A Daily Dose of Sunshine...

Tear’s don’t mean you’re losing.

We are taught that crying is a sign of weakness.  Crying in response to real emotions is a sign that we are human.

Crying to manipulate a person or situation: Neither cool nor justified.

Crying in response to real emotions: Excellent.

Crying is simply a sign that we are human beings that have emotions.  We cry when we are happy, sad, frightened, worried, stressed, excited … it is a physical manifestation of emotions; that’s all.  We don’t need to fear it or give it any sort of significance it doesn’t deserve.  It’s OK to cry.  Of course, there are times and places where it is/is or in our best interest to let the tears flow.  There are times and places where it’s appropriate to cry and times and places where we need to hold it together.  When, where, and who it is appropriate to cry with is up to us to decide for ourselves as individuals.  What’s right for one person may not be right for the next.

Ruminating or getting stuck in sadness or fear won’t get anyone anywhere, but neither will ignoring such feelings completely.  Many people, including myself, believe that with every experience comes a lesson.  We can only learn from our experiences if we acknowledge and feel ALL of the emotions that are attached to them.  If something frustrates you but you refuse to acknowledge that frustration or try to convince yourself out of it, you cannot recognize that something is happening that you want to change in the first place, let alone make a change that will help you feel better!  This principle applies to many emotions.  If we’re sad but we don’t acknowledge that sadness, we cannot adequately identify what it is about our current circumstances that is causing us to feel sad and therefore cannot do anything about it!  Repressing feelings or convincing ourselves we do not feel a certain way does not serve us!

Today, crying takes courage.  The ability to cry requires us to be vulnerable and vulnerability can be a scary thing in an individualistic society that values strength as much as ours does.  Crying also requires us to be in touch with our true feelings, which can be a frightening experience as well.  For example, if you grew up learning that not only is crying a sign of weakness, but sadness and fear are as well, you probably learned to repress those feelings almost automatically when you have them.  To acknowledge and own them as your true feelings at any given time is hard!

Bottom line: Tear’s don’t mean you’re losing.

In fact, tears often mean you are winning.

(via insight-inspiration)

The future started yesterday.

New Rule: Nothing “starts tomorrow.”  Today day is about half over … what are you going to do to make this day even better?  No matter what has already happened today, you have the ability to make it better.  If it’s going well … keep going.  If you’re feeling down, don’t chalk it up as a loss just yet.  Don’t wait until tomorrow to turn things around.  Seize the moment … this moment!  Do. It. Now.

Don’t wait until tomorrow.  Start TODAY.  Why?  Because you’re worth it and you CAN.

(Source: letsfucktillthesunscomesup, via s-taywonderful)

Strength comes in many forms. Strength is endurance.  Endurance is losing the little battles to win the big one in the end. 

If you want to move a boat at the edge of a dock, would you run into it with a big smash?  Probably not.  I hope not.  You’ll end up hurting yourself!  Instead, you’d probably stand at the edge of the dock and lean into the boat with force, but with grace.  STRENGTH KEEPS LEANING.

MOST of the time, it doesn’t do us any good to charge at the boat full force.  We’ll end up falling, which isn’t always a bad thing but there are times when we are better off putting forth steady force and steady efforts to reach our goals.  If you slip, that’s OK.  In fact, I hate to break it to you but IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.  That’s OK, as long as you get back up. 

Think about some of your strengths.  Don’t try to say you have none.  Nice try, but I’m not buying it ;) Then, think about some of the good things you use those strengths for.  Earning a living?  Doing well in school?  Making people smile?

Tell yourself: I am strong. It’s good for me to be strong.  My strength helps good things happen.  Good people want me to be strong.  Anyone who wants you to be weak goes into the fondly named category I like to call “haters” and unfortunately there is no space for haters in our lives.

To increase your sense of strength, recall times when you’ve felt strong.  Close your eyes and remember what your body felt like.  What your mind felt like.  What your spirit felt like.  Most importantly; notice how good it feels to be strong.  Appreciate the many ways in which your strength has and continues to empower you to do great things, both for yourself and for others. 

Tell yourself that you are strong.  Tell yourself you can endure, persist, cope and prevail.  You are strong enough to hold your entire experience of the world, both positive and negative in awareness without being overwhelmed. Say it:  I am strong enough to hold my entire experience in awareness with out being overwhelmed.  The winds of life can blow hard, but I am a deeply rooted tree.  Winds only make me stronger.

You are strong.  You are brave.  You are powerful.  Now go put that strength, bravery and power to good use!

(Source: live-a-life-of-liberty)

Thank you all for existing.  If it were not for you, I would not be where I am today.  Without each other, none of us would.   Although we live in a very individualistic society, we are all interdependent on one another.  Each and every one of us.  We feed off of each others energy.  For this reason, surround yourself with people who’s energy you are drawn to.  It makes a big difference. 

I appreciate you.  I love and accept you for who you are.  Appreciate yourself.  Love and accept yourself for who you are.

Thank you all for existing.  You are wonderful.

(via que-ser-a-ser-a)

You are a precious child of the universe.

I am a precious child of the universe.

Despite what you feel right now, how you’ve felt in the past, what you have been told or what has happened to your body, mind, or spirit… You deserve to be loved and cherished.  You are loved and cherished.

I deserve to be loved and cherished and I am loved and cherished.

I love and appreciate others, and I deserve to be loved and appreciated as well.

I love and appreciate others, and I deserve to be loved and appreciated as well.

You are a precious, good-willed, kindhearted and beloved child of this universe.

I am a precious, good-willed, kindhearted, loved child of this universe.

Despite ______________ (why your mind tells you you are unlovable), today I love and accept myself, just as the universe loves and accepts me each and every day.  Today, I choose to move through the world with love in my body, mind, and spirit.  I will give that love to others.  Most importantly, I will open my heart and mind to accepting that love from the people, places, and things around me.  That love is there and regardless of where I am on my path today, I am willing to be open to accepting all of the goodness and love that surrounds me.

When you are repeating the phrases beginning with “I” try closing your eyes.  Really feel the universe surrounding you, supporting you, and filling your entire body with the love and respect you deserve.  This practice comes easier to some than others.  Sometimes it can take many attempts to really feel the universe’s love surrounding you.  Stick with it.  It’s a guaranteed mood and self-esteem boost once you get it.  If you are having trouble.  Feel free to send me a message and we can chat.  I’d love to hear from you.  Seriously :)