How many times have YOU started a blog, said you would be better at writing more often, maybe even bought a domain to try to “light the fire,” and then did 5 posts and thought.... “meh, I’ll do it tomorrow.” Or maybe it’s another commitment in your life like..losing weight (heaven knows that’s one of mine,) starting that new hobby you’ve always wanted to try, making your kids’ photo books or sending thank you cards from your wedding...which was 7 years ago and now seems pointless because THEY probably don’t even remember what they gave you at this point.
Well, I guess this is that post then. That “re-commitment post.” But...to be honest I don’t want to put those quotation marks around re-commitment. Maybe after watching the movie Julie and Julia, or I Can Only Imagine, or Forever Strong this week while I was sick in bed with the flu, REALLY put a fire under my butt about FINDING our passions and GOING for it! And knowing we will have setbacks along the way and moments we want to give up, will make it that much sweeter when those commitments are fulfilled like we wanted them to be. (And if you haven’t seen those movies, I highly recommend them!)
Let’s make something clear though. I. Am. Not. A. Bawl. Baby. Okay? It’s not that I don’t feel emotion, and maybe I just trained myself not to cry because I didn’t want my makeup to run, but when I’m watching a movie in the theater I just DON’T cry. Any other mama’s out there like me? I mean...if not, that’s cool, but I just wanted to set the foreground for where I’m going here.
Today I watched, for the first time, the movie “I Can Only Imagine.” When I first started it, I was HONESTLY thinking... “is this going to be one of those movies that everyone cries about..?” And being sick has been REAL boring folks! Doc said not to go out of the house because I was definitely contagious and I am NO home body! I like adventure and getting out of my house/getting things done around my house. Guys, I ACTUALLY cooked dinner today because I was so bored! #neverhavetime
So, I’m watching this movie, not really into it at first, and after a little bit it started to get a little deep. It pulled at my heart strings a little and sucked me in like a kid licking his popsicle clean. I was absolutely glued to this movie! And I cried. Yes, people of the internet, Nicole Neff cried like a toddler, because let’s get something straight....toddlers can be a whole lot harder to console than a baby when they’ve lost their favorite brown dinosaur, am I right? But really, this movie got to me. A movie about forgiveness, dreams, God, love, and music. Yeah, this movie REALLY got me, and not because I went through what he went through or anything, but because I have this crazy..I don’t know if you’d call it a superpower or talent...but I always seem to find a way to relate my life and my beliefs to the people in movies and what they are going through. I think a lot of us do this, and we may not even realize it! And I don’t want to give away the whole movie if you haven’t seen it yet, but his Dad tells him that he shouldn’t go for his dream. And do you know what I realized? I’m the one saying that to myself.....
Gosh! Why do we do that? Why are we self deprecating? And why do we tell ourselves that we can’t!? Did you know that we are only using about 10% of our brains’ actual capacity? And we are using even less when we decide to tell ourselves that we’re “not worthy of our dreams.” Again, with the quotation marks! STOP IT!
We are better than that! And we need to stop re-committing and just commit. Each day you wake up and each door you pass through might mean you forget your purpose a little, but just stop...for a minute...wherever you are and just think for a second about something you’ve wanted to accomplish; something that has been a goal for a LONG time for you. And I invite you to commit to it. Write about it. Talk about it. Read about it. Think about it. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Because it’s not going to happen tomorrow, or next year, or in 5 years, or when your kids are in school, or when they’re out of the house. I invite you to make it happen NOW! No, not overnight! Heavens no. But if you don’t start now, when will you REALLY start? How Many Times have you started and given up? How about we don’t do the “giving up” part this time, huh? ...(I did those quotation marks again.)
And here it is! My commitment: to blog my thoughts of positive self talk, with hopes that it may serve others to remember their self worth and ability to make their lives into something more than they’d ever dreamed!
I’m only starting with one commitment for now, because getting too many on our plates all at once can ALSO be self deprecating. I’m starting here. I’m starting now. And I’m excited to share it with all of you!
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Let it Be Enough
Today, I set out to achieve a goal that I have set for myself to do on a daily basis. There are a lot of things that lead up to achieving that goal by the end of the day and I have to work HARD to get there! I started to see my efforts as undervalued and unsatisfactory because my results weren't reflecting the hard work I had put in.
Then I started to think for just a minute...
What HAD I DONE today? What did I accomplish? Did I spend my time working toward my goal? Yes! Did I do my best? YES! Did I push harder than I thought I could! Yes!
So, I decided at the end of the day that I would let what I did today be enough.
And that, if I put my faith in God and ask him to be by my side to make me stronger than I can make myself, that he will recognize my efforts and blessings WILL come. Even on the hard days.
I am enough.
Then I started to think for just a minute...
What HAD I DONE today? What did I accomplish? Did I spend my time working toward my goal? Yes! Did I do my best? YES! Did I push harder than I thought I could! Yes!
So, I decided at the end of the day that I would let what I did today be enough.
And that, if I put my faith in God and ask him to be by my side to make me stronger than I can make myself, that he will recognize my efforts and blessings WILL come. Even on the hard days.
I am enough.
Monday, June 5, 2017
It matters that it doesn't matter
Yesterday I watched as a boy about 6 year old who is such a sweet kid with a LOT of energy, went to another little boy, a little older than him, and sat down to play with him. Most kids don't know how to react when they talk to kids with down syndrome, but not this resilient 6 year old. This kid's ability to love this kid was unconditional and unselfish. He just wanted to hangout with him; play with him like he was an equal.
THAT is how it should be! It matters to me that it didn't matter to him that this boy has down syndrome! He is an example to all of us! These people are such special human beings and I am so grateful for little kids! I cannot believe how sweet that little moment was and how special that kid is!
I am grateful for the company I am a part of and their support for Down Syndrome! They donated a substantial amount in honor of their granddaughter who is the most adorable baby on the planet! I am so grateful to have these people as examples in my life of the goodness and happiness in this world, because IT MATTERS! :)
My thoughts of the day! ;)
THAT is how it should be! It matters to me that it didn't matter to him that this boy has down syndrome! He is an example to all of us! These people are such special human beings and I am so grateful for little kids! I cannot believe how sweet that little moment was and how special that kid is!
I am grateful for the company I am a part of and their support for Down Syndrome! They donated a substantial amount in honor of their granddaughter who is the most adorable baby on the planet! I am so grateful to have these people as examples in my life of the goodness and happiness in this world, because IT MATTERS! :)
My thoughts of the day! ;)
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Swat that Fly
You're probably wondering what the heck this means, but I have to tell you up front that it has become my LIFE MANTRA! Yes, I really did just put that in caps, because it is seriously what keeps me going right now: Swat that Fly!
Let me give you some back story, here.
I am married to my incredible and wonderful husband of almost five years. I am a mom to a beautiful baby boy, Lincoln, who turns one this month! I am a daughter, sister, friend and neighbor, but I am also a business woman. In the business that I am in, there are so many ways to compare yourself! The comparison trap is so real, and as I think about it, there are reasons that we compare ourselves on a DAILY basis no matter if you are a business woman or not, but in this particular case, my reasoning for the comparison was mostly about my business.
I felt like I wasn't living up to expectations and that there was so much weight on my shoulders that I needed to provide for my family and be a good leader in the business, but I was playing the "what if," game and comparing myself to other women I look up to who are successful in the business.
I ended up talking to a dear friend of mine, who didn't have to take time out of her day to talk to me, but she did! She said that comparison is a pride issue. Comparing does not do anything good for us, because it just keeps us thinking about all of the bad things we THINK about ourselves and we could be doing something SO much better! We could be thinking about others and what they need rather than wallowing in self pity.
I was a little in shock at first. Me? Nicole? I have a pride issue? But......
I guess I had never thought about it like that. If I am continually thinking about myself and only myself, and feeling bad for myself, then I am not doing ANYONE any good. Especially because now I am not only thinking about myself more, but I am putting my faults and frustrations before I think about others and their needs.
This hit me! I needed some time to think about it.
A few days later, I had the chance to talk to another woman in my life who I look up to and respect and who is a friend that I will cherish forever! I talked this out with her. I told her that I had never thought of myself as being "prideful," or that the problem was ME and the thoughts that I was having were tearing down not only me, but that they could be tearing down others too. The thoughts of comparison had no purpose in keeping my head above water and I wasn't helping others by comparing.
Then this friend said something that I will never forget! She told me that what she does when she has ANY negative thought come into her head, is she physically takes her hand, swipes it out in front of her face, and tells herself, "That thought doesn't serve me."
WOW!!! What power! Can you just take a minute and think about that, because that is a serious gem of a phrase! "That thought doesn't serve me," and then PHYSICALLY push it away, because it doesn't need to be there.
Ummmm YES!
So, then I was telling some of my friends that I work with about this concept of pushing those thoughts from your head and how when I do it, I now say, "That thought doesn't serve me. Now, let's go serve someone else." Because there really is no purpose in life unless we are here to lift each other up and be a help to each other. A good friend of mine always says, "A rising tide lifts all ships." If we are willing to buoy each other up instead of compare ourselves to each other, and we are willing to serve and love the people around us, it only lifts and strengthens ALL of us! Take that hand out in front of your face and push those negative thoughts away.
You are now probably thinking, "Um, Nicole? What does this have to do with flies?" As I was teaching my new favorite mantra, one of my friends said, "It kinda looks like you are swatting a fly when you do that." And thus the mantra began!
Swat that Fly.
This has become such a powerful thing for me and others that I have come in contact with as we push those bad feelings away. They are as pesky as flies and they can be just as annoying. My husband even said, "Sometimes you have to swat your flies more than once, because they come back and you didn't get it gone."
Each bad thought you have about yourself, about a family or friend, or that puts you in a position where you are being prideful without realizing it. I urge you to swat your flies and to not let them be the reason for distress or heart ache. Then get up and go serve someone else.
Let me give you some back story, here.
I am married to my incredible and wonderful husband of almost five years. I am a mom to a beautiful baby boy, Lincoln, who turns one this month! I am a daughter, sister, friend and neighbor, but I am also a business woman. In the business that I am in, there are so many ways to compare yourself! The comparison trap is so real, and as I think about it, there are reasons that we compare ourselves on a DAILY basis no matter if you are a business woman or not, but in this particular case, my reasoning for the comparison was mostly about my business.
I felt like I wasn't living up to expectations and that there was so much weight on my shoulders that I needed to provide for my family and be a good leader in the business, but I was playing the "what if," game and comparing myself to other women I look up to who are successful in the business.
I ended up talking to a dear friend of mine, who didn't have to take time out of her day to talk to me, but she did! She said that comparison is a pride issue. Comparing does not do anything good for us, because it just keeps us thinking about all of the bad things we THINK about ourselves and we could be doing something SO much better! We could be thinking about others and what they need rather than wallowing in self pity.
I was a little in shock at first. Me? Nicole? I have a pride issue? But......
I guess I had never thought about it like that. If I am continually thinking about myself and only myself, and feeling bad for myself, then I am not doing ANYONE any good. Especially because now I am not only thinking about myself more, but I am putting my faults and frustrations before I think about others and their needs.
This hit me! I needed some time to think about it.
A few days later, I had the chance to talk to another woman in my life who I look up to and respect and who is a friend that I will cherish forever! I talked this out with her. I told her that I had never thought of myself as being "prideful," or that the problem was ME and the thoughts that I was having were tearing down not only me, but that they could be tearing down others too. The thoughts of comparison had no purpose in keeping my head above water and I wasn't helping others by comparing.
Then this friend said something that I will never forget! She told me that what she does when she has ANY negative thought come into her head, is she physically takes her hand, swipes it out in front of her face, and tells herself, "That thought doesn't serve me."
WOW!!! What power! Can you just take a minute and think about that, because that is a serious gem of a phrase! "That thought doesn't serve me," and then PHYSICALLY push it away, because it doesn't need to be there.
Ummmm YES!
So, then I was telling some of my friends that I work with about this concept of pushing those thoughts from your head and how when I do it, I now say, "That thought doesn't serve me. Now, let's go serve someone else." Because there really is no purpose in life unless we are here to lift each other up and be a help to each other. A good friend of mine always says, "A rising tide lifts all ships." If we are willing to buoy each other up instead of compare ourselves to each other, and we are willing to serve and love the people around us, it only lifts and strengthens ALL of us! Take that hand out in front of your face and push those negative thoughts away.
You are now probably thinking, "Um, Nicole? What does this have to do with flies?" As I was teaching my new favorite mantra, one of my friends said, "It kinda looks like you are swatting a fly when you do that." And thus the mantra began!
Swat that Fly.
This has become such a powerful thing for me and others that I have come in contact with as we push those bad feelings away. They are as pesky as flies and they can be just as annoying. My husband even said, "Sometimes you have to swat your flies more than once, because they come back and you didn't get it gone."
Each bad thought you have about yourself, about a family or friend, or that puts you in a position where you are being prideful without realizing it. I urge you to swat your flies and to not let them be the reason for distress or heart ache. Then get up and go serve someone else.
It's time
Do you have one of those goals that you just KEEP writing down and you say.. "I'll REALLY do it this time,"....every time you write it down? Well, blogging is that for me. I sincerely think blogging is an amazing thing and I love journal writing so, I think that is part of the reason I desire to write a blog, but........then the task seems so daunting and so time consuming that I never end up doing it, even though I should and want to. Then, as most people these days do, I find myself surfing the web and just scrolling through my social media feeds (having plenty of time to do that, I guess.)
So, here I am. Attempting again, to be a blogger.
It's time for me to write down my thoughts again. And, as much as I love my physical journal, it's just not practical anymore. I don't have it with me all the time, it does take quite a bit longer for me to write in it than it does to type and I know that it won't get done if I don't do it on the go.
When I was getting ready to sit down and write this blog, I was trying to decide how I wanted to do it. Did I want to become big? Did I want it to be private? Do I want it to be about me? Or did I just want it to be my thoughts? Or did I want to have a place to put all my creative ideas?
There are so many questions that can be answered in this setting and so I have decided that I am going to be adventurous. I am going to be brave and I am going to be transparent. So, many people out there, including myself are looking for someone they can relate to. Even for a minute! It's not about becoming the biggest blogger out there, but finding someone who you have something in common with. It's about remembering who you are and that God made you the way you were supposed to be and for me, it's finding little nuggets that help me along my day!
It's time for me to do what I have always wanted to do! Even if it is small and insignificant, maybe, just maybe, it will help someone else!
So, here I am. Attempting again, to be a blogger.
It's time for me to write down my thoughts again. And, as much as I love my physical journal, it's just not practical anymore. I don't have it with me all the time, it does take quite a bit longer for me to write in it than it does to type and I know that it won't get done if I don't do it on the go.
When I was getting ready to sit down and write this blog, I was trying to decide how I wanted to do it. Did I want to become big? Did I want it to be private? Do I want it to be about me? Or did I just want it to be my thoughts? Or did I want to have a place to put all my creative ideas?
There are so many questions that can be answered in this setting and so I have decided that I am going to be adventurous. I am going to be brave and I am going to be transparent. So, many people out there, including myself are looking for someone they can relate to. Even for a minute! It's not about becoming the biggest blogger out there, but finding someone who you have something in common with. It's about remembering who you are and that God made you the way you were supposed to be and for me, it's finding little nuggets that help me along my day!
It's time for me to do what I have always wanted to do! Even if it is small and insignificant, maybe, just maybe, it will help someone else!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Love Life. Be Brave.-My Intro
My name is Nicole Neff. I love the color yellow. I love to shop at garage sales. I love to decorate (with all the stuff I get from garage sales.) I love the outdoors. I love running. I don't love cooking (I'm working on it...). I love clothes and fashion. I love stud earrings, cardigans, scarves and flats. I love kids books. I like to read, (notice I didn't put love? Mostly because I only love it if I have a good book and time to read it without being interrupted.) I love to sing. I am deathly afraid of escalators. I love gum!!!!!! I love to write in my journal. I am a pinterest addict. Someday I want to be a photographer. I love working with youth ages 12-18. I am a wife. I am a daughter. I am a teacher. I am brave and adventurous...at least...I'm trying to be!
I have been telling myself that I am going to write this blog for a very long time. I have so many ideas and ways to organize my life. I have silly talents that I want to share with the world. I love the ideas that other people have and I want to try them. I am ready for a new adventure and I am going to be brave!
As silly as it sounds, I have had a saying that I have said for as long as I can remember. In certain times in my life, I have said it more than others. This is sometimes said sarcastically, but this phrase is always around my finger to remind me that, "I Love Life!"
In high school, I would say, "I Love Life" whenever anything happened in life no matter if it were good or bad. I would say it to remind myself that life is to have adventures and we are meant to have love in our lives! This sentence has had so much influence in my life and then someone somewhere came up with the most brilliant idea; they inscribed my life mantra into a ring.
I wear this ring every day. My husband bought it for me for my birthday the first year that we were married and I only take it off at night and to go running. This ring is a constant reminder to me to continue to see life as something that needs to be loved. Yes, we struggle through life and it can be one of the hardest things we do! But, there are so many ways to love and enjoy it, which brings me to the inside of the ring.
Not only does this ring remind me to love the life that I have been given, but it also reminds me that I can, "Be Brave." Bravery is such an interesting thing for me. Would I consider myself a brave person? Probably not! So, now you are going to ask yourselves, "Well, then why is her blog called 'adventure and bravery?'" This little reminder inside my ring is helping me to step out of myself and learn to love my life and I am learning to be brave every day. One of the greatest quotes I have ever read in my entire life is:
"In order to become what you want to be, you must consistently be what you want to become, each day." -Elder Richard G. Scott
I am a religious person and I love God. Richard G. Scott is an incredible man who has touched the hearts of many as a member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have learned that life is about becoming. We are trying to become like Christ each and every day! We are all trying to understand what life is all about and we are all going through something that is tough. When I look to God and ask him to help me become more like Christ, to be more kind, to be more humble, to be who I want to be and to be brave enough to love the life I have been given, he will always answer my prayers!
I've experienced much anxiety in my life. Growing up, it was part of my nature to put myself in situations where I was pushed to my limits. I wanted to do everything I could to improve myself and show that I was brave. I have loved life in so many ways! And I am on a continual journey of learning to be brave and to love my life. My anxiety comes through my own self and worry. Today I watched a show and this gal had a necklace that says, "Fearless." I love that! I wish I was fearless and that I was always brave. I have learned how to control my anxiety by praying and meditating. I love to write in my journal all of the thoughts that I have and I imagine that this blog will continue to help me in my journey to overcome anxiety and to become fearless, brave and to love my life!
I would say that right now is a high stress time in my life. I'm a teacher finishing up a school year, I am under contract for a house as a first time home buyer, I'm training for the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay Race, and I'm the assistant camp director for the Young Women in my area, and that is just the beginning. As I prepare for the next month of my life, I know that I can be brave and withstand these anxieties that may beset me, by turning to my father in heaven. He is there for me. And as I strive to become like my savior, I will be blessed!
I am excited to show you my journey of loving life and being brave. Maybe you'll be touched. If nothing else, I hope that I can achieve many adventures as I write this blog. I am ready to begin my adventures and I know that I can do it through my savior, Jesus Christ.
I have been telling myself that I am going to write this blog for a very long time. I have so many ideas and ways to organize my life. I have silly talents that I want to share with the world. I love the ideas that other people have and I want to try them. I am ready for a new adventure and I am going to be brave!
As silly as it sounds, I have had a saying that I have said for as long as I can remember. In certain times in my life, I have said it more than others. This is sometimes said sarcastically, but this phrase is always around my finger to remind me that, "I Love Life!"
In high school, I would say, "I Love Life" whenever anything happened in life no matter if it were good or bad. I would say it to remind myself that life is to have adventures and we are meant to have love in our lives! This sentence has had so much influence in my life and then someone somewhere came up with the most brilliant idea; they inscribed my life mantra into a ring.
I wear this ring every day. My husband bought it for me for my birthday the first year that we were married and I only take it off at night and to go running. This ring is a constant reminder to me to continue to see life as something that needs to be loved. Yes, we struggle through life and it can be one of the hardest things we do! But, there are so many ways to love and enjoy it, which brings me to the inside of the ring.
Not only does this ring remind me to love the life that I have been given, but it also reminds me that I can, "Be Brave." Bravery is such an interesting thing for me. Would I consider myself a brave person? Probably not! So, now you are going to ask yourselves, "Well, then why is her blog called 'adventure and bravery?'" This little reminder inside my ring is helping me to step out of myself and learn to love my life and I am learning to be brave every day. One of the greatest quotes I have ever read in my entire life is:
"In order to become what you want to be, you must consistently be what you want to become, each day." -Elder Richard G. Scott
I am a religious person and I love God. Richard G. Scott is an incredible man who has touched the hearts of many as a member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have learned that life is about becoming. We are trying to become like Christ each and every day! We are all trying to understand what life is all about and we are all going through something that is tough. When I look to God and ask him to help me become more like Christ, to be more kind, to be more humble, to be who I want to be and to be brave enough to love the life I have been given, he will always answer my prayers!
I've experienced much anxiety in my life. Growing up, it was part of my nature to put myself in situations where I was pushed to my limits. I wanted to do everything I could to improve myself and show that I was brave. I have loved life in so many ways! And I am on a continual journey of learning to be brave and to love my life. My anxiety comes through my own self and worry. Today I watched a show and this gal had a necklace that says, "Fearless." I love that! I wish I was fearless and that I was always brave. I have learned how to control my anxiety by praying and meditating. I love to write in my journal all of the thoughts that I have and I imagine that this blog will continue to help me in my journey to overcome anxiety and to become fearless, brave and to love my life!
I would say that right now is a high stress time in my life. I'm a teacher finishing up a school year, I am under contract for a house as a first time home buyer, I'm training for the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay Race, and I'm the assistant camp director for the Young Women in my area, and that is just the beginning. As I prepare for the next month of my life, I know that I can be brave and withstand these anxieties that may beset me, by turning to my father in heaven. He is there for me. And as I strive to become like my savior, I will be blessed!
I am excited to show you my journey of loving life and being brave. Maybe you'll be touched. If nothing else, I hope that I can achieve many adventures as I write this blog. I am ready to begin my adventures and I know that I can do it through my savior, Jesus Christ.
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