HI
After spending half of the month in Egypt, this month has definitely flown by for me. The trip was epic and I have so much to share. The first trip post is up here and a big post is coming Friday. The other notable thing this month was a quick trip to Dallas to see Taylor Swift in concert! She is still a boss.

Sacrifice
Life is about what you’re willing to sacrifice for the things that will bring you joy. There’s no right or wrong choice. It’s also not absolute. You may get some of the other choices but it won’t be the main focus.

• For a traveler, she may choose adventure and sets aside comfort and money.
• For a mother, she may choose the experience of raising a child more than a life of free time.
• For a friend, she may choose to be present and giving to others instead of for herself.
• For an entrepreneur, she may choose the opportunity to create something on her own instead of the safety of being a cog in a machine.

Trash
To put waste in perspective, a photographer took photos of four years of trash. Can you imagine what one human’s lifetime consumption would look like? Trash doesn’t just disappear.

Loss and Grief
Losing someone I love, especially a partner, because of death is one of my greatest fears. I’ve been following Anjali Pinto’s story on Instagram and it’s been eye-opening and heart-breaking. She suddenly lost her husband almost two years ago, and since then, she has allowed us to see her feelings as she mourns and finds a new reality. Author Elizabeth Gilbert lost her partner earlier this year and in an interview, she said she tries to find the new reality by asking the question, “what’s the life I could live now?”

Speaking of grief, remember this opinion piece titled, “You May Want to Marry My Husband?” A year after publication and her death, the author’s husband wrote a response called “You May Want to Marry Me.”

Parent Woes
I had never thought about this issue until Oh Joy posted about it: do you allow your kids to receive presents on their birthday? I liked hearing her perspective on it and agree with her solution.

It’s You
Money is a strange thing. Many times it’s taboo to talk about, we don’t think we have enough, and people develop major opinions and habits around it. I like this perspective my friend Chelsea shared: “You have to realize that your biggest money making tool in your toolbox is you. By working on your limiting beliefs around money, you open yourself up to being able to price what you’re worth and earn what you need without the constraints of worry or fear holding you back.”

Birthright Citizenship
Have you heard of Wong Kim Ark?

CBD Oil
This natural oil is making headlines these days as more products are accessible and the public buys into using and accepting it. It’s commonly used for pain, stress, anxiety, and insomnia relief. This article explains what it is and what you need to know.

Disgusting Food Museum
A new museum in Sweden displays 80 of the world’s most disgusting foods. I had no clue root beer is hated outside the U.S.! Here’s an interview with the creator. See the website to peek some of the exhibits.

Serendipity
Do you believe in fate? Is there someone pulling the universe strings? Or does probability and the right place, right time explain these coincidences?

The Farm Project
Actress Zooey Deschanel and her partner Jacob Pechenik founded The Farm Project, which aims to connect people with their food. The food industry is a mess. From the mass use of chemicals to mistreatment of animals, there are dangerous and sad secrets in the food we eat, so I appreciate projects like these that help us bring consciousness to what we consume.

Chocolate Bioterrorism
In the 1900s, the cacao industry collapsed in Brazil because of the spread of disease. It has since come out that the disease may have been placed purposely by human hands. The effects of this decision: overpopulation in nearby cities, irreversible damage to the environment, and countless lives changed. Read the article here. (The article’s author is who introduced me to the magical world of bean-to-bar chocolate.)

20 Brutal Truths About Life
As the title says, these are brutal.

Fiji, Tourism, and Climate Change
Sometimes the only way to get someone to care is when their livelihood depends on it. Fiji thrives on tourism, but if climate change continues to affect the islands of Fiji as it has, it means the country is headed for disaster. Read more here.

Wedding Pictures in Congo
Don’t do this.

Two Articles About Race, Education, and its Effects

• White progressive parents and the conundrum of privilege
• The Black Struggle for Technology Jobs

Now Listening
I’m obsessed with this song. You might think its horrible.

100 Websites That Shaped the Internet
Do you remember what the internet was like at the beginning? Remember when MeetUp.com made it ok to meet internet people IRL? How often did you Ask Jeeves? Did you ever play Neopets??! Remember when everyone was watching Homestar Runner? I had no clue Hulu began in 2007. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, check out the full list of 100 websites.

What’s got you captivated lately?

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The post Captivations v52: Serendipity and Brutal Truths appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Taylor Swift. Award-winning and record-breaking singer, songwriter and performer. Inspiration for #RelationshipGoals. Hostess with the Mostess. Filler of concert stadiums. Baking enthusiast. Seemingly genuinely nice person who likes to surprise and delight fans. Cat-lover and possibly obsessed. Friend to many, including celebrities. The youngest person to make Forbes “100 Most Powerful Women” list. Style-maker. Game-changing voice in protecting her art. A net worth of $200 million. Influencer with a die-hard fan-base that follows, applauds, and rewards her work and being.

I wouldn’t say I’m a die-hard fan but I’ve bought albums, cheered on her TV appearances, subconsciously memorized songs, and now, have attended a concert (night #2 in Chicago). The concert was fun and energizing. She sang all the songs from her newest 1989 album (minus two bonus songs) and plus 4 old songs. She brought currently very popular country artist Sam Hunt out on stage to sing his single “Take Your Time” and the crowd went nuts. She’s a true entertainer – confident, sassy, talented, and sweet. From the outfits and choreography to the in-between pep talks to the crowd, Taylor is continuously perfecting her craft and by the crowd’s response (selling out two nights of 55,000 seats in Chicago and lots and lots of screaming), she’s doing it very well. She also continuously told the crowd she was thankful for her fans getting her to where she is and that her life has been so fruitful with friends and opportunities in the past year. Music connects people in unthinkable ways and with her music, Taylor’s been a cheerleader, encourager and friend to many and continues to be so.

Make a quick search and you’ll find articles upon articles about her business-savviness, power, and influence and even more about her every move (relationships, best friends, vacations) in the public eye. It’s safe to say Taylor is fire-hot right now. If she is half the person who we see in the media, it is evidence that being a kind-hearted and bold person is worth it. It’s also evidence that a seemingly awkward 14-year-old has learned and grown a lot in the last 11 years to become who she is now. What else can we do but respect and applaud a woman for working hard, living her dream and having lots of fun while doing it?

Bravo, Taylor, for a magical and fun night in Chicago.

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