Honest Refreshment.

A year and half ago exactly I met a student who really sparked my attention.
He sparked my attention because upon first meeting me, he dove into my life.
In the first hours, life stories were shared, accompanied by some real deep truths & pains from my own story at that current season of my life.
From that day on, knowing him has been a true gift.
Although he is not someone I see regularly, or even often at all, I never fail to feel refreshed after a conversation with him.
& Today was no exception.
& when I think of why I feel that way, it simply comes down to two things I strive for daily & hold to the highest regard in my life:
Honesty & Love.
His friendship & presence refreshes me because he
brings exactly that to the table.
Genuine honest,
heres-me-and-my-life-even-the-ugly-parts-out-on-the-table
kind of conversation.
The harmony that presents itself in the way we both embrace honesty
& acceptance of eachother through all faults is a beautiful thing
& really reminds me why I believe in the power of relationship over all else.
Because when it comes down to it,
isn't it all about love & figuring out the rest, as it pours from that place, together?
Instead of hiding, & judging, or criticizing, or mocking, or hindering,
why not just love & embrace.
We're all in this together right?

Thanks C.


Danielle Nicole.

Writing.

"First, I know this sounds like semantics, but being published doesn’t make you a writer. You’re a writer if you write. You’re a writer if you live and dream in words and phrases. You’re a writer if creating that one great sentence brings you illogical, untold joy.

You’re a writer if you write."

--Shauna Niequist via Her Blog.

This is one of the too-many-to-count-on-fingers-and-toes reasons I adore & admire this woman. From the moment I opened the orange cover of Cold Tangerines, this woman has been speaking to my soul, seriously. Through reading her books, hearing her speak at chapels, churches, & even at more intimate luncheons, she never seems to disappoint. And now, as she continues between books to blog and share her voice, I still find myself reading & thinking, "Uhhh how does this woman knoww what I need to hear???" And right now, her sharing her story about becoming a writer was really fun to read as her personality shines so brightly through, with little jokes & mannerisms along the way. But not only was it fun to read, it met me where I am at & I love that.

I don't consider myself a writer, however, I absolutely love writing. I love the place writing takes me, the way it makes me feel, throughout & after. The place of creativity and of genuine thought and emotion inside me. The place where I let my brain off the leash & run around freely. Free to roam throughout any thought, emotion, place within me or anyplace it wishes. I love words & what they bring to life and how they can evoke any kind of emotion imaginable, when placed together accordingly. And in this love for writing, I then read the above mentioned quote on Shauna Niequist's blog. Boom. Thank you Shauna, once again, for that speaking directly to my soul thing you do, it was dead on. I am a writer. Not because someone thinks I should be, or thinks I am. Not because my writing is posted anywhere, or because people read it. But because of that place that writing brings me to, & because of the way my heart twirls when I read something I have written & it pleases me because it compels, or because it makes someone laugh, or because it is real, deep, honest, truth. That, and that lovely relationship between my heart, mind, and a pen and paper (or my laptop), is why I am compelled to write, and to share, which makes me,

a writer.

Mmm beautiful awareness. Thank you Shauna, once again.



Danielle Nicole.

To each his own.

Lately I have been having many conversations with people around me regarding success.
What it is, Who decides what it is, What society thinks it is, how it drives one towards things.
So what conclusion did we come to? Well, the only valid one, which is clear, is that success is many different things. That, & well, society does not quite get it. But what I do know is all this glorious success jab has made me really think and define, & redefine what I believe to be true about success in my own life, the only life I have control over the success-decision.

Success to me,
should be simple.

Simple, I choose because success to me doesn't rely on where I live, or what I do for a living.
It does not depend on where I went to school, how long I went to school, or how long it is going to take me to pay the bank back for that education.
Where that degree gets me, or whether or not I should do more or do better are irrelevant when I consider what success is to me.
Success to Dani Davis is not a cubicle, or a piece of paper with a dollar sign and a top dog signature. It's not a certification or award, and it is certainly not a title before my name.

What it is to me though, brings me to a place deep inside my heart.
A place where only the things that bring me love and confidence and joy reign.
A place where decisions are made from that place, deep within my soul, and the decisions are ones that reflect my truest heart and deepest desire to simply, love & be loved in return.
Success to me is based upon this desire that I hold in highest & closest regard to myself. So the true question comes through in finding this place: Am I successful Today?

I am successful today.

I am successful because,
Because I have roommates who really try to be their best and actively try to love each other out loud in new ways daily.

I have a family who through alot of good hard fight & endurance, have finally come together to grow & model to each other what love can really look like.

Because I have a younger brother who, graduated from high school 500 miles away from me &, wanted to Skype to see me before he ran off to grad-night.

Because I have people in my life who embrace me to the complete fullest.
The me with the beautiful, but also with the less attractive parts of myself,
the parts of me I love to share, & the parts I would much rather keep hidden.
People who embrace me being flawed & encourage me to love even those parts about me. People who add and fill my life so much, that I am undeniably made better each time we interact, or speak, or even think about each other.

This is why I feel successful, which is pretty simple, right?
This is why I think life is something to be loved, breathed, & laughed. It is full & real & that is something we shouldn't take lightly of.

Be encouraged, find the success in your day, & embrace it, or them.


Danielle Nicole.

Summer 2011, you are a beautiful thing.

I like goals. They keep me motivated even if in reality they are just some simple, even silly at times, words I wrote myself in my planner or on my hand. But I am motivated by words, & by thoughts, & by thinking and writing them down. So I before I digress, 10 Summer 2011 goals:

1. Become a complete beach bum. Dear Beach, you & I have a date everyday please&thanks.
2. Get over my fear of the ocean. Yes, this means in August 2011 I will be swimming in the waves, ahhh.
3. Continue to seek truth & beauty in all moments & forms of my life.
4. Live out a tangible love in all areas of my life, not just some.
5. Read (at least) 7 books.
6. Write, write, & still, keep writing. I want more consistency in my writing.
7. Mail cards out each week. I like simplicity. I like love. & I like mail. Why wouldn't anyone else?
8. Minnesota trippppp???
9. Encourage an honest, pure love to engulf C310.
10. Fireworks, please & thankyou.


Summer 2011, you're already full of life & dreams, now all that's to do is watch them unfold. So here's to what you will bring, take on, & be, Place taken, unfold away.

Danielle Nicole.