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.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
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!
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