Showing posts with label self love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self love. Show all posts
8.18.2012
7.31.2012
what do you choose?
it's a lesson that took me a long time to learn. as colette said, "be happy. it's one way of being wise." some of us may be born smiling, others of us have to work at it. choose it. every. single. day.
caught in a spiral of depression, it's easy to lose sight of happiness. you get stuck in your mind and caught in your own issues. you feel bad, so you think bad thoughts, which in turn make you feel worse. the thought of choosing to be happy at such a time can seem cuh-razy! thoughts become feelings and choosing happy thoughts is an option.
the media tells us that we need things to be happy, that we have to have this or that, or go here or there, else we couldn't possibly be happy. we need to look like this, or own the latest gadget to be content. but in truth that is all rubbish. start today, make a decision to be happy. to be grateful for all that you have. to appreciate every single moment.
i've worked my way back up from rock bottom {more than once} and i make a conscious decision every day to choose happiness. there are times when it's harder than others but it is always an option. i choose to focus on the good in my life instead of the bad. to be grateful for all that i have instead of yearning for what i don't.
* make a list of wonderful things about your life. add to it every day.
* every morning when you wake up tell yourself you are happy
* give thanks for every day
* smile
* focus on the good things
it might be difficult to begin with.... but i promise you that it's worth it. have you chosen happiness??
7.19.2012
guestpost // 10 ideas to make life more amazing
It's almost exactly halfway through the year and it feels like a great time for a little bit of inspiration. Whether time is moving too slowly for you as you look forward to things, or this year is flying by to fast; there is always a moment to stop and remind ourselves how to enjoy our time.
Personally, I'm a worrier and a victim of both feelings above. This particular month is moving slowly for me because I have a road trip to the west coast next month, but the year in general is flying by as I speed along towards things that I know are coming down the line in my future. Scary things like my best friend moving out of the country, growing up and buying my first house, as well as the big 3-0 looming in my future a few years away... So this is as much necessary for me to remind myself as I imagine a lot of you need!
So without further ado, I give you:
10 Ideas to Make Life More Amazing
(and hopefully cause you to love a longer and stress-free life!)
#1: Fall in love all over again with everything.
(and hopefully cause you to love a longer and stress-free life!)
#1: Fall in love all over again with everything.
With every friend, stranger, blade of grass, face, or memory.
Fall in love for the first time with that special someone,
or fall in love all over again with your lifelong partner.
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#2: Take Vacations
We work ourselves much too hard which isn't healthy.
Taking time away from the house chores, the job, the kids, etc. is a necessity!
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#3: Document Your World
Take pictures, blog it, write it down in a notepad...
Years later you'll be able to share it with other people.
Or look back on it when you're having a rough day.
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#4: Take Up New Hobbies
It's always fun to learn something new that you can create.
Start running, crocheting, jewelry making, camping, etc. You are a rock-star!
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#5. Take Naps
Just like when you were a kid, a nap can adjust any attitude.
Take some time to rest, your body and mind need it!
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#6: Surround Yourself with Only Good People
Why allow negative people to suck the life out of you?
Cut them out. Keep only the good people and you'll feel so much better.
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#7: Treat Yourself
It's okay to go buy yourself some new shoes or eat that cake once in a while.
You deserve a little treat now and again-reward yourself!
(And remember, treats are okay in moderation-don't over do it!)
#8: Be Kind to Your Body
Exercise, drink water, meditate, feed yourself good things, etc.
It's the only body you're going to get, so treat it well so it will last you.
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#9. Pick Your Battles
Yes you should stand up for yourself
But know when it's worth it and when it will just tear you down.
Sometimes it's easier to just let go of the little stuff.
It will leave you happier.
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#10: Leave the Past in the Past
No regrets or carrying it with you, that's the past.
You can't go back and change it.
You can only learn from it and move on.
Stop carrying the bad stuff around with you.
You only hurt yourself over and over again.
Take only the good and go forward. Just keep going forward.
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So there we have it. We already know all of this, but it's good to be reminded once in a while or we forget. I hope you have a great summer, year, and life! Please don't hesitate to come visit me, I love new bloggy friends!
6.20.2012
guest post // the funny thing of it is
Hi, I'm Julie and I blog over at The Funny Thing Of It Is!
I have a little confession to make, nothing too exciting, most likely over the top ordinary & boring, yet I'm going to put it out there,well, for the sake of this post. ;) I constantly struggle with letting everyone and everything but me define my worth! Please tell me I'm not the only one!
Have you ever done that? I mean, I don't purposely tell myself, "Ok today, you are worth 17 cents, because this person didn't pay attention to you..." or "today you are worth $15 bucks because you got a great compliment!"but nevertheless, I do it in my own little way.
I let my circumstances, comparisons, and the way people treat me...(even if they don't even mean anything by it or realize they did it) define how I feel about myself. And I realize that is SO wrong for SO many reasons. But we all do it at times I think. We let the fact that we live paycheck to paycheck, or that our ex-boyfriend crushed us, or that we had an abusive childhood, or that some super famous blogger didn't respond to us... suddenly make us feel sort of "unworthy." Unworthy of what? Unworthy of life? Because that's just silly, isn't it?
Yet, I struggle with this, I swear, daily!
I get this overwhelming feeling of "small." I'm just this small person, not worth someone else's precious time or I don't have the big bucks to do certain things I would love to do, so life must immediately be chalked up as boring or mundane.
That's not true.
There are only TWO things that can determine your value:
YOU and GOD!
Well, God created you with intent and purpose. Have you ever created something you love... and were so proud of your work ....and then just trashed it?
No! You created it for a reason and you love your work. It's easy to see what God thinks of us and how much value he places on our lives if you just look...
"She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far Above Rubies or pearls."
(prov. 31:10)
Bur for some reason, we don't want to believe that. We are the ONLY other person that can determine our worth. We can believe what we want to about ourselves! And not only that, but every experience, sadness, rejection, hurt is only a jumping off point to help others and speak value & truth into THEIR lives!
Do you realise that?!
EVERY SINGLE hard time you have been through..
have you been through a miscarriage, have you been broken up with, have people talked bad about you, have you felt neglected or ignored, have you struggled with money, have you lost your job, have you not done as well in school as you would have liked, have your children got into trouble... whatever it is that has got you down...take those experiences... and instead of letting those things eat away at your worth, use them, grow from them, and encourage others who are going through the same things.
Personally I think the highest value is on those who've helped others. Those who have been through all kinds of crap in life, but refuse to let the "crap" define them... and instead they love others. They are an encouragement to others!
And if you use those hard experiences, those rejections as a jumping off point to be a HUGE blessing to another person, then YOUR VALUE is far above what you could ever dream! Especially in the eyes of the person whose life you spoke into. Trust me.
Even this post, is me, taking those bad thoughts about myself, those worthless thoughts, those down and out, guess I'm nobody type thoughts that try to bombard my mind...and I'm turning them around to encourage YOU to do the same thing. You get what I'm saying??
There is PRICELESS TREASURE right there, in You!
Even though I have struggled with this throughout my life, I refuse to let myself be valued in the eyes of another.. or in the eyes of what "I think" another is saying. My heart is to LOVE ON PEOPLE,and make sure they know how precious they are!!
I want to give a HUGE HUGE thanks to Polly, because I met this amazingly creative wife and mother from Wales (who knew I'd ever meet someone from Wales?).. through a re-tweet about an adspace giveaway! And I am so glad I did!
Don't forget to come visit me at The Funny Thing Of It Is, where I blog more encouragement, inspiration, fun and kid stories than I have time for!
Love you all, Julie
thanks so much julie!! so glad that we met :) please make sure you stop by and say hi to julie - her blog is fantastic!
4.02.2012
do this
i came across this last week and it really struck a chord with me. how much of our lives do we waste hating who we are? wishing we were more like someone else? i know that i spent far too much of my life doing just that. did it get me anywhere? nope - all it did was leave me depressed. it took me a very long time to make peace with who i am. to realise that i am awesome just the way i am.
i've learnt to embrace my quirks, to make my peace with my body, and to be me unashamedly. i don't need to be somebody else to be happy.
stop wasting your life wishing things were different. look in the mirror and see the beauty that is you. be proud of your quirks - they are the things that people love you for.
you are the maker of your own happiness - start now.
2.15.2012
time for self love
this seems to be an ongoing 'thing' for me. i put myself at the bottom of the looking after list and suffer the consequences. i think to myself that i'm too busy to give myself some time. by the time the homeschooling is done, housework done, kiddos fed, played with, looked after, blogging done, crafting done, shop work done.... i'm too exhausted to think about myself.
yet i know that i am a better person all round when i take some time for me. be it a soak in bath, an hour out of the house without the kiddos, half an hour of yoga or hooping - these things keep me sane, give me back my 'zest' and make me feel oh so good.
i was excited yesterday when the lovely elisabeth emailed me last night about the '30 days mind & body' that she was participting in with a few other bloggers. it was just the push that i needed.
you can read more about the challenge on Betsy's blog
I'm commiting to:
daily yoga or hooping time
earlier nights + less work in the evenings
healthier food
weekly 'me' dates
join in??
2.02.2012
Self Love Revolution
i stumbled across this yesterday on {the new to me} a is for ampersand. amy is hosting a month of self love posts on her blog, you can go HERE to read about it, and HERE to sign the 'self love declaration of independnce'.
her aim is to encourage us to embrace who we are and to fight our insecurities. amy has a month of positivity planned - i'm looking forward to reading it all. so many women live with self hatred and a negative body image. i spent most of my teen years and early twenties fighting eating disorders. while i'm in recovery i wouldn't say i am cured - there are still days when i seriously dislike myself. it's time to take a stand and refuse to be beaten down by society's view of what we 'should' look like. i don't want my three girls growing up and feeling as inadequate as i did.
please join in and spread the word :)
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