The Versatile Blogger Award!

Hello there everybody! I hope you're having a wonderful week. I am glad that some of you contacted me saying that you found St. Thomas Aquinas's "A Student's Prayer" helpful and inspiring, especially during a hectic time in the semester. Today, I am so excited to tell you that Alexandra L from Tiger Lilly nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award.

Thanks, Alexandra!

I am a fan of Alexandra's blog and she is another teenager who writes inspirational posts, so if you would like to hear from someone with a similar mission but has a different perspective, please stop by there sometime and you might enjoy it as well.

I would also like to take some time today to thank you guys for reading my blog--this wouldn't be here running if it weren't for your readership and wonderful comments! I started Smiles No Matter because I wanted to start blogging for others, and try to bring happiness to others in a small but significant way. I feel blessed when I read your feedback and am always trying to improve the site. If there is anything specific you would like to see here that might help you or another person in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me at smilesnomatter@gmail.com or by leaving a comment! Thank you for your support, and I feel so privileged to be able to continue writing for you guys.  

These blog awards are fun because it's just one way for me to give you an insight as to who I am. Here are seven facts about myself:

1. I stink at coming up with "fun facts" about myself. In college when there are smaller groups, for some reason when we go around in a circle introducing ourselves we are supposed to include our major, origin, grade, and "fun fact." But when it comes to my turn, I can never think of a fact that's as cool as "I have titanium knees" or even "I've fallen down two flights of stairs." There are a lot of facts about me, but I can't think of any "fun" ones. So I guess in a way, this nomination is a brainstorm of sorts for me to find some facts that I can use for these introductions.
2. Some people at my school cannot figure out if I'm Hawaiian or not. There are a lot of Asians in Hawaii, and since I'm Asian, people tend to guess that I am Hawaiian (there is a significant percentage of Hawaiians on my campus). However, I spend a lot of time with a group of Hawaiians, and I enunciate my letters fairly articulately, so even the Hawaiians can't distinguish between me (a Coloradan) and one of their own.
3. I do not have a best friend. Rather, I have four ladies in my life that I love with all my heart. We've been best friends since middle school and are keeping the relationship strong through college--probably through life, too. Whenever I thank God for what I'm grateful for, they are always at the top of my list. 
4. Lindsey Stirling is my hero. I mean, nobody can top this:



5. I am a pseudo-journaler (and I also enjoy coining my own words). I used to write in a prayer journal every day in middle school, but it wasn't until the beginning of this year that I found a really good system that helps keep my life organized and also gives me some time to reflect every day. My cousin purchased a stylish little planner from Barnes & Noble for my Christmas present, and I decided for my New Year's Resolution that I would use it, especially since before this year I was somewhat disorganized and didn't have a solid system for keeping track of dates or what I did throughout the week. Since I would forget what I did during the week, I began to think that I had a boring life. Now that I bullet-point my activities or special moments of the day in this weekly calendar, however, I have time to reflect every night on what I am grateful for. The planner also helps me keep track of dates and activities for the future, so it is my life. It's not actual journaling, per se, but it is pretty similar. Hence, pseudo-journaling.
6. For any of you familiar with the Enneagram, I am a 3.
7. I actually don't think that a lot of things are funny. When I laugh, it's mostly because I'm happy that someone else is having a good time. But my type of humor calls for either very dry, sarcastic wit or ridiculously cheesy puns.

Do you guys think those facts are worthy of being used in a "fun fact" introduction? Let me know in the comments!


Here are my nominees:
Hyperbole and a Half
Keys2Change
Sweetly Unspoken - I just wanted to give Enoma some special recognition because her comments within Smiles No Matter have been absolutely wonderful, and I have also read some good content on her blog.

To accept the award, all you have to do is follow these rules:

1. Display the Versatile Blogger Award on your page.
2. Tag the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate deserving bloggers.
4. Let your nominees know you've nominated them.
5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

The three blogs above are great, so you should check them out if you ever have time!

And that's all for today, everybody!

I'll be posting another tidbit for inspiration on Thursday at 6:00 am Pacific Daylight time, so please subscribe by email, Pinterest, or Bloglovin' so that you won't miss any updates. Another way to connect with me is through Twitter.

Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day!

Take care,
-Riley XO