Positivity for your negativity

I saw online that Mary- Louise Parker has announced she will be quitting the acting business due to all the negative comments by the public about her . Then,  I was watching the Bad Girls Club reunion last night (don’t judge me) and one of the women was apologizing for all the bad mouthing she’d done to the other women via Twitter.  She admitted that it was wrong, in the heat of the moment, and was only due to the women pointing out her own insecurities regarding her weight.  Had they just communicated with each other it never would have gone as far as it did and feelings would not be hurt on either side.  Then I log on to my FB and see more drama on here as well.  So I have this to say to all my ladies out here….I myself have been guilty of bad mouthing or venting on FB, Twitter, etc.  I know it’s wrong but when I’m in the moment that is my first choice of expression.  With that said, I think we all (including myself) need to limit these moments and consider going straight to the source.  Discuss the issues and if you can’t come to a solution then at least agree to disagree.  I know some people feel like you should keep your opinions to yourself but I embrace it.  Even if its negative.  I’m going to take what you say and learn from it.  Maybe it’s something I need to hear in order to grow.  Yes, it may hurt my feelings but I know I’m strong enough to move past it.  We all are.  We shouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed to express our opinions.  We should only be embarrassed if we’re not telling the person who it is regarding directly.  That is cowardly.  Now I’m not saying that you have to tell that person EVERYTHING.  There are some things that don’t need explaining.  (pick your battles)  However, if you have a true issue that you feel could be bettered by speaking out, do so.  Let’s not bad mouth each other via FB, Twitter, etc.  As women we need to lift each other up, not tear each other down.  And when offering criticism make sure your delivery and intent is pure and comes from a place of true concern.  I guess what I find myself preaching about today is positivity.  We all need it and we should all be sharing it.  Offer encouragement to those who need it, praise those who deserve it.  I was once told its annoying that I share when my sisters post something positive going on in their life.  All I could do is laugh.  If it is annoying  that I’m happy for the accomplishments of the people in my life and I feel like sharing it with the world then chances are you are probably not happy with something going on in your own life.  There are so many incredible women that I know and I’m proud of each and every one of them.  Sisters, friends, cousins, etc.  They are all phenomenal  women and deserve all the bragging that I do.  So keep that in mind the next time you see someone’s excitement regarding an achievement they may have just earned.  Congratulate and share their happiness with others.  You just might encourage the next phenomenal woman to stand up and take off on their own journey.  Oh and remember, if there is hope for all those crazy women on the Bad Girls Club…there is hope for us all.  Hahaha…love you guys!  Happy Wednesday!

Painting Time!

For those who have not tried the painting & wine thing you should really give it a shot.  I’m far from being artistic but my experience at Easely Amused has me ready to go back for more.  We visted Easely Amused Austin located off South Lamar in Austin, Tx this past Saturday for the Crazy Daisy class.  It was a blast.  There was a good mix of people with a large age range and everyone was super friendly.  It was BYOB so obviously the alcohol helped loosen up those of us who had no idea what we were doing.  It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be though.   The instructor was very attentive and made the entire experience super easy and fun.  You can see pics below of our final pieces.  I definitely plan on attending another class some time soon.  It's the perfect place for a girls night or even date night with your significant other.  Let loose and get creative.   The only thing I'd change for next time is that I will definitely with wine instead of the yucky Bud Light Strawberry Rita I brought with me.  Eeeewww.

                                                            Rachel & I getting ready to paint

                                                                          All done.

                                                             Rachel's Daisy

                                                                My Daisy

                                                               Showing off our skills.  =)

Stagnant

I received a text from a friend asking, “Do you ever feel stagnant?”  As I sat back and reflected I found that while I have been at that point a time or two I don’t stay stagnant for very long.  The moment I feel like I’m just going through the motions and not really moving forward I try to check myself.  I will focus on something new, whether that be school, furthering my career, being a better parent, losing weight, hell…I’ll even color code my closet just to feel like I’m being somewhat productive.  =)  I can’t stand that “stuck” feeling.  It happens every now and then though no matter how hard I try to fight it.  I’m a single mom living back at home with my own mother at almost 30.  How can I not feel stuck sometimes?  School had been starting to make me feel that way.  I was holding back from majoring in education due to my own fear of not being able to provide financially the way I’d like for Makenna.  I was just going to shoot for something that would allow me to finish school faster so I could immediately increase my current income.  However, I wouldn’t be moving in the direction that I’m most passionate about.  Both teaching and learning excites me.  I’m a nerd.  The more knowledge I obtain the happier I am.  I’m not sure very many people know this about me.  I just don’t seem to get that deep with most of my friends these days.  I keep it all inside so I’m sure they have no idea that my ideal life would include studying abroad.  If money wasn’t a factor and I didn’t have Makenna I’d love to travel all over the world and just study the different cultures.  People in general fascinate me.  In a time when all you see on the news is violence, gossip, or disaster I’m sure this may shock some of you when I say that people give me hope & I find peace in learning their stories.  Where they’ve come from, where they’re going.  What they want in life and how they plan on achieving it.  We can learn so much from each other if we just take the time to stop and look around.  Introduce yourself to your neighbors.  Don’t be afraid to spark a conversation with the stranger sitting next to you at an event.  You never know what type of relationship you may form with just a simple hello.  I’m mentioning this now because I had this conversation with a woman I met recently and I ended it with, “Well that’s what I would do if I didn’t have Makenna.”  She looked very puzzled and asked, “Why does that matter?”.  I guess I felt like in a way once I became a mother I put all my dreams aside so that I could focus on Makenna.  Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?  I always thought that once she was born I was suppose to solely focus on her and give her the most stable environment I could.  Traveling to a foreign country with a child, not being able to provide her with all the nice things she has now just seemed selfish.  As we sat and talked more I realized no matter where I am or how much money I have or don’t have that I can always provide my daughter with the two most important things she will need, love & strength.    If we struggle so that I can follow my dreams she will see first hand that with strength and determination you can achieve anything.  She will see that her mother continued on when most didn’t think she should.  That she did not become a statistic.  If anything it will mold her into a strong woman herself.  Right now she’s a child with hope & dreams.  She sees the world more beautifully than any adult can.  I love that about her but I know there will be a day when the world starts to pull her down.  That is why I am so focused on raising a strong woman.   These are the years that count and I want her childhood to be full of culture, passion, the best education, and of course love.  With that said, I have a lot of thinking to do about my next steps.  There are definitely some changes to be made.

Thank you Terrance for making me think a little today.  It was a nice break from the mindless data entry that was consuming my afternoon.

India.Arie - He Heals Me

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