Proud to Be An American

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."

~Abraham Lincoln

I am grateful for the country I live in and for all those that sacrifice to keep my safe from "weirdos". I really like the last sentence of the above quote. What better way to show our patriotism and gratitude towards our country by living well. Be kind to those around, be honest, have integrity, and be optimistic.  :) 

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Positive Post: Surviving Crumminess

I am going to share one of my trade secrets for surviving crummy situations with a smile. As you know from many previous posts I am working the 2nd shift. Yeah still not happy about that despite some of the pros. I used to exercise in the morning but with my shift being what it is I prefer to sleep in and don't really find time during the rest of the day to accomplish this. Last week I decided I would still get my exercise in by playing two games while at work. 

1) Everytime I had to go to the bathroom, which is a lot because I drink 100 ounces a day, I have to skip, hop, or sprint to the bathroom. The bathroom is way down the hall. This alone pretty much provided me with my daily workout. 

2) The funnier thing to do when you are working alone, or with people, really up to you, is toooooooo DANCE!!!!!!

Often times I jam out to the radio and a few stations I listen too mostly rotate through the same dozen songs. Each night I pick one song and whenever that song is played I have to stop whatever work I am doing and "get down with it." 

True story. You know what, it is sooooo much fun. SO much fun that I have even choreographed one song that I LOVE. Now anytime I hear this song, no matter where I am, I bust out dancing. I am not going to share the entire song with you because I am no a hip hop dancer. But I will share this fun part with you. 

Moral of the story. 

Try to make any crummy situation you are in fun by dancing. It will make you smile from laughing at your lame dance moves or you remember how AWESOME you are. Even I have a smile at the end of the video. Is dancing the end all to your crummy problems. NO! But is sure rocks! :)

P.S. Throwing paper in the air while dancing is optional but encouraged. 

Postive Post: Positive Clicks!!

My friend Rebecca sent me this and I love it! I signed up as soon as I read it. Basically this lady did an experiment where she got a clicker and kept track of all her negative thoughts for a week. By the end of the week she was so depressed and blue from all the negativity. So she decided to do the opposite and keep track of all her happy or positive thoughts. She was much happier by the end of that week and dealt with any negativity around her in a more upbeat way. Only because she had the mindset to focus on the positive in any situation. You don't need a clicker to do this, even though I think having to physically keep track of something makes you more conscious of your thoughts and actions. Since she created this website many people, groups, families, schools, and corporations have joined in on the clicking to make a difference. And a big difference it does make!!

I started working this 2nd shift with a bad attitude. I was pretty cranky and still am a little bit. I decided to click my positive thoughts while at work this week. While I worked I started doing fun things rather than sitting out being grumpy. For example, each night I created a fun physical challenge to keep my spirits up throughout the shift. I laughed at all the silly yet positive things that came out of this experiment. Week 2 was way better than week 1. I lasted longer and actually enjoyed myself.

I challenge all you readers out there to participate in the "click". You will see a huge difference in your life. THINK. CLICK. BE
 

Reaction to Adversity

SO this week has been one heck of a week. A series of events began on Sunday and ended with me sobbing in my pillow at 6:15 pm on Wednesday night. Ugh. Basically this week was supposed to be more happy and run smoother. The van we were using died, we are having trouble getting local people to commit to help load our truck because there is a community parade in our neighborhood (even though it starts hours after we will be done, people are still not coming, sooo annoying, way to go with service people), we got the keys to the house yay, but our renters still had stuff all over the lawn and in the storage sheds that they "hoped" wouldn't be a problem and wanted to leave there for at least a week (this is where most of my anxiety stemmed from), Roan's schedule is way off and he has a rash which is making him oh so enjoyable, work has been fun, I have been kicking butt and finally earning the respect of some of my coworkers, then they told me I am working 3 pm- 11 pm for the next 2-4 weeks (covering for someone who quit, anyone need a job). All in all I was having a bad attitude about EVERYTHING and then started to let little things bother me and then I really really really wanted a beef n' cheddar and then I really wanted to swear and scream at the heavens. I knew my breaking point was near and it took reading one silly petty facebook status to snap me into a sob for 15 minutes. I called a friend and as soon as I heard her voice I sobbed for another 5 minutes. I felt like I should be more thankful and have a better attitude. After all I am moving into a house, my house, I have good health and can run and jump and all that. But I was just so so grumpy and because of that I felt guilty which made me feel even more grumpy. Thursday I woke up more refreshed. I exercised, something I have done everyday this week actually (maybe I could have been more of grouch if it wasn't for that). Then the renters called to inform us that they were going to have the rest of the stuff out by the end of today. Hooray! I have a few things to finish packing at the house tonight and then Friday I have off to work on cleaning and getting the rest of the stuff in before we move our storage unit stuff in this Saturday. Then all we have to do is unpack and enjoy.

I know it sounds like I am complaining...because I am. But I do have a point to all this. Monday wasn't a bad or an awesome day, it was just a day. I had a few mionr ups and downs regarding expectations I have for myself. Half way through the day I got some great news (a friend just bought a house and I was able to get some great donations for my cousins fundraiser.) After I got this news my day turned around and I seemed more cheerful. On my drive home I asked myself a question that really got me pondering.

"Why did I have to wait to get good news to be cheerful?" I am not saying I should always be turned on up all the time, but life doesn't have to be so melancholy when there is nothing super awesome going on.

It is okay to just BE happy.

"Why do I struggle? Why am I troubled in this narrow, cramped routine, when life, all life, with its joys, lies open before me?"

"...while one is living, one must live and be happy."

~War and Peace

Now I sometimes take for granted that I am usually so optimistic. This week was tough, I tried to find humor in the bad parts but at the end of the day I let the negative way I reacted to things prevail.

"It is your reaction to the adversity not the adversity itself that will determine your future."

~ President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I feel like I failed this week BUT tomorrow is another day. I can still be happy and I will be. Thursday is feeling much better and I am thankful for all the help we have had so far. My mother in law watching Roan more often this week and cleaning parts of our new house. My sister is off this week and has been a tremendous help with watching Roan, cleaning, packing. She can read me like a book and has kept telling me over and over, "this week will be over soon and it will work out and you will be happy." She is so sweet.

SO moral of this post. Life is going to be life no matter how you choose to react to it. Decide each morning when you wake up that today is going to be awesome and let life be life.

I would like to link this positive post to another really good post that my friend Shawna wrote that is along these same lines. Read it here. 

Lemon List

Here is a fun list of things to do when life gives you lemons:

1. Feel ripped off-cry out to the heavens and scream "Why Me?"
2. Compare yourself-nobody else has to deal with this
3. Sit with it-Ponder upon these lemons
4. Find Faith-sometimes you have to dig deep depending on the lemon
5. Re-look at the lemons, examine them, admire them, smell them, maybe taste them. 
6. Accept them-It is your reaction to the lemons not the lemon itself that will determine your future. 
7. Get to work-SERVE
8. Clean with them-you can help others that may have the same lemon maybe. 
9. Clean yourself with them-lemons can change us for the better
10. Appreciate them for what they are-I would rather have my own lemons than someone elses. 
11. Share them-you are not alone

Happy Girl

Happy Friday! So as promised I am going to share some of my notes from my cool Relief Society activity. 

Let me tell you a secret. Lately I have been at a loss when it comes to blogging. I even Googled, "What do I blog about?" Sounds lame. I have just felt so boring on here. All I talk about is Roan and food or nothing. I want this blog to be a little more than that, like me. :) SO I have been considering starting a "Positive Post" of the week. One thing that I feel sets me apart is my joy and optimism  And I want to share my secrets with you on how I try to live that way. SO after much thought and then this Relief Society activity I decided it was a good idea to get this ball rolling. So here is your first post and it will contain my secret.....

here it is....

I don't know 

LOL I am still figuring all this out so let's do it together. Starting with some good notes that I took on some things I try to live by.

How to be positive in a tough life

1. Learn to Laugh

It has been said that laughter is music to the soul. When I am in a rut I try to laugh at myself or find a joke. It makes the situation not seem as bad as it really is. Laughter lifts yours spirits and can be contagious. It is also good for your health. I have seen Patch Adams so I know this to be true. :)

2. Spring into Fitness

Now when I say fitness I don't mean hard cord Amber Brueseke constant fitness guru (love you girl, you are my inspiration). I mean any kind of fitness. When I am sad or stressed I go on a walk around the block. When I am angry and cooking I use the cans of food as weights and do 1-2 set to blow off steam. True story. I do love to workout and have found that when I do I am happier, especially when I work out with a friend. But I think any fitness level can go a long way and maybe even build into something. 

3. Stand Up to Service

I think the hardest times to volunteer for service is when I am going through some crazy stuff. Over the years I have learned that I will always be going through something. The times I look past it to serve and don't use it as an excuse are the times it is easier to handle. This week started out really tough. I wanted to ask for help but also didn't because I wanted that help to just be there as a sign I was loved and looked after. Finally when things got bad enough I cried out for help. A friend, who coincidentally was thinking about me a few days prior to my cry, offered to video chat. We did and it was great. In the conversation we talked about "bearing each others burdens"  and how we are all going through something and we shouldn't let that keep us from helping each other. I think when we help each other along it helps us forget our problem and makes us feel good, but more importantly confirms that we are not alone and don't have to live alone. Service can be as big as making a meal, going to the temple, or babysitting, and as small as a hug, phone call, or text. 

So suck it up and do it!

4. Trust in the Lord

There are challenges that seem or are never ending. Even when they seem so tough and impossible we need to try and practice faith and trust in the Lord. He knows what is going on and always has our back, even when it doesn't feel like it He is there getting us ready for the right time, thing, place. The Sister who shared these points with us shared this story that I will paraphrase for you. She had been living with nasal health problems since she was a kid. There seemed to be no end in site during this tough issue that effect other aspects of her life. Many times she did not believe that she would get well. She had seen many doctors and was ready to call it quits and just limit her life. Then in a priesthood blessing she was encouraged to continue to press forward in faith and was told that the Lord had a plan. Shortly after she finally found a doctor across the country that was studying and testing a cure for her specific disease. She joined his new study and through that was able to heal not only the one nasal problem but the other issues she was having. 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths. 

~Proverbs 3:5-6

I know that when we trust in his will for us we are comforted and directed. Many times I moved forward or acted from promptings or just moved because it was all I could do without know what was going to become of something. Then down the road I realized I was being prepared for something better or in a happier place because of those experiences. Little did I know and I still relearn that His hand is in everything. 

Does that make sense?

Okay so there is your first Positive Post. Now go out there and be happy. 

Here is a fun song I heard for the first time this week that brightened up my day.