

Rule #1 for New Content Creators: Create for Fun, Not the Follows

You chose to create an account on your chosen platform for a reason. So post your passions. Promote them and let your work be seen. How can you create merch without a brand? I remember when I started content creation, I had no idea what designs to create or what would even actually sell. This was years ago when I started so many crappy accounts with the most random content.

After quitting social media for over two years, I wanted to try again. That’s when I came here on Substack. When I tried to create a Substack account a few years ago I thought “I want to write, but it’s too much…I don’t even know what to write about. How can I stay consistent without ideas?”

So coming back, I had something to offer. A brand. A voice. I had something to share. A community that supports people. If you’re a long time follower of The Michi then you know exactly well that the purpose of this is to help you escape the world and its problems. It’s a place where we all come together to find peace and happiness. We don’t need to let people control us. We sometimes just need a space to breathe, be seen, be loved, and find people like us who just want to support each other and grow physically and mentally. Just a little push in the right direction could help…

When you create because you love to see the final design exist, or the result of your words actually putting a smile on someone’s face, that energy is what attracts a real audience. Your audience should have a genuine reaction to your content. They may not follow right away, but the more they see your content they will see you in it. And at some point they’ll think “It’s such and such! I’ve seen their posts show up so many times on my home page.” They’ll know you for your style and voice. And if they really love it, they will in fact subscribe. In time. Nothing happens right away. This is why you need credibility. Not begging and being vulnerable and worthless.

If you do it only for sales or subscribers, you will burn out. If you do it for the joy, you are already successful.

Building the “Michi” (The Strategy)

Me and Mena are drowning in so many different hobbies and passions. Cooking, binging movies, baking, reading, writing, music, working out, drawing…We want to bring joy to you through our personalities no matter what content we share! Recipes, film reviews, fun rants, poems, fashion…it’s an endless list…the endless road (The Michi).

This is where the Japanese-Ronin aesthetic came from. But again, it didn’t end there…We did a Southern crossover to create a recongnizable identity across all our platforms; YouTube, Substack, Instagram, and our Shop. This ensures brand consistency which is important for cross promotion. Otherwise, how will your audience find you?

Cross-promotion is something very important that you should really do if you want to grow. Each platform/channel needs to feeds the other (YouTube for visuals, Substack for depth, Shop for merch). Take advantage of each social media. Every platform has a bio. Add your links! Heck, use Linktree to keep it neat!

Check out my Linktree to see how easily browsable it is:

Lizzy's Lintree

Both Substack and Instagram have been buried so deep with spam. People seem to confuse engagement with spam. They seem to think “Because someone did this, it will work for me.” We are all unique! Don’t let others define how you succeed. Build your own story. Build rapport and community by offering value (whatever your good at, offer it!) rather than just asking for likes. Be your own person.

Have a Marketing Strategy for Community & Growth

I knew I needed to do something to get to know my subscribers better. What’s better than doing an engagement campaign with them? That’s why I started the Michi’s 30 Week-Challenge! For me, I personally wanted to push my limits. But since one of the major goals of the Michi is to help people become better and find happiness, I wanted to offer to do it alongside you. Every week is another mission for personal growth. Even if you can’t do the mission for the whole of the seven days, putting in the effort is what matters. You took the first step to change. Shared challenges build a community that actually trusts you, which is the ultimate “engagement strategy.”

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The Heart of the Brand (Yes! If you have a favorite show or movie, let that guide you…)

Why the sister bond? Simply, me and Mena have been very close. I know. Sibling bonds are so underrated. But Sam and Dean love each other…no…they literally die for eachother. Loki and Thor love each other. We want to spread that sibling bond. It’s so underrated, but it’s so strong and powerful.

Read Mena's Article on Love

Mena has been by my side forever, and she is the only one who is there for me when I’m struggling or just need a hand. Sure, siblings have fights, but they’re honestly pretty easy to make up from.

Sometimes you don’t even have to say sorry…it goes like:

Sibling 1: “hey…”

Sibling 2: “Me too.”

Not a single “sorry” in the conversation but they understand each other so well, yet they both apologize.

Like I mentioned, our vibe is the ronin aesthetic to promote our value of persistence and discipline, but with a Southern twist. We lean into the that sibling “Winchester dynamic.” CoryxKenshin is the Shogun, his community is the Samurai. At the Michi, I am your guide, and Mena is your companion and support. For me and Mena as creators together, she is the Sam to my Dean. You don’t have to do it alone; even if you don’t have a sibling, if you have a close friend that you have a deep connection with, that’s still support from someone else and it can strengthen your dreams.

The Michi is structured like a “Family Business”. Like I said, a close partnership makes the brand stronger and more resilient. Me and Mena are the leaders, but without a family of supporters, we are nothing. That’s why we appreciate all of you. Each and every single one. When we help you, your support and encouragement is what keeps us going to give you more of the content you love. It’s an endless road…there are bumps we need to get over, and cracks that might take a little courage to jump…but you have to keep going.

From everything that you’ve read, understand this lesson. Open your heart. Find people you trust and share it. Even if its just a single someone who you know will walk the path with you. Who will go through the failures and mistakes. They are all lessons for improvement. Get up and try again. We are all here to offer each other a helping hand when we fall. Brush off the dirt, and continue the path, even stronger than before.

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Going Full-Time: The Vision

Many content creators find success posting content full time and can fully support themselves with it. I know some people that have judged me and told me “it won’t get you anywhere” or “you can’t just depend on that.”

Again, this is why you need a brand. Not a trend. Trends fade, and so will you. Have a brand that is consistent and marks you. Because you can’t fade unless you let yourself. So, again…be your own relatable self. Don’t go for the money or the follows. They will come. Just keep learning and keep growing. Don’t ever give up if it’s your dream.

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For me and Mena, we are still working on content consistency…Substack has been the easiest platform to stay consistent on considering YouTube requires much more tasks (setup, recording, editing, scheduling). So we’ll be over here for a while…until we finish college. We’ll keep sharing our content with you to keep you motivated.

Now…we are excited to announce that we do have more merchandise and digital tools in our shop! If you love our content, don’t hesitate to share it with someone you think might benefit from it. Help us grow our Ronin family and offer a hand to those who need it. The road doesn’t end…so bear with us, and remember to offer kindness and support to everyone.

The Michi Shop

Our items are things that actually help people (planners, organizers) or that you wear yourself to keep you motivated and on the path of the Michi…from Lizzy and Mena Matching Tees (for you and your sister!) to express the bond you share, to content creator tools like our all in one tool for Content Creation on all platforms (me and Mena use it for our content and it’s a lifesaver!).

Don’t forget to subscribe and join our 30 Week Challenge. Even the smallest effort…simply commenting that you will join that weeks challenge (even if you don’t do it that week) is a step you took that moved you forward. It’s an effort.

“Stop looking for a shortcut and start looking for your path. Build for the love of it, protect your brand identity, and let the right people find you at the end of the road. Let this article be the foundation to your future. See you at the Michi.”

With love,

Lizzy the Ronin and Mena the Writer

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I have pondered this what you might call “mystery” of love for quite some time now. I know, why write about this at all since I don’t think many of us understand what love is exactly and we all have different views of it. I don’t believe that one definition is absolutely correct, but I wanted to share my perspective of what it means.

First of all, we need to look at what others have defined as love. The first definition comes from, as Lizzy calls Him, our Master, from His Apostle Paul:

This definition is the one that lies closest to my heart. It sums up love beautifully and completely. I always analyzed love in relationships, especially in different types. Most of us seem to think of love as romantic-happiness, hugs, kisses, marriage, and children-but even in this kind, it is not just these things. Romantic love is much more than this, much deeper.

There are also many other kinds, a few of which I will explore today, and then explain my interpretation of love as a whole.

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Romantic

This is the most familiar kind when we think of the word love. Romantic love is a deep connection between two people who become one through marriage.

When two people fall in love, they want to be together all the time, leading to marriage and a lifetime together. Usually, they do not realize it at first, but this will require effort, like a plant takes care and nurturing to grow, so will this love. It starts as something precious and fragile, a seedling just sprouting, and then blooms into something beautiful. This only happens if it is carefully watched and cared for. Love is a living thing; it flourishes based on how much care you give it. This brings me to the paradox “loving love”, meaning you have to literally love the love you are cultivating.

Disputes or disagreement are usually forgotten when two people are in love. But just because there is a bump in the road, does not mean one should give up; this actually makes it stronger. Overcoming conflicts helps trust build in the relationship better than if there was no disagreement at all. It takes compromise, sacrifice, and a promise of eternity for it to last. When two souls make the commitment, they become each other’s forever; they become one.

My favorite and most evident example of romantic love is Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Their relationship begins with arrogance and judgement from both sides. Mr. Darcy, at a dance, makes demeaning comments about Elizabeth, stating she is “not handsome enough to tempt him” which she hears. When he starts to fall for her she refuses him, protecting her own pride. This is what I loved most about their journey; it had its conflicts in the beginning, proving it would survive a lifetime. Mr. Darcy is forced to confront his arrogance when Elizabeth refuses his marriage proposal and she, her pride, when she realizes she loves him despite his remarks.

It is alluring the way the both change to make the other happy, proving that overcoming the flaws builds a stronger trusting relationship. It also leads back to my plant metaphor; they grew and nurtured their love from a small seed to that of a beautiful tree or flower.

Platonic

The next most popular type of love is platonic: the love between friends without the desire for romance. This kind is almost underrated and downtrodden as the romantic trope seems to override it every time. It has the same qualities of a romantic love minus the romance. It still needs care, time, and includes facing challenges together. My favorite quote for platonic love is:

Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes’ friendship is my favorite example of platonic love. Before I dive deeper into this friendship, I want to explore the aspects of it.

What attracts a person to their friends? Why am I friends with this person? How did we become friends? All of these are questions we might ask when we think of our best friend or friends. They could be your childhood best friend or someone you met just last year, but what makes them your friend is your shared likes, experiences, secrets, and the empathy you have shown for each other over time.

Circling back to the romantic love where I mentioned conflicts, one does not so easily leave their best friend because of an argument or a different view. Friends work it out, discuss what went wrong and how they can get past it. This is sometimes where platonic love outshines romantic: friends seem to work out their disagreements much faster, but betrayal hurts more when it comes from a friend rather than a significant other.

These are not my main examples but they prove how strong platonic love is. When Ron decided to leave in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this seemed to hurt Harry more than Cho betraying him. Another example is Sam leaving the Shire to go with Frodo to get the ring all the way to Mordor even though he was leaving Rosie. Ron and Sam act as Harry and Frodo’s moral compasses, preventing them from succumbing to the darkness that always seemed to surround them. Such strong loyalty is what defines every relationship which brings me to my favorite one: Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.

Steve and Bucky were childhood best friends, doing everything together while also looking out for each other. Bucky is always there when Steve gets himself into scrapes and when Steve becomes Captain America, he does the same. They stick together through everything: Bucky supports Steve when he loses his parents, offering even just a comforting presence. Steve is determined to join the fight when Bucky is enlisted overseas and does not give up when he is informed that the 107th was captured and most likely killed. He rescues Bucky, and in return, Bucky goes back with him to finish what they started, resulting in his “death.”

In the Winter Soldier, Steve refuses to harm Bucky, knowing his best friend is still there despite what Hydra turned him into. Steve chooses to see Bucky as a person rather than the weapon he was forced to become. Steve, instead of arguing with him, tells him, “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line”, which finally transforms Bucky from a killing machine back to his best friend. What I find so amazing about this is that despite 70 years of brainwashing, Steve was able to find his friend and bring him back. This proves how deep their bond was, fueled by loyalty and trust, always able to reach each other, even in the darkest of places.

The Sibling Bond

One of the most overlooked treasures is the sibling bond or sibling love. Since most of us fight with our siblings and usually don’t want to be around them, this is usually pushed aside and even frowned upon at times. I have had people judge me and my sister for being too close. But why? Hasn’t this person been through everything you have gone through? Haven’t they almost been forced to be there through thick and thin?

Of course the most obvious example of a great sibling love is Sam and Dean. One of my favorite quotes, of course from Sam, is:

This one hits the closest to home for me as it’s honestly the only one I have. And truly there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my sister. Sam and Dean’s bond, starting with the shared trauma about their mother and then being stuck with their father, growing up on the road, is a perfect example of selflessness and devotion. No matter what they face, they always end up realizing they need each other and no one else. Yes, they have other people in their life-Bobby, Castiel, and before he died, their dad-but no one understands what they’ve been through except the other. Knowing a certain tone or look from a parent, or a specific memory that shouldn’t be brought up, is something you can only have with a sibling since they were there.

Their love, despite their arguments is unshakeable as they cannot live without each other and would do anything to be together, including making deals with demons. Even though I can’t exactly make deals with demons, there is an instinct to protect my sister at any cost. They deal with each other’s mistakes, secrets, and even just the presence of each other. This proves love does not need to be romantic to be great or strong.

The Steady Presence

This is not exactly a kind of love but to some extent it is; I think this love is quite amazing so I thought I would mention it here. It can be platonic, romantic, or a sibling bond. It is what I like to think of as a quiet love. It is that constant reminder, that persevering presence, that calm force that defines it. It is defined by quiet acts and thoughtful attention rather than dramatic gestures of grandeur. It is remarkable in a way that is hard to describe since it is defined as unremarkable.

My experience or thoughts on this love are that no matter what, that person is there. If you need someone, they are there to be with you. If you make a mistake, they are there to help you. If you have a problem, they are there to listen. If you hurt them, they are there to understand you. If you betray them, they are still there to forgive you. I strive to be this person for my sister; just be there.

It’s almost maddening to think about; that constant presence always pulling you back, keeping you on track, and you still find a way to hurt it or try to get away. That person would do nothing to hurt you, even while you do everything to hurt them, and yet, they are still there.

I’m not sure why the relationship that made me think about this love was Thor and Loki. This quote from Thor really sums up their relationship and how it is defined by this love:

Thor’s undying love and trust for his brother, despite Loki’s many betrayals and tricks, is a perfect example of this steady presence. Loki ruins Thor’s coronation day, lies to him about Odin’s death, and then tries to keep him out of Asgard out of jealously and wanting attention. Yet, Thor forgives him, tries to reason with him, saves him, and mourns for him after he falls. Loki then decides to invade earth (yes, I know he was under the influence of Thanos) for a throne he thinks himself deserving of, resulting in Thor taking him back to Asgard only to be put in prison. Thor still tried to reason with him before this, reminding him of their history together.

After their mother dies, Thor decides to trust Loki again, breaking him out of prison, so he can redeem himself and avenge their mother. Even though this may seem like a dramatic gesture of love, it’s not the breaking out of prison that I want to emphasize; it’s the trust he grants Loki to help him. After Loki “sacrifices” himself for Thor, Thor mourns him again, and misses him until they are reunited in Ragnarök.

This movie highlighted Thor’s quiet love for Loki as he still hoped he would make the right decisions and redeem himself. But he also learned to accept that they were different and that it would be best if they went their separate ways. He watches as Loki finally stops resisting his love, helping him defeat Hela and staying with him until the end. Loki acknowledges he has seen all of Thor’s efforts by endangering himself to save Thor from Thanos, leading to his death.

Their relationship is very rocky and there were plenty of times Thor could have and should have given up on Loki, but he chose not to. He chose to love him and trust that he would do the same one day.

My Interpretation of Love

Now that we have gone over a few different kinds of love I want to give you my interpretation or definition of love in general that covers all of these.

This definition applies to all types: romantic, platonic, sibling bond, and even the steady presence. To love someone, as I said, is choosing them in everything. If you are going to make a decision, think about what they would want. What would make them happy? What would please them? Even when it’s hard for you. Love isn’t always easy, but this is what makes it last.

Thank you for reading! Tell me your thoughts and views on love in the comments! Would love to read them! Once again there is no one true definition of love; these are just my observations from personal experiences.

-Mena the Writer

I’ll tell you why. It’s because I am too busy worrying about the future; worrying about what I need to do tomorrow, and two days from now, and at the end of the year…it’s a never ending mind game.

So I stopped and listened. Birds. Crickets. Wind. All so beautiful and yet I forget to thank God for these little things. So I wrote a poem to thank Him for this. I called it “Crumbs” because as small as these little gifts may seem, they are so abundant that we overlook them.

Remember, there are things that are free in life and sometimes a little humility can help you see and appreciate them. Nature, friends, family, peace, kindness…whatever you put in is what you get out of it…Don’t let the little things go unappreciated. No matter what you’re going through, carry these little crumbs with peace with you, because they will always be there.

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This is not a trick question.

And there is no right answer….

Perhaps it is having a well paying job that allows you to pay your bills, live comfortably, and afford other little things. Or maybe it’s simply having a stable life. Perhaps owning your own business and being your own boss? Or maybe it’s having a balanced and healthy life between work, health, and fun.

I notice so many people worrying about what they're going to wear, or what to buy, even necessities like food or gas. Of course these things are important, but worrying about the future and price tags just creates constant noise in your head.

The unknown is called the unknown for a reason—because it’s not meant to be known…

—Lizzy the Ronin

Therefore, we should not worry about things out of our control. Simple.

How do I define success?

Well, it took me a while to realize what it actually is until just a few days ago…

I’m a full time student seeking a business degree in entrepreneurship and I am going to have my bachelor’s degree this fall. Have I had any internships? No. Solid no. I’ve been working a part time job since I graduated high school at 16 years old AND started college. For four years, I haven’t found a job in my area of study.

What did I do about it? Well, as an entrepreneur student, I can confirm that I do indeed have the mindset of an entrepreneur. My mind is scattered all the time. I’m always searching for opportunities and ways to be my own boss and work for myself. Yes, my dream was to have a little cafe, but when do I get free time? I realize that my mind is always busy and there is no room for fun. So I take time off to spend my free time doing things I love: cooking, reading, writing, baking, drawing, watching movies…

Then I think about my work schedule, school due dates, and other responsibilities. Is this really the life I want? After multiple anxiety attacks, I told myself I need to calm down. I took one step down the ladder, and cleared my mind. I took a break from any extra work that I created for myself. And I realized something when I took so much extra weight off my shoulders….

I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time…..

Peace….

I didn’t need material things.

I didn’t need to always think about work and money.

I didn’t need to constantly get ahead in school to “make” time for other stuff.

I just needed to calm down…and find peace.

It’s crazy how something so simple and free is impossible to find. We’re always trying to keep ourselves occupied, engage in senseless and superficial conversations, until you put it all behind you and realize “how much of this was actually affecting me, personally?”

I now take the time to clear my thoughts and do things for both my physical and mental health—not because I want to “look” or even “feel” good, but to feel satisfied in my mind, heart, and soul.

Just take one step off the ladder…remove the extra burden. Get off of social media. Stop eating before your 100% full. Rest. Don’t force yourself to “get 8 hours of sleep” or wake up early. Let your body rest as it needs to…Let it talk to you. Don’t let the world tell you what’s right and wrong. Trust your body and your mind. Let your mind and body work together to absorb everything you do. Every decision you make. Don’t rush into anything. Just breathe and live. Things will come to you if you do what you need to. Don’t give yourself problems that don’t concern you. Find peace in your heart.

Because if your mind and body are healthy, your soul will finally find its peace.

Take care of yourself—however you can.