Positivity (And a Challenge!)

Yes, I'm blogging. For once in forever. It's possible that hell is currently freezing over. I kid, I kid. I have been over here homeschooling and living life with a threenager, so by the end of the day (my normal blogging time), I just wanna curl up in my big ol' comfy bed and sleep. So I do. Sleep > blogging. But, there's something I wanted to write about, so I chugged a Dr. Pepper and started writing. Let's hope I don't regret that at 2 am when I'm wide awake from the caffine.

Anyway, earlier in the year I made the decision that I would start living life more positively. Less negative, more positive. I would find the silver lining in everything. When life knocked me down, I'd get back up, dust myself off, flash a grin in life's general direction, and go on being awesome. Oh yes, I totally would.

However, it hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be. Life is cruel, yo. Life throws curve balls that knock you down. And while you're down life comes over and kicks you in the ribs while muttering a "yo mama" joke. It's hard being positive ALL OF THE TIME. But it's doable. It has to be. I see people doing it all of the time.

I think it comes down to your choice. You can chose to be negative just the same as you can chose to be positive. I think we chose negativity because it's easier. It's easier to host our own pity party complete with half a gallon of ice cream and an entire bottle of wine. It's much harder to stand back up and fight. It's harder to shake it off and keep on pushing. But that's what I want to do. I want to push back, I want to fight. I want to stay positive. Because eventually, the positive pays off. So, starting today, I'm pushing harder. I will give 110% at staying positive. When I feel the negativity creeping up, I'll chase it away with a dance party or something. I will not complain, I will not pity myself, I will find the silver lining. After awhile it's bound to become a habit, right? But, I don't want to do this all by myself. I want you to try it too. So, I'm proposing a challenge. I found something on Pinterest awhile back and thought it'd be perfect for a blog challenge.

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Just 24 hours without complaining. 24 hours without negativity. Think you can do it? I know you can, I know I can. Yes, it'll be difficult, but it's possible. Just try it and see what happens. 

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Let's end this with some photos, shall we? 

Cinderella. All day, every day.

Reading with PawPaw

Her current favorite outfit. And "pretty hands".

An ill kiddo means snuggling in mama's bed.

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Peace and positivity, y'all. Peace and positivity.

Life Lessons

Oh, HIMYM, I adore you so.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend, loves! X's and O's

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Why Don't We... Stop Being So Negative

I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret. I have horrible self esteem. OK, that's really no secret, I'm fairly certain that 9 1/2 out of 10 women have self esteem issues. It's as common as blondes in Hollywood.

Anyway, last night I was thinking, why are we so negative? So hard on ourselves? We, as women, are amazing creatures. Y'all, we can grow other people!! That's huge! We can be beauty queens, and CEOs, and actresses, and firefighters, and doctors, and lawyers, and singers, and designers, and mothers, and the list goes on and on and on. We are fabulous. So why do we hate on ourselves so much?

It's no secret that I've struggled with body issues most of my life. I've looked in the mirror time and time again and hated what I saw. But why? Why did I hate the person looking back at me? I am beautiful, whether I'm overweight, underweight, or just the right size. What I look like shouldn't determine what type of person I am, just the same as your weight/looks/clothing shouldn't determine who you are. We should strive to be good people. We should lift ourselves and each other up, instead of knocking everyone down. Because when we're good people, we're beautiful, no matter what. Beautiful insides lead to beautiful outsides.

Instead of looking in the mirror and pointing out our flaws, why not point out our good points? I love my smile and my eyebrows (weird, I know). When we're feeling down, why not lift ourselves up with positive thoughts, instead of filling our head with negative things? The next time we feel the urge to talk down to (or about) someone, why not pay them a compliment? I'll admit I struggle with this one.

I look at my beautiful daughter and my heart aches to think that one day she may have negative thoughts about herself. I want to teach her to be positive, to love everything about herself, and to send out positive thoughts to others. If we taught the younger generations nothing but positive things, can you imagine the impact that would have on the world?

This is my challenge for you: if you have a negative thought about yourself today, forget it, immediately, and replace it with a positive one. If you have a negative thought about someone else, smile at them, or, even better, give them a compliment. There's absolutely no point in beating yourself or someone else down. We, my darlings, are fabulous women. Don't ever forget that.

X's and O's

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If, by chance, there are any men that read this blog, sorry, this post wasn't really geared toward you that much. But I'm sure you're fabulous too! 

Life Lessons

Last week one of my favorite bloggers (and IRL friends!), Jen posted a few life lessons that she received in an email. I loved them so much, I wanted to share them with y'all. 

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other. 
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. 
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it. 
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye. 
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. 
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight. 
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much. 
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. 
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. 
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives. 
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly. 
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?' 
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 
FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze. 
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. 
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions. 
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice 
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.