Monday Motivation

... is pretty much how I feel. (And it's not limited to beer. It can be wine. Or SkinnyGirl.)
I'm hoping the storm isn't going to be as bad as everyone's been saying. Either way, Duke baby and I have today and tomorrow off so we're hunkering down together and praying that the boyfriend gets to come home early (and safely).
Stay safe this week!

Headphones

It's been a long time since I've been able to sit down with my laptop and listen to really good music with my headphones (so long, that I thought I lost my headphones during our last move). I had the other day off, but the boyfriend didn't so I had some free time. Which meant cleaning, playing with and training Duke baby, watching football, cooking, and, finally, relaxing. My neighbors, however, are pretty sure that the Sabbath means go outside (even when it's 50 degrees out) and blast oldies (well, the same three songs over and over, and over) as loud as they possibly can. Every Sunday. For hours. Instead of calling the cops, I turned up the tv and felt like I was in Reliant Stadium. When that game ended (with the Ravens getting their you know whats handed to them), I thought if I was going to jam something in my ears to block out the noise, it should probably be headphones. I listened to country music. And I loved it. Here's a song I can't get enough of. The guitar work in the beginning, especially with headphones in and turned up maybe a little too loud, is breathtaking. Another one of those songs that you can close your eyes to and feel. Aaand it might describe me sometimes. ;)

Classy Duke Baby

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I came across this the other day and I'm pretty sure Duke needs a bow tie now.

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And it should probably be seersucker. Because there's definitely some Southern in that boy.

Monday Motivation

I worry. A lot. And I'm not one to sit back and just let things happen. I try to change and mold and make them happen. Which is exhausting. For me, and for those around me. This week, things seemed bleak. They're taking too long, cost too much, wear me out, blah, blah, blah. And then I got a series of daily devotionals from Joel Osteen and happened to sit down one morning with Duke and watch one of his recorded sermons (I try to keep up with these as my work schedule doesn't allow us to be regular attendees of a real church) and the message was pretty clear.

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If I truly believe that God has a plan, and a good one, for my life, then I need to be patient. A lot of times, we (and I mean I) feel the need to take things into our own hands in order to see something happen. Which is fine, sometimes. Other times, we can make the situation much worse. And in these cases, God simply waits for us to quit messing around so He can take control. We delay His blessings. Instead, relax and work on being a servant of the the Lord. Be a better person. Help someone else, instead of focusing on your own "problems". It's been an adjustment and isn't an attitude change that happens overnight. But I'm finding myself being able to be nicer and have been presented with a few instances where God's timing really does make sense. Which makes it that much easier to have faith. Which makes it easier to take a deep breath and enjoy today and stop worrying about tomorrow (and the next day, and the next day...).
So this week, let's take a step back from ourselves and be patient. Enjoy the now and those around you and things will start happening, at exactly the right time and in the most perfect of ways.

Who I Am...

In the aftermath of a slight breakdown the other day, my mom went into lecture mode (really quickly, and impressively) and reminded me of some things that I really needed to hear. One thing she said that really struck me was that "your job is not who you are, it's just something you do". The more I thought about it, the better it made me feel.
I'm still very much in the discovering stage of finding out what it is that makes me who I am. I don't have very many big things in comparison to other people (like my boyfriend for example, has things like starting a business, getting promotions, being offered several amazing jobs, being able to juggle it all, while putting up with me). While I shouldn't compare myself to others, I do try to look to them for inspiration. My parents, my boyfriend and my best friend continue to be huge inspirations to me every day.
I'm making more of an effort to surround myself with people like this, who are not only inspirations, but believe in me as well.
That being said, the morning after, I received some great news and proof that God was taking action in my life; all I have to do is keep working hard and keep the faith. Then, my day was filled with puppy cuddling and the evening was spent with cake, pie, ice cream, laughter, and my boyfriends family. It was more than exactly what I needed. And my parents are coming over today. And I'm planning to see my best friend for her birthday, which means I'll get to see her family too (and in planning this, I got to talk to her on the phone and just hearing her voice was a comfort).
In figuring out who I am, I am finding that I am blessed. With an amazing family that grows and gets stronger every day. And who continue to shape me in ways I can't even begin to thank them for.

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Monday Motivation

Surprise, surprise- I've been stressed out lately. About a lot of stupid little (and some) big things that I have no control over. I've allowed them to get to me and in turn, affect the people around me. Again.
So, in an effort to not be such a you know what all the time, I'm going to try some of these things out! And suggest you do the same.

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Monday Motivation

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Lazy Morning

Sleeping like a baby. He was snoring and definitely dreaming.

Slowly waking up. And not real happy about it.

"Oh...Housewives is on... I love this show."

Duke baby and I had a pretty lazy morning yesterday. Totally wasn't my idea. I sat down to eat breakfast and turned on the New Jersey Housewives Reunion (part one, of three) and he cuddled up so adorably, we had to stay like that for the rest of the morning. I did manage to clean the house and switch out my purses (I finally upgraded to a grown up purse that I scored on Ebay) that afternoon. That being said, I was back on the couch shorty after, still in my pj's and guess who was sleeping in my lap, again? Yup. He was one tired pup. But I think he had the right idea. We stayed right there on that couch until it was time to go work on the building we're renting for our new business.
Not bad for a Monday.

Monday Motivation

I came across this while browsing Tumblr the other day, and each number made a lot of sense. So I"ll share it with you. Hopefully, at least a few of these hit home and help you today, this week, this year, this life.

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