how to treat others

while stumbling [stumbleupon.com], i came across an article entitled "how to treat others : 5 lessons from an unknown author".  these 5 lessons really got me thinking.  number 4 was my favorite.  i think you'll enjoy it too.


in ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway.  then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.  some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.  many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.


then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables.  upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road.  after much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.  after the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.  the purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.  the peasant learned what many of us never understand -- "every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."


every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.  what a phenomenal life lesson in under 10 words.  everyone has something, as my mother always reminds me, and i think our "obstacles" are what makes our life worth living.  hear me out -- if we didn't have hardships and life didn't have any challenges, what would be the purpose of living?  obstacles help us to learn and grow, which is ultimately the purpose of life.  


my tourettes helps me appreciate life in different ways than others just as my weight struggles have helped me appreciate the ability to be healthy.  the obstacles that have been placed in my life have given me the comedian like/care free personality one could only dream of.


i am grateful for the [wonderful] little life lessons that we can learn from by being different.

"ali, you're starting to lose your stretchmarks"

"ali, you're starting to lose your stretchmarks" was the first thing that came out of my sisters mouth when she came home from school to find me cutting up an apple in a bikini.  yes, ladies and 1-2 gents, you heard me correct.  a bikini.  me.  wearing on.  what has the world come to?


this "little girl" as my friend cam refers to me [because i've lost so much weight] is actually little!  i put on my white bikini bottoms and scrounged up a top that semi fit [be smart and try and guess what i couldn't fit] and went to show my mom how marvelous i looked.  she just stared at me and said "ali, you're normal".


ali IS normal!  i mean, i was always told i was beautiful before, but now i actually believe it.  although the cruel world wouldn't dub me as being "normal" and i sure as hell won't be going to the beach in this bikini, the fact that i feel confident enough to wear one makes me feel more beautiful than i've ever felt before.

and here is my bikini debut!!!  for the whole world to see.  don't mind the nonexistent stretch marks or perfectly toned stomach. 

this blog is about my journey to the thin life, and this picture, in my bikini, is proof that my journey is successful.  i've been working since last july and this is what i have to show.  not too shabby, eh?

i'm normal. finally.

hi, i'm ali mahterian and i'm finally normal.


but then again, what is normal?  let me rephrase.  hi, i'm ali mahterian and i'm finally thinner than my mother.  


what can i do now that i'm normal?  
well, i can :


[1] be around costco pizza [which is the worlds GREATEST pizza] and not indluge in a piece [or 3].
[2] dress in cute clothes.  being a size XXL [on a good day] doesn't make for the most fun shopping excursions.  being "normal", i can shop in cute stores and buy a medium.  A MEDIUM.  i don't think you peeps understand the legitimacy of the situation.
[3] go in my mom's closet, pick out ANY article of clothing, put it on, and own that shiz.
[4] wear shorts that are a size 10.  a size 10 from target.  now target sizes, i feel, run a tad small.  i can wear size 10 masimo [sp?] brand shorts from target and not have a muffin top.  how bout a round of applause? [said in the sing song voice of rihanna in that one song that i don't know the name of]
[5] be the best babysitter ever!  i babysat a couple of days ago and ran around with those kids and actually kept up!  jumping on the trampoline, walking to the park [and back], constantly getting up and down and up and down, and being around the 5 star cuisine that kids eat was a piece of fruit for me.  i didn't say cake, because i can't have it.
[6] dance.  to say i like dancing would probably be an understatement.  i LOVE dancing.  why?  because dancing is the only time i can be weird and crazy without people judging me.  being a skinny girl, i can dance without my muffin top creeping out from under my size 16 jeans.  [unless i was jenna on 30 rock]
[7] put on a bathing suit.  i have this pink juicy couture bathing suit with ruffles on it that my mom dubbed 'the pink hippo suit'.  she keeps reiterating that it wasn't because i was a hippo, but because it looked like a tutu a hippo would wear.  [think the dancing hippos in fantasia].  when i bought this pink hippo suit last summer, it fit perfectly.  now, it barely fits.  incase you didn't get that, it doesn't fit because it's too big!  it practically falls off!  WHAT THE HECK!!?!?!?  i need to find me a pink flamingo bathing suit.  get it?  because flamingos are skinny.
[8] go to the beach with my skinny friends and feel normal.  or at least not like a beached whale!  hahahahahahahhaha
[9] feel comfortable being photographed.  i HATE being photographed.  or hatED being photographed [past tense]  i detested having pictures taken of me, which was why i was always the self appointed photographer.  if you look on my facebook, i think that most of my pictures are either with a group of people or of me being a goofball.  i purposely looked like a goofball because i thought that would take away from my overly large self.
[10] live the life i've always wanted to live.  and here comes the sentimental, tear-jerker last thing i can do because i'm "normal".  i've been overweight for a longgggg time, as everyone and their mother knows.  i don't think i've ever been as thin as i am now.  the fact that i can go out with my friends and not be the token fat girl brings tears to my eyes.  not really, but it sounded sappy.  i'm truly comfortable with myself.  gone are the days of putting on a fake smile to fit in -- i can smile and mean it.  


i told my mom that i haven't been this happy in a while.  her response?  "ali, i don't think you've ever been this happy!"


i'm ali mahterian.  i still have tourettes.  i still have trouble taking tests.  i still have a mom, a dad, two sisters and a dog.  i still have a gluten intolerance, and i still talk way too much.  but now that i'm normal, i don't obsess over food.  i love having pictures taken of me.  i'm not the token fat friend/grenade.  i feel comfortable in a bathing suit, i can walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded, and i can drive by carls jr without getting a super star with cheese.  and i'm finally truly happy with myself.

going to disneyland -- skinny style.

on wednesday [i think] i had the wonderful opportunity to go to the happiest place on earth.  no, it wasn't an all you an eat buffet -- it was disneyland!  my roommate, sarah from north carolina ya'll, is in town for spring break and she's never been to disneyland, so kim & i were dragged along to disneyland.  what a bummer.

i, being the gluten & dairy intolerant lady i am, researched "gluten free food at disneyland" on my iphone before my trip.  i was more than happy to find that disneyland has great gluten free accommodations for us celiactards [celiac + lactard].  i was informed, by the wonderful bloggers on the world wide web, to go to city hall and ask for a gluten free menu.  that was literally the first thing i did when i got there.  best day ever.  it was a restaurant guide that clearly mapped out what you could and couldn't eat, depending on where you were in the park.  so when i was by the winnie the pooh ride, i went to the hungry bear restaurant and ordered a hamburger with a gluten free bun.  and it was the most marvelous thing that had happened to me all year.

the old ali would have been planning out what to engorge next.  chimichanga after chimichanga after ice cream after double bacon cheeseburger.  not the new ali.  the new ali still obsessed over food, but only because certain places had great gluten free options.

my mom wanted me to try one of those epic turkey legs.  because [1] it was gluten free and [2] if you've ever seen one of those massive things, you've wanted to watch someone eat it.  now i didn't get a turkey leg, but kim did.  kim got that turkey leg and owned it.  she owned it in under 20 minutes.  and i wish i could post a picture of her eating it but my phone is currently mentally unstable.

going to disneyland 55 pounds lighter was an extraordinary thing!  i looked normal!  i would say i fitted right in at disneyland, but there are some pretty weird people who bring the tard factor up by 100 points.  i was running all over the place [literally] and some people couldn't keep up with me.  that combined with the fact that i didn't take my ADHD medication that morning made for a pretty interesting day.  [my apologies to kim, sarah, bri, cait & kimberly]  

I LOVE BEING A SKINNY GIRL!

two days in a row.

surprise, i'm back for day two in a row of blogging during this hectic finals/packing week.  man, i rock.


i REALLY like acoustic music, especially acoustic covers of songs i already love.  there are these two boys [justin & michael] who literally blow my mind every single time i hear them.  i have them downloaded on my i-tunes, and they play on repeat 85% of the time.  oh dear lordy, i LOVE them.


listen and love for yourself.  
DISCLAIMER : you don't need to watch the music video in order to get the full effect -- actually, don't even watch the video at all.  just listen to their epic-ness.


FAVORITES :


half of my heart -- originally sung by john mayer & t-swift.  this version blows their version out of the water.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2hlphf9sNo

slow dancing in a burning room -- also originally sung by john mayer. justin and michael are 1029384756 times BETTER than john, and that says something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99dIJiamkBU&feature=related


you know how everyone and their mother plays guitar?  and how girls fall in love with [pretty much] any guy who sounds half decent and writes songs?  that's how i feel about the piano.  i guess that's why i love ben folds so much.  but really, i'm slightly obsessed with piano players.  and if you have a great voice [and cover epic songs] i'm down to be your best friend. 


music is a way for me to escape.  i know that's how a lot of people feel, but it's true.  when i played the piano [which i regretfully stopped] i was in my own little world.  my tics would go away and i would literally be a different person.  that's why when i hear someone play the piano, i just want them to play for forever and a day.


don't stop doing something you love.  make time to improve [and keep] your talents.  i can barely play Fur Elise anymore, and i regret giving up piano more than anything.  


i love you . i love you . i love you . 


xx ALi

my last lecture.

For my book of mormon class I had to write a paper based on "the last lecture".  I decided to share it with you.  [If you're not a latter day saint, disregard the scriptural references.]

Hi, I'm Ali Mahterian and this is my last lecture.  After reading Alma 30 - Moroni 10, I have gained further insight about the many doctrines, wisdoms, and principles found in this sacred book of scripture.  One concept that had an extremely large impact on me was Ether 6, which emphasized how trials make one stronger.  There are times when you will be "buried in the depths of the sea" [6:6] and you will think you won't be able to go any further; You will feel worn out, defeated, and will want to give up.  I have chosen to share my personal insights about trials, with some verses from Ether 6 to back me up.  Why have I chosen to talk about trials?  Because I am an example of how a firm believer copes with the daily challenges of being different from everyone.

When it comes to trials, it does no good to ask "why me?".  Just embrace the fact that everyone has a little something extra that makes them unique.  Ether chapter 6 verses 2 - 12 symbolically explain our journey through mortality, with our journey being compared to vessels.  Verse 5 says "and it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blown upon the face of the waters".  To me, this verse symbolizes trials and tribulations.  God gives us trials because he knows we are strong enough to overcome them.  When we reach the celestial kingdom, as noted in verse 12, we will "shed tears of joy before the Lord" because he had faith in us and knew that we could overcome anything he gave us.

I relate my Tourette Syndrome to everything, as most everyone knows.  I know that my Tourette's is just one trial in my life that I will have to overcome, and as soon as I have overcome it, I will be given another.  Why is this?  Because the Lord knows that I can overcome whatever obstacle I am faced with.  I like to think of my Tourette's as something the Lord gave me because he knew I could handle it.  He didn't give it to me because I was wicked or unworthy in the pre-existence, but because he knew that I, Ali Mahterian, was strong enough to overcome the challenges that Tourette's brings.

Because of this blessing, and I truly believe my Tourette's is a blessing, I have learned to have a positive outlook on life; why be sad when you could be happy?  Everyone is faced with trials, but I believe that it's the way people cope with them, and ultimately overcome them, that sets them apart from others.  One of my oldest friends from Elementary School just got done battling Lymphoma for the second time.  A family in my ward back home lost not one, but two of their children.  My grandpa got diagnosed with Parkinson's not too long ago.  And I testify that their attitudes are what has gotten them to where they are today.  My friends cancer hasn't appeared since December.  The family who lost two of their children continues to raise their eight healthy children.  And my grandpa has got medication to control his Parkinson's and shaking.

Life is something to be grateful for, not to curse.  People who say "why me" obviously don't realize the bigger picture.  My trial includes my Tourette's, my ADHD, my OCD, my anxiety, my depression, and a bunch of other little "isms" that constitute the package of Ali.  I am the person I am today -- the amazing, tourette's inflicted, sailor mouth, obsessive, fashionista, extremely talkative, 19 year old girl known as Ali Mahterian -- because of the trials that I have been blessed with and will continue to be blessed with until the day that I die.