Blow Me Down...I'll Get Right Back Up!!!

                Catchy title don’t you think?  Usually I write first, then come up with a title but I am trying something new today.  I try to write about things that are going on in my life on each day.  In the past few days my mood has been blowing hot and cold, just like the VERY WINDY day outside

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                I was cheerful then grumpy, anxious then calm, angry then happy just to name a few of the emotions I experienced all in the same day.  The emotions I experienced made me feel off balance and ready to hide away.  Thankfully my “old self” isn’t in control anymore.  She likes to come back and visit, but I have the tools to “put her in her place.”

                I had to put my “old self” in check because if I didn’t I would have allowed myself to snuggle up, turn on the TV and delay the start to my morning.  That wouldn’t be good because then I would have to get motivated to start working all over again.  Better to just get up and start the day.

                Now I have one “good decision” under my belt and that is a decision I made from a place within myself that is filled with “LOVE.”  As my day progresses if negativity or tough choices come my way I can remember my first “good decision” and use that as fuel to stay on track.

                Every day is different.  Some days I have to “work” harder to stay on track and focus more on making positive decisions and operating from “love” not “fear.”  My job is to keep moving and keep working.  I must acknowledge the “good” things, and “Learn From” then “Let Go Of” the negative things.  The more I practice this, the better I get at it.

                What “good decisions” can you make this morning that you can carry with you throughout your day?

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Do You Live in Happiness!!!

                Good Morning Universe!!!  I LIVE IN HAPPINESS.  Yes, I said it and I mean it.  Today I spend my days in Happiness and I am Grateful.  I don’t want people to misunderstand what I mean by Living in Happiness.  I am not saying I am Happy 24/7.  What I AM SAYING is that I don’t let sadness rule my life.

                I acknowledge that Sadness may come and visit me at times in my life, but I am not spending the majority of my life IN SADNESS anymore.  These days I know that when I am Sad it is only temporary.  I don’t have to allow my negative emotions and experiences to dictate My Life.

                I used to contemplate whether or not I should write about Sadness.  I want my writings to be positive and uplifting when others read them, but I don’t want to be dishonest or let people believe everything is perfect.  My words wouldn’t help anyone if they aren’t honest or relatable.

                I remember last year when I went home to visit my mother for Halloween and she was a little shocked when I confided in her that I was Sad.  At the time I hadn’t found my place in Vegas, I was lonely and confused, but she didn’t know that because all my Blogs up until then were ALWAYS Positive.  I was afraid to admit that I felt negativity at times, but in that fear I was doing myself a disservice.  I was doing others a disservice, because how could I inspire others if was personally unrelatable.

                Today I Live in Happiness for the majority of my days, but sometimes I must work harder to find the Happy and surround myself with it.  It is my job to move forward and find ways to bring more Happiness and more Love into my Life.  I have to work to leave the Negative in the past so I don’t end up living there.  I have to forgive myself when I am sad or negative, otherwise I may use that negativity as an excuse to live in Sadness.

I am building a “toolbox” filled with ways to Live in Happiness.  Some of my most powerful tools are Gratitude, Open Expression, Compassion, Trust, and a growing Support System.  What can you do to fill your “toolbox” with Happy?

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Off Track??? Sometimes you have to Just Jump In!!!

                I am annoyed today.  I am Intimidated today.  I am a little lost today.  Whew, now that I got that negativity out of the way I can FOCUS, right?  If it were only that easy to say your feelings out loud and then…Poof, they would disappear.  Oh well it was worth a try.

                Honestly my negativity hasn’t completely gone away, but I ACTUALLY do feel better having expressed my feelings out loud.  I know that those feelings are still inside me, but now that I have Acknowledged them I don’t have to dwell in them.

                If I am to move past my negative thoughts and emotions the first step is to acknowledge them, otherwise how can I Really Know what to work on.  Without acknowledgement the only other option is to bury my negativity, and BURYING NEGATIVITY is only a temporary fix.  When you Bury your feelings they ALWAYS come back to Bite You in the BUTT, and they come back with a vengeance.

                Now that I have decided to JUST JUMP IN, I know that I am on the right track.  I wrote the first part of this blog a few days ago and two things have happened to reinforce my decision to JUMP IN.

                 First off this morning I was reading a Blog written by Jenna Hall where she said, “A way cannot be made if you do not move. If you wait until you are ready, you will never begin.”  BAM!!!!  That hit me like a ton of bricks.  Procrastination can be the killer of our dreams.  Fear of not being perfect can COMPLETELY Stop us from moving forward, from creating, from living our dreams.

                I used to live in FEAR and ANXIETY about the “what if’s” in my life and I was stuck and unhappy.  A path cannot be made if you do not move. If you keep waiting until you are Absolutely Sure Everything is Perfect, you may never begin.  Now I constantly strive to MOVE, maybe I won’t always be moving forward, maybe i’ll stumble and fall, BUT I WILL ALWAYS BE MOVING.

                The second reason I KNOW I am on the right track is that the writer’s block that kept me COMPLETELY STAGNANT over the weekend, has lifted.   I JUMPED IN to the project I am dedicated to and I have been rewarded.

                What projects, tasks, desires, and dreams have you been putting off for FEAR of Jumping IN?  If you don’t feel comfortable JUMPING IN, are you willing to at least step forward into your future?

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Do You Have The Courage To Be UNCOOL?

               Good Morning Universe, let’s talk about COOL!!!  Let’s talk about how many times in our lives we have an unhealthy desire to “fit in.”  I am not saying that when we adapt to our surroundings and the people in it that it is always unhealthy.  What I am saying is that when we hide who we really are or behave in ways that make us uncomfortable, THAT ISN’T GOOD!!!

                When I was younger I spent so much time trying to fit in that I didn’t even know who I was.  I did not Acknowledge the things that made me happy.  I did not Believe that other people would like me for who I was on the inside.  I did not live in LOVE and Happiness, I existed in Fear.

                My thoughts and actions were heavily influence by other people and my own lack of Self Love.  My Actions weren’t considered and executed in order to make me happy, proud, and fulfilled.  My Actions were always filtered through the, “what will other people think” lens.  I missed out on so much Happiness and Fulfillment because my happiness was tied to directly to other people’s acceptance.

                When I made jokes and laughed it was really a mask for the sadness I was living in.  I always wanted to be the joking and cheerful person, because I thought this was who I had to be in order for people to like me.  I didn’t speak up for myself and I always agreed with everyone else.

                Then one day my life took a turn for the worst, and I started cutting myself and eventually started abusing drugs.  As much as I wish I could erase that part of my life I did learn a few things.  I learned that I was MUCH STRONGER than I ever imagined because I came out of those years of addiction and learned to prosper.

                Belief became my most powerful tool for change.  I started to believe in myself.  On some days when things didn’t go my way I had to Practice Belief, but I kept trying.  Once I started to Truly Believe I could accept myself and be happy it was time to make choices that were in alignment with how I wanted my life to look.  Most importantly, I took ACTION!!!  I stopped sitting back in Fear and started Doing Things that would bring more Love and Light into my soul. 

                One of the best things I learned about myself is that as of today I AM that HAPPY and JOKING person that I pretended to be when I was younger.  The difference now is that I use humor to make me smile and not so other people will like and accept me.  If people want to laugh and smile with me that is AWESOME, but if not I don’t take it so personally.

                I love my awkwardness, my sense of humor, my dorky side, and a lot of things that some people may consider “Uncool.”  Today I revel in the person I have developed into, and even though other people’s opinions can impact me sometimes I don’t dwell on that.  I Love Myself.  Do you have Love for yourself?  If not, what can you do today to bring more Love into your soul?

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Perseverance is PROGRESS!!!

                Good Morning Universe, today I want to talk about progress.  Many times in our lives we feel that we are “stunted” or “stuck” in the same place and this can get us down.  In our busy world many people feel that Success and Progress should always be a measurable quantity.

                I don’t think that I agree that Success and Progress is always measurable.  I understand the need for measurable goals and encourage these things, but we should not be limited by our measurable goals.  When we HAVE TO have reach a measurable goal in order to be happy it sets us up for true failure.

                Goals, Aspirations, and Measurable Progress are wonderful tools for growth and fulfillment and I am not advocating letting these things go.  Instead I am advocating a balance between progress and acceptance.  Don’t believe that if you are not progressing towards your goals at every moment that you have somehow failed, because that is the first step towards regression, towards giving up.

                For the past few weeks I have been practicing perseverance, I have been practicing “not giving up.”  I have been practicing having faith in myself and my goals.  I have struggled because I have not lost any weight in a few weeks, even though I am eating right and exercising daily.  I am struggling because my financial situation is “so tight” it feels I can’t breathe because of anxiety.

                It is my struggles that I must persevere through in order to appreciate just about anything.  In the past, in fact most of my life, when I was faced with struggles I easily gave up.  I would lose my positivity and my desire to change because I thought giving up was easier.  I was wrong, giving up only felt easy in the moment.  In the long run giving up never made me happy and just kept me living in fear and mediocrity.

                During the times in your life when you feel you are stuck use it as a chance to learn, practice, and utilize the Amazing Quality of Perseverance.  Don’t ever think that your goals are unattainable.  Start incorporating and practicing Perseverance in the difficult times when you feel are not growing and progressing.

                When we learn to persevere we are demonstrating patience, faith, and learning to love ourselves and our lives no matter what.  These qualities are never a waste of time.  So let’s all practice persevering through the “no so great” stuff and remembering that it will make us that much more appreciative of our successes in the end.

To The Universe

Love Brandy

May Everyday Be Enough!!!

“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

 I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

 I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

 I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

 I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

 I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

 I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."  -Author Unknown

                I read this beautiful poem on today, and was truly touched.  These words got me thinking about how we wish the best for people around us all the time.  What is “The Best?”  What if our definition of “The Best” was simply shaped by our lives, good and bad.

                If you never experience bad times or negative emotions how can you expect to TRULY APPRECIATE the good things in life.  Life is contrast.  You can’t have a beautiful sunny day without the chilly darkened night.

                It is the things that we have overcome that make Success So SWEET!!!  If we were given everything on a silver platter, what kind of value would we give it?  I am pretty sure the value would be relatively low.

                I am not saying that I hope anyone has to experience Lack, Loss, Pain, or Sadness.  What I am saying is that it is helpful to remember that it is the “Not So Good Stuff” which makes us truly appreciate and value our lives.

                I try, and sometimes fail, to remember the blessings in my life when I am faced with the “Not So Good Stuff” or the downright “Really BAD Things.”  The one thing I know is that life never stays the same, we are always changing, and the Sun rises every morning to banish the darkness.  There is comfort in that certainty.

                I am a happy person today.  In the past I have been a miserable, selfish, and desperate person but I am truly blessed because I am still here.  Everyday isn’t perfect but every day “Is Enough.”

  

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Practice not letting Other People's Words Bring You Down!!!

                Good Morning Universe.  Today I want to talk about how often we let other people’s words and actions take away our comfort, joy, security, and other similar emotions.  Just a few days ago I let someone else’s interpretation of my actions Really Effect ME!!!

                It was just this past Sunday, Mother’s Day to be more specific.  I was excited to spend the morning making a wonderful Brunch for Susan, and didn’t even let the fact that I was unable to celebrate with my own Mother in Sacramento get me down.

                I woke up very early and went to the gym so that I could be all ready to get cooking by 11am.  I spent the late morning cooking pancakes and an egg bake.  I made the food, set the table, served everyone, and even did most of the dishes.  (Nick and Justine pitched in on the clean up…Thanks Guys)

                Anyways, the brunch itself went wonderful.  After all the dishes were loaded up I ran the dishwasher and I absentmindedly put dish soap in the dishwasher instead of a dishwasher tab, OOPS!!!  The dishwasher got foamy and I had to wet vac the bubbles out, it sucked but I didn’t consider it a big deal.  Sometimes things just happen.

                The problem I experienced came later in the afternoon when my Father called me in order to be sure I was OK.  I thought this was crazy because I had a great day.  He then shared that he had been thinking for hours about my mistake with the dishwasher.  He asked if I was doing ok, if I was preoccupied, or if I was drunk.

 

                I told him the truth.  I wasn’t preoccupied, I wasn’t sad or angry, I wasn’t drunk, and that I simply made an absent minded mistake.  We are all humans and we make mistakes.  When I went back to my apartment I was upset.  I couldn’t understand why he made such a big deal about the dishwasher or why he felt he HAD to share it with me.

                In fact I was still irritated when I was getting ready for bed.  It was the next morning that I realized that I was letting his issue and his concern become mine.  I realized that he needed to share those feelings for whatever reason.  I don’t have to agree with him or feel the need to justify myself.  I also don’t have to internalize it, evaluate it, or let it make me question myself.  I was responsible for how I let someone else’s words affect me.

 

                Now my task is to keep this lesson with me in the future.  I need to remember that I am responsible for myself, my thoughts, and my actions.  It will take practice to keep my boundaries in place so that I can take other peoples words and actions to a place within myself that I can grow from.  What boundaries can you enact today that will help you live in Positivity and Love?

To The Universe

Love Brandy