6 Of My Inspirations & Role Models

big shoutout out to my wonderful community...the reason I was able to keep going📸💝🫶🌸🍵

Do you ever feel like you’ve done nothing for the past couple days? or even the past couple months; or years!!

Every morning I wake up excited for breakfast (my favorite meal of the day). Then I sit down at my computer to get some things done from my to-do list: college assignments, replying to comments on Substack, writing Substack notes, updating other socials, checking my other businesses, checking emails, etc…

And the outcome is almost always just me waiting. For something. I do what I can, then I sit and realize that the things I wanted to happen that day (the things you could say were out of my control) did NOT happen. I’ve been waiting for specific emails, grades, deadlines, or even just a little bit of space in my day to actually do something that I want to do. I’d say more than 80% of my week is going to work and doing school. And of course, there’s my sister’s schedule, who’s working WAY more than me (bless her heart), giving us even less time to do things together.

Okay, I won’t go into all the “depressing details” about my teenage years, but for a while I basically feel like I’ve done nothing with my life.

Speaking of which…here’s a playlist of the songs that got me through those years (I called the playlist “the Void”…):

Check out my other playlists on my LinkTree!

I’ve come to realize that I actually do have goals. I have dreams. I have passions. I actually have hobbies and skills too! I can draw, illustrate, figure out problems, cook, bake, write (pretty well I think, no?), workout, and run multiple businesses. Yes, even with so many failures, I realized how much I actually know and how much more I could learn!

blueberry shortcake I baked! Deadpool themed gown, illustrated by me! and then there's me writing (or stressing maybe?)

But how, why, and when? I feel like these things just magically accumulated in my life. They have become such a normal part of me that I forgot “failing” a business is actually the greatest lesson for future success; you’ll fail not getting paid for your passions is what actually makes it a passion — once you start making money on something you love, you no longer have the same feelings for it; it will be all about the money. This is exactly why I refused to start a cafe or restaurant like I previously wanted to…I LOVE being in my kitchen, and I’d never give that away for money!

What I realized was there was something that pulled me out of my void, and slowly taught me to just take baby steps and keep trying things. I want to point out that I’ve been cooking since I could walk— fr— I remember the first thing I cooked: fried eggs and toast for my siblings, and I was so proud that I used a griddle and cracked six eggs successfully!

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Before we Continue…

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

I want to take a quick pause to highlight a few incredible minds and spaces that have inspired me here on Substack this week. These are creators who have motivated me to continue to pursue my dreams this week. Pour yourself a cup of tea, and go show these writers some love:

The Mindful Japanese Kitchen — a beautiful soul who I connected with this week and has inspired me so much in the kitchen. She is such a lovely angel, and kindhearted writer🫶

Matchalicious Girl — Shoutout to Matchalicious Girl! I love matcha, and I just followed and subbed to her this week because her content is so comforting. 💗🍵

Ami 🤍 — sweetest doll, who reminded me how beautiful life is

Steph, Real Meal Prep Help — Focuses on meal prep in the kitchen! Something I'd like to focus on more, myself. I think she does a really amazing job making cooking fun and simple for beginners.

Cookie Chef Bakes — Such a creative little space! Love all the wonderful treats, and her aesthetic is super adorable!

Go give these creators some love, even if you just save one of their recipes, comment on one of their posts, or say “hi”.

View my full recommendations list: HERE

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There were certain people over the years that continued to motivate and inspire me to keep going…to keep learning, and to just dream no matter what. Days seem to be flying (is time going faster, or am I actually busy?), and I can’t help but notice, that there is definitely a change in the winds—I feel like blessings are coming!

I recently posted a note about how I looked up my username (Lizzy the Ronin), and dang…I didn’t expect all those results to come up!! I’m still under 1k follows on my Insta (psstt let’s get to 1k! Pushing for 20k to start my YouTube cooking show and vlogs 🤭). And over here on Substack? barely at 200! (psstt don’t forget to recommend The Michi for gifts! The more people that subscribe using your recommendation, the better the little surprises you’ll receive from us😉).

To the people who have inspired me, I honestly can not fit them all in a single blog post! And, yes, it was extremely difficult picking my biggest inspirations…so I tried to pick someone for the different “categories”. I will list some honorable mentions as there so many people who have helped me recover from bad times 🥹💗

6. Florence Pugh: Fearless, Instagram Chef, and Self Stunts

Number 6 on my list is Florence Pugh. If you read my article on “5 Movies I Expected to Disappoint But Were Literal Masterpieces”, you probably remember me mentioning I didn’t really care for Florence Pugh. But when I checked out her Instagram page, I thought her cooking highlights were so cool! And of course, the way she did her own stunts in “Thunderbolts*” was so inspiring! I did kickboxing for a month, and I’d love to get back into it! I also want to learn martial arts like taekwondo, BJJ, aikido, Muay Thai, or Krav Maga. Weapon training and stunts would be cool too! Maybe learning a blade like katana, wakizashi, or tanto. Something simple like a bo staff or nunchaku might be nice to learn as well for diversity.

Florence Pugh’s Cooking Highlight

5 Movies I Expected to Disappoint But Were Literal Masterpieces

Recently, I’ve been focusing on calisthenics. I don’t know why, but I feel uncomfortable working out in public gyms, mainly because I don’t really know how to use any machines— I try to go for runs outside when I can. I’ll start with a light, 1.5 mile run, then do a 0.5 mile walk-sprint.

Still hiding in my room doing wall pushups, slowing decreasing the incline…yeah, I’m afraid of judgment :( Whenever I finally move into an apartment with Mena, I’d really love to get some minimalist home-gym equipment!

5. Mena: My Partner here and my Support

You all know Mena right?? She’s my only sister, a little younger, but my biggest supporter!! Although I went through rough times, she was the only one actually present to pull me out. She comforts me, makes me laugh, motivates me, cares for me, trusts me, and makes me some really good surprise breakfasts and coffees 🤭

the coffee Mena made me today! Earl Grey + Espresso!! Extra caffeiene!! Just what I needed!

We’re working on our cookbook together. If I’m not mistaken, I think this is the first project we are actually consistently working on together. We have ALL of the recipes, and she is reviewing them one by one to check for errors because she is the BEST person to help you with grammar and spelling (I’m guessing she’ll find plenty of those in this blog…).

We’re still working on plans for our future, so if you’d love to be a part of it, share our Substack, subscribe, follow, and if you really don’t want to miss out on our vlogs and cooking channel on YT, start shopping from these little Amazon lists I put together so you can start cooking with us as soon as we publish our cookbook and start releasing videos!

I will conclude with this: God blessed me with a little sister and I wouldn’t be where I am if she wasn’t here. God knows exactly what you need, so always trust His way and His timing.

4. CoryxKenshin: The Shogun & Inspo for Authentic Growth

At the moment…Cory is on a very long break. He is one of YouTube’s original creators who blew up from playing FNAF. People could say that was luck or “right place-right time”, but we all have that chance within our own niche. Cory’s lesson to me was that authentic growth is a million times more valuable than fake growth and trends. He’s one of the only creators that I know who is original and unique. His personality and editing style are so “him”, no one could replace him. The way his views skyrocket as soon as he uploads. No matter what the topic is, people will watch just because it’s Cory.

Considering he’s been taking so many very long breaks recently…it makes me wonder if he actually retired. What would that mean exactly? Well, first of all he deserves it. He has every right to make his own choices and retire when he wants. Creators, or even celebrities, are not entitled to telling their audience their personal life at all. But my point is…if the shogun is retired, that makes his samurai community a bunch of ronins 🥹 Which is EXTREMELY sad, because he was the one and only CoryxKenshin—the shogun; but I guess that makes my choice of using “ronin” for my followers pretty accurate then.

It was only recently that I realized I fr had a shogun (Cory), and maybe I saw that coming?

I’m just hoping I didn’t predict this! Cuz literally when I chose that name he’s suddenly been gone for such a long time 😭

I do miss him. His Security Breach playthrough was my comfort when I was sick a couple years ago. But he’s taught me tons of lessons that no other creator has. The only GOAT on YouTube. Even though trends are the “thing” now, across literally every social platform, I will never fall into posting that sort of content. Even though this is a totally different year and generation from when Cory started posting, he reminds me that success and growth are not defined by quick follower counts or what the majority of the world is expressing; when something comes from the heart it makes all the difference. That’s true passion and true success. He never had to put too much effort into growing his community or being “salesy” or doing “business talks”. There was never desperation. Just pure authenticity.

Take a little break for a moment…🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Don’t forget to check my other links on my LinkTree for more from me! Any support keeps me going! Feel free to browse merch on my Shop—from Michi Tees, Hoodies, and our Ronin Lifestyle Journal!

Oh! And I have something for you! Get 10% off our merch from the Michi Merch section of our shop! (total must be $30+). Use promo code MERCH10.

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3. Selena Gomez: The Multi-Hyphenate Entrepreneur

Selena has such a diverse portfolio of skills and professions. From running her own makeup line, to writing her own songs, she is the definition of a successful entrepreneur. Heck, she even had her own cooking show on HBO! Like her, I want to do everything; who doesn’t? When I was 14, I wrote a business plan for a luxury business I wanted to start, and Selena was the inspiration behind it. I wanted a brand that sold fashion garments, makeup, skincare, bags, shoes, jewelry, and more. I still have the business plan and I am still so impressed that I wrote all that just from Internet research (no AI, mind you! just those few years ago, AI wasn’t that big a thing!)…this was also two years before starting business school.

Although I still do dream of having a multi-niche business, I still haven’t settled on a specific area yet…In fact, I’ve just added more to the list! Now I sometimes think about starting a martial arts dojo, becoming a certified nutritionist or personal fitness trainer, or starting a line of healthy snacks, teas, powders, and supplements. My mind is everywhere; right now as you know I simply want to start small and publish recipes, my cookbook, and start a cooking show on YouTube (with fun little life vlogs!).

All of this chaos in my head will not stop me from dreaming! Selena could do it—so could I! Maybe not now. But when it’s God’s time, I pray that I will be successful and do it all. There is no limit; if it exists, it is possible!

2. Genevieve Padalecki: Focused on Wellness, health, and a balanced lifestyle

Genevieve is a not a popular actress, but her lifestyle and Instagram are so calming and balanced. Even though she’s married to Jared Padalecki (aka Sam Winchester from Supernatural), her social following isn’t massive. But her content is so simple and genuine. She shares lots of book recommendations, gardening, healthy living, workouts, and trips with her family. She’s another beautiful example of a celebrity who doesn’t boast. If I didn’t know who Jared was, I’d think she was just a normal Instagram creator posting about health and wellness.

Honorable Mentions: My Mother (who raised me well), Jensen Ackles, the Marvel Cast, and my Loyal Community on Substack

I couldn’t fit everyone into this blog so I put all of these together as honorable mentions.

Starting with my Mom, she is the sweetest! I used to think she was strict, but now I realize she was actually just raising me well. Simple things she reminded me to change like “fixing my attitude”, doing what I’m told, trusting God, and smiling more, have improved my life without me even knowing.

Sometimes I’ll tell her something random, like “I want to cook lasagna this weekend” (she proceeds to buy the ingredients…),

or “I want to be more independent” (she proceeds to give mother advice).

A mother’s love is different than any other kind of love. She sometimes reminds me of Thor’s and Loki’s mom, Frigga, how she loves both of them equally but for who they are without comparing one to the other.

I thought about putting Jensen Ackles as my number 1, but I’d consider him equal to the rest of the honorable mentions.

So, basically—he’s me.

Moody. Kind of stupid (not in a bad way, more in a “help me” way? I don’t know how to do this?).

And also, he knows how to present himself. He’ll do just enough for his fans, but never overdo it.

In a way, he commands respect and he gets it. And that’s somehow what I get—I’m a pretty quiet and reserved person; I’m not shy; I listen more than I speak, and I let my actions speak louder when they need to. When it’s time to talk I’ll talk. If I need to supervise or guide someone, I’ll do it. Otherwise, I’ll remain quiet unless spoken to.

The reason why I’m more quiet is that I’m an overthinker, which some may consider a bad quality in a person, but processing your thoughts quickly and keeping them to yourself is actually very precious and something you should be cautious of. I know some people who tend to overshare, and in the end, it ends up making them seem ridiculous. Not because what they said was bad or wrong, it’s sometimes just unnecessary or the act of demanding attention.

I will point out, though, that overthinking sucks when I realize my brain is working a million times faster than my computer—even when I type, it’s sometimes too fast for the computer to process, and the screen starts to freeze or glitch :(

or…maybe I just need a new laptop.

Finally, the Marvel cast; I’ll keep this one short. The Marvel cast reminds me of a family. They all support each other and protect each other. In interviews with multiple cast members, the interviewer will sometimes only focus on RDJ; but he won’t let the interview be all about him. RDJ directs the question to his co-stars instead of answering the question himself. Now that’s an example of humility and true friendship. I can’t deal with crowds, and sometimes my family gets overwhelming, but the relationship with this cast is perfectly balanced.

Oh, and watching the MCU these past couple years really healed something in me. Perhaps it was because I was so connected to these characters for so long (it took us about a year to watch the whole MCU), I was able to distract myself from the bad things in my life. And of course, the characters motivated me to work on myself more. They were always dedicated to a goal or a mission and they always got it done.

And finally…there’s my wonderful community here! My subscribers and followers here on Substack were my very first community to actually engage with my content. When I started seeing all the comments, likes, and connections here, I was genuinely amazed!

The subscriber count has been increasing at such a steady pace…and I honestly am so grateful for this. Massive growth all at once, is wonderful, but sometimes that could hurt the algorithm. I try to always offer value, authenticity, real connections, stories, and advice behind my work.

I don’t want this—my work here— to be a desperate business project. I want it to be a long lasting impression that guides people, brings them joy, puts a smile on their face, makes their day, and offers something so that they’ll come back for something even better next time.

1. Sam & Dean Winchester (Loyalty & The Sibling Bond)

Their bond is obviously one of the strongest I’ve ever seen. The power of two is so remarkable, especially when they’re so close they’re constantly in sync that they are literally communicating with their minds.

That’s me and my sister; We’ve moved forward so much in life just because we have each other.

The Winchester’s loyalty too; trust in a relationship simply can not be skipped. No relationship can work without loyalty, honesty, and communication.

They honestly don’t have that great a life…yeah, when we watch movies or shows we think it looks fun, but it’s really only because we love the characters and the show was written so well; drama is interesting; but we have no idea what pain they’re actually going through.

Until you realize that you are in fact going through something similar in your own life. We all have our struggles, our demons, or vices, and our down times.

One loyal hand to pull you out of your void is sometimes the one thing we needed to keep moving. In my case, it was my sister; but then there was also all of you. 180 loyal subscribers and so many others in the world who have no idea the impact they had on one single soul.

To conclude…my life is better. It’s a blessing and a gift. The people who have helped me along the way, the acts of kindness I’ve received, the warm love shown…it’s an abundance of treasures. Nothing can compare to that. The only thing that I search for every day is peace. And what gives me that, is happiness. What gives me happiness, is love…it’s the true cycle of life…the way we should live. Without judging. Just caring for each other because we are all just doing our best. Growth can’t happen without support.

Let your thoughts come out as you and not someone else. If you need to be fake for someone because that’s what they want, then you don’t need that person. Be you and you’ll attract the people who love you for who you are.

I wish the best for all of you and I’d love to hear what peace looks like for you—let's share our thoughts in the comments.

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