Challenge 6/22

So this blog post and challenge is inspired by one of my best friends. Whenever I am having trouble with something or need some advice, her wise words always make sense. She lives life as if l all the happiness it has to offer was created for her. She enjoys everything and is almost always (i mean 99.9999 percent of the time) happy. One of her specific mantras that she lives by is what I am making my daily challenge. Here it goes....:

Realize that YOU are the author of your own life story. If you want your life to be full of happiness--create it. You can control how you react to certain obstacles and challenges that may come your way. Put yourself in situations that are happiness-inducing. Surround yourself with people who you know love you for who you are. You wouldn't write a story with sadness, bad decisions, and awful characters would you? Then why live your life like that?! Stop complaining and start realizing that you have control over your reactions and situations you put yourself in. Make them exciting and worth-while!

This quote/concept has really helped me in the past few months. Try it. You may be surprised at what you find out :) Also, take a look at the picture posted. This is her "Happiness Means..." collage! Love it. If anyone else has one, let me know & I'd LOVE to post it! Also, check out her blog at http://pinklayeredcake.blogspot.com
Happy Wednesday!

Daily Challenge 6/20

I am SO excited for this challenge! Yesterday I went for a short run and during it, I ran through a sprinkler that was in my path. As the cool water splashed my skin, I thought to myself..."This is happiness!". So, I had an idea.

Create your own collage that depicts the meaning of happiness. It could be just one thing or it could be many things. Make it so that when you are having difficulty remembering exactly what happiness feels like for you, you can look at it and be reminded. Be as creative as you wish. Use pictures or cut things out of a magazine. Paint or use markers. Only YOU truly know what happiness means to you, so have fun with it!

Last night, I was up late because I was letting something really get to me. I decided to make my happiness collage so I will attach it to this entry. I would LOVE to see what you create. If you email me a picture, I can anonymously put them in a blog entry this week! Happy creating :)

Daily Challenge 6/15

One of the parents of a student I had last year always sends me cute email forwards. I generally skim them, look at the pictures, and move on with my day. But there was one that really caught my eye and instantly inspired me to use the general idea for a daily challenge. So for today...

Remember your worth. So often, we are quick to compliment others and leave ourselves behind. While it is healthy to see the best in others, it is NOT healthy to forget all that is good about ourselves. Silently sing your own praises. Journal about what you think are your best assets. Confidently go about your day today knowing that you are honoring yourself...YOU are worth it just the way you are. You deserve love, happiness, friendship, life, etc.

Happy Wednesday...almost the weekend :)

Daily Challenge 6/14

Today's challenge is simple. I got the idea yesterday while at Target. I passed by a car & and on one of the windows somebody had written: "Somebody Loves You!". It just made me smile and I can only imagine how the person on the receiving end felt. So, the challenge for today is:

Do something kind & unexpected today for someone...but do it ANONYMOUSLY. Don't leave your name. Don't tell them you did it. Do it without expecting anything in return. Leave someone a little note somewhere they'll see it. Pay for someone's coffee behind you. Send a card in the mail without signing it. Make someone smile. That's it.

Have fun & Happy Tuesday!

Daily Challenge 6/13

Today's challenge is inspired by a phrase that I have needed to repeat to myself many times in the past few weeks. The beauty of this phrase? It's applicable to almost every obstacle that may present itself in your life. So, here it is:

Today, put one foot in front of the other. Keep on moving FORWARD. Accept that you may have moved backwards yesterday (or even a minute ago) but make the decision today to move in the right direction. This is important, because it gives you permission to have made mistakes and learn from them. Think of an obstacle/problem in your life that this can apply to. Is it relationship trouble? Making healthy choices? A friendship? A struggle within yourself? Whatever it may be, think of what you can do to just make the right choices, do the right things, and push on.

Remember, all it takes is putting one foot in front of the other. There is no possible way that you will move backwards if your goal is to move forwards :) Post what you did if you'd like. As always, I'd love to hear...and I bet other readers would as well. Happy Monday!

Daily Challenge 6/10

This first Daily Challenge is inspired by one of my former students. As some of you may have read on my facebook page, my students and I were taking a little dance break after a successful morning of hard work. A song came on and I just couldn't find the beat. I looked at one of the girls who was just smiling and dancing away. I told her that I couldn't find the beat and was having such a hard time dancing. She looked at me, smiled, and said, "I can't find the beat either but I dance anyways." What great advice her comment was. As adults, we are so caught up in the tiny details of each situation. Sometimes, these details stop us from doing what we want to do and/or having fun. So...your Daily Challenge for today is--

Focus on the BIG picture. Don't let the little things get in your way. All that matters is what you do in THIS moment. Enjoy something you had silly inhibitions about. Tell someone what they mean to you. Go ahead, see what happens. You just may be pleasantly surprised.

So there it is. The first Daily Challenge in blog form. I'd absolutely LOVE to hear what you did and how you completed the challenge. Post anonymously or use your name. Whatever you are comfortable with. But the fact that you got to this blog today is enough. Have a wonderful day!

My Bikram Experience

So, I've always wanted to try Bikram. But that little annoyance called "fear" was always in my way. Fear of the unknown. Fear of going to a new studio and not knowing anyone. Fear of being too hot, throwing up, insert excuse here. A few weeks ago though, I saw a deal on LivingSocial that was too good to pass up. It was 10 classes for a great price, so I went ahead and bought it. I convinced one of my friends to buy it with me. We planned on going together, except after two failed attempts...I ended up going alone. I was nervous...I had to force myself to walk into those doors and explain that I had never been there before. Oh, I am so glad I did.

My experience with Bikram has been positive so far. I have gone twice. I plan on going two more times this week. I love the feeling that the heat brings to my body. It shows just how amazingly capable our body is when we just let it do what it can without thinking. I've seen some small successes so far and enjoy how my body and spirit feel after the class. I love how much water I have to drink throughout the day. I love how it's intensity for a short time, reaping multiple benefits and successes. I even think it's neat that even though each class is the same series of 26 asanas (poses), it can feel entirely different because of where your body and mind are that day. I look forward to completing this month, seeing how I feel...and continuing on. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Namaste.

life-to the fullest.

so today was a wonderful saturday.

Did a little bit of this:




and ate ALOT of this:




The best part of the both of them?! I was with some amazing friends :) I'm so blessed.

truth. from a tv show.

This quote was on Grey's last week. I found it to be both true and easy to relate to. So, to always have access to it, I figured I'd post it.

[[Just when we think we have figured things out...life throws us a curveball. So we have to improvise. We find happiness in unexpected place & we find our way back to the things that matter the most. The universe is funny that way. Sometimes it just has a way of making sure that we wind up exactly where we belong.]]

stop. look around. take it all in.

It has been a sort of "goal" of mine to one day have my own personal blog. I longingly read the blogs of my friends and wish(ed) that I was interesting/witty/"insert adjective here" enough to have my own. But in all honesty, I guess it really doesn't matter. I love to write and have neglected this passion in the past several years. Having this blog is a place for me to journal, to share what I've done, to create a place that I can look back at and actually SEE the experiences I've had or the growth I've made. I view life as this incredible journey. Instead of there being a specific destination, the purpose of my journey is to take what each moment wants me to learn and use it to become the best, healthiest version of me. That being said, I am constantly seeking new experiences and opportunities. I want to do things that bring me out of my comfort zone. I want to be able to experience them with an open mind and take in what I am supposed to. So this blog will be just that. It will become a record of my experiences this summer. I look forward to seeing what my life holds for me.