AI, To Your Benefit.

      AI is almost everywhere you go now. You could get fooled on social media by it; it's used in ads and even in creative spaces. While it's extremely tempting to rely on it for everything, there's a big difference between using AI to help you learn and using it to cheat. It's an amazing tool for brainstorming ideas, refining your writing, or breaking down confusing topics—but not to do your work for you.

     As a musician and artist, I have mixed feelings about AI. Seeing AI-generated songs get so much traction, while real artists pour time into creating something authentic, is unfair. Music is emotion, not just numbers, patterns, and shortcuts. 

     Still, it's hard to deny how important AI is becoming. It's shaping how we learn and communicate. Knowing how to use it responsibly isn't just useful—it's essential. It's a skill that's going to matter more and more in the future, as it replaces the jobs of many people.

     AI shouldn't replace passion, talent, or originality. It should support it. If we learn to work with AI rather than letting it control us, it can be used to level up the things we do, instead of losing our creativity.

Written by: Josefina Heredia

Small Circle, Big Peace.

     At one point in your lifetime, you're going to go through the experience of losing friends. Whether it's because you outgrew them, drifted apart, or realized that not everyone is meant to stay forever. However, growing up often means losing people, but that's part of becoming who you're meant to be. Sometimes, losing friends isn't a sign of failure—it's a sign of growth.

     Friendships can change for many reasons. Perhaps you had different goals—different paths in life—different values, or even different maturity levels. In today's world, teenagers love to make everything about drama, but let's normalize change. Not everyone supports you when you evolve—and that's when you learn who your true friends are. 

     It's essential to acknowledge the peace and comfort that comes with a smaller, loyal circle of friends. It's also important to know what a true friendship looks like. True friendships aren't one-sided. If you're the only one initiating things and reaching out, but they don't reciprocate, take a step back. A true friendship is with people who listen to you. If someone only talks about their problems and minimizes yours, take a step back. A true friend is someone who supports and uplifts you in everything you do. A true friend is someone who makes you feel comfortable in being yourself. It's so important to keep boundaries and feel comfortable speaking up. It becomes exhausting keeping up appearances in friendships that no longer feel genuine. 

     Grieving over a lost friendship is completely normal and healthy, but don't sit in those feelings forever. Learn to move on and keep a growth mindset. Reflecting on what you've learned from losing someone helps you find yourself, set clearer boundaries, and appreciate the right people more. You shouldn't chase the friendships that are fading or force connections that no longer feel right. The people meant for you will grow with you, not away from you.

     There’s something peaceful about realizing you don’t need a crowd to feel full. A few genuine souls who understand you are worth more than a hundred surface-level friendships. The right people don’t dim your light—they shine with you.

Written by: Josefina Heredia

Stop Proving, Start Improving.

     Do you ever feel like you're never doing enough? You feel like you are constantly trying to meet everyone's unrealistic standards, stretching yourself out to be perfect in the eyes of others. Girl, putting that pressure on yourself is exhausting, and here's the thing: growth doesn't come from proving yourself—it comes from improving yourself. You may think the constant approval of others is what lifts you up, but it's actually breaking you down. So instead, just focus on becoming a better version of you—for YOU.

     It's human nature to compare things. Whether it is comparing other people together or comparing yourself to someone, we all do it. But in today's age of social media, it's especially easy to get caught up in comparison. Social media shines the spotlight on the highlights of people's lives; sometimes, maybe your own friends will post their achievements, and it can make you feel like you need to get ahead. Many are victims of this trap of "proof of worth", and you know what—I've been there. However, you could be focusing on personal growth instead.

     Building your life around improving yourself is liberating. Simple things like thinking to yourself, "How can I get better?" rather than thinking things like "Will they like this?" are stepping stones towards growth. Everyone's path of life is different, so why focus on others' when you could be figuring out yours? Self-improvement is about self-awareness. It's about effort. It's about patience. So, I want you to be more self-aware of your actions and think about who you're really doing them for. Start investing in your own journey.

     Now, you may be overwhelmed with information. But trust me, it won't just happen overnight. Like I said before, start small. Set goals that will benefit you, not what will impress others. If you read my blog last week, I talked about the power of privacy, and it comes hand in hand with self-improvement. Track your progress privately, don't wait for the acceptance of others. And whilst doing it, learn to enjoy this process. It doesn't have to be boring; you can make it fun. Celebrate the small wins and reward yourself! Over time, the changes you make for yourself will speak louder and last longer than any validation you've ever received.

     I challenge you to make a small step towards change today—for YOU—and remind yourself to stop proving yourself, and start improving yourself.

Written by: Josefina Heredia

Privacy is Power.

     The world we live in now has normalized oversharing. From influencers and celebrities on social media to even your own friends, it's everywhere. With this, protecting your peace has become more vital than ever. To protect your peace is to prioritize your mental and emotional well-being by setting boundaries and choosing not to share everything that goes on in your life. It consists of practicing self-awareness, being okay with saying "no", and being surrounded by people who uplift you and nourish your energy. 

     A quiet strength comes from privacy. Not telling people everything doesn't mean you are "gatekeeping" as people say nowadays, or being secretive—it makes you intentional. When you keep certain areas of your life to yourself, purposely, you protect yourself from unnecessary judgments and energies that might hold you back. The energy of the words the outside world says won't influence your decisions, and you now possess the power to move more freely, being able to analyze how YOU feel about something, and make decisions based on that.

     Additionally, protecting your peace helps you foster self-respect and inner strength. By creating this distance from potential negativity, you reduce stress, build emotional resilience, bring clarity, feel more comfortable with setting emotional boundaries, and the list goes on! There are so many emotional benefits that come from this simple practice, so even in times of being peer pressured to share something, don't feel the need to; feel okay with saying "no." 

    Ultimately, real peace comes from choosing what is meaningful over what is fleeting. Not everything needs to be shared, posted, or explained. Oftentimes, the greatest progress is made in silence, and the peace that holds the most value is the peace you don't have to defend. Your quiet confidence will speak for itself—so choose peace over validation.

Written by: Josefina Heredia

Rooted in Purpose, Not Praise.

     Oftentimes, people lose sight of why they started something, sometimes without even knowing it. This happens to many people at one point in their lives, so don't feel ashamed. However, shame is to be felt if you notice yourself crossing that line and doing nothing about it. Imagine someone starts a non-profit focusing on mental health. They pour their heart into it — organizing groups, creating resources, and genuinely helping people who they see need help. As their nonprofit grows larger than they expected, they begin to focus more on how people perceive them. They start showing off on social media and even boasting about their awards. What started as a project to help people who struggle with their mental health turned into them caring only about their reputation as their ego took over. This is just one example of the infinitely many instances this can happen. 

     Here's my advice to you. Before you start a project of any kind, write a song, or even create a painting, ask yourself, Why am I doing this? What is my clear goal, and what message am I trying to convey through this? Are you doing it solely for self-satisfaction or to benefit someone else? Believe it or not, it's a lot easier to follow through with your vision once you know why you're doing it in the first place. Additionally, it's equally important to stay on that path of why you're doing it. 

     However, if you find yourself struggling to stick to that path, you should evaluate one other thing. Where do you get your self-worth? Where do you get your self-esteem? This question may fumble you at first, and it may take you a while to come up with an answer, because this isn't a question people may normally think about. However, once you analyze yourself and see where your self-esteem is rooted, you are able to discover your true intentions. Did you start that workout clothing business just so that it looked amazing on your high school transcript? Or were you starting it to help those in need of clothes safe for sensitive skin? 

     Let's say you're reading this blog as someone whose project — of any kind, music, a business, etc. — has been making it big, but you've stuck to your path. (good job!!) In that case here's what I want you to do. Evaluate yourself and ask, Are you being humble? If you are having trouble answering that, here are some examples of someone humble, versus not, and you may not even know it!! This time, I will share a personal experience I've had. I love all my friends very dearly, and we are all diverse in many ways — ethnically, economically, and even culturally. Because of this, the norm for all of us is very different, and I'm someone who's been raised to respect that. I just recently moved into a new house, and I've shared that with many of my friends. However, one of my other friends' houses — in the same circle of friends — recently burned down. Though it may not seem offensive or disrespectful, talking about my new house can make her feel bad. Though it wasn't my intention to make her feel bad, the fact that we stand at very different places in our lives makes what she perceives as my intention very different. The higher up on the ladder you are, the more you will need to keep in mind what you're saying with the people around you.  

     So, the moral of the story is, stay humble, know why you're doing something, and don't let your ego distract you from your true purpose. 

Written By: Josefina Heredia