Being Grateful

Gratitude.  One word.  So much meaning.  I remember hearing about gratitude since I was a young girl.  Even Oprah had a special on creating a gratitude journal and I used to keep one.  Now, as I fall asleep each night I think of things I am grateful for each day.  I was taught to be grateful for all that I have and all that I am.  At this time of year, the following quote just makes sense:

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

 

 

Have you ever noticed that when you're in a good mood and feeling grateful more positive things come your way?  It's a snowball effect.  Be grateful for everything.  Today I am grateful for 4WD, my family to spend time with for Christmas, my health and being back in Colorado.  It's your turn...what are YOU grateful for?!

When One Door Closes...

I think we're all familiar with the following quote:

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.

I've decided that regretting something from the past whether it be a failed relationship/friendship or any decision is simply a waste of time.  Every adventure that we've been on gets us one step closer to the next; life is a staircase, just take it one step at a time. 

I believe that everything happens for a reason and every person we meet whether we know them for an hour or a lifetime impacts us.  Life is an adventure, it's supposed to be fun!  I am grateful for all lessons I've learned and all experiences and I can only imagine what's in store for today and tomorrow and the next day.

So, don't look back; have no regrets.  And the sooner you learn this lesson the sooner you get to move onto the next!



Let Go, Let Flow!

I have recently been reminded of a fabulous phrase from the movie Something New and that is, "Let go, let flow".  For most females, we tend to overanalyze everything and drive ourselves mentally crazy rather than enjoying the moment.  Too many "but, what if's" or "I shouldn't", and "what will others think?".  It's time to get back on track; life's too short to take it so seriously.  I believe that everything happens for a reason and there are zillions of lessons to learn in life, so buckle your seat belt and just enjoy the ride!

Failure...It's NOT an Option

I have a few fears in life but fear of failure is one that comes up a lot.  Nobody wants to fail but hiding behind your security blanket or building a protection wall isn't getting you anywhere.  I recently read an article that Einstein experimented 10,000 times before he got the lightbulb to work.  Can you imagine if he had stopped at 146 or 659?  The point is, none of his 9,999 times were a failure, it simply got him closer to finding out what really worked.

This can be related to any aspect in life--jobs, relationships, entrepreneurial adventures, sports etc.  You never fail.  You simply figure out what doesn't work.  And, if you never try, then you'll never grow and realize what you're really missing.

"Failure is not falling down, it's refusing to give up." - Chinese Proverb

100 Acquaintances or 1 Best Friend?

That's the question: Would you rather have 100 acquaintances or 1 best friend?

After moving twice in middle school and again after college I've come to the realization I'd rather have a couple best friends.  I've always been one to dabble in many friend groups, but those are just social circles or what I refer to as surface friendships--they have no meaning.

Over the past year I've closed a lot of doors on relationships and realized that I'm really not missing out by not having those "surface" people around.  I would much rather have one or two real true friends that actually know me.  The ones who know when I'm having a bad day, the ones who call just to say hi, the ones who make me feel important even in their busy schedules, the ones I call to share big news, the ones that remind me how special I am, the ones who reassure me that the guy I may have been crushing on who just crushed me is the one who's missing out and the ones who happily lend a shoulder to cry on.  Of course, this goes both ways.

THANK YOU to my special close friends, you know who you are!

Everything Happens for a Reason

I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
-Marilyn Monroe

I couldn't agree more with all of the above.  We may not always understand why, but I believe that with our life purpose, things always go exactly as they should.  This includes relationships, events, jobs, good times and bad.  In the end, there is a lesson to be learned.  Are you learning?

Trust Your Instincts

We all have an inner voice that guides us when we're in trouble or when we question something.  There's nothing greater than trusting your instincts.  I learned a valuable lesson this past weekend when I was running errands.  I grabbed my smaller purse and had an urge to grab my entire wallet and camera rather than just my ID and credit card while shopping.  At some point in the day someone helped themselves into my car and stole my purse.  Luckily I had the goods, but had I not trusted that inner voice I would have been out a lot more than my favorite JSimps purse.
The same goes for situations at work, with friends, family etc.  When something doesn't feel right, something's not adding up, trust your instincts.  They've never done me wrong!

I'm a Quote Girl

I love quotes. Quotes inspire me.  It is part of my morning routine to read my daily inspirational emails and find a quote fitting for the day.  Whether I'm sad, excited, feeling lost etc. quotes seem to always put me back on track.  There's just so much wisdom that can be put into a few simple words, such as the quote below:

 Sometimes good things fall apart
so better things can fall together.

We may not always realize why things happen the way the do, or timing, but trusting that life has a purpose and we are where we're supposed to be is key.  Another favorite of mine:

Enjoy where you're at, on the way to where you're going!