Did you watch The Golden Globes on Sunday? No? Okay, that's okay. Your lack of interest in staying in on a Sunday to watch an awards show troubles me and I don't know if we would be friends in real life (just kidding!). However, I don't mind getting you up to speed since I did watch it. YAY. Here are three things I thought were pretty important from Sunday's show:

1. Tracee Ellis Ross wins Best Actress TV Comedy for Black-ish
First of all, if you haven't seen Black-ish, get on it. It's a show that's breaking down racial barriers while eduating the realities of being African American, all while intertwining comedy and serious topics. Great show, check it out. Anyways, Ross' win is such a big one because, as she said in her speech, "it's my first time here, guys." Besides her debut at the Globes, she is the first black woman to win in this category in 35 years. According to BuzzFeed, Debbie Allen was the last black woman to take the award back in 1982.
If you don't already love Ross, you'll love her even more after watching her acceptance speech where she dedicates her award to all of the women of color. What it here.

2. La La Land
This film is a flwaless hybrid of a musical and drama. Even if you don't like musicals (GASP!!! How could you not?!), you'll find something in La La Land. That's why it won every category it was nominated for. That's seven awards. Just wait until the Oscars.
Damian Chazelle won for best director and best screenplay, Ryan Gosling won for best actor in a motion picture comedy or musical, Emma Stone won for best actress in a motion picture comedy or musical, Justin Hurwitz won for best original score and best original song for "City of Stars and lastly, the film won for best motion picture musical or comedy. Are you still with me? Be sure to check out their artists' acceptance speeches hyperlinked above.

3. Meryl Streep honored with Cecil B. DeMille Award
As if you couldn't love her even more, Meryl Streep delivers the speech of the year after she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Viola Davis presented the award to Streep, which paralleled in depth and grace to Streep's speech.
A beautiful montage showcasing her best work (which is all of her work) prefaced Streep's exceptional speech. When she walked to the stage, she highlighted three topics, Hollywood, foreigners and the press, nodding to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. She even made an anti-Trump reference saying, "join me in supporting the committee to protect journalists." Thanks for that, Meryl!
Watch her full acceptance speech here.

Do you ever second guess yourself, or feel like you've made the wrong decision? I have, and lately I've had this feeling more frequently than I would like to. The frustrating part is that I can't pin it on one particular thing. It's a combination of work, my personal life and relationships that is making this time in my life a little bit rocky.
However, after wallowing in my emotions, I've decided to look at this as a good thing. I'm the type of person who is always so fearful of falling behind and missing an opportunity, but the truth is I am on the right path and I am where I am meant to be. As an ambitious, single 23-year old woman, it's hard for me to feel satisfied and it's not because I feel like I've maxed out on my time on something, it's because I have such damn big dreams!!! If I take a break, I'm terrified that someone else is going to catch the break I've bee waiting for, but the reality is that I need to enjoy the path I'm on and realize that this is where I'm meant to be. Sometimes it takes a rough patch to realize you are exactly where you need to be. I'm looking forward to keeping my positive thoughts going, telling myself, "yes you can," because I know I can. Anything is possible, but it's up to you to make it happen.

Forgiveness is a tricky thing. Growing up, when I would get in a little tiff with a friend or family member I would let any ounce of frustration get to me. I would change my attitude and act sad, mad, or angry, just so the person I was having a conflict with would be forced to say, "I'm sorry," but honestly, that isn't really how it ended up most of the time. I hope I don't come off as a person who was constantly in silly arguments with people, because that's not the case. It's just that as I've gotten older that I've come in contact with people who will rub me the wrong way. This is really inevitable, especially as you get older.
I'm a journalist, so I am always talking to people, and I know it's very hard to believe ;). Anyways, my job is stressful and I work with a lot of people who are also stressed out, so the combination of the two makes a brewing cauldron of heightened emotions. On a weekly basis, I am faced with sources who don't call me back, technical difficulties and sometimes unhappy colleagues, which all leaves room for arguments, grudges and aggression. This happens doesn't just happens in the newsroom, it happens at school, at work, with friends and family, it happens everywhere!
Recently I had a conflict with someone, I won't say who for the protection of their privacy, but it really upset me. It concerned a story of mine, which I worked hard to get and produce. Anyways, there was an altercation between this person and myself. Usually I would have let it go and not say anything, but disclose every minute detail to a friend or family member, but I would never confront the person I had the conflict with.
Last week someone I look up to explained to me when you should speak up and when you should move on. When someone is having a bad day and they snap at you, that's an example of letting it go. Obviously if that person says something extremely hurtful and out of line then it should be addressed to them, but if it's a one time deal then it's probably not worth letting it ruin your day, and that's to keep you feeling sane! However, if there is a constant problem and a person makes you feel a negative way on a consistent basis, then that's when you should speak up. Call that person out, tell them how you're feeling and how you want to and deserve to be treated. Don't let yourself feel inferior to them, because you're not. This is exactly what I did this past week with the person I was frustrated with. I had too many similar experiences like this one and I couldn't stay silent over it any longer, I had to voice my opinion and say how I felt and I'm really glad I did. It was a relief and I felt like I had finally stood up for myself and my work, as you should always do to. If you believe in something, don't let it go to the wayside because someone else tells you otherwise. I promise this story ties in with forgiveness, so lets get back to that.
The reason I bring up this conflict I had is because the old Brooke would have let it eat away at herself, even after addressing it to the person. The old Brooke maybe wouldn't have even spoken up about her feelings with fear that she would feel embarrassed or under-appreciated. I have moved past those feelings because I'm learning to forgive.

Life is an everlasting obstacle. It might not look that way when things are going good but when your life takes a turn and a series of unfortunate events begin to happen, we think that our life path is changing. However, you're always on the same obstacle course, you're just facing more challenges when the times get tough.
I've been facing a lot of personal challenges outside of work, and it's been really hard to cope. I've been asking myself, "how can I suppress my personal emotions so they don't interfere with my work life?" but that's not the right question to be asking. I shouldn't be suppressing any emotions.
I'm not an expert, but instead of blocking those emotions from coming up, I give myself time to process them. I'll give you a very honest example about what I mean. I recently broke up with my boyfriend of four years. Everyday I feel guilt and responsibility for someone else's happiness. Pile that on to the stress of being a multimedia journalist who works long hours and is constantly on a deadline- it's A LOT. To be honest, I feel like I'm losing my grip. When I feel like I'm a complete basket case and I can no longer contain the wailing cries, I write or I call someone I love or trust to tell them what I'm experiencing.
As a young, driven, professional woman, I want to think that I can do it all, I think a lot of women think that way. The truth is, most of the time I am on top of my stuff, but I also need help sometimes, and that's okay. When my personal life hits a rough patch and those obstacles start to become difficult, I try not to suppress the sadness, the stress, the fear, or whatever it is I'm feeling. I really try to recognize the feelings and accept them. To some this up, just know that if things aren't going perfectly inside your heart or your mind it's okay. It's okay to not be okay. It's not okay to not do anything about it because you matter.

I created this blog as a way to share my journey of how I got to where I am today. In my life, I always felt like I came up short. My parents were faced with financial troubles, so going to summer camp wasn't an option. I've never felt comfortable in my own skin and consistently think I should be 10 pounds lighter. I always studied really hard for every exam but rarely got an A+. These are just a few scenarios that made me the underdog, but I know I'm not alone. I have a lot of insecurities, but I'm still here and I'm still successful, which is why you can be too. Despite these obstacles I've faced I've never given up, and I know that's the cliché way of putting things but it doesn't make it any less true. Follow me as I share stories about failing to succeed.

The holidays are among us and while everyone is doing double duty at the gym to feel better about themselves when they're stuffing their faces during Thanksgiving dinner, there is more to take care of then toning up your body.  Your skin should also look good!
 
With the stress of work, my sleeping schedule is inconsistent and I’ve started to put my skincare routine on the back burner (gasp!!!). I managed to notice that wrinkles  started showing under my eyes at the young age of 22 (double gasp!!!), which has led me to take better care of my skin in the last two months.
 
Here’s a little look into the products I use and how they keep my skin hydrated during these winter months.

Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil
If ever there was a cleanser that smelt like high-end massage oils it’s this cleaner. For a while I was using a cleanser with those micro beads that are horrible for the environment and my skin was not happy. This cleanser has smoothed out my skin without being an exfoliant. When you apply the cleanser it starts out as oil, but after rubbing it into your face it turns into a milk-like cream. It smells incredible and gets the job done when it comes to removing makeup, which is always a plus. Also, it has Vitamin E and sunflower in it to remove dirt from the skin and help your face breathe!
 
Murad Renewing Eye Cream
There is a common misconception that women under 30 shouldn’t use eye cream in their skincare routine. I believed that until about a year ago when I noticed my under eye had more than dark circles. I was starting to get little wrinkles right under my waterline under my eye, which led me to this holy grail. This particular cream has a patented ingredient called RepleniCell, which helps bind water to the skin. When your skin is hydrated wrinkles tend to diminish, so within seconds after applying this cream you will see a difference! I don’t boast about products just to act like I know what I’m talking about so I’m being serious when I say this stuff works.
 
Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
Lathering your face in a moisturizer is one thing, but when it mimics that of drinking water for your body, but for your face, that’s a game changer! That’s what this guy is for. If your skin almost feels chapped from the cold weather or dry, humid weather then this will be a relief to your tired skin. I love waking up with this and going to sleep with it on my face. The consistency is a gel so it’s very cooling and soothing making your skin feel replenished and awake.
 
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
This is the product you use when times are tough for your skin. If a hydrating moisturizer isn’t cutting it then adding this to your nighttime skincare routine will help. This mask has avocado in it! I mean, avocado is great to eat so imagine how your skin will feel when you put it all over your face? Euphoric is an understatement. The description on Origin's website says you will wake up with your skin feeling supple, which is a very accurate way to describe what it does to your skin. Also, this is labeled as a mask, however, it is not sticky and thick like a 10-minute face mask. It’s intended to soak into your skin overnight, so it will not feel like it’s baking on your skin like a regular mask would.

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to rule the world. I mean that in the least conceited way possible. I’ve never known my goals to be grounded by a ceiling. My goals are infinite, but almost to the point where I might be unsatisfied.

After doing a little bit of soul searching after I graduated from college this past spring, I’ve been training myself to not be unsatisfied- and it’s been really, really hard.
Before I even graduated I was offered a job as a writer with a prestigious news station. I took it. Since then, I’ve felt this immense self-induced pressure to find the next big job. However, after much research and confiding in friends and family way too many times, I’ve concluded that I’m indeed a young adult and have time to complete my goals. AKA figure out what the hell I want to do.

So, the question may be, is it possible your goals are so grandeur they can derail you? If the pressure we feel to accomplish something weighs too heavily, then maybe so.
This isn’t to say if you feel too much pressure from aspirations to just let them go, but to step back and assess the situation.
Here are the questions I’ve asked myself under these circumstances:

1. Does the career you want to pursue have time sensitive boundaries?
2. Are you actively looking for your next job?
3. If you answered no to the last question, is the job you currently have fulfilling for the time being?
4. Are you learning new tasks or strengthening previously learned tasks?
5. Ultimately, are you happy?

If your answers to all of those questions are no then you have a problem. As cliché as it sounds happiness can be the root of your performance in any setting. Think back to a time where you really despised a situation you were in. To take a gander, you probably weren’t very happy at that specific moment. I bet if you weren’t happy then you wanted to change that, either right away or over the course of time. Whether it was a relationship, a job, or the way someone cut your hair, it can be changed.

To sum things up, the everyday pressures we feel to achieve something can be subsided if we let time take its course. Take into account that you should have a time frame to get things done but the idea of time running out should not consume your life.