(Scroll down to the pretty pictures if you’re just here for the giveaway. I won’t judge, hehe! Contest ends 12/11 at 11:59pm)
Why I Love the Food Network and YouTube/Blogs:
by Tiffany Rivera. January 2013.
“Growing up, I never really had a celebrity crush. I always kind of went with the motions and squealed along as my friends printed out pictures of Justin Timberlake and Nick Carter for our binder covers. In fact to this day, my celebrity crush is jokingly Jackie Chan (he does his own stunts!).
What really amazes me is seeing talent and passion combine to make someone remarkable. Being a Food Network Star means you’ve learned and mastered cooking. Being YouTube famous means you love what you do and do it well, whether you started doing comedy online or became known from your dance performance on a TV reality competition show. You are famous not simply being of your looks or your family name; you found yourself in your passion and went forth to share it with others. You express and showcase your heart in front of an audience.
I am often unimpressed by mainstream actors and actresses, even pop stars. I actually am terrible at pop culture trivia because of it, and have trouble identifying Hollywood stars. For my entertainment, I prefer and value seeing work done by real people like you and me, reminding us that we don’t need a perfect face, magazine cover body, or tons of money to be happy and successful. Find your passion and run with it. You can find success and even love by being yourself to the fullest.
Someone once asked me if it’s weird that I read so many blogs and watch so many YouTube channels, even of less well-known people. Isn’t that kind of stalker-ish?
Well, I’d rather support someone’s passion than spend money and time obsessing over lifestyles and people that you have zero chance of ever getting to know personally. I’ve had the opportunity to connect with other bloggers and Instagrammers that I admire and it’s a wonderful thing. One famous blogger even sent me a lengthy email full of personal advice for young writers when I was going through a bad time last year.
Connecting with strangers in this way is not surprising at all in the online community; but you tell me if you’re ever felt any personal satisfaction beyond a superficial level from People magazine. Maybe you were inspired to work out more and buy new clothes or makeup. But don’t you tell me that they care about you personally. Yes, they appreciate their fans, but it comes down to it, most are about themselves.
I hope to be someone that runs with my passion and shares it with others to help make their lives more fulfilling, filling, and fun. A fame not just for me, but to make others feel worthwhile and inspired from having heard from me.”
This writing piece had been sitting unread in my iPhone notes since the beginning of the year until I revisited it recently. Looking back, my life has changed in so many ways from January to December. I’m in a new city, in a new graduate program studying what I love, and finding ways to spend my free time chasing my passions — helping others achieve their goals while bringing people together through a love of good food.
While I have a good idea of my goals and the things that make me happy, a busy schedule and the influences of others often shift my focus in too many directions, making me lose sight and be less productive. I craved structure in what I thought was organized chaos.
And so it is with perfect timing that I stumbled upon an extraordinary project by an amazingly creative high school friend of mine, Angelia Trinidad. She designed a tool to help others accomplish their goals — a planner/organizer. Have you ever experienced the hunt for the perfect planner, only to settle for one that’s missing key features that you really wanted? Well, my friend Angelia Trinidad has thought of it all with her new Passion Planner!
Not only does the Passion Planner have space to plan out your daily schedule and tasks, there’s specific areas designed for you to develop your passion and reach your goals! I could go on for days about how amazing it/she is, but I’ll let it speak for itself:
I’ve tried out the week layout prototype (free on her website) and after just a few days, it’s already working wonders on my productivity and stirring up my passion to create! I’m so excited because I put in an order by backing her Kickstarter project. Even more exciting, I ordered two Passion Planners — one for me, and one to give away to a reader!
While Dining at Tiffany’s is about sharing my own passion, the bigger reason I write is for my readers. I want to feed your passion.
So, here’s how to enter my contest:
Win a Passion Planner – 3 easy steps!
1. Leave a constructive comment below! This means, include something you’ve liked on my website and why, something I should add/improve and why, plus any types of posts you’d like to see based on what YOU are passionate about!
– Like I said, this website is not just for me, but to help others, so your feedback is key!
– If it’s your first time here (welcome!), feel free to look around!
2. *Like* Dining at Tiffany’s on Facebook. Click here.
– I know some of you have already. If so, you’re already on your way to win!
3. Tell a friend about Dining at Tiffany’s/Passion Planner!
– This part is honor system. 🙂
After you complete all three steps, I will use http://www.random.org to select a winner based on the number of your comment below (first comment is #1, etc.). This contest will run until Tuesday, December 11th at 11:59pm PST!
The great part is, even if you don’t win, you’ll still have a few days left to be one of the first owners of a Passion Planner. Best wishes on the contest!
Cheers to passion and possibilities,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany’s
Dining At Tiffany's 