Negative Nancy Not Allowed

Negativity surrounds an incredible amount of people's lives. Why? We allow it.

What I have come to realize over the past year is that if you don't even allow negativity into the flow of your every day, it dissipates & slowly disappears completely. This began with thinking it was a complete impossibility to go back to India. Last year, after diligently hand-writing over 200 letters to family & friends, I got a donation response of about $200 over a 6 month period. This year, I mentioned to a friend & fellow traveler that I yearned to go back. I kept telling him, "It's not gonna happen" So he started asking around and in a little over 2 weeks, he helped me collect the money for my trip just by asking around. He resides in Houston so the people that donated aren't even people I know; they just donated out of the goodness of their hearts and out of the positivity my friend had for me the entire way. He didn't allow negativity the way I did and it became possible.

This is a rather large example, but it works in little ways too. A few weeks ago I lost my favorite ring that my mom had gotten for me. Searching up and down the entirety of my tiny apartment for weeks led me nowhere. One day after work, I came home and said to my confidant, "I'm going to find my ring today."

"Oh, really?" He said in excitement and slight confusion

"Yup, there's no other option. Today is the day."

20 minutes later, I found my ring.

For that mere 20 minutes, I didn't allow the thought of "I'm never going to find it!" creep into my brain. I didn't allow for it and voila!

Anything you put out into the world in a positive way will make it's way back to you in positivity. Give the world a reason to give you good things. Trust me, the ways of the world work in mysterious ways no matter what God or higher power you believe in; don't let the option of negativity & it's evils stop you from getting something you want and deserve. Pave your way to positivity.

India Dreaming

The other night, I had an amazing dream about India. I dreamt that someone surprised us with a visit to Sooch Village while we were in India. Tears began rolling down my face in excitement of getting to see how much all the orphans had grown in the past year. When I look back on this dream, I can still feel the complete and utter excitement that overwhelmed me when they told us the news. This one little girl in particular, Mooshkawn, has been on my mind nearly everyday since I returned from India last March. I have never felt a yearning to be a mother, but Mooshkawn is this little girl I worry about daily. She was the initial reason I wanted to go back to India.

Tearfully, I told my mom one day that I couldn't get this little girl out my head and that I worried about her so incredibly. I also told my mom that I thought I was crazy, but that I felt as though I was supposed to be this little girls mother. I thought my mom was going to tell me I was insane after telling her this, but her response was "Well Mona, go find her." I love how my mom says things that are so simple & beautiful, it doesn't matter if she says it to me in Farsi or English, it always translates into the same simplicity. International adoption isn't legal in India and I am so far away from ever being a mother, but the impact this little one has left on my heart is felt every single day.


I can't believe I am getting the opportunity to go back to India as an Ambassador. It also amazes me how often I feel as though I ruined my last trip. Before going to India, I felt like I could conquer anything. I came home feeling more weak than I ever had in my life. A lot plays into feeling that way, but one good start is my lack of writing while I was there and the lack of what I did to send the message of these children once I returned. No matter what you do, you cannot prepare yourself enough for India. As soon as you step off the plane, the immense amount of sounds, smells and sights is enough to make you feel completely out of your element.

Almost a decade ago, my Senior quote for high school was by Gandhi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

I'm still working on it and I have a long way to go.