Don't Ever Stop Believing...

I still believe in fairy tales, I still believe in picking flowers, I still believe in getting lost in someone's eyes and talking for hours
I still believe in shooting stars, I still believe in midnight drives and butterflies you get right before you kiss for the very first time
I still believe in miracles, I still believe in wedding rings and bibles, I still believe the best walk you will ever take is walking down the aisle

Love, how many times can my heart break
Love, how much weight can a soul take
and love, I don't know where you ran off to
But love, love, love
I still believe in you

Those were just a few lyrics from the song 'LOVE' that just really resonate with me. (Thank you, Jana Kramer, for singing this so beautifully.) Don't ever stop believing....

Indulge

Indulge in something you love every now and then. Could it be dark chocolate? Maybe vanilla ice cream? A grande latte? Or my favorite... Cuuuupppp caaaakes!?!?!?! (and notice I said 'now and then')! :))

Meditate/Pray

PRAY! No better way to strengthen your heart, mind and soul.

Say Thank You

As a lot of you know my son has chosen a future in the United States Air Force. He left home last Monday and it has been exceptionally hard. I've had an outpouring of support from family, friends and a few 'new friends'! So, this is where I say, THANK YOU!!!!

Gain Unshakable Faith

 

Absolutely!



Welcome Change And Go With It

Change can be scary, but you know what's scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving and progressing.

Well said Mandy Hale!

Decide To Be Happy

The key to happiness belongs to everyone on earth who recognizes simple things as treasures of great worth.  ~Anonymous

Give Up The Need For Control

God is in control; trust Him! He has your back, your front, your everything!

(Now, 'control top'... that's a whole other subject!)

Ditch the Guilt!

Sometimes saying no makes us feel bad, therefore, lots of times we 'give in' to the guilt just so we can feel the 'good'. Know that it's OK to respectfully say no and NOT feel guilty. 

Sing and Dance Like No One is Looking

Note: Wear a top if over the age of 2!

See The Bigger Picture

Sometimes we think God isn't working in our lives because something didn't work the way WE wanted it to work. It's easy to feel discouraged and saddened by rejection, however, if doors are closing, it very well could be that God is opening up other avenues...blessed avenues! He sees the bigger picture of our lives... and so should we!

Limit Complaining

Find Something Perfect To Do

Whatever your 'perfect' is, then do it! Could it be cooking? Maybe reading a book in bed? Or maybe watching your favorite movie with your bestie? Whatever it is, make the time and do it! May I suggest pitching a tent out back with an air mattress and lots of comfy blankets?? Make sure it's a great night under the stars!

Be Confident

Confidence is a beautiful outfit you can wear everyday and not worry about who's seen you in it! ;) Be confident in who you are.

Accept The Things You Cannot Change

But boy if I could, I would change a few things for fun:

I'd make work a vacation and vacation would be work
I'd take all the calories out of desserts and dump them into veggies
We'd have a two day work week and a five day weekend

Practice COMPASSION

YES, THEY DO!

Plan A Trip

Sometimes getting away, even for a weekend, can rejuvenate you... plan a trip with a loved one or your girlfriend/boyfriend, your BFF or a small group of good friends! Take pictures, make some memories... that's the best gift you could bring home!

"She let herself go
to New York City
a week at the spa
came back knocked out pretty!" ~George Strait

I think I should go to New York! :)

Listen With Your Whole Heart

Give the best gift you can give... your time. Take off your headphones, put your phone down, set your lap top aside, turn your TV off, hold off on doing the dishes (no problem!)... Listen with your whole heart when someone is talking. Appreciate that they've chosen YOU to talk to. Appreciate the moment and try and be a good sport even if it's the same 'ol story for the 5th hundred time! Sometimes people just need to be heard. THEY will appreciate YOU for your time and how you care.

Pat Yourself On The Back

It's OK! Go ahead, pat yourself on the back and tell yourself how awesome you are, what a great job you've done, how great you looked today...
Whatever it is that you need to do or say to feel great, then do that!
YOU ARE THE BEST!

Warm Your Toes

Make New Friends

Absolutely!!! I've been really blessed these last few months with new friends... wonderful, spiritually grounded ones at that! Doesn't get better than that!

Take time once in a while to plan a get together for ANY reason (My best friend's sister's niece lost her first tooth! Time to celebrate!!!) and have your trusted friends bring a trusted friend. This is a great way to meet good people. 

Expect A Miracle

YES! Nothing wrong with lifting your expectations to the highest level! Miracles can happen...

My cousin was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at the age of 17. They gave him just a few months to live. He'll be 42 next month!!! He is a living miracle! "I love you, Jacob. You're my inspiration everyday".

Worry No More

Worrying is like praying for what you don't want. Agree?

Watch A Sunset

Take a moment to appreciate God's creation... so peaceful... and even better, enjoy it with someone you love! Oh my heart!

Let Go Of Regrets

Take each morning and see it as a new opportunity to let go of any regrets. Life passes us by so quickly so embrace each moment you have. Love those who love you and forgive those who may not. Do a little better than you did yesterday and believe that everything happens for a reason. Your past is your past and instead of letting it define you, let it teach you.
"Dear pesty regrets, we don't have time for you!"

Be Positive!

So True...

Take Time And Relax

Schedule an appointment with YOU and do whatever it is that relaxes you. A bubble bath? A brisk walk? Chinese take out? Hot tea? A bottle of wine? I mean, a small glass... Whatever you want... just do it! 20 minutes isn't a long time, but 20 minutes does wonders when you just need to unwind at the end of the day. Live well!

Have A Deeper Relationship With God

Aaaaahhhh.... refreshing. For me, there's no other way to begin my day and end my night. He is key to living my best life! I'm an imperfect person who is loved by a PERFECT God. I. Love. That!!!
Be thankful always and praise Him in the storms of life.
He's the beat to my heart! Seriously!!!

Laugh Out Loud

The best kind of laughter is when you're laughing so hard that your words are high pitch squeals or when you KNOW you're gonna be sore the next day or when your face literally hurts or when you're laughing so hard it becomes quiet and tears are just falling our of your eyes or when you're laughing so hard you choke on your saliva! That's the best medicine! But, if you all alone laughing that way, then you might NEED medicine! lol
They say that laughing for 15 minutes is equivalent to a 2 hour nap... if that's true then this girl sleeps a lot thanks to my BFFs!

Forgive

Forgiveness is sometimes hard to give when you think someone doesn't deserve it. But you're not 'forgiving' for their sake... you're forgiving for YOU. Forgiveness is such a powerful thing that brings you healing and freedom. Forgive yourself too! You're bound to make mistakes so don't be so hard on yourself.

THE WEAK CAN NEVER FORGIVE. FORGIVENESS IS THE ATTRIBUTE OF THE STRONG.
~Mahatma Gandhi

Embrace Kindness

Being kind doesn't cost a penny, yet it can be worth millions! Hold the door for someone, offer up your front row parking to someone (I know, this one kinda stings lol), make someone a cake just because, or make sure your BFF doesn't leave the bathroom with her skirt 'tucked in'! :)) There are so many ways to be kind, start today!

Celebrate Being You

You are who you are. Why not celebrate that? You are AMAZING! You are WONDERFULLY made! You MATTER! You are ENOUGH! You are MAGICAL! You are someone's EVERYTHING! Now that calls for cupcakes and a sippy cup of wine! ;)

 

Call Someone You Love

Sometimes hearing the voices of the ones you love can make a huge difference in the way you feel... unless they themselves are having an 'off' day, in which, you may just want to try another number! *insert smile
Yes, I'm just kidding. This is a perfect opportunity to brighten THEIR day, if need be. In turn, this too can make you feel good.

Choose Happy... It's Good For You!

Surround Yourself With Happy People

There's nothing better than having happy people around you.  People you can laugh with, share your thoughts with, secretly judge others (Lol!!! What? Did i say that?), people who genuinely care about YOU for the person you are. It's important that you find these people, kidnap them (make sure you feed them well and always have wine in stock) and above all... CHERISH them. Good friends are like rare gems. I have a few gems, I'm happy to say. So, "Thank y'all, family and besties, for the memories and laughs. Y'all make my life shiny and bright!"

Welcome All!

I'm so excited to share to my new blog page with you!

I decided to start this blog not only to hopefully inspire others to find happiness within themselves,  but so that I too can find that inner peace and joy that I lost somewhere along the way. We all go through struggles, myself included, and each of us handles them differently. What I have learned through MY personal struggles is this; I can either let it dwell inside of me and make me miserable OR I can find my silver lining and get happy! I choose 'GET HAPPY'!

I've done a lot of reading and soul searching in the last few years. I've read scriptures, self-help books, inspirational books, quotes, I've compiled lists of ways to make myself happy and I've even done random acts of kindness, which feels UH-MA-ZING! So, why was I still not feeling complete? What was I missing?

There are a bazillion ways to positively love yourself happy, so there really isn't a reason why you can't, at least, try to make them work for you... unless, of course, you choose not too. This year I've chosen to put my compiled list of 'feel good' things to use. I hope that you (yes, men too) follow along, become inspired to love yourself more and love those around you. Feel free to comment if you'd like. I love ideas and welcome them. But please, try to be encouraging and positive. Thanks y'all!!!

Happy reading...