~*Little Miss Optimism*~ @littlemissoptimism - Tumblr Blog

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Why is it that as humans in general we are always able to appreciate the beauty in all other people and things, but we have such a hard time seeing the beauty within ourselves? It's a shame, really! We are all beautiful in our own unique ways. Everyone should be able to look inside themselves and recognize those traits, characteristics & aspects that make them beautiful. However, when we are not feeling great about ourselves it can sometimes be hard to find those things. Here's the thing, though. While they might be buried beneath the surface for you, I'm sure someone whom you love and/or trust can bring them into the light. We all could use a reminder sometimes. So here's a friendly reminder from me to you today.... GO OUT THERE AND SPARKLE TODAY, BEAUTIFUL!!! ;-). LET THE WORLD SEE WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF & DON'T BE AFRAID TO SHOW IT!! *Find your true Beauty, and Let it Shine* You're welcome!!! ;-)

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*Stronger, Better, Faster, Stronger*

Kanye may be an ass, but I find this song to be pretty damn inspiring... "That that that that that don't kill me can only make me stronger." TRUTH!!! As hard as it may be to find the strength within ourselves to face challenges, it's so important that we take every opportunity to do so. I know it sometimes sucks! And I know that you can find a MILLION and one excuses NOT to do something, but the point is that you should face your fears, seek new challenges, and greet both with confidence and flare! ;-) My newest challenge is the INSANITY Workout with Shaun T. I'm not going to lie to you... It's extremely challenging! And I hate cardio! However, despite these 2 factors, I'm actually loving this workout! After a few weeks of slacking off on exercise and eating well, my boyfriend and I decided we needed something to get our butts back in gear. My boyfriend had done Insanity in the past, but was unsuccessful in doing it for the full two months (The 60-day Challenge, if you will) because he didn't have anything motivating him to continue it. We decided that we would challenge ourselves by doing this workout for two months... No excuses & no copping out!!! We figured that with the help, support & motivation of one another, we would be able to get through it much easier than we would if we had done it alone.

Well so far, we've made it through the first week, and it's going great. It's awesome having him by my side for the challenge. I have this urge to do better because I don't want to disappoint him, and I'm pretty sure it's the same for him. THIS WORKS for me!!! If you need help with challenges and facing your fears, or would like some extra motivation to get started on your goals (or to keep you going), your friends & family (granted you are close with them) will be your greatest tools! I'm a lucky girl, because I have always had an amazing support system helping me get through. No matter what challenges I faced, hurdles I had to jump over, successes or failures, or for anything I've gone through in my life, I've always been able to face fears & get through with their help!!!! I find my support system to be my greatest motivator.

It's essential to figure out your motivators before you engage in a new challenge or embark on a new journey. These things will be your go-to tools in the toolbox when you need a little extra help to get you going or help you through. Maybe it's your best friend's help, or maybe it's that last 10 lbs you want to lose, perhaps you just want to feel comfortable in your own skin, be healthy or you'd like to do something you thought you'd never do. For example, 3 years ago I would have laughed at you if you asked me to do a 5k. Running? HAAAA!! However, now I really enjoy them. I've participated In a total of 4 now. Completing the first was a really big accomplishment. I participated in the Freihofers Run for Women two years ago to begin. After realizing how much I enjoyed it, I decided to add *Participate in at least three 5ks this year* to my list of 2011 New Years Resolutions. I had 100% success with that goal! This year, I will top that goal. In fact, I will start this year of events by participating in my first Indoor Triathlon Relay! :-). It should be fun. Following this, I already plan to be a participant in one 5k in May & one in June. :)

So the moral of the story is... CHALLENGE YOURSELF... In every part of your life. It doesn't have to just be with fitness. It could also be with work, or school, or becoming more extroverted if you're someone who tends to keep to themselves. Whatever works for you! Like Nike says, "JUST DO IT"!!! ;-) ;-)

Baby Don't Worry about a Thing, 'Cause every little thing is gonna be Alright

Inspired by the words of the late, great Bob Marley... and a situation that occurred this morning on the Megabus, I decided to write a post about Relaxing and just going with the flow. In the past, I have been known to freak out when things don't go as planned. As hard as I try, I have a really hard time controlling myself & my body in moments when I do not have control over a situation... A bit of a control freak if you will haha. However, recently, I have been learning to do a few things as coping mechanisms and I'd like to share this list: 1) Laugh at the situation (if it make sense to)... Sometimes you just have to giggle when the unexpected occurs. In making light of the situation, you're turning an otherwise angry moment into a funny one; 2) JUST BREATHE... When you feel the blood start to surge or you feel yourself starting to lose it, practicing meditation even just by focusing on taking deep breaths may be able to calm you down, help you feel better, and aide in protecting yourself against Losing your cool & possibly even embarrassing yourself. This morning, the mirror broke while approaching an Underpass. In the eye of safety, the bus driver chose to put on his caution lights & go very slow until he reached a Service stop. First of all, I applaud him for using caution. Other passengers, however, questioned his decision and came up to the front of the bus multiple times to complain that they "had to catch a bus".... Ok first of all, if you're concerned about timing, LEAVE EARLY!!! Some people do not plan for the unexpected. My boyfriend and I found humor in the situation, and we're able to because we chose to hop on a bus that would arrive nearly 5 hours before the hockey game that we are attending this evening. This all got me thinking about the fact that you just truly NEVER know what is going to happen. It's always best to prepare yourself for any outcome. This helps you save time & also helps you stay sane. It's no fun to freak out over things. You end up embarrassed and onlookers are either embarrassed for you, or laughing at you. So my advice today is to just Think, Relax & Calm Down.... Remind yourself that unless you are in immediate danger, then whatever you're upset about is probably not worth freaking out over. Just Live for the Moment, people!! If things don't go as planned, just accept it, maybe laugh about it, and Move on! :-)

It's the Simple Things in Life that make it all worthwhile

Today, while driving into work, I was inspired to write a post about taking advantage of all the little things that can make you happy. What was the inspiration?? Rocking out to Spice Girls radio on Pandora. As silly and as simple as this may be, it revved up me up and helped set a fun tone for the day. As a result, I was in a great mood when I started work today, which followed me through the entirety of the day. In fact, I've been listening to the station for the last 3 mornings in a row, on my way to work, and I've had 3 great days in a row. Something as little as a good song on the radio can make you smile or laugh, get ya moving, make you feel more energetic, and keep you happy for the day. (Let's face it... you know that when you hear Spice Girls "Say You'll Be There," you're singing it/have it in your head all day!) ;) So my advice is to find those simple little things in life, like a happy thought or your favorite song, to help you get through the tough times or the hard days. I guarantee it will help you feel better in moments of doubt... And remind you why life is good!! :-)

Randomly found this chalkboard message in a bar bathroom... Of all places! Lol. I loved it so much that I not only took a picture of it, but I also put it as the background on my phone. I use this as a reminder of how important I am... As a teacher, I have come to the conclusion that I probably touch more lives on a regular basis than I realize. But I chose this career for that reason. I always thought that if I could touch just one life, and help even just one child, then I have done what I am seeking out to do!! I make it my job to help people. Even though we may not always think about it, we are all here for a reason. We don't always figure out what that reason is right away. Actually, some of us never really seem to figure it out. However, we have to think about the positive presence we bring to others. Every person is probably important to someone else for one reason or another. Whether you are the apple of your mother's eye, daddy's little girl, the guiding light for a child, the half that makes someone whole (and the list goes on), you ARE important!!! I recommend keeping little quotes like this around, in convenient places. Sometimes it helps just to read through a positive or loving quote for added encouragement, or at least a smile!! :-)

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You can always look at the negative, but you should always live in the positive. So I try everyday to live that way.- Stevie Wonder

For my first blog, I thought I would share with you the story of my journey to positivity:

You may call me "Little Miss Sunshine" or "Miss Optimistic" or whatever you choose, but the truth is, I am proud to be happier than the average bear. I wake up everyday and hope for the best possible outcome. I live by the "it could always be worse" mentality because, let's face it, IT COULD BE. I have a good life and there isn't any reason I should be dwelling on negative factors. Even when "bad" things happen, I usually try to find some sort of positive light within the situation. Even when I have a "bad" day, I find something in that day or week to look forward to... Either that, or I find a friend to vent to, and suddenly things don't seem so awful.

The truth is, I haven't always been this way. Yes, I have always been a happy girl. Anyone who has ever known me well could tell you that, but I was once a "Negative Nancy" myself. Throughout childhood & adolescence, I encountered several nuisances that often occur during this level of development: I wore braces, had terrible acne, and to make matters worse I had terrible vision. I was made fun of quite a bit for my "shortcomings," being called horrible names such as "pizza face" and "four eyes" and "butter face." Kids are cruel, let's face it! I wish I had the strength to stick up for myself back then, but unfortunately, I've always been a sensitive girl. As a result, I developed a whole wardrobe of insecurities. I had terrible self-esteem. I truly believed that I was ugly, and because of this I thought boys would never like me. Somehow, I let other people's thoughts control me. I was a happy, pretty girl with a sense of humor and a kind heart, but I kept forgetting about all those wonderful, positive things that make me who I am. And I am SO NOT proud of it.

This negative mindset followed me for years. It didn't help that I dated a series of losers who brought me down and tried to control me. I had a habit of falling for the wrong guys who couldn't appreciate everything that I had to offer, and just used me. After awhile, I became completely and utterly ashamed of the girl I had become. This wasn't the REAL me. The real me wouldn't stand for this. The real me had strength, and confidence, and was proud of herself. The real me was happy, and had the power to see the beauty within herself.

I started to climb up from this downward spiral by waking up one day and deciding to change the way I lived my life. I started to take better care of myself both mentally and physically. I used my closest friends and family as support. One friend in particular, who I admire in many ways, helped inspire me to embrace my inner goddess. I was in awe at her ability to have such confidence in herself and her friends. The more awesome things she told me about myself, the more I started to believe her. I saw how happy & confident she was, and I told myself "I want to be like that." I started eating better. I started working out regularly. I also made a goal not to EVER settle again. And most importantly, I gave myself positive messages.

I'm not going to lie... As soon as I started to embrace a positive, optimistic lifestyle, everything in my life started to get better. I started making more goals for myself. Some were goals I'd actually had for years, but I was finally making successes out of them. I started looking better, and feeling better. I started receiving compliments from unexpected sources. I began using my Facebook and Twitter accounts as an outlet for sharing my happiness and positivity. I wasn't using it to brag though. It was more so because I slowly started to realize how miserable the world had become. All I saw were people complaining and feeling sorry for themselves. I hoped that if I could show my friends and acquaintances how happy I was, perhaps I could make a difference and inspire someone else. People started realizing how happy I was, and I began receiving feedback. Friends would tell me how happy and lucky they were to have me in their lives. Co-workers were coming up to me and saying how much of a pleasure it was to work with me because of the fact that I'm always friendly, with a smile on my face. I continued to succeed and become a happier person. I finished my Master's Program with a 3.8 gpa in November and THEN, when I was ready and it was time, I finally met the man of my dreams.

You might say I'm crazy. Believe whatever you want, but I'm a firm believer in the *POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING* I truly believe that the positive things that have happened to me over the last 2 years, have happened as a result of changing my way of thinking, and embracing a grateful, more positive lifestyle. When I was negative and unhappy with myself, things either continued to go wrong or remained at a stand still. As soon as I started being happier with myself, my life and the people and things around me, things began to look up. Now, I'm in the exact place I want to be and happier than I've ever been before.

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