Be You!

 Ladies... I LOVE to read. I LOVE to educate myself as much as I can to learn and grow, to be better and do better! But face it! Sometimes I just don't have time to read. With the hustle and bustle and demand of my job, my kid and his multiple activities, everyday life a mom to 1 child and 27 animals... yes 17 of those are chickens but still that is a lot of responsibility... LOL. and all the other things that I am met with in a day, reading has been few and far between. Yes, I listen to a couple pod casts a week and of course I prefer quite time and a paper book to a book on tape, but now that I have discovered Audible, especially with the amount of time I spend driving in a day/week etc! I am totally hooked. 

I just finished Sparkle, by Cara Alwill Leyba... oh my gosh you guys... total connection. I will say in all my years of reading I say if I can take at least 1 thing away from a book or connect with the author in some way positively making an impact in my future self it is totally worth it! This book I probably connected with about 85-90% of what she was saying... I could have been her, except a few things!  I read this one in a day. Very motivational... I am encouraged and excited to take myself to the next level of better. 

For all you ladies, girls out there that are always busy, crave having something to do all the time, work better when you are busy or under pressure, struggle with your weight or self image, try to be as damned close to perfect as you can... you need to start taking care of yourself. YES we all know that putting others first gives us a sense of being needed, valued and servicing God's people, however if we fail to put us first we are not going to be around as long as we can to take care of even more people. 

Who is with me that you feel like a better self when you are fixed up? I always feel better when my bed is made, my kitchen is cleaned, my make up on, hair fixed and ready for the day.  I grew up with a mom who got ready every morning, and put her makeup and fake eyelashes (she literally didn't have any but she was a pro, they never looked fake) on at the kitchen table. She taught me to be presentable, and when I am I do truly feel better about myself.  Don't get me wrong I love days where I can just relax in my pj's and not have to get ready, but then I also tend to feel lazy and not productive on those days. Allow yourself those days, but just don't take up residence there, it can suck you in! 

So pick up that book you have been dying to read, or get the audible version, there is something about the author reading that it is as if they are speaking directly to you, take a day and park it in front of the TV and watch your favorite NetFlix series, take that  hour bubble bath, schedule that massage, lay out by a pool and soak in some vitamin D and by all means move around some every day! Not everyone can be a size 2, but we can all control what we put into our mouth, how much exercise and sleep we get and what stressors we allow to affect us on a daily basis. 

Chose to be in the moment whatever it is you are doing. Give each task 100% .

Yes if you are anything like me multitasking is on the brain 24/7 but I know that when doing so I am not truly giving what I am doing 100%. Choose to focus more and give 100% you are likely to have better results.

I probably think 27 miles a minute and often my brain is several steps ahead of what I am saying and I know that sometimes I just need to stop and breath, collect my thoughts and less chaos will surround me.

Know that you can not control others, only yourself. Focus on what you  can do to improve. Unless someone else asks for your help, let them figure out them. 

Say NO sometimes, yes you heard me, say NO,  if it doesn't present a good opportunity for you.If you have to stand in a mirror and practice it, so be it! You don't have to commit to everything that you are presented with. We can't save the world. 

Just because you can do something it doesn't mean you should.

Chose to have a good attitude, even when the worst encompasses your day. 

Keep a journal of gratitude, it should far out weigh the negative if you focus on it. 

Turn your negative thoughts into positive opportunities and write them down. For every negative thought 

Believe in yourself and your abilities. 

Go for the prize, no one ever got very far sitting on their butt coming up with ideas they never planned to execute. 

Don't judge other people not everyone is in the same place, not everyone measures sucess the same way, don't compare your self to others.  You do you! 

Don't worry about who is judging you. Allow yourself not to give a shit what they think if you are being true to your passion or desires for your future. (as long as you are not hurting anyone in the process) 

Be the best you you can be everyday, and if you can't today try again tomorrow! You woke up for a reason. 

No one is perfect and we have to decide to accept that and just do the best that we can, by the means that we have, in the way that you can to better our own lives. 

Help others whenever possible, to help someone else to be successful should in turn make you successful. There is enough out there for all of us to be successful if we all choose to try. 

Take the risk, challenge, opportunity and remember if you fail, fail with grace, fail with purpose, fail forward into the best life you have always dreamed.