I was at a conference a week back and was reminded of this Abraham Lincoln quote:




It stuck with me all weekend.

It's really so simple.

When I do GOOD, I feel GOOD.

When I do bad, I feel bad.

So why do so many of us feel bad?  Why are we constantly feeling like we aren't good enough?  Why do we allow ourselves to feel bad about all the good we are doing?
 
I think another question to ask ourselves is, why are we not recognizing all the good we are doing?

We tend to overlook the kindness we have shown, the love that we've shared, the service that we have performed, and instead focus on what still needs to be accomplished.  We don't let ourselves feel rested or satisfied with our day, because we keep a running tally of what else we could have done.

We have to start realizing the GOOD we are doing!  Every day!!!  We need to acknowledge our worth and to feel at peace with who we are and what we do.  Start small if this is difficult for you.

Feel good about the good you are doing.  Feel confident that your efforts to make your day, your family, your community, your world better are being realized!  Small efforts, big efforts, ANY effort you made today to make it a brighter day, is a good thing.  A wonderful thing!  Kind words, kind acts, they are contagious.

Feel good about the good you are doing, because it is fueling someone else to do good too!

What if we all just focused on the things we didn't accomplish today? What if every one felt bad about the good they did, because it wasn't enough?  Wouldn't that be contagious too?   Wouldn't that burden be so heavy that eventually we would be crippled to even begin to do something good, for fear that we still weren't good enough?

STOP feeling bad about what you are NOT doing.   If you didn't do something BAD, do not feel bad!!!

Feel good about the good your are doing!  Focus on that!  Let THAT fuel you to do better tomorrow, instead of guilt that you weren't quite good enough today.

** It's silly to feel bad about a good thing you did not do, and ignore all the good things you DID do! ** (Now I kind of sound like Dr. Seuss!)

Feel good about the good you are doing!!

Here is Novembers Photo Challenge.  Sorry it's late!  Remember, this isn't so much as a "challenge" but a prompting to remind you to live in the moment.  There is so much to be grateful for, and my purpose is to remind us to celebrate November!  Have a great month!  Don't forget to tag #sweetmephotochallenge

I admit that "living" life has always been a bit scary to me.  I have been comfortable with just going with the flow.  I even convinced myself that I am not settling, but instead I'm being content with my life.  I believed that since I was happy and my life was going well, that I was doing okay.

It wasn't until a few months ago that I realized that I wasn't doing myself any favors with this plan of action.
Because in reality, I wasn't TAKING action.  I was just letting life happen.  I would rejoice in the good, and work through the bad, but I wasn't embracing life! I wasn't learning, progressing, experiencing!

I made a deliberate choice to take a plan of action this year!  To try new things, to challenge myself.  I was not going to talk myself out of living just because I am already content with my life.  I need my kids to see that they can do and be whatever they want.  I have not been a good example of that.  True, I want them to be content and not have to always have something new and exciting going on in life to make them happy.  But I don't want that complacency to keep them from experiencing all that life has to offer, like I have done.

So one day I was talking with my sister, discussing my upcoming birthday, and I expressed to her how I really wanted to do something different for my day this year.  She told me about a  Women's only 5k race she heard of, The Skirt in the Dirt race put on by the GOAL Foundation.  It was perfect!!!  I have never done a race, and it was on my Birthday weekend.  And beyond that, GOAL stands for "GET OUT AND LIVE!"  If this race wasn't designed for me, then no other race would be!!  It was meant to be.



 I was so super excited about it the day we planned it.  I knew this was just what I needed.  It was over the river and through the woods, and mud, and sand, and climbing trees, and it sounded AWESOME!  I told my family about it and they all agreed I HAD to do it.  Even when I started to talk myself out of it, they were there to remind me of how excited I first was about it!


Hollie and I ran the race.  Well, I ran as much as I could, but it didn't even matter.  We did it.  The course was so fun, the women were amazing, and they had cupcakes at the end!  It wasn't a "win the race" sort of thing, it was just a bunch of women, motivating each other, helping each other, and out living and loving life!


I can honestly say I loved every second of it.  I feel proud of myself!  How often do we really feel a deep sense of pride in something that we did?   My family was there at the end to see Hollie and I finish and it was just what I needed.  I needed to see them support me, so that I wouldn't be afraid to keep trying new things, and they needed to see me living!  I know to some, running a 5K may be no big deal, but to me, this race was pivotal for my progression in proving to myself that I can and will LIVE my life!


We decided it's a new Birthday tradition.  Who's with me next year?

I feel that sometimes as a Mom, I have a hard time getting out of "mom-mode."   You know the drill, cleaning, cooking, carpooling, helping, cheering, going, doing, it.never.stops.  And while I LOVE being a Mom and serving my family with all that I am, sometime I feel like I just need to be ME.  Let my hair down and enjoy the day!

So I came up with this list of 10 unexpected ways to have an Awesome Day!  Just reading the list alone is sure to help you on your way!


Let me know if you try one and how it made you feel awesome!!!