All I ever wanted...

Happy Monday everyone!!  Hope that you had a great start to your week..we're already at the end of the summer season..WOW....seems like it just flew right on by us...time has a habit of doing that to us every once in a while..haha!!  

I loved this quote for tonight's post.  It's so funny how the life that we imagined that we would be in by the time we are at a certain age is usually so different from what we had pictured...soooo different!!  It's so easy to sit around reliving regret after regret after regret until you can no longer see any of the blessings that you have sitting right in front of you...I know that I am guilty of getting so wrapped up in a thought or a memory that I wished that I would have handled differently at the time..but when you really sit and think about it...would the ending have been any different???  ...hmmm, I guess that's one of those things that we will never know...shooot!!!  I do know that this feeling of regret....it just sucks the life right out of us...makes us think that we are nothing...that we don't mean anything...well, that's how it makes me feel...but, in reality, we are surrounded by love and blessings everywhere...
Sooo, this has got me thinking...which is NEVER good...hahahaha!!  If you were given the chance to go back in time and you were allowed 30 minutes to tell yourself everything that you wished that you would have known or realized at a certain time...what would you say to yourself????  Oddly enough, I think about this scenerio so much....I've tried to think of the most important things that I wished that I would have known...like, don't be so shy...you're going to miss out on so much life....don't think so much, it only complicates a situation that really isn't all that complicated and MOST of all, I would tell myself over and over and OVER to love myself....that, I believe, it the most important one of all....and the hardest thing in the world to do...for without it, you go down roads blindly believing everything....soooooo, knowing that I can never go back in time and tell that shy little girl that never thought much of herself just how much love surrounds her....I have to tell the me of today those exact same words...until they resonate in my mind...until it makes sense....until I can become a whole person...loving every single second of life and living in the moments and making outstandingly amazing memories!  There really aren't any regrets in life...yes, there are things that we wished that we would have done differently, but if you just sit and think about it...would you really..I mean REALLY change anything...because we have to realize that if we changed just ONE little tiny thing...we wouldn't be the person that we are today....life is just a succession of lessons...you know that quote, right???   Lesson after lesson after lesson....ahhhhhhhhh...it's kind of like we NEVER graduate from this school, huh??  hahahaha....it seems that once we learn one lesson there is another one waiting in line to be learned...at least it keeps life interesting, right??  Ok....well, I'm going to close for the evening....I hope that you all enjoyed your Monday...4 more days until the weekend..heehee!!!!  YAYYYY!!!!  Have a wonderful evening everyone!!  :))))

The good you do today...

Happy Wednesday everyone...I don't know about anyone else, but it is HOTTTTTT outside...I'm kind of looking forward to fall...it's my FAVORITE season...the only problem with saying that is that winter is the next stop after it...ohhhh welllll...heehee!!!
So, the past few days I've sort of, kind of been trying to do some soul searching...trying to answer all of those pesky unanswerable questions...sometimes I really, really want to know ALLL of the answers to life..make all of the pieces of this giant puzzle with the smallest of pieces fit together, and then I think, well why on Earth would I want to do that...how boring would life be...but, I will always sit and wonder and try to figure it all out...keeps me busy, at least..heeheehee...sooooo, anyway onto what my whole intent for today's blog is.  I found this little quote that had a HUMUNGOUS impact on me today...kind of made me feel a little more at ease about myself...so, here goes nothin'...haha!!

"The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow,

do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough,

give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway."

-Mother Theresa-

Isn't that one of the most BEAUTIFUL things that you have ever read??!??!  I fell in love with it as soon as I read it.  It seems like that for the most part we all try to be good people...to be kind to each other...try our hardest not to speak unkindly about another person...try to be the understanding friend..non-judgemental...love unconditionally...all of the things that we strive to be....all of the things that we would want someone to be for us and feel for us....but, shoot...sometimes things just don't play out the way that we think that they should...and that makes all of this some of the most difficult challenges that we will face in our lives.  Keep our words kind...that is SO hard to do when we are upset about something or when we don't get the reaction that we hoped for or when we come across someone that just really doesn't care about any part of us....it's SO disheartening....it makes us want to give up...fall into the deep hole that it seems a lot of the world is doing...it would be so easy to just say....screw it....I might as well join them....ahhhhhhhhhhh, but do we REALLY want that for ourselves???  Do I want that for myself???  ...or you for yourself???  Sometimes I tend to over do things...I can over dramatize just about anything in my mind, whether it be something good or something bad...I have to admit, it's not my favorite part of me...but, alas...I must accept it and try my best to control it...hahaha....

The one change that I have noticed in myself since starting this blog...ok, there's TWO things....first one...I suck at puncuation..SUCK...hence the millions of dots in every sentence...hahahaha!!  The second thing, it seems that once I put all of these thoughts and feelings into writing and share them with all of you, it has made me a bit of a stronger person, because I can't rightfully say all of these things and not at least give it my best shot to live up to my words...somedays are harder than others..heehee!! 

Sooooo, back to the topic at hand.....there are times when I like to say things to people that are struggling to try to help them out..give them some encouraging words...because if you knew the family and friends that I have been blessed with and the encouraging words that they have given to me...PRICELESS....SIMPLY PRICELESS...the words that I try to share with other's are the word's that those precious people shared with me when I needed to hear them....but, then when I say them....OH NO...what did I just do....I totally crossed the line...panic sets in and yeah....now we have an exaggerated version of all events blown so out of control in my head that I can't even function properly...hahaha....you see how I can exaggerate so easily...heeheeheehee...just kidding!!  :))  ..but, anyway....this quote gave me a little comfort..showing love and kindness is never anything to be embarrassed about....trying to help out someone in need...try to help them lift themselves higher....there is no reason that we should feel bad....we are just trying to keep the "goodness" train on the tracks....paying it forward....yes, I'm lovin' this quote...puts my heart at ease and only makes me want to try harder in being the one that never gave up on goodness, because after all...it's not for them...it's for the goodness within our souls...have a wonderful evening, everyone....until next time... :)

...more than just a memory..

Sooooo, how long has it been??  ...ummmm, seems like forever since I wrote a new post...WHOA!!  Have I been lazy or WHAT??  Hahahaha!!!
It's been such an AMAZING weekend so far...been traveling for the majority of the time, but I'm the girl that loves to go on roadtrips...I LOVE THEM!!  Heehee!!
Yesterday my travels took me to Lincoln...shopping with my sister, Kirsten and her hubby Mike...we had a great day and I found a few little treasures to decorate my place..Kirsten got some maternity clothes, which she has been SUPER EXCITED about...she looks so cute....I can't wait until her "little package" as she refers to the baby...to arrive!!  Girl ohhh Girl..hahaha...can you tell that I'm totally voting for a girlie...heehee...ohhhhh, I will be happy with whatever she has, I'm just being selfish and want to buy all the cute girlie things...I KNOW...heehee!!!  :)
Today, we had a family reunion in Holdrege...some of the people there I had never met...it was nice to see everyone together...family reunions always get me to thinking...sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives and become so focused on what's going on in our own little world's that I think sometimes we forget where we come from...howww sadddddd!!  So, as I was sitting there watching everyone (no, I'm not a creeper, I just love watching people..it's SO interesting!)  I was watching the older people in our family...they're all sitting around...seemed so happy to be there..seeing everyone...smiling..laughing...genuinely having a good time, so then....and be forewarned...here's my mind coming at you, in it's purest form...BEEEWARRRRE...hahaha!!!
Ok, so you know how when you go home to see your parents or you go visit your grandparents or really any family members you get the scoop on what everyone is up to..how they have been...whether or not they are struggling with something...upcoming events, like weddings, get-togethers, and God forbid, funerals...so, here I am looking at these beautiful people and thinking of all of the things they have been through..marriages, divorces...illnesses...and yet, here they are...smiling and SO happy...so amazingly beautiful!!!!!  Family is meant to be our foundation...where we can go and know...absolutely KNOW that you are going to be accepted and loved...no questions asked...there's no reason to be afraid because you just KNOW...and it's the bestest feeling in the world....
So, here's where the title of today's blog comes in...memories...ohhhhhhh, it seems that they can either make you or break you, huh???  ...and this is kind of coming from a personal issue that I'm having, but kind of made me think today!  We meet so many people in our lives...and we invite some into our lives to share those memories...to make memories with them...we trust them!  What happens when our memories have taken so much of you away that we can't seem to find it in ourselves to ever let anyone in again????  Do we just lose out..or do we give it a shot...prepared for the worst, but yet expect the best....realize that people can and do let people down, but on the other hand..people can also build people up...how do you know the difference????  Yesssssssssss......this is getting scary, isn't it??  TRUST....oooooooooooo....yes, I'm TERRIFIED...ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of it...but, yet I know that it is the key to me finding ME....darn it....ha!!  ...and I don't make it easy, that's for sure....yes, it's easy to write this blog...put everything out there...because I'm not sitting here looking anyone in the eye...I'm not seeing the looks on anyone's faces...I don't see any judgement....this is just a release of some sort, I guess......but, looking at this family...knowing what some of them have been through...and to see those smiles...hearing them laugh....it just all melted away....I want that feeling ALLLLLL of the time...I don't ever want to lose it again....EVER!! 
Here's a little quote that I found I think fits perfectly into this little story.....

"Love comes to those who still hope

even though they've been disappointed,

to those who still believe

even though they've been betrayed,

to those who still love

even though they've been hurt before"

-Unknown-

After spending the day with some extended family...loving every minute..I'm seeing the truth in this particular quote....I just need to let all of the bad stuff go....trust that God has a plan for me and what's meant to be will be...if it hurts...it hurts...if not, then look what I found....ME...and once that's accomplished...I will be so much better for the people around me....TRUST IN THE PLAN!!  ALWAYS....because none of us are here by mistake...we all have a purpose!!!  ....and my last little statement before I stop for the day....always be the person who makes good memories for another person...don't play with emotions...they are WAY to fragile to be thrown around...live to that higher standard...I MUST REMEMBER THIS EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF EVERY SINGLE DAY...I'll just keep picturing the beauty of today in my head...we all deserve goodness!!!  Here's hoping that you're all having a FABULOUS weekend and enjoy the week to come!!  Keep smiling...everything works out the way that it is supposed to...YAYYYYY!!!  



Lather up....

Good evening everyone!!  It just amazes me how quickly the weekends just fly right on by...sheesh!!  I've been pondering what I should write about all weekend long...this weekend, I got thrown for a loop (hope that's how the saying goes..haha!)  I've written what...10-11 posts over the course of the past month or so...I decided to do this blog thing because I wanted to have a constant reminder of all of the blessings in my life and to remember how far I have come when life smacks me down...I was thinking that I had learned just about everything that I've been searching for...I felt like I had overcome a lot of the things that I wanted to overcome...become a more confident person, respect myself more.....be what I want to see in other people and live it every single day...no excuses....be so comfortable in my own skin that it couldn't be shaken....YAY!! 
Ok, so then along comes an event and everything that I believed that I had become over the past 2 years....hmmm....allllll of those nerves...all of the doubt about my own being...that all came flooding back...OHHHH NOOOOO!!!!  So, onto the reason I decided to do this....NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU WERE COMPARED TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW....I seemed to have forgotten this somewhere along the line and have avoided absolutely any situation that might bring up anything not so fun...ok, I need to sit back and reevaluate where my mind needs to be...because I guess that I have SOOO much more to learn...which, yes...learning is growing and THAT is exactly what I intend to do...as long as I'm still growing that means I'm still living...WHEW!!  heehee!!!
Sooooooooo....here comes the reminder part of my blog...and I'm not writing this for myself alone, but also for anyone who needs reminding about how precious and special you are and how wonderfully FABULOUS life is...it's all about how we react to it....
Here is a quote that I found and absolutely LOVE.....

The zest for life is there for all. We must decide as individuals how much we want the lather it up. The decision is ours, ALWAYS!
~Gigi Galluzzo

Yes...and as usual, I must give credit to 'Positive & Inspirational Quotes' from Facebook...I had to use the picture, too....isn't it SO cute!!  heehee!!

It seems that I've sat out on the bench for a lot of my life...just kind of watching it pass right on by...you meet people that remind you that maybe, just maybe...you haven't lived until you have LIVED..ha!!  You never know how long people are going to stay in your life..they have their own path to follow, sometimes we're traveling together and sometimes we have to part ways just to get where we're going....but, everyone is put into your life, if even for a day or two for a reason....every person is another sparkling little blessing in our lives...there to teach us to grow!!  Sometimes, I think God likes to throw in a little twist....something to make us think!!  ....I'm watching Extreme Makeover: Weightloss Edition....have you ever watched that show???  It's AMAZING!!  The trainer, he actually changes people's lives, kind of like the Biggest Loser...any of those types of shows...to watch the people from the beginning to the end...to see all of the changes...their confidences goes through a complete overhaul...the look in their eyes is brighter...the happiness actually gives them a glow...something that we all want to feel, we all want to be a part of....soooo, here is my message:  LIVVVVVE....don't let your own thoughts ruin your chances to live.....take a few risks here and there...don't run away from your fears...dive in...have fun....and before you know it....all those things that you always wanted...before you know it...you'll have the life you've been working towards...ok, now I'm going to have to go back and re-read my own words over and over and over....no matter what...because this panicky (there's a good possibility that is totally spelled wrong) feeling needs to go away!  No matter what happens with whatever...I'm challenging myself and everyone else to conquer at least ONE fear in the next year....ok....here I go...cross your fingers and say a few prayers...heehee!!!  Have a FABULOUS Monday!!  :)))