Following My Dreams

As a young girl, I always had an interest in fashion, beauty, cooking and art. I loved to steal my mom's makeup and try on her clothes. I would spend hours looking at ads in Teen Vogue and attempting failing to look just like the model.



When I entered high school, fitting in was the only way to"survive". You know the saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side"? That was definitely how being popular was. The popular kids were sooooo cool. They enjoyed staying out late, going to parties, and doing drugs. It seemed as if they were always having the time of their lives. I wanted them to like me so badly that I was rude to the people that meant the most to me. I treated my old friends like crap and eventually lost them. My whole personality changed during those two years. Being angry and depressed was not how I wanted to live my life.

Graduation was approaching and I had enough. Instead of following that crowd, I decided to stand up for myself. The grass was definitely not greener on the other side. Their lives were miserable and instead of making a change to fix it, they forced their unhappiness on others. I stopped talking to those girls after series of drama-filled incidents and that was one of the best decisions I have made thus far.

When I moved away from home for college, I picked up my passions back up again. By my sophomore year, I spend my weekends baking or studying instead of out partying. I found a new crew to hang out with and made up with my old friends.

In 2012, I had the idea to start a YouTube channel. I wanted to share my experiences with other young girls who were probably going through similar challenges. If I focused on cooking, art or even fashion in high school, my life would have been very different. Maybe I could save someone from going through a tough time and inspire them to make better decisions. My channel would be that one special place on the web for another girl like me.

Instead of starting my channel, I decided to write a blog instead. Something like an online journal. I began to write on Tumblr and it was an amazing feeling to have a corner on the internet.

The next year I started Stop and Smell LeRoses, a beauty blog. I would spend hours talking about my favorite products and designing my site. After a year, I was confident enough to share more. I grew so much as a person that nothing could stop me. I wasn't afraid anymore.

You know how people will do something dramatic like cut their hair or get a tattoo after a life-altering event? Well, I didn't go that far. Instead, I changed the name of my blog and redesigned. Janetta LeRose is a true reflection of my personality. I write about everything that interests and inspires me. Having this website is a dream of mine.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of having brunch with two close gal pals. We talked for hours about the importance of following your dreams and what we want for the future. Life can get stressful and complicated. We spend so much time seeking recognition from others that we fail to do what we actually love. *Insert motivational phrases* Don't ever let the trials and tribulations of life get you down. When you fall, get back up. Do what makes you happy. Be yourself. Inspire others. Live the life you love and love the life you live. *End of motivation phrases*

I'm not sure how my life will end up, but I've learned to take it day-by-day. Being happy looks good on everyone. So to follow my dream, I created this blog and my YouTube channel. Hopefully, they help a young girl and inspire her to chase after her dream.

If you're reading this right now, make like Aerosmith and dream on.