Stuck in the rainstorm..

I got caught in a rainstorm today on my way home from work.

Without a jacket.

In a dress and flip flops.

Yuck!

Ok so what's my point here? I didn't try to outrun the storm. I walked. I made it home. And then I dried off.

Don't try to escape a challenge - face it. And you'll find that maybe..you even enjoy it along the way. Although I'm not going to lie I was pretty cold by the time I got to my apartment. Lesson learned: start carrying an umbrella and invest in a jacket!

Think simple

Reality check: Some days are just not going to be good, great, or spectacular.At the end of the day though, I can still say that there are three incredibly important things that I have to keep in mind...

• I have a family that loves and supports me.
  
• My friends are the most inspiring and incredible people and surround me with a positive energy and outlook on life.
• I have a roof over my head and food on the table.

Today's just one of those days; sometimes you have to think of the simple things and appreciate them, even if there isn't a whole lot else that seems to be going right!

Have a happy weekend!

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:)

Word(s) of the day

Words can often the best way to describe how you're feeling. But by this, I don't mean your own words - the wisdom and knowledge of others is often times what I rely on to put things into perspective. On that note... here's the quote for today:

"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can't cross a chasm in two small jumps." (Llyod George.)

Any inspiring words of your own today?

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Words to live by

To start, I wanted to share this quote that I came across today that I felt was appropriate to feeling tired, overwhelmed, overworked, or unsure of what tomorrow might bring:
"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!" ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

On a different note...My roommate was recently telling me about something her professor was encouraging everyone in the class to do: write a "creed" to live each day by. This reminded me of what Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project book (and blog) did at the beginning of her path towards a happier life. I think it's a pretty cool idea and while I am a huge advocate for setting goals and doing what you can to stick to them, I think the most important aspect of each and every day is living to your fullest potential and being the best version of yourself that you can. That being said, I really like the idea of writing a personal "creed" as a subtle reminder to yourself of how you want to live life each day. I haven't had a chance to think about this too much yet, but off the top of my head, my own personal creed would be something along the lines of...

• Find something to smile about no matter what the situation
• Start each day with an open heart and open mind
• Open my eyes to the best of everyone and try to see the positives in them
• Let things go. Move on.
  
• S l o w down
• Eat the cookie!
• Be here, in the moment, right now
• Brighten the world with laughter
• Share a kind thought with someone
  

I will eventually add more to this list, but for now, I will do my best to work on remembering these things each day. I think it's really important to take the time to remind yourself how you can surround yourself with positivity and optimism.

What does your own personal creed look like?

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Simple reminders

Ever had a day where you have consciously had to stop and think about smiling? Or being positive? Or reaching out to friends and family members who need a laugh? Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the chaos of every day things and it is easy to overlook what is most important: each day IS precious and wonderful. It's easy (too easy) to forget that. So to help bring positive vibes to each day, my roommate and I started a new habit this past weekend that I think anyone could do. We put up post-it notes around the places we most often look (especially in the morning) that say things like:

• Today is beautiful
• SMILE
• Be generous
• Think positively
• Make today wonderful

So far that's all we have but I can tell you that it really does help serve as a subtle reminder to myself to remember the important things each day. If I lived every day like that, I think I'd worry a lot less and I may even get more things done! Sounds like a sweet deal.

Any ideas for what the next set of post-its should say??