Rise and Create!

Who says you have to start your day with the same routine morning after morning?

Coffee.... Paper.... Run off to work....

Try something different. I'm certain it will give you an extra boost :)

Yesterday I pulled out a few paints and started a little project. It was only 5 minutes or so of painting but it was such a sweet way to start my day.

Thought I would share some morning inspiration! Happy Thursday friends!

BPositive and BFree!

Love,
B

Replenish Your Pool

It's amazing how the culmination of a week or even a day can leave us dazed and confused. What happened? How did my emotions go from happy and peaceful to irritable and frustrated in such a short period of time?

It's usually not one thing but a myriad of events that bring us to our "breaking points." This is where I usually analyze, compartmentalize, write, talk, and pray.

And from all that there are often very simple things that bring me back to even grounds.

-taking one hour to myself in the morning to drink tea, read, write, listed to music, or watch a TV show

-take time for myself after work to run or read or shop or cook

-do a project for my house on my sewing machine or knit something for myself

The key is to do something for YOU. Whether we are mothers, wives, husbands, providers, sisters, brothers, or someone's best friend, we spend a lot of our day doing things for other people. The beauty in the world is because of this. But we must refill our pools and find love for ourselves when we're tired and stressed. It's no ones job but our own to give ourselves what we truly need. And sometimes that is just a little time.

This morning, feeling as though I needed a week to recuperate from my last few days I'm surprisingly refreshed and alive. Simply because I let myself enjoy tea and my journal and a little blog time.

Now I'm ready to go and take on this chilly Pensacola morning and all that it holds!

What will you do for YOU today? Refill your pool!

BPositive and BFree!

Love,
B

Tunnel Vision

I started a new job this past week. Every day had constant work, fast pace schedules, and influxes of new information. I was traveling down the the work tunnel.

At the same time I found this tunnel to be a distraction. It occurred to me just how distracted I had been when I was falling apart at the drop of a hat and shouting at my poor husband A for absolutely nothing that he had inflicted.

Mid freak out I had no idea what my problem was. I had a great week. I was happy to be settling back into the swing of things. I've been catching up with friends and learning my new job.

It turns out that my focused energy on work and orderly life was really just a distraction from dealing with my emotions. Feelings about being home and then leaving again. Feelings about this next phase in my life and in my marriage. Feelings about distance between me and all these people I love. Feelings about my purpose here and how I'm meant to have an impact.

All and all the freak out was welcome and necessary. I know I can't ignore these feelings. I have to find balance in doing my work in a focused fashion without tunneling into a falsely perfect life. Life is not perfect and tunnel vision is only a distraction from what's really going on.

This weeks focus will be about balance and about embracing all the truths that come with this crazy life.

Have a great start to your week! How will you create balance?

Cherish and Be Cherished

Happy 2013 my friends. Words are pouring from my pen today. Having spent 14 beautiful days with my family and friends I am fulfilled and yet sad to be so very far away yet again. I'm moved to laugh and cry and I'm not sure which is stronger. What I do know is that I am truly feeling today. Not ignoring, hiding or over overcompensating in my actions. I am sitting here, alive and vulnerable and at the mercy of my thoughts and feelings. There's no question that there are terrifying aspects to these actions. Who would have thought it to be so frightening to sit with our thoughts and not succumb to distractions?

I decided to make a list. What would I like this year to bring?

I have everything on my list from "staying connected with my family" to "growing in my professional life" to "dancing and singing more freely and frequently." My list ended surprisingly with "being cherished" subsequent to "cherishing my relationships." As I thought about the people in my life that I love so very much it felt natural to focus on cherishing them through words and actions. To my surprise I became aware of my emotional stubbornness. There is so much love in my life that I often have difficulty receiving. I've built sound structures to avoid the hurt of distance and dissonance, a disservice to myself and others. It's a two way street this thing called love and if we want to truly cherish one another we must be cherished ourselves.

So this year among many other things I plan to cherish and be cherished. I hope you can do the same.

BPositive and BCherished (and happy new year!)

Love,
B

Kindness

I was reading a book written by my new friend S. As soon as I opened the cover I knew it would sit right in my heart. She started her story with a quote:

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."
~Mother Teresa

I haven't been able to get these words out of my head. They remind me that no matter what is happening in our jobs, families, or friendships that may be challenging if we practice Mother Teresa's words we have a positive purpose in life every single day.

BPositive and BFree with your Kindness!

Love, 
B

The Good, The Bad and Everything in Between

AB is going out for drinks for her birthday... CD is getting married... EF just had a baby... GH is gearing up for the big game...IJ just ran 5 miles...KL is watching her daughter's ballet recital... MN is having a perfectly fall day in New England... And so on and so on and so on...

We all do this. And there is no shame in it. In fact as soon as I'm finished this post is going straight to my Facebook page...

But it got me thinking about how we feel about ourselves and others at the various stages of our lives. We usually share the good stuff, the joyous stuff, the photos that make us shine. Sometimes we share the woes of bad days, sleepless nights and boss horror stories. But this post is not really about Facebook. It's about YOU. It's about ME. It's about all of US. It's about life.

This is a reminder to be kind to yourself. Be gentle with your own state of mind. Be patient with your life and your happiness. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, do it for you. Do it for your happiness. Just because someone is celebrating doesn't mean you have to feel ashamed for shedding a tear. You don't have to be perfect. You can feel disappointed. You can have a bad day or a great one too. Just feel whatever you feel for your sake and no one else's. and celebrate wherever you are in life right now.

As I've always been open here I'll share where I am. I'm tired. I'm overworked. I miss spending time with husband. My house is a mess. I'm enjoying eating what I like because I run every weekend. I love being a vegan but i miss cheese! I don't always love work but I find something I enjoy about it every day. I wish I could be home more. I miss my family. I love my friends here and they cheer me up. Sometimes I post good things about my life because it makes me feel better. When I'm exhausted I want to just scream at people! This could go on and on. Its definitely not perfect but it's where I am. I don't shout it out much because its so far from perfect. But tomorrow I'm going to celebrate my life. All the good, all the bad and everything in between.

Let yourself shine in EVERYTHING tomorrow. Celebrate the present you :) Below are two pictures. One that represents the me that loves where I am and the me that hates it! It feels kind of freeing to show the ugly! Try it.. I dare you
;)

BPositive and BFree!

Love,
B

Endurance

I'm taking a short break from working in the sun to sit in doors and have a cup of Darjeeling black tea. It's soothing to sit here and reflect particularly when my life has recently gotten a bit more hectic.

My very dear friend M came to visit last week. I'm still sailing on the sea of strength that we provide for one another. Her words are comforting. Her insights are uplifting. Her friendship is something I cherish everyday.

Often a similar theme surfaces in our lives and we are able to relate on the topic. The current issue at hand is endurance.

In a race you need endurance and in life you need endurance. Maybe it's to get through a tough day, week or month. Maybe it's a whole season of growth that requires one to endure through and through. I feel like perhaps I'm in that season.

I know there is light at the end but part of endurance is not thinking about the end. When I know I'll be running 10 miles, I often can't even thinking about the finish line until I have only about a mile to go.

Lets call this season a 20 miler....

This season involves a lot of work both physically and emotionally, often from early in the day until late into the night, and in particular this season involves enduring and learning from things I know are not my future callings.

How does one sit in an office they know will soon no longer be their home? How does one participate in work that sometimes contradicts their beliefs? How does one take on new work for the sake of making things a little lighter even though it is so far from their passions?

I'll keep you posted and let you know...

Is there room to grow in these days to come? of course. Will I adapt, learn and even find joy in my daily work? I expect so. Will I have to be where I am forever? Nope.

Part of endurance is not just accepting it, not just going through the motions, not just taking it for what it is like a rock in the middle of a river, water flowing around it's rigid body. Endurance is about feeling it, experiencing it and letting it change you for the better.

I accept my challenge for all that comes with it! What challenges must you endure?

BPositive and BFree!

Love,
B