So many good reads and light bulb moments this month! I’m continuously curious about how to improve my life and this month was a jackpot. I learned more about depression, owning my feelings, empathy, and my rules of living. Here are the stories that captivated me this month.

11 Habits of Healthy Couples
My curiosity in what makes a successful romantic relationship continues, and this article gives some great insight on 11 things that will help.

Better Ways to Measure Your Life
How do you measure your life? The amount in your bank account? The number of friends you have? The number of vacations you’ve taken? Your definition of success will look different from the next person’s. Here are five “better” and ongoing ways you can measure your life that won’t leave you deflated.

Lola’s Story – A Family’s Slave
This story in The Atlantic is heart-wrenching and riveting. It’s about a Filipino family who brought a woman when they immigrated to the U.S. that was essentially their slave. Give this story a read!

How Much is in Your Savings Account?
Studies show 69% of Americans have less than $1,000 in their savings account and 34% don’t have a savings account. Whaaaaaat? Those percentages are about the same for millennials 18-34. Financial experts recommend having three to six months of living expenses in an emergency fund.

Watched: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2
Who watched the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie this month? It definitely lived up to my expectations. Baby Groot was my favorite!

Women and Health Services
What happens to Planned Parenthood health centers affects millions of women nationwide. This eye-opening video gives a glimpse of how.

Watched: Master of None
Aloooora, I finished the new second season of Master of None on Netflix! Now all I want is pasta! I loved seeing the beautiful parts of Italy and getting another inside look of the lauded restaurant in Modena. (It was featured in season one of Chef’s Table.) I’m not sure how I feel about the finale but I’m ready for season three!

Differences of Italian and American Dating
Speaking of Master of None, I enjoyed this article (that contains spoilers!) referencing the new season and showing the differences of dating in Italy and the U.S. Even after reading the article, I don’t believe this kind of dating actually exists in Italy. If it does, Americans are missing out or being very efficient. What do you think?

Depression
Unexpectedly, I read a book about depression and another mentioning depression this month. Both books gave eye-opening insight into what depression feels like and how people can help people who are depressed. Mental health needs to be taken seriously on all levels, from friend-to-friend to government policies to scientific research. It starts with learning and understanding what depression is. Every person should read Reasons to Stay Alive. The other book, Hyperbole and a Half, is not specifically about depression but has a great description in the book. You can see part of it here. Also, here’s a good post from Momastery encouraging others to help.

More is Not Better
I found this article and it was a relieving light bulb moment. My whole life has been a ladder of improvements, goals, and “the next level.” The article is a reminder that daily gratitude might change your life and maybe “self-improvement is a glorified hobby.” Give it a read and let me know what you think! (This article definitely ties in with the “Better Ways to Measure Your Life” article linked above.

Rising Strong
I finally read Brene Brown’s book Rising Strong this month. Just as her previous book Daring Greatly challenged my thoughts, so did this one. It talks about the rise after falling, something we don’t like talking about because who likes to talk about the hard and dark places where they can’t see light and hope. We talk about the success when we get to the mountaintop, but the journey there is what makes us better people. It’s a great read! Along the same lines, I enjoyed this short post by Glennon Doyle Melton about hitting rock bottom.

“Look for the Helpers”
Love this quote from Mister Rogers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.“ See the video here:

What’s captivating you lately?
I always enjoy reading your opinions about any of the ideas and links I post. Tell me your thoughts in a comment below!

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The post Captivations v.35: Rising Strong and Success appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

January Recap
I had a pretty great month with a trip to Tamarindo, Costa Rica and attending the Prevention R3 Summit. This month has been all about health and fitness. In addition to the Prevention R3 Summit, I had a Yoga and Brunch party and I’ve also loved trying a new work-out studio called Kor180. They have a studio in downtown Austin on 5th street and their new North Austin location on Burnet opened this month. How was your first month of 2016? Did you make any goals? I’m working steadily on my 2016 goals!

The manifesto wall at Kor180’s Burnet location

How to Detox
I enjoyed this informative post by Min Kwon about detoxing. Even if you don’t want to detox, this post is helpful for more nutritious eating.

Wearing the Same Thing Every Day
Mark Zuckerberg announced his first day back at the office with a photo of his closet, asking “what should I wear?” He photo shows multiples of the same gray shirt and same navy hoodie. It’s been said that successful people wear the same thing every day so that they don’t have to think about it and they can focus on their goal. Could/would you do it? It would definitely stop the untrue “I have nothing to wear” exasperations in the morning and a uniform would create the outlets for variety and creativity in your mind. What do you think?

Austin Food Blogger Alliance – Happy Hour at Banger’s
Our first happy hour of the year was at Banger’s where we learned the sausage-making process and enjoyed the fresh sausages from the grill. We also got to see Banger’s impressive 100+ tap cooler and kitchen. We took home some tasty pickles. Banger’s has been a consistently satisfying Austin restaurant and it was fun to see the action behind the scenes.

The Best is Yet to Come
In my 2015 recap, I mentioned that I was a little disappointed in the results of the year and am aiming for a 2016 full of hustle. I liked this reminder from Chris Guillebeau. Are you working on anything big, impactful and challenging right now?

57 Small Culinary-Related Things to Do For Yourself This Year
My friend Sarah shared this awesome list of 52 things. If you want to challenge yourself in the culinary area, this will give you lots of inspiration.

What Success Takes
I love this visual. Sometimes while looking at other people who have been successful (especially through the social media highlight reels), people think success comes easily and automatically, not with days and months and even years of hard work. So, if you’re working towards success, don’t give up, and when you’re looking at someone else’s success, know that it most likely took a lot of hard work.

What’s captivating you lately?

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