10/19/2015 1 Comment People I Admire: Angela LanarisAngela and I went to high school together and were privileged enough to star in our school's production of Grease together. I was Sandy and she was ChaCha, so technically we were supposed to be enemies, but we ended up bonding over food, boys, and a love for the arts. I've always admired Angela. She has an extremely healthy lifestyle, a passion for dancing and acting, a talent for modeling, a mission to heal the world, and a humble and kind personality to match. Let's meet her! What is the goal of your blog? Are you doing it more as a way to keep track of things or are you doing it for an audience? My goal is to inspire anyone who comes across it to have a different perspective, feel empowered and simply learn to love themselves and live their best lives. I love to use my blog as a way to connect with other like-minded people and get my voice out there. I definitely use it as both a mini journal of my thoughts, experiences and reflections and if that means gaining an audience from that, then great! I definitely try to focus on my message more so than “followers” or “fame.” Describe some difficulties you’ve faced as an old soul living in a technological age I’ve always had a difficult time growing up with my generation. I’ve never been into drinking heavily, partying, gossiping or cliques. However, this is not to say that any of those things are “wrong” or “bad,” they just simply do not resonate with me. I find myself a lot happier when I’m on my own, or in extremely small groups having inspiring, soulful conversations. I live off of that. It’s been difficult to own who I am and what I stand for, without feeling I have to dumb myself down and blend in. I’ve always felt different growing up and certainly never fit in, but I’m learning to embrace what makes me unique instead of hiding it. I’m also learning that everybody becomes recharged, inspired and happy by different things. If that means you feel your best getting super drunk and going to the club, DO IT! DO YOU! But if you find just as much pleasure sitting at home on a friday night reading and watching movies alone, DO THAT TOO! It’s all about sticking to what makes you feel your best and not being ashamed. What is your motivation for eating healthy? Is it more to look good or feel good? Which do you think the general population cares about most? My number one motivation to eat healthy is to feel my absolute best. If I am not fueling my body with the proper nutrients it needs, I can’t function properly. I need my fruits and veggies to feel clear headed, inspired and happy! However, it’s never a bad thing to eat healthier to look better. It’s okay to care about the way you look! I think people put so much pressure on themselves to not care, but deep down they do and it causes a whole negative inner dialogue. I think if you have an equal balance between looking good and wanting to feel your best, instead of obsessing over one or the other, that’s when you will find peace with your body and your relationship to food. What are your guilty pleasures if you have any? Oh I have many guilty pleasures. Peanut butter---lots of it, cookies or a hundred bowls of cereal in one sitting haha. If you had to only have a healthy mind, body, or spirit, which would you have? Which one of these three do you think people prioritize most? If I could only choose one, it would be a healthy spirit. My spiritual life is something I try to cater to most because it fuels everything. I think eating well and thinking good thoughts adds to the process of overall becoming a better person, but if you aren’t in tune with your SOUL it’s impossible to be in tune with anything or anyone else. I think society definitely places a lot of emphasis on an individual's body and looking good, which again, isn’t necessarily BAD. I just think our society needs more BALANCE. Nothing is going to resolve itself in this world without balance. Has your environment affected your creativity? Where do you feel most creative? Living in New York definitely has aided me in becoming more in touch with my creativity, however, I do not think my environment affects me too much. For me personally, it’s all about meditating, going into a receptive mode, and waiting for the right time to create content. Typically, this is first thing in the morning while sipping on my cup of coffee or late at night. I’ll just start typing my reflections or thoughts and BAM I’ll have a blog and/or instagram post. What is a lesson that you want to impart to the future generation? Oh goodness this is a hard question. I guess my ULTIMATE calling, to summarize my purest intention in this life, is to help others be the best version of themselves. I believe we all have SO much incredible potential and we all have so much to offer, and I love feeling like I can empower others to be the person they’ve always dreamed of being. What are you most passionate about? I am most passionate about connecting with people. Period. It’s the source of everything I do in my life. I live to form connections and learn from others…..to listen, to experience and to love. I am a people person! (To an extent, I’m also such an introvert haha) Why do you dance? Why do you act? Are the two connected/similar and how? I dance because I love movement, rhythm and music. I love feeling powerful in my body and using it to convey a specific emotion or intention. I also LOVE performing so much. One of my favorite things about dance is when I put my heart and soul into a piece of work, and someone will come up to me after a performance saying that I’ve made them feel something. It’s exciting that I can connect and move people through my work! In regards to acting, it’s very similar to dance but simply a different form of expression. Growing up I did acting here and there and I knew in my heart I was going to return back to it eventually. Dance has given me everything, but acting allows me to be FULLY ANGELA LANARIS. I love to move but I also love using my VOICE. I love being able to experience real life situations and play pretend. Everything I am learning in my training in acting all applies to spirituality and real life, so inevitably I am falling more and more in love with the craft. I am absolutely in love with both dance and theatre, I could rant about it for hours. But ultimately I am so humbled and blessed to know my calling at such a young age and I cannot wait to see where it takes me. Who inspires you? My mother and grandmother inspire me the most. They are the reason I am who I am today. They never pushed anything on me growing up, and they gave me the freedom to find who I was without telling me who I should be. They kindly introduced spirituality into my life, which is why I am so passionate about it today. My mother, specifically, always knew I had a lot to offer. At a young age, she bought me books on acting instinctively knowing I was going to pursue it eventually. She continues to buy me books on spirituality, shows me healthy things to eat and is constantly finding ways to help further my career and passions in any way she can. She was the reason I ended up attending Mid-pacific, because she knew I deserved to go to a private arts school, even when my father didn’t think I would get a scholarship and I did. She always saw the best in me which is why I’ve learned to see the best in myself and not be ashamed of it. My grandmother is my second mom and soul mate, I do not know what I would do with her. These two woman are my rocks, I could not be anymore thankful for their presence and power in my life. Check out Angela's blog at angelalanaris.com or follow her personal Instagram account for some daily inspiration at @angelalanaris. I know it always motivates me to see other powerful women living healthy and inspiring others, maybe it'll help you too!
1 Comment
Jennie lopez
10/19/2015 09:14:58 pm
Yup...that's my granddaughter! Thank you for featuring her. By the way, you were great in Grease.
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