The Sunday List #1

Happy Sunday!

Raise your hand if you kinda-sorta dread Sunday because it's the day before Monday. You can't see me, but those who know me are visualizing me with a cartoon Mickey Mouse hand raised high in the air.

It's true, I used to get through Sundays by worrying/fretting/anticipating the week ahead of me with no intentional plan of creating something better. Oh, I have planners - lots of them, but all of them just had work and our hockey schedule listed on the days.

Like I don't know when I'm working?

After the year that will be forever be known as The Lost Year, I decided that I want to create something a little different, and maybe memorable for something better. Let's be clear, I fully understand I created the mess last year, and this is my time to clean it up. And I thought, what better way than to celebrate the little things - the things that bring me joy - with all of you?

Enter The Sunday List.  It's not a big list, five things or less, depending on the week, but something you will be able to read, download, or find at Target. I have decided to choose things in my life that actually make me happy instead of what is expected. Some days Dexter fits that mold, and other days it might be a sappy romance. I'm over trying to figure out why things matter to me... only accept them as they are.

Less judgement, more acceptance.

So without further ado, here is my first official Sunday List.... comment below if you agree (or disagree!) with any of them!

• Of course I'm going to start with a book... They will always be my first love. So the book I just finished a couple hours ago, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, by Christina Lauren made me giggle on the first page, and then throughout the book. After reading the uber-tense Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman, Half-Night was the perfect follow up book. Witty, romantic, and a great ending to boot. If it wasn't snowing outside, I'd say it was the perfect beach read. Seriously, download for your next vacation. 

• Last year, I remember being obsessed with a new Serial-like Podcast called Dirty John. It was part murder mystery, (in that you didn't know who actually died) and part Dateline-telling of the story. If you haven't listened to the podcast, I highly recommend it. However, if podcasts aren't your thing, then you have to watch the series. The final one was aired last Sunday, so all of them are available for your binging pleasure on demand. I mean, is it really a Sunday if you're not binge-watching something? Connie Britton and Eric Bana are perfectly casted - Eric (John) will make your skin crawl. If you like Dateline, this is a perfect escape, especially since it's based on a true story. 

• And finally, my favorite story of the week involves a hockey player, an NHL team, and one of my favorite cities. Jacob Piros - 17 year-old goalie for the Capital City Capitals and cancer survivor - had a dream come true this week when he got to visit with his favorite player, Pekka Rinni, goalie for the Nashville Predators. The trip was part of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and was a once in a lifetime moment for everyone involved. He met with them off the ice, practiced with them, and even led them on the ice for their game on Wednesday. You can read more about the story and check out videos here. It was one of those stories that reminds me that hockey players aren't just great athletes... they're amazing people too. I think you'll agree.

Well, that's it for me this week. I hope this post finds you warm and snuggled up with a good book (or show!), and that you begin to look for the little things that bring you joy every day. It really is as easy as changing your focus.

Until next week... Happy Reading!

xo, Mo

More Words to Live By

This is a little surreal, writing here. For the last two years, I had moved all of my writings to a Wordpress "real" website, and never-not once, did I find myself comfortable with the format. I'm a blogger girl at heart - always have been - and because I'm literally locked out of my other site, I'm back here.

Yes, there's a story there, but I'm not getting into it with you.

I'm too happy doing what I love and remembering why I started writing so long ago. It all started with a blog and literally one reader (thank you Ping!).

I haven't always believed I was a writer, yes, even after this past year, and it still surprises me when someone tells me they like my book(s). It took me so long to share anything with anyone, and now they're just out there for the world to see.
It can be a bit daunting for someone who still refuses to tell people I meet that I'm a writer. I'm not sure that little voice in the back of my head will ever truly believe the writer in me.

And I don't think I'm alone.

So, that's why I have decided to tackle the subject of those nagging voices in our heads that stop us from dreaming in my next book, To Live in This World. It will be the third and final book in the Frankfort Beach series, and this one will be told from Julia's point of view.

I really believe every one of us has a dream of some sort, but never go after them. And I get it... it's not easy to carry the faith needed to believe in something before it's real. My goal is to figure out how to break it down and present it in a way that inspires and motivates, with the occasional giggle.

Tall order for someone with a cranky voice in her head, if you ask me.

On the plus side, I'm 99.9% certain no one will die in this book either, so there's that to celebrate :)

I hope this day finds you well and reading something spectacular... Please comment and let me know what you're reading.

Happy Reading!
xo, mj

Perfection

Here I am, broadcasting from Day 23 of the Whole 30 Program, and I'd like to say that everything is going perfect... but I'm not going to lie to you like that.  Plus, you already know that coffee creamer is my non-negotiable, so there's that.

I will be honest and tell you that I went out on Saturday night... A brewery-bus-pub-crawl, and yes, I participated.  Going into it, I thought maybe I could just drink a glass of wine at each place, and it really wouldn't be so bad... right?

But here's the other thing.  I pretty much broke every rule possible, but I also didn't care.  Why?  Because I had the best damn time.  I struggled with it on Sunday (mostly because I was reeeeeeaallly hungover) but got right back on track and didn't feel the need to eat myself into a coma like I've done in the past when I slip on a diet.

Was it a perfect weekend?  Not at all, but I learned more from that experience than I did the first 20 days.

I think this is how I get into so much trouble with eating in the first place.  I'm not perfect.  I love food.  I love sweets.  And I love wine...or beer... or a margarita.  What I have never learned is the ability to balance my eating.  It's all or nothing usually.  Black or white.  Healthy or unhealthy.  Good or bad.

What I want is to live in a world where I can have those things, on occasion, and still maintain most of my current eating habits.  I have one week left, and from there I am going to figure it out.  I have gained so much from this and I don't want to ever go back to the way I was eating and living.  I was miserable with myself, and that isn't good for anyone.  But I also know that my world doesn't exist without homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Balance.  Healthy with the occasional side of sweets.  Or wine :)

I've also learned that there really aren't "good" or "bad" choices.  They're all just choices, and my job is to figure out which ones are best for me.  One size plan doesn't fit all, and I have to create one that's unique for me and learn to live with adding healthy choices more often.

Logical, right?  Yeah, it's because I haven't had sugar for 23 days.  Sugar and logic aren't buddies.

So there... If you're chasing perfection or judging yourself against perfection, STOP.  You won't win.  Perfection will kick real life's ass every time and leaving you feeling not enough.

You are enough, even with peanut M & M's.

We always were...

Happy Thursday Peeps!  Make it a good one :)

Humble and Kind

I won't sit here and go on and on about how this song moves me to tears every time I hear it.  I don't have to tell you how beautifully the video is done.  

The proof is right here, in his words, melody, and vision.

I hope you love it as much as I do...

When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you

When the work you put in is realized

Let yourself feel the pride but

Always stay humble and kind

These are my words to live by today....

Happy Thursday Peeps :)

10

10 Days.

240 Hours.

14,400 Minutes.

864,000 Seconds.

As in I've made it through 10 days of Whole 30.  A part of me wishes it was Whole 10, but then again, I really feel like I'm just getting started.  Never did I imagine that I would make it this far.  After all, this is literally the longest I've gone without any of the following:  sugar, processed carbs, dairy, alcohol.  I've haven't given up any single thing for this long, let alone ALL OF THEM.

It's crazy when you think about it.

No cookies fresh from the oven.

No glass of wine while cooking dinner.

No side of crackers with my bagel sandwich.

No pizza.

Sigh..... this is getting depressing.

But, in all honesty, I'm not worried about getting to day 30 anymore.  I'm more worried about what happens on day 31.  I know we reintroduce groups back in, but I haven't gotten there yet.

In honor of this momentous day, I thought I'd give you this:

The Top Ten Things I Learned from Whole 30: Part 1

1. I can go so much longer in between meals than I could before.  And hunger doesn't feel like I'm going to pass out if I don't eat something.
2. I like things like sweet potatoes, mangos - and taking a page out of my mom's cookbook - adding onions to EVERYTHING.  She'd be proud.  Blake and Toby, on the other hand, are mortified that the house smells like onions.
3. I definitely have more energy now.  Couldn't say that the first week, so that is a good thing.
4. Coffee creamer is a non-negotiable for me.  If I can only have fruits, veggies, and meat, then I am allowing this one small mental treat.  Yes, I said mental treat.
5. I am waking up easier now.  Or maybe I should say that when I wake up, I actually want to get out of bed now.
6. I no longer think about food 24/7.  
7. Night time is definitely my Danger Zone.  I went to bed at 9 pm pretty much the whole first week to stop myself from thinking about the things I used to eat.
8. Tea really does help curb some cravings.
9. I feel a weird happiness at odd times during the day.  
10. I've learned it isn't so much about will power, but just setting your mind to something.  I have wanted nothing more than to feel better for the past few years, and I finally feel like this is the last puzzle piece to fit in.  

Change doesn't happen overnight, but second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. It happens one choice at a time.  It happens when you can't tolerate the way things are anymore and brave enough to make that choice.

I'm so happy I did.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Tribe

Taylor Swift has her squad.

Oprah has Gayle.

Mark Wahlberg has his entourage.

And I have my tribe.

In this day and age, when life is moving quickly, and you don't know what day it is half the time, it's nice to know that a girlfriend is just a text away.  I know, I know, we're all obsessed with our phones, and everyone just wants to unplug!

But not me.  No way.  I get nervous when my phone gets to 20% battery left.

If it weren't for my phone, I wouldn't have been able to get through this week.  Like, for real.

A simple text message, or a year long group text, can literally change the course of my day.  You see, on the other end of that text is someone I treasure.  Someone I can bond with over Whole30 Hell.  Someone who gets my writing struggles.  Someone who is also waiting for the end of a Championship game that has gone into overtime and a shoot out.  Someone who makes me giggle, and someone who knows when I'm crying.

I don't think it's antisocial - unless you're at a restaurant with a friend across from you - because you're communicating and sharing your life with your tribe.

And everyone needs a tribe.  I love my husband just as much as the next person, but it's my girlfriends who have gotten me through life.

The nitty gritty stuff.
The stuff that men just wouldn't understand.
The diets nutrition resets.
Stuff like waxing, mothering, and Criminal Minds.
Scandal textathons.
Books!  Men just don't get books.
Fear of failing at motherhood.
Fear of failing at writing.
Fear of just failing.

I don't know any woman who is able to handle motherhood, work (or not), schedules, meals, family, games, and travel without a TRIBE around her.  If you're lucky enough to see that tribe every day, well yay for you.  I am not that fortunate, but I am blessed to have a list of friends I can text at any moment to share my life with.


So be thankful, today.  Thankful for the women who just get who you are and still like you :)  Life goes fast and I know we are only here for a short time.  Don't hold grudges or pass judgements... you sometimes don't know what someone else is going through.   Instead, take the high road and be kind to everyone.  Not everyone will be a part of your tribe and that's okay.  Haters are going to hate, and you'll always be able to find someone who can criticize everything you do.  It's okay.  You don't need their opinion, but you can still be nice.

It's taken me a while to get to this point.  Like I said earlier, I wouldn't have gotten through the week without my peeps, so perhaps I'm feeling a bit mushy right now.

Take a moment and text a friend.  Make them giggle... tomorrow is Monday and they need it.

Happy Sunday Peeps!

Food

My friend Linda has always told me that weight loss and getting to a "normal" size is 90% about what you eat.  

I never liked it when she would tell me this.  I would simply look for an exercise plan that could allow me extra calories or cheat days.  I mean, I would hear what she was saying, but politely decline that it would work for me.

After all, I've tried every diet on the planet.  Giving up food groups is too hard.  Tracking food is too annoying.  Counting calories makes me want to stick a fork in my eye.

So when I came across the book It Starts with Food, I was a little skeptical.   Okay, a LOT skeptical.  You don't give up one food group, but several.  S E V E R A L.  

And by several, I'm talking about 90% of what I eat.  I'm guessing Linda is giggling about now.

But here's the deal:  When I started reading the book, I wasn't intimidated by what I couldn't eat, and what I'd have to give up for 30 Days.  I was inspired by the benefits I would gain from doing getting rid of the foods that are wreaking havoc on my system.  Within the first few chapters, I was hooked.  More than anything, I want to wake up in the morning and not think about how many hours till I can crawl back in.  I would actually like to feel my age (or younger!) and not 85.

Will this be easy.   Ummm, no, but I'm actually excited about the challenge.  I'm ready for it.  And I bought more vegetables today than I did pretty much all of last year alone!  I've never really been one for taking the easy road either... just look at what I do for a living.

So, tomorrow starts the day.  The day when Linda's 90% makes the difference in my life.  Needless to say, I'm taking the week off from working out, mostly because I think I'll want to kill someone by Wednesday.  

Good news?  The Golden Globes is on TONIGHT (oh how I've missed Ricky Gervais), and I can even enjoy a glass of wine while I watch!  Can't say that tomorrow :)

Need a laugh?  I highly encourage you to watch this then.  I giggled most of the way through it... Will probably watch every day this week.

That's it from me tonight!  Wish me luck, and those are my words to live by...

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year (disregard that we're one week in)

One of my intentions of the year is to write more, to my peeps, and have more to say about life.  I went through a phase of wanting to change several things about this blog, including the name, but when it all comes down to it, I really just want to give you words to live by.  I want to make you laugh, cry, and feel like someone else gets what you're going through.  Changing everything was all about procrastinating, which I have damn near perfected.

I have learned to procrastinate like it's my JOB.

Mo Parisian, Senior Executive Procrastinator.

Does this ring a bell with anyone else or am I the only one???

My goal for this blog is to find and connect to more readers this year.  I know that means streeeeeeetching my writing consistency and creativity.  Most of the time, I sit and struggle with what to write, thinking that I've already said what I came here to say.  I will literally get through an entire post and delete it, thinking WHO IS GOING TO CARE ABOUT THAT?

Well that time is done.  Of course I'll still go over some of the same topics, but change is in the air.

I even made a fancy little manifesto to drive the point home.

Here are some simple things we can do every single day to make sure we're living our best lives.  Obviously some of these are easier than others, and everyone's list will look different.  This baby is just mine.  

After my month of gratitude back in November, I really learned that I'm not all sunshine and butterflies inside.  Shocking, right?  Stop laughing.  

But seriously, I will be the first to admit that I should be dressed a in full Darth Vader outfit some days.  Other days it's sunshine and butterflies.  The practice of gratitude (and it is a practice) will simply improve your chances of sunshine on any given day.  

More sunshine - even in Michigan - and less Vader.  Check.

More time management - it's number 1 for a reason - will prevent me from uttering things like 'I don't have time.'  I have the time.  I just choose to use it watching Scandal, or whatever else is on any given night.

Senior.  Executive.  Procrastinator.

This year is about the beginning of change.  I started on this journey last May, but this is the year I will intentionally change to get what I want.  

And these are my words to live by....

Magic

I haven't been able to read much lately, but I found this one a couple weeks ago, and decided to go through it finally.  It's been sitting on a shelf, lonely and unread, waiting to work it's magic on me.  

And it has.  

Now, if you've read The Secret, you know it can be somewhat repetitive.  That's not necessarily a bad thing when dealing with a life-changing subject, so it didn't surprise me that this one reads similarly.  You get a small introduction, and then you're set on a 28-Day Challenge based solely on gratitude.  It's not the usual write 5 things each day either.  You're given a different subject every day and a list of to-do's.  

I've tried to do things like this before, and gratitude is always on my mind, but there is something about this book and being ready to really go through the process.  It's different this time, and while I still have some habits to break, I can feel a difference every morning that passes.

I think after so many years of living with my depressing limited thoughts, this is literally a breath of fresh air.  Is it for everyone?  Probably not, but that's okay.  

The one thing I've learned this past year is that what works for me isn't necessarily going to work for everyone.  If there is one thing you can take from my recent posts is that gratitude really can change your life.  How you get there is completely your choice, but this book will definitely help you.  I know I touched upon this in my last post, but never mentioned the book and after reading this morning, I thought I'd share it with you.

And that is my #MondayMotivation for you. 

Happy Monday :)

Happiness is...

It feels like I've been chasing happiness for so long that I was beginning to focus on the chase and not ever realizing that it was here already.  Always looking for the next book that would ensure happiness in 5 easy steps.  Writing about it.  Blogging about it.  Watching Oprah for God's sake.

Somewhere between changing diapers and endless bottle feedings, I have started to feel like myself again.  I'm walking and writing, setting crazy-unrealistic challenges, and above all, dreaming again.  My life feels like my own again, and just like that, happiness isn't something to chase anymore.

What I've learned is that happiness is a work in progress, a never ending intention at the beginning of every day.  For me, happiness comes in and out of my life like a season, or perhaps more like a sunny day in Michigan.  It has always felt as if I only noticed it when the moment has passed.  I haven't always enjoyed it when it graced me.

Life and/or work has always gotten in the way, but now it seems to be the catalyst for my lighter demeanor as of late.  One thing I know now is that happiness is a choice, and when your brain has a moment to slow down and actually make the choice, it comes to you more clearly.

Gratitude is another reason for the mood shift.  Happiness and gratitude should go hand in hand, because where there is one you'll always find the other.  I started a 28-day gratitude challenge 10 days ago (yes, even before the November gratitude month), and have found myself moved to tears most days.

In a nutshell, I am a bumbling idiot.

But a happy and grateful bumbling idiot.

It isn't perfect yet, but I am not worried about it.  My life is unfolding as it should, and I'm not going to miss any of it any longer.

I'm thankful for the messy days, because it makes the other days (okay, my days off) seem so much easier.

I'm thankful for the lazy moments, because I deserve them.

I'm thankful for kids that make mistakes, because that is how they learn.

I'm thankful  to live in a world with Blake Shelton, Ryan Gosling, and Bradley Cooper.

Seriously.  That is a given.

So what are you grateful for?  What happened today that was great, or even so-so?  What did you do today that made someone smile?

Answer these questions every single day.  And don't stop saying thank you.

This world can be a little unforgiving, and we can be really hard on ourselves.  The best thing you can do is start every day over with a grateful heart, thanking God for whatever you can think of.

Yes... even for Zac Effron :)

Who could forget about him?

Now, that is happiness.

For the Love

Every now and again a writer comes along and makes everything you're going through completely normal and almost (gulp) alright.

Every good thing.  Check.

Every bad thing.  Check.

Every embarrassing thing.  Check.

Everything you wouldn't tell your best friend.  Check!

Reading this book is kinda like sitting down and talking with your best friend.  The chapters are basically essays on love, marriage, friendship, motherhood, balance, all wrapped in faith.  Her honesty and logic are refreshing at a time when I seem to need them most.

I've needed someone to tell me (for a while now) that everything is as it should be.  I had a feeling it was, but it's nice to hear it from someone else.

It's funny - I've always believed in book karma... When you receive a book that you need at that very time.  Many times books can speak to us and teach us more about ourselves.

This is that kind of book.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book.   You won't regret it :)

Happy Monday!!

Time

If wasting time was a full time job, then I would get paid over time.

Possibly every week.

I could write books, train for marathons, and have a clean house if only I took my time more seriously.

Now this isn't supposed to be a guilt trip to get you to stop watching the Bachelorette.  Nor will I try to stop you from flipping on Facebook for the tenth time today.  

Just notice it.  Notice the time slipping away every single day.  How many times do you see someone post photos of their kids asking where the time goes?  It happens all the time.  

So, just for today, commit to stopping for one minute and just paying attention to what is going on around you.  Don't try to change or fix anything, just notice it.  The one thing I've notice this past week is that the problem isn't that I don't have enough time... I don't make enough time.  

I don't take my priorities seriously and haven't for a long time.  I'm too busy trying to comfort myself from daily life instead of getting on with what I'm supposed to be doing.  

The best thing about a birthday (or any big event) is the clarity that comes along, and I really try to make each year better.  I know this year's focus is going to be on time management and paying attention to what makes me feel good and what things can go.

It's a little like New Year's Eve for me tonight, without all the winter and regrets.  I look forward to 47 29 again this year and looking forward to making it the best one yet.  

Happy Birthday to me :)

Back to the Beginning with Grace

“Like a blinking cursor on an empty page, it was just the first thing. The beginning of the beginning. But at least it was done.”  ~Sarah Dessen

Back in 2008 I started a blog called Words to Live By, and it was one of my favorite things I had ever done as a writer.  I wasn't writing for anyone in particular - I don't think I even shared the link with anyone - I just wanted to start writing consistently for myself.  

And then something happened along the way.  People started reading, and seemed to like it, and suddenly I was feeling the pressure of writing for other people.  While I was flattered that others liked what I was doing, I also started to doubt the content I was posting on here.

Insert inner critic (I call her Sap after my incredibly mean high school lit teacher.)

Well, that's stupid.  Who wants to know about that?

You just did a post like this last month.

WHY CAN'T YOU COME UP WITH ANYTHING CREATIVE?

Fun fact about myself... I am only driven by positive words, so when I start listening to Sap, I completely and creatively shut down.  When I start writing for other people, even my people, I suddenly become the writer with nothing to say.

So I gave myself a time out and tried to figure out if I even wanted this anymore.  Is it worth the extra time and hassle of putting my heart on the internet for anyone to read... and even worse, judge?

The answer is yes.  The answer is always yes.  

Yes, please!

"Grace is available for each of us every day - our spiritual daily bread - but we've got to remember to ask for it with a grateful heart and try not to worry about whether there will be enough for tomorrow.  There will be." ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

I bought this necklace in Nashville this past weekend to remind myself to make my writing habit a privilege and not a chore.  Being my birthday week, I often go back and see what's working and what's not.  This past year was one unlike anything I could've ever imagined (or maybe I did), and good, bad, and ugly, I am here now, looking forward to starting a new year and filling it with more words.  Should my words inspire you, well then I am grateful for that.  If not, that's okay too.

Feel free to share :)

Have a wonderful Monday...

Sunday Inspiration

Happy Sunday!

I am not going to bore you with any of my own thoughts today.  I know some of you like them, but lately my thoughts are boring myself.  I need to get out of my own head start something different.  

Youtube to the rescue.  

Here are the things that made this week inspired...

I get to take pictures like this at work.

I saw this in someone's bathroom at an open house.  Consider myself inspired.

This woman is my new hero...

My girl Lori has done it again.  Read this!!

So that's my week in a nutshell.... hope this helps you get through yours!!

Happy Father's Day to all those amazing dads out there :)

Endings and Beginnings

“All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.”
~ Mitch Albom

So yesterday was my last shift ever at the rink, and it's just hitting me now that it was the last weekend I'll have to work.  The last shift I'll have to dread.  The last time I'll have to answer the same endless questions.

I know there will be other endless questions in my future, but we have a couple years for that.

For now, I am surprisingly content with the feeding-diaper-make faces cycle I have going on every three hours.  I actually feel like I have my life back for the first time is a long time.  Too long, if you ask me.

The past two months have been a whirlwind of changes.  Changes for my kids, for me, for seasons, and for my family.  Some are good changes and some are a little more difficult, but since I am here to find the #dailyinspiration in life, we are going to find the good in all of this.

The biggest thing I've learned in the past two months is that more than anything I need to write for myself again.  I spent a lot of time last year trying to figure out what anyone needed to hear.  Writing for an audience is the quickest way for me to procrastinate.  I will clean out junk drawers, do 5 loads of laundry, and bake a batch of cookies before I could figure out what to write to you.  (Yes, I've done all of that today).

The best thing you can do is immediately stop worrying about what everyone else expects from you.  Do your best in whatever comes your way and use your own judgement.  If something makes you

happy, keep at it.  If not, find a plan b, c, or d.

Which leads me to the next thing I've learned about change:  There are no rules.  Nothing in this world is permanent, and you can start over at any time.  Sometimes we are forced to start over, but hopefully it's your choice.  Either way, make up your own rules as you go.  Don't let anyone tell you how to do something, because nothing else matters other than how you feel or what you want.

Lastly, take your time.  Good things take time and by forcing or rushing change, you're just making it more difficult to see clearly.  If something doesn't work out, then it wasn't meant to be... trust me on this.  It has taken me years to get to this point where I feel like stars are actually lining up for me.  I'm not feeling that anxiety that says things like, "When this week is over, I'll relax."  Anxiety is a bitch and will always make you feel bad.

I left my anxiety in the left bottom drawer... the one with the candy :)

I also know that life is life and won't always be rainbows and butterflies.  But, for the time being (and a long time coming), I am happy with the changes... even the hard ones.

Are you ready for a change?

credo

credo  /ˈkriːdəʊ; ˈkreɪ-/
noun (pl) -dos
1.  any formal or authorized statement of beliefs, principles, or opinions

I have been slightly obsessed with Danielle Laporte since I stumbled upon her flipping through Instagram.  I immediately bought her book and read it, thinking I hadn't read anything like that in a long time.  Its just different and makes so much sense.

I follow her Facebook, IG, and Twitter.  And by follow, I mean stalk :)

And the reason I do is because of gems like this.  I have watched it easily fifteen times today.  It just speaks to me, and I hope you find something in there too.  Otherwise, I'm just a loon.

Enjoy...

Gracie's Wisdom

How many of you look at this picture and think "Yes!"

You can feel your stomach near you heart, which but the way, is beating madly.  You can feel the wind in your hair and hear the screams of your friends cheering you on.

Can you feel it?

And when you're done, you swim back to shore, probably a little sore in places, but you can't wipe the smile off your face.  You did something crazy and incredible, and now you carry that memory with you for the rest of your life.

How often does this happen in our lives?

Probably once if we're lucky, but more often than not, it's never.

And that's okay, really.  I'm not here to make you feel bad that you don't have million dollar dreams and goals that are unattainable.

But as I was working on my next project, I did realize that the advice one of my characters is giving might be beneficial to you as well.  I know most of us are still just going through the days trying to get to the next one, or the next weekend.  Always something to look forward to, but never focused on the now.  It's time to start living and giving our own lives the attention they've been so patiently waiting for.

Gracie’s Steps to Reinvention

1. Take care of your health.  This is non-negotiable.
2. Find your hobby.  Not a job.  Not a kid.  Something that you can lose yourself in even for a small amount of time each day.
3. Take 24 hours before making any decisions.  Any. Decision. At. All.
4. Journal every day.  Have a place to dump all the thoughts that you can’t say out loud.  It doesn't have to be long or well written.  Just get the thoughts out of your head.
5. Have a connection… a touchstone, a theme song, a prayer that will bring you back to this place of knowing what is most important to you.

No, these are life changing, and they seem so simple, but how many of us are doing these everyday?  I'm here to tell you that numbers 1 and 3 are kicking my ass, while the others are okay for me.  I would love to tell a co-worker that I needed to check with someone before taking their Sunday morning shift.  My initial instinct is always to make someone else feel better, even at my own expense.

Sometimes Usually I regret this quick decision.

Life is a work in progress, a journey, and it's not meant to be mastered by the age of thirty-five.  I actually think that's when it really begins.

So take a moment today and think about what you could (reasonably) change in your life to make it better?  Is there a hobby calling your name... photography, maybe?  Can you fit in a walk, even if it's a short one?  What song would be playing if you were walking down a runway?

Today is about inspiring yourself.  Take the time to do one thing on the list today... two if you're feeling adventurous.  Start somewhere, anywhere, and see what you can do.

Happy Wednesday!!

Winter

I am freezing today.

It could be the fact that I work in an ice rink.

Or the fact that I couldn't warm up since I've been home.

I'm.  Just.  Sick.  Of.  Winter.

But this blog is about inspiration, not hatred, right?

So I'll take the polar plunge into finding good things about Winter, and while I can't guarantee you will all agree with me (except for the whole I hate winter part), you might at least see some good in this dreadful wonderful season.

1. Winter means reading books by the fire.  Writing by the fire.  Eating breakfast by the fire.  You get the picture.  
2. Winter = Award Season.  I'm watching the red carpet for the Oscars as we speak.
3. It's a scientific fact we burn more calories during winter.  Granted it's our bodies desperate way to try and stay warm, but I'm okay with that.
4. Winter is the perfect season for my favorite food group:  Soup.  I love pinning soups... cooking soups.... eating soup.  It's a food group and an activity now.  
5. Scarves.  Not a secret that I have a small, okay big, scarf collection.  I love them, and almost always have them on... even around the house.  
6. Winter leads to Spring.  This one needs no explanation.  “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” ― Percy Bysshe Shelley

Thats it.  That's all I can drum up for this season that is kicking my butt.  I know you're feeling my pain too, but have no doubt we will be complaining about the heat in no time :)

Until then, stay warm... 

Happy Sunday!

Throwback Thursday

I remember when the words snow day would cause me to panic a bit.  The thought of not sending them to school and to find things for them to do all day would have me mentally exhausted by 9 am.

Now, I'm the one praying for one just to keep them around the house a bit more.  It's crazy what ten years will do to your outlook.

I love a lazy day when there are no scheduled plans.  It's that rare day when only Mother Nature can predict what you'll be doing, or not in this case.  I have learned to find that magic when nothing goes according to plan, but it's still okay.  Even better, really.

When the kids get older, it's a gift to have them around the house even for a little bit.  Between school, practices, social events, school events, and work life isn't the same as when we would wish them to school even on the gift of a snow day.

So, as this wicked winter continues to kick our butts, I hope you have a warm place to be today.  Find a snowy throwback Thursday picture of your own and post it somewhere.

Make hot chocolate.
Pancakes for breakfast!
Read by a fire.
Curl up and watch a movie.

In my case, I'll have two space heaters going in my office :) But that's okay... I had the time this morning to at least write about the snow day.

That's something, right?

Happy Thursday!

#DailyInspiration

Yesterday I found all my writings from Pen on Fire and my original blog.  As I sat there reading through them, over and over again, I realized that I was smiling through most of them.

Are they works of art?  Not really, but they are clearly written with love and honesty, and for the sole purpose to grow as a writer.  I read them and realized that somewhere along the line I stopped trying to improve my writing, and just tried to figure out what you, the reader, would need.

It was so much different when all I had was 15 Minutes and a topic to write about.  The message was loud and clear to me:  Go back to writing for yourself.  The rest will fall into place.

Write about what is going on... or not.

Write about the crazy transition many of us seem to be going through.

Write about anything and everything that inspires me.

So I am going back to the beginning of why I started this in the first place.  I just felt like I had something to say, and hoped you would come back every day to read this.

I'm calling it Daily Inspiration because that's what I hope it brings all of us.

Have a happy Wednesday :)