Why I Relate to Aly & Aj’s “Rush” More at 23 Than 9

As a person, and as a writer, I’ve experienced a significant amount of growth this year. 2020 kicked everyone’s butt in one way or another, but for me, my faith grew stronger, my writer’s voice developed even more, and I’ve never been happier. You can read more about that HERE.

But seriously, if you grew up watching Disney Channel like I did in the 2000s, you’ll know Ally & Aj. They were special, the two sisters with undeniable talent and what I know now are total punk-rock influences. A recent grazing session on YouTube reminded me what a totally banger this song is. Between the beautiful, haunting vocal harmonies, and the insightful lyrics, this has everything.

“I’m convinced these songs were written not as much to bop to as kids, but to return to when you’re older to empathize with the lyrics and let the message warm your soul.”

Commenter on YouTube

So I thought that for you, my lovely blog readers, I’d take a little deep dive into what this song means for me in concert with my favorite lyrics. When I was nine, I knew it as one of the songs that would play in between commercials while I was watching some of my favorite sitcoms. Or maybe I knew it off of the Twitches soundtrack. Regardless, it means a lot more to me now than it ever did before. Aly & Aj were special – they seemed like old souls on a kid’s channel, and I’m so glad to see that they’re still doing the music thing even all these years later (I seriously LOL’d at their 2020 explicit version of “Potential Breakup Song”).

Into your head, into your mind
Out of your soul, race through your veins
You can’t escape, you can’t escape

It’s an overthinking anthem! I don’t think I felt quite this stressed when I was nine years old. I mean, I did deal with some difficult life things, but overall, I was relatively relaxed aside from those particular struggles. Now at twenty-three, I’m trying to build a life for myself and breathe new meaning into the profession and hobbies I’ve chosen for myself.

Don’t let nobody tell you your life is over
Be every color that you are
Into the rush now, you don’t have to know how
Know it all before you try

This is my anthem for 2021 and forward. I’m so done with the haters, and letting snotty, irritating people steal my joy. I’m done feeling like an imposter, and mindlessly digesting whatever crap people throw at me. Instead, I’m going to be my neon-pink, sparkly self and carefully steer myself into my own success. My bright pink hair brings me so much joy, so I’m going to keep it that way as long as I still like it. I even finally pierced my nose this past fall, which I’d been wanting to do since literally high school. More than ever, my joy is up to me, and I’m not tolerating fake people (or fake cheese). Life is far too short for that, after all.

I also love this idea of taking that risk in life, whatever it may be, even without knowing how it’s going to turn out. That’s what they’re talking about here – the rush. You have to go for your dreams, and make them happen. Vibrate at a higher frequency, look beyond your struggles, and break through the walls that others try to build around you.

It takes you to another place
Imagine everything you can
All the colors start to blend
Your system overloads again
Can you feel it?

It’s a constant battle to choose joy and peace. Something my holistic nutritionist told me that really resonated was that you gotta avoid unconscious reaction, and choose conscious action instead. Happiness is a choice – and yeah, crap still happens, and you might still get stressed, but you can’t stay there. You pick yourself up, and you keep fighting. Giving up is accepting defeat, and your future self will thank you for keeping at it.

If you’re like me, and you’re fascinated with time travel and all the theoretical ramifications of time, space, and energy, then you might like my latest book. It’s about me going back in time to see my younger self in the name of seeking justice for old bullies that got away with way too much crap. You can find the book HERE.

Thank you for being here, and reading this far if you did. I’m so excited for what 2021 holds. Remember, be you, and be unapologetically bold. This world needs what you have to offer.

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Rolling with the Punches – How to Cope When Plans Get Derailed

My biggest dreams are to be a bestselling author and a world-renowned music journalist. Of course, I’m well aware that the first thing is probably about as likely as becoming a pop star and the second thing takes years to accomplish.

Since those ideas obviously fell through (shocker, I know right?), I’ve been looking for remote work through all the typical job finding sites, preferably for something like copywriting or marketing. And due to probably a bunch of different variables, that just hasn’t happened for me yet either.

And I’m not giving up, but I’ve come to the realization that I might have to accept that there will be detours in my professional planning. No matter what happens in the future, I gotta be okay with where I am now (very zen-like of me, isn’t it?).

So here’s where I’m at, and what I’ve been doing lately to make the waiting productive and not a waste of time:

#1: I’ve embraced freelancing as a legitimate option.

At least for now, working for myself has been really really great, and I’ll be able to pad my resume for later. Hopefully the world stops imploding soon enough, and at that point, I’ll land a full-time gig. Or hey, if the freelancing thing goes well enough, maybe I won’t even have to at all! As my uncle put it once, I could work for someone irritating and make less money, or work for myself and make more money. The choice is pretty obvious!

As far as what kind of freelancing I’ve been doing, it varies. Sometimes it’s an article for Motif Magazine, Inkitt Writer’s Blog, or an edited manuscript for a client. No matter what it is, I’m totally busy enough with whatever I find and it’s actually really fun! I’ll attach some links to my work below if you’re curious about it.

Motif Magazine: https://motifri.com/author/angelinasinger/

Inkitt Writer’s Blog: https://degfhkjgfjhf.inkitt.com/author/angelinasinger/

I’ve also still been working on my latest book, Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change (Book 2 of The Rewind Duology), but I’m not expecting that to be a full-time venture anytime soon necessarily. So I’m diverting my attention to these gigs full time (for now).

#2: Trust God.

‘nough said, right? My faith in Jesus plays a massive role here, because it helps me remember that even when I’m convinced my life is spinning out of control (or worse yet, not going anywhere at all), He’s got it covered. It’s a pretty good feeling, once you retrain yourself to think through struggles that way. So just hang in there best you can until things start to change 🙂

#3: Be nice to yourself.

Lilly’s not worried – you shouldn’t be either!

Don’t blame yourself for not having a job yet (especially these days). There are so many totally valid variables that are making the job search harder than it’s ever been. Maybe the company you want to work for isn’t hiring right now. Or the one that is being extra picky in their hiring process because as it is, they have a shoestring budget. But the overwhelming consensus us that it’s not you. Everything is just tough right now, and that’s okay.

In the meantime, fill your time with productive action steps that could lead to getting out of your rut sooner versus later. As for me, I took a leap of faith and joined the Editorial Freelancers Association – a paid database that connects freelancers with people who need their services. It was a bit more expensive to join than I typically would have been okay paying for, but I think it was a smart investment. Point is, do things that are productive, even if it feels like a tangent.

In my limited experience, sometimes side quests end up leading you right back to the main path anyway 😉

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Coping With Anxiety – 3 Tips That Keep Me Somewhat Calm

Yours truly, one of my recent selfies because I was feeling cute the other day 😉

Life happens – there’s just no getting around it. And lately, I’ve been so off-beat that I haven’t been able to work on my latest book (the time-travel coming-of-age sequel to this bad boy right HERE). And in my case, there have been some specific things that just threw me off my game in the past few weeks. Coping is key, and so I thought I’d share below some things I’m learning in my writerly journey that have really helped me as I cope with the curveballs that life has been throwing at me:

#1: Find your faith

For me, my faith in Jesus has really grounded me substantially while I’m trying to cope with the uncertainty of life (i.e., relationships, looking for writing jobs, finding a good work/life balance, etc.). Just knowing that God already has everything all mapped out for me, and that there’s nothing I can possibly do to derail that, is really comforting. I was literally crying out to Jesus last week and I opened up to Psalm 46: 5 in my Bible which says “God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved…” and it was basically the most amazing thing ever because I just got through asking God for a sign that I’m really going to be okay – if not today, then someday very soon.

Anyway, all I’m saying is, if you have any questions about what I’m talking about here, I would be more than happy to share my faith with you. Just drop a comment below or reach out to me via my author Instagram HERE.

I’ve also been chatting with trusted friends that I know will lead me on the right path closer to Jesus, even when life feels stormy and scary around me. Leaning on others when you feel weak is a massive help, because if you’re anything like me, you just want to feel heard and validated. People you trust can do that for you from a very holistic point of view – and I bet they’ll appreciate you even wanting their help in the first place. See? Everyone wins.

#2: Find creative outlets that make you feel good

In my case, I channeled my conflicted feelings and frustrations into a song (and no, I’m not sharing it anytime soon, if at all. It exists, and that’s enough for me right now). This was especially impactful to me because I’ve been studying music and playing guitar for twelve years now, but I’ve never been able to write a coherent piece of music until the other night, when I was literally just getting ready for bed, and this incessant melody just started repeating in my head. SO I did the only rational thing and saved it into a super embarrassing voice memo in my phone so I could play around with it more the next day.

Oh, and I wrote out a bunch of lyrics too. It was a wild feeling – having my thoughts presented so emotionally on paper and in a sonic medium made me feel so much physically lighter. Just overall, really surreal and it felt so healthy. So I might keep writing songs, now that I’ve gotten the hang of it (and it also really helps to have sort of a stylized role model. For me, musically, that’s Taylor Swift, because her music has resonated with me deeply since I was a kid).

But if you’re not musically inclined like me, why not take up something totally new and different? Paint a picture. Try out origami. Or maybe even crochet or knit (I’m a big fan of amigurumi crochet myself, with even a digital shop on Instagram HERE).

#3: Amp up your self-care habits

If you’re feeling overworked and exhausted, this is CRUCIAL. Do some yoga, take a long walk, eat less sugary carbs and more fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. I know a lot of that is common sense, but when you’re feeling bogged down and unable to function as usual, this is such an easy fix to get you back on track to being your very best self.

In my case, I’m anxious to get my mojo back because I really want to make serious headway on my next novel before the end of the year, so that I can maybe swing a mid-2021 release (and hopefully, in-person events will be back by then too). Overall, an author is only as good as their health habits and body allows them to be, so fuel your creativity with the right foods and habits, and you’ll be feeling better before you know it!

If any of these tips helped you, feel free to sound off in the comments below! I’d love to compare notes and hear about how you’re doing, and if there’s something you’ve discovered that helps you, I’d probably be game to try it too!

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