52 Weeks of Gratitiude - A Friend

Happy Sunday Everyone!!!

This week I'm writing about a friend that I am grateful for. This is very tough, I have several very close friends whom I love very much! So, I decided to share why I'm grateful for the friend I have had the longest. 

I am grateful for my friend Krista. We met during my senior year of high school, on New Year's Eve. (Funny side note, I had a crush on her younger brother, who is my age, while I was in middle school.) We didn't meet that night and just become best friends, we started becoming friends because some other friends of ours asked her to call me to convince me to have a party at my house. For some reason, even though we barely knew each other, she was able to convince me and we started hanging out from then on. 

Looking back, I kinda think we were an odd couple. I was still in high school when we met. She was 20 at the time, working full time and had a two year old son. I guess we just 'clicked' as you could say and enjoyed hanging out with each other. 

Since that time, we have shared so much of our lives together, gone on several road trips together, been with each other through our pregnancies. (She threw me the most amazing baby shower!) We've been there for each other through relationships good and bad. (Happy to say that she's in the best one I could ever imagine for her!) 

One thing I actually love about Krista, she in unyielding in her honesty with me. And while it may appear to others that she is being a bit of a bitch, I know she is being brutally honest with me, and most likely, correct. Which is why I view our friendship as more of a sister relationship than a friendship. We will fight and not talk for several months and go right back as if nothing happened. I love that, we are not scared to make each other mad. There is no walking on eggshells here.

I am eternally grateful for my friend Krista, she has been there for me through thick and thin, good and bad. I think anyone would be blessed to call her a friend.

52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge - Why Start This Challenge?

Like many other people, I can waste an obscene amount of time on Pinterest. Let's admit it, it's addicting. 

Well, I can across the below a couple days ago and thought, 'Hey, this would be a great writing prompt for my blog.' Plus I can write several at a time and schedule the post.

So, the first weeks challenge is 'Why Start this Challenge?' Well, this is two-fold. Like I said it gives me a writing prompt at least once a week. But the deeper meaning is that I will now be forced to really look at what I'm grateful for. Stop and smell the roses if you'd like. 

The past month and a half have been extremely rough on me, personally. I questioned a lot of my choices, been depressed, really felt that I'm just not doing life the right way. On New Year's Eve, it just came to me, I need to just turn my life over to God and let him lead me. (That is a whole separate topic itself.) After finding this challenge, I really believe it will help me to see what amazing things I already have in my life. Sometimes when you think things are just not going well in your life, that there is nothing to be grateful for. But once you actually sit down and think about what you DO have, you realize you really do have a good life and you need to see things from a different perspective. 

So, that's why I'm starting this challenge: to see things from a different perspective and appreciate all the good I do have in my life.

Have you ever done a challenge like this before? Let me know in the comments!

Happy New Year, Happy New YOU!!!

Personal Development Books

So lately I've been on a "Personal Development' kick. In the past month I've taken on two new jobs; a designer with Origami Owl AND a health and fitness coach with Beachbody. It's been a lot of work so far, just figuring out how each system works.

One thing that both organizations encourage is PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT! 

So after doing extensive research (checking out the YouTube channels, blogs, Facebook pages and Instagram pages of top people in each company) and see what the most successful people were reading, AND really thinking about how I want to grow as a person, I sat down and made a list of the kinds of personal development I wanted to read about:

Faith - I believe that God has a hand in all our successes and by building our relationship with Him, those successes will happen. I want to develop a closer, stronger relationship with God, and have the confidence to turn my life over to him.

Financial - I want financial success, we all do. But no how much money you make OR don't make per year, if you do not manage it wisely, you won't have it. You can make minimal money, but live a fulfilled life by making smart choices. I want to learn how to make those smart choices. 

Interpersonal - I'd like to think that I am a pretty easy person to get along with, although I'm sure there are some who would disagree. But this is something I want to work on; how to relate to more people, how to listen better, how to find that one thing about someone that makes me interested in them and be able to relate to them. 

Professional - This is different from financial development. I want to learn how to run my businesses. How to stay focused and prioritize my tasks (something I am HORRIBLE at.)

Health/Fitness - Now that I am an Independent Beachbody coach, it's my 'job' to teach people the way to better health and to be an example of what I'm trying to 'sell.' No one wants to listen to the lazy, chubby girl tell them about living a healthy lifestyle. I want/need to learn how to find motivation to eat better and work out each day. 

WHEW!!! That seems like so much, but I think it's important to your success to constantly feel you need to work on something, even if it's minor. 

What is your opinion on these types of books? Do you believe they really provide insight into growing as a person? Or do you believe that they are written by some schmuck just looking to cash in and earn a buck?

Please let me know in the comments below.

Creating a Dream Board

I’ve been seeing people posting their version of dream/vision boards around the internet lately. I laugh, because they are grown up versions of the bulletin boards we all had in our rooms as kids. (At least I did.)

 

 

 

BUT it’s a really good idea, writing down and having a visual of your goals/aspirations. That’s something I’ve had a tough time with. I always make the plans, but they hardly come to fruition. I think partly because they are never put down somewhere for me to constantly see. Kind of like my Summer Bucket List, great list, but without it printed and in constant view, it’s hard to remember to do those things.

 

So, I’ve decided to create my own Vison Board. I have a list of things that I want to achieve:

 

·       Disney Cruise 2016

·       Pay off car, buy a newer (hopefully brand new) Jeep

·       Build a deeper faith and stronger relationship with God

·       New home for my son and I

·       Find a new job that provides me with greater personal enrichment

·       Fit into my smallest size jeans by the end of 2014 (they are 6 sizes smaller than I am now)

·       Make sure the time I spend with my son is of greater quality

·       Purchase an Apple computer (I’m still using my Old HP)

·       Invest some of my time in philanthropic pursuits

 

As you can see, some of them are already pretty specific, like fitting into a certain size clothing by a certain time, but some are pretty vague at this point. I know I need to fine tune most of them. But I want to see these goals every day and make sure everything I am doing every day is helping me achieve. It’s kind of like the saying some organizers use when helping you go through your ‘stuff’: If you don’t need it, love it or if doesn’t make you money, get rid of it. I plan to use that approach to my life.

 

IF I DON’T LOVE IT, NEED IT OR IT DOESN’T HELP ME ACHIEVE MY GOALS, IT’S GOT TO GO!

 

I have a wall in my bedroom with nothing on it currently. I’m thinking of repainting the wall to give myself a fresh start. Then I want to build a board, maybe some sort of magnetic or white board, then frame it and hang it up. I want to make sure it’s special, because my goals and dreams are special.

 

Have you built a dream or vision board? Do you think it helps in achieving your goals? Please let me know in the comments below.

Treating Myself Better

It's good to be selfish sometimes.

 

At least, that's what I should keep telling myself. As a mom, sometimes it's very difficult to remember that I need to take care of myself just as much as I need to take care of my son. After all, it's hard to be the best mom you can be when your not at your best.

 

By nature, I'm more of a giver than a taker. Add a kid in there, and it seems that's all I do. Give. To everyone else. Well, this year, as part of my goals, I have decided to make a point to take care of ME better. I know that I will be a better mom, employee, friend and daughter.

 

1. I will not feel guilty about having a family member watch my son so I can have some time to myself. This has been so difficult for me. But I know that it's okay to have my parents watch my son so I can go get my hair cut or a pedicure. It's okay. In the end, he's not going to be mad because he hung out with his grandparents for a couple hours so I can get a hair cut.

 

2. I will buy things for myself. I usually put off buying myself clothes, shoes and accessories. So my wardrobe has been lacking for a while. But it's a fact that when you feel that you are dressed well and look good, it shows in the way you present yourself. I'm a big fan of solids, so it should be easy for my to accessorize. This is what I'm going to focus on, getting myself some good basic clothing items and getting some really cute accessories.

 

3. I will do my hair and make-up everyday. My normal routine is to just put on moisturizer and throw my hair in a bun. This goes along with #2. If I take the time to actually dry my hair and put on at least a little make-up it will make me feel better about myself and that will translate to the way I carry myself.

 

4. I will get my hair and nails done on a regular basis. I actually love getting my hair done and I love getting pedicures. But I always put them off because I feel like I don't have anyone to watch my son. So one of my goals is to make regular appointments and keep them. And as with my previous goals, it will make me feel better about my appearance and that confidence will project.

 

5. I will take the time every day to 'go to bed.' I often am so tired that I just lie down and pass out, often with the TV on. I should be taking the time to wind down every night, by enjoying a cup of tea and reading a book, then cleaning myself up before bed.

 

The main goal of all of my resolutions is to be a better me, so they somewhat intertwine. Like eating healthier and being more active are ways for me to treat myself better. But the specific goal I wrote about here, treating myself better, is really about my taking them time and money to spoil myself once in a while and not feel guilty about it.

 

On an additional note, as I started to write this post, I actually took a break to read my devotional. My devotion for the day was aptly titled 'Setting Goals for This Year' and talked about how we get so involved with meeting the needs of others and often forget ourselves. It talked about how, on airplanes, they advise you to put on your oxygen mask first then help others, realizing that if the adult isn't getting enough oxygen, then they cannot properly help the child and both will perish. Then posed this "Are you getting enough "oxygen" in your life to be of maximum benefit to those around you? It is not a selfish gesture to set goals allowing you to "refill your cup.""

 

I read that and felt it was a sign. A sign that if I can't be the best me I can be, how can I be the best mom, daughter, friend, employee?