What are You Proud of Yourself For?

What is one thing that you're really proud of yourself for?

This is a question that we simply don't ask ourselves enough.  We pick and poke at ourselves.  We beat ourselves up for things that we can't do.  We get mad at ourselves.  We tell ourselves the things that we're doing wrong but what are we doing right?  What are we really proud of ourselves for?

I'm proud of myself for my persistence.  By the grace of God, I've overcome a whole lot of obstacles, even w hen I didn't think I could.  I'll bet you have too.  I'll bet you've overcome more than you give yourself credit for.  Be proud of it.

I'm proud of myself for always learning.  I choose to continue to educate myself every single day to help me grow as a person.  I'll bet you learn new things daily, as well. Be proud of it.

I'm proud of myself for learning to manage my anxiety.  Some days it's really easy and some days it's harder to manage but I'm proud of myself for working to manage it on a daily basis.  I'll bet you work on managing something difficult in your life, too.  Be proud of it.

Even though some of these things may seem small to you, it's important for you to take the time to tell yourself that you're proud.  It's important for you to be there to boost your own spirits when no one else can or will.  You're accomplishing great things every single day.  Take time today to focus on what you're doing right.

Being Proactive

Deciding to be proactive is the best thing I ever did for myself.  I got stagnant in my life and started feeling like I was uncertain about what I wanted my life to look like.  When someone asked me where I wanted to be in five years or ten years or twenty years, I couldn't answer.  I wasn't sure what I wanted.  At first, it made me feel like a failure.  I mean, I'm an adult, I should know what I want to do, right?  After a day or so of feeling kind of blue, I decided to do something about it.  I decided to be proactive.

I spent a lot of time soul searching and figuring out where I wanted to be.  Then, I started moving toward those goals.  It may be a slow and steady process but I'm moving forward and I'm happier than I've ever been because of it.  I truly feel that if more people became proactive in their lives and decided to do something instead of sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, they'd be happier with their lives.

So if you're feeling stagnant, stop and really take a look at your life.  Look at every single aspect of your life.  What do you want your imprint to be on the world?  What impression do you want left in your community?  What legacy do you want left for your family?  What are you truly passionate about?  What do you love?  

Here's what I'm begging you not to do.... Don't use your stagnant point in life to spread negativity.  It's very hard to see other people's success and get frustrated with your own situation.  Don't put them down in order to make yourself feel better.  Don't poo on their success to promote your own.  We can all have our place in this world and encourages our friends and family in the process.  We can all leave our mark on this world without feeling the need to condemn anyone that disagrees with us.

I encourage you to move forward in a positive way.  Find your passion and run with it.

Monday Motivation Speech

That moment when your goal has been accomplished......you know the moment.  It's the moment when you can breathe again after months or years of working so hard to achieve something great.  It's the moment when you realize that your hard work has paid off.  The moment when you feel as if the weight of a thousand pounds has been taken off your shoulders.  The moment that you finally feel free....

That's the moment you're working toward.

If you're in the midst of dealing with something right now, you might be feeling like there is no end to the hassles.  You might be feeling like there isn't going to be a happy ending.  You may be feeling discouraged, downtrodden and frustrated.  Just know that this isn't the end of the story.  You're about to get to that moment.  It may be minutes or hours.  It may be days or even weeks but you're going to get there.  You're about to accomplish your goals.  You're about to do something great.

Hang in there, friend.  Good things are just around the corner!

A Bigger Plan

I don't understand a whole lot of things but I accept that about life.  I will never understand everything that goes on.  People will be assholes sometimes and there will be no explanation.  Other people will be so incredibly giving that you can't comprehend it and there will be no explanation.  People will hate for no reason that outsiders understand.  People will give a million second chances and choose to love for no reason that outsiders understand.  People who don't really deserve wealth will get it and those that work constantly and just as hard will get nothing.  Life is not fair and it's not always something we understand.  In fact, I've stopped trying to understand things that have no real explanation.

I believe that God has a plan.

Even when I don't understand it, I believe there's a bigger plan.  I believe that a whole lot of religions have similar theories but with different wording.  It might not be "God" but "nature" or "Mother Earth" or whoever.  There is a bigger plan.  Listen, we can work and work and work to do good things.  We can go to work every day, save money, and be a good person but bad stuff can still happen.  By the same token, we can be in the worst possible situation and something amazing will come out of it.  What we see, in our lives, is only a small piece of a huge puzzle.

So what do we do in the meantime?  Be compassionate.  Be kind.  Love, even when you don't understand.  Stop trying to create a divide; unite with your fellow man.  Don't give handouts, give a hand up.  Help others to stand on their own two feet and be proud of who they are.  Be proud of who YOU are.  Be the change you want to see.