Welcome Back To Our House!

In June I was inspired by scenes from around our house.  You guys really loved this post and I did too.  I love seeing REAL bits and pieces from people lives, especially the lives they live behind closed doors.  Today I'm welcoming you back into our home, unfiltered and upstaged.  I hope you enjoy your visit!   

In our house we fly a flag year round.  In fact we have several American flags all throughout our home.

In our house he accuses her of breaking things she doesn't like so that she can get new things.

In our house we don't have a full lenght mirror.

In our house he eats ALL the sweets before she can get to them.

In our house the hall bath is reserved for number 2, the master bath for number 1.

In our house we have one live houseplant that's always on the verge of dying.

In our house she loses her eyeglasses and tweezers daily.  He helps her find them.

In our house the thermostat war raged on for a decade.  We've called a non-verbal truce and have met in the middle at 74.  He'll still sneak in from time to time to make an adjustment, she'll do the same :)

In our house he has his TiVo (in the den) and she has hers (in their bedroom).  They look VERY different.

In our house we have bi-weekly "business meetings" to review our finances.  We think it's important that we both have 100% visibility and responsibility when it comes to our money.  We have payment cycles and we take notes in steno pads.  We never miss a meeting. 

In our house we only use a bath towel once.

In our house there is always a pile of boxes by the back door that need to be taken to recycling.  Side note, is anyone else worried about the amount of cardboard were all using given the insane amount of online shopping were doing?  A pile like this after just 5 days is kind of scary. 

In our house we she goes through a roll of paper towels almost every day.  This one was hard for him to adjust to.

In our house we don't lock internal doors.

I'd love to hear about the little idiosyncrasies that take place in your house!  Share below in the comments and please leave a link to your blog if you've opened your doors for an "in our house" post. 

I'd love to stay and chat but I'm off to Portland, OR for a long weekend with a sweet friend so this space will be quiet for awhile.  We'll be living it up drinking cocktails at Teardrop Lounge, enjoying dinner at Cabezon, coffee at Heart and a whole bunch of other great very food/cocktail centric stuff.  Full trip recap coming soon.  Here's to happy adventures.  Have a great weekend everyone.

21/21

I made it!  Twenty one of twenty one days.  You can read about my 21 Day Challenge here. 

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I'm grateful for jellybeans in July.  I was out yesterday and picked up a pack.  Instantly I was transported back to my grandparents house circa 1985.   

2.  I'm grateful for TiVo.  Can you image trying to record the dozen or so shows each of us watches on vhs?

3.  I'm grateful that I've learned to look forward to something without wishing time would pass quickly so that I could get to whatever it is I'm looking forward to. 

Today's Journal:
I like building other people up.  Whether that means paying them a compliment, encouraging them to go workout or just being a sounding board for them to express themselves.  It makes me feel fulfilled and good about myself.

I benefit from meditation.  It slows me down and helps me to be more aware, more conscious. 

I have an endless amount of things to be grateful for. 

These are the things that will stick with me long after this challenge is over.

These are the things I have learned. 

Exercise:
Still no exercise, stupid tendonitis.  It's only been 3 days since my last workout but I already miss it.

Meditate:
I listened to a guided meditation by Deepak Chopra last night.  It was good and relaxing. 

Random Acts of Kindness:
Buy 5 sandwiches get 1 free.  I filled up my card and then gave it away :).  Same goes for the $5 ACE Hardware reward I had earned.  People are so appreciative of little gestures, remember that.

So that's it.  My 21 Day Challenge is over.  I'm looking forward to posting whatever is on my mind versus having to work with prompts but this has without question been a great few weeks.  Thanks for sticking it out with me. 

20 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day 19 got away from me.  When Saturday rolls around I'm usually ready for a mental break.  I shut down in a way or rather I'm not "on" like I am during the week.  I'm living life at my leisure, doing what I feel like.  I don't have to look for things to be happy about because they're all around me. 

I had lunch with Mariah today and mentioned skipping day 19.  She had a great idea, I mean I could always just go on with day 19 today.  Truth be told though I'm ready for this challenge to be over.  So here we are, skipping day 19 and moving onto day 20.  You can read about my 21 Day Challenge here. 

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I'm grateful to be living childfree.  I know I had that on a gratitude list a week or so ago but it's something I'm grateful for on a daily basis.  This weekend I was textbook lazy.  We're talking 10 episodes of Pretty Little Liars a day.  There was no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry.  I didn't even shower until Sunday night.  No way no how could I have done that with little ones running around. 

2.  I'm grateful for Amazon Prime Same Day Delivery!!!  The fact that I can place an order and have an item show up on my front porch just a few hours later is insane to me.  In the last week I've gotten a yoga mat, shampoo/conditioner, lipstick, cat treats and sunblock in mere hours. 

3.  I'm grateful to live within 10 minutes of several beautiful beaches.  You know some people go their entire lives and never see the ocean.  I can't even imagine.   

Today's Journal:
I don't know why but this has been the hardest part of the challenge for me.  Another day another blank journal entry. 

Exercise:
No exercise for me since Friday :(.  I've had a bit of an injury, tendonitis in my shoulder so I'll be lying low for the next several days.  Darn you side planks.  Once the pain dies down I'll be sticking to cardio for a few weeks.

Meditate:
I've been sticking to my same routine and listened to my I Am meditation again.  I had Darren listen to it with me and he had to stop.  His words "this is disturbing".  Different strokes for different folks.

Random Acts of Kindness
Nada, like I said above I basically laid in bed all weekend :)

Kind of a lack luster post today but they can't all be winners.  I'll be back tomorrow with the conclusion of my challenge. 

18 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day 18, only 3 days left.  You can read about my 21 Day Challenge here. 

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Three Gratitude's:
1.  For no reason flowers from my sweet sister-in-law.  Definitely one of the most generous and thoughtful people I know. 

2. I am grateful to have a hair stylist who will get me in within a week even though her next appointment is for over a month. 

3.  I still mourn the loss of my sweet Poochie.  Her picture and ashes adorn the dresser in our bedroom.  It's been over a year now and not a day passes where I don't think of my girl.  Earlier this week I had a full blown crying session.  A day later I read Adrienne's post.  This poor soul just lost her sweet dog London.  I am terribly sorry for her loss but am also grateful for it because knowing that someone else has suffered in the way I have makes me feel connected.  I feel awful saying that but sometimes in life we get caught up in our own misery.  We think that we're the only one who's ever suffered from whatever were suffering from.  It's nice to know you're not alone.         

Today's Journal:
I started my day with meditation. 

It's bothering me  how powerful this I AM meditation is.  Was I not told enough that I am good enough?  I can answer that on my behalf and the answer is no.  Those positive affirmations, they haven't been coming from me. 

Realizing that...  Jesus, it makes me sick.  It feel like I'm realizing that I've had a false sense of confidence all this time.  Like I've been wearing armor. 

When I listen to this meditation session it's like I'm hearing these wonderful things about me for the first time. 

I believe them.

I know that they're true.

Why have I been hiding them?  I am loving.  I am kind.  I am loved.  I am getting better and better everyday.  I am my best possible self.  I am amazing.  I am limitless.  I am myself.     

Exercise:
Back to the gym for a 45 minute spin class :)

Meditate:
See today's journal. 

Random Acts of Kindness:
I was a empathetic listener to someone who was having a very rough morning.  I also encouraged someone to go to they gym when they didn't feel motivated to get there.  Lots of little bits and pieces like that. 

That's it for today.  I hope you're all having a fabulous weekend.  Until tomorrow.  XO

17 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day 17!  My 21 Day Challenge is almost over.  Is anyone else scared I'll lose my positive mindset? 

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I am grateful for Steph's support and encouragement.  In the comments on my blog and in the shout outs on hers.  I feel like I have a personal cheerleader and just knowing that someone is out there rooting for me is so motivational.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you Steph. 

2.  I am grateful for this challenge.  I was creating the prompts for my last few days and I became flooded with emotion, both happy and sad.  I can see some very noticeable changes in my attitude and I don't want those changes to go away when this challenge is over.  I think I may adapt Steph's idea and post my 3 gratitude's at the bottom of all future posts. 

3.  I am grateful for a second mid-week lunch date with D.  

Today's Journal:

Painting is always one of the things I think my real true self will enjoy.  It's on all my lists and it's written in all of my journals.  Somewhere along the lines I got the idea that happy calm people like to paint. 

I finally gave it a try.

I do not enjoy painting.

I'm glad that I tried.

Here's to finding what my real true self enjoys. 

Exercise:
I exercised my mouth at lunch with D instead of going to the gym. 

Meditate:
Stella got her groove back!  When all else fails I put on my I AM meditation and boom, I'm back in it to win it.  There's something truly incredible about hearing a million I AM statements (all positive) to put you on top of the world.

Random Acts of Kindness
I use to give UBER drivers I didn't like (because they talked too much) a low score.  I've stopped doing that because of this challenge.  Even annoying people deserve a job.  If you make me car sick you still get a 3 but if you're just chatty I'm giving you a 5.   

Steph, thanks for being one of three people reading this :).  Until tomorrow.  XOXO. 

16 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day 16 of 21.  You can read all about my 21 Day Challenge here. 

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I'm grateful to be working with young people.  I love seeing them grow and learn new skills.  I've always looked at managing entry level positions as a bit of a pain because people are always coming and going.  Let's face it, most folks don't want to be in the mailroom forever :).  Young people are in transition.  That's what being young is all about.  Lately though I've been seeing the "pain" as more of an opportunity.  I get to give recent grads and kids in their early twenties their first corporate job experience.  That's pretty cool.  Bonus that they keep me on my toes and informed on what's "cool". 

2.  I'm grateful to have found a volunteer opportunity with an organization I believe in.  I've wanted to give my time for quite awhile now but until recently I hadn't found the right fit.  Since March I've been volunteering once a month serving dinner at a local mission.  The experience has had such a positive impact on my life.  After only 4 months I find myself wanting to do more and give more. 

3.  I'm grateful to be going to see Taylor Swift in August.  I can't wait!!!

Today's Journal:
I don't know why but I'm doing terrible with these journals.  I have lots of little bits and pieces but nothing substantial.  I'm going to focus on this part of the challenge a lot more in the next 5 days. 

Exercise:
I hit the gym again, this time for an hour long yoga class. 

Meditate:
I shouldn't have been so cocky about my meditation parlous earlier this week.  I tried meditating 3 different times yesterday and each time it was a total fail.  I just couldn't clear my mind.  I couldn't focus.  I found myself getting annoyed so 5 or so minutes in I'd just sit up and open my eyes.  I don't know what happened? 

Random Acts of Kindness
One of my co-workers was headed to the Padre/Giants game yesterday but couldn't leave until someone had stopped by the office to collect some tickets.  I wanted them to go and have fun so I told them I'd wait around for them.  Later in the evening I got the following email

" Thanks so much for getting me in the game today. Very fun day that I'd like to think I needed....appreciate ya gurl! 👍🏽". 

Being kind is especially awesome when people appreciate it.  That's it for today but I'll see you back here tomorrow.  Thanks so much for reading.

15 Days Closer To A Positive Attitude

Day 15, only 6 days left.  You can read about my 21 Day Challenge here. 

Three Gratitude's:
1.  The picture above came via text message from someone I love.  It means more to me than you can imagine.  You see the person who sent the picture is on vacation having the time of their life.  To think that they thought enough of me to draw "heart u Shannon" .  Well, let's just say that I don't think there are that many people in life that love me that much.  It made my day, was truly amazing and has me feeling so grateful.  

2. I'm grateful for the clerk at It Sugar.  I've been to the same store at least 6 times since discovering it only a month ago and nobody thought to tell me that downtown employees get a 25% discount.  Thank you for saving me money awesome guy!!!  I'll be back soon.

3.  I'm grateful to be married to a man who won't let our cat go without.  After a full day of work, yard work at home and dinner, Dar headed to the grocery store because the thought of Beeps not having her wet cat food in the morning was unbearable #momfail.  Let me remind you that I work for a tuna company and the cat also has dry food.  What can I say this man loves his cat. 

Today's Journal:

I don't want to, I think I've said enough and this is my blog so :)

Exercise:
I am so proud of myself.  I made it to the gym for a 45 minute spin class.  Never mind the fact that I ALMOST died.  Mental note, don't go more than 3 days without a real workout. 

Meditate:
Nailed it again.  I did a quick 10 minute meditation in the morning and spent another half hour meditating after work. 

Random Acts of Kindness:
In general I've been about as kind as kind can be lately.  I even offered a few co-workers I can't stand Padre tickets.  I love being nice to mean people.  It's actually making me giddy these days.

That's it for today but I'll see you back here tomorrow.  Thanks so much for reading.

14 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Boom, and just like that were at day 14.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here. 

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I am grateful that I was able to turn a negative into a positive.  I was super excited to go to yoga yesterday only my mat was nowhere to be found.  Definitely a bummer because I am in serious need of a good gym workout.  I made the best of it though and had lunch with D instead.  He's working downtown this week so lunch together was a super nice treat. 

2.  I'm grateful for air-conditioning.  It's been nasty here.  One minute it's sunny and blazing, the next it's gray and raining.  The humidity is disgusting and air-conditioning is making it tolerable.   

3.  I'm grateful there's a Nordstrom within biking/walking distance of my office.  I am also grateful for Nordstroms' return policy.  I was wearing a newer pair of jeans (like maybe I've worn them 3 times) yesterday and bam, the button popped off.  A five minute bike ride later and I'm wearing a new pair of pants no questions asked.  It could have been a very uncomfortable day :)

Today's Journal:
The line is long and it's hot in here.  Dar grabs us a table while I make my way up to the counter to place our order.  The person taking my order asks if we want to share a fry to save some money.  I giggle for a second and then nicely reply that I don't share fries.  Ten maybe fifteen minutes later our food arrives and there's only one fry.  The long wait, the heat, the missing fries, they don't bother me.  I don't want to attack the waiter like I normally would.  I'm having lunch with my love and all is good.

Exercise:
Negative, see number one from my gratitude list.  Tomorrow is the day!  No excuses.

Meditate:
I meditating like a boss.  In fact, I'm enjoying it so much I'm choosing it over tv.  Morning and night I look forward to these sessions.  Yesterday I meditated for over an hour. 

Random Acts of Kindness:
I bought one of the girls that works for me coffee.  I offered to buy her breakfast too but she declined. 

That's it for today.  I sure hope your weeks are off to a great start.  Thanks so much for reading.

13 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Well days 11 and 12 were clearly a bust but here I am back with day 13 of 21.  Lucky number 13!!!  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here. 

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I'm grateful for takeout.  Without it Dar and I would surely starve.

2.  I'm grateful for a sushi lunch that carried on for 5 hours, a summer picnic that turned into a mud bath, brunch with amazing friends and a rained out baseball game.  All of which made up my insanely wild weekend.  So much of the weekend was so far from perfect but it was absolutely wonderful and totally memorable #makingthebestofthings 

3.  I'm grateful that I'm in a good place and feeling mentally sound because it means that I'm able to help someone who needs it.  It's so nice not to be focused on myself for once :)

Today's Journal:
I almost feel manic things are going so well.  At the same time there is this incredible sense of calm.  I am not stressed by life's stresses.  They do not affect me.  It's the meds.  It's the meditation.  It's this challenge.  It's my effort and drive to improve my quality of life.  It's me.  I am responsible for this positive change. 

Exercise:
Lots of unconventional exercise but no trips to the gym lately.  I miss the gym. 

Meditate:
I listed to the I AM meditation that I referenced in last weeks post for an hour.  I was wondering whether I'd find it as powerful the second time around, the answer is yes.  I love meditating. 

Random Acts of Kindness:
On Saturday I hosted our company picnic aka the mud bath.  The last hour was a bit miserable, at that point we were all soaked and it started getting cold.  I told the members of the planning committee that were responsible for cleanup to hit the road and get out of the rain and I stayed to wait for the vendors to pick up tables/chairs/bounce equipment etc.  There was no sense in us all waiting around for an hour in the middle of a downpour.  They were appreciative and if truth be told I actually like the rain so it wasn't too bad.

That's it for today.  My goals for this week are more exercise and more intentional RAOK.  I hope you're all well.  Thanks so much for reading.

10 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day 10 of 21.  This is going to be short and sweet.  If truth be told I'm a bit buzzed and totally exhausted.  Wanna read all about my 21 Day Challenge, click  here.

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I am grateful for a week that was more good than bad!

2.  I am grateful that Mariah likes me enough to introduce me to her friend who's visiting from back home :).  Sunday brunch!

3. I am grateful it's Friday!

Today's Journal:
Holy shit I just text everyone I know to let them know that Nordstrom contacted me via Instagram.  My Lettuce Be Friends snap is going to be featured via Nordstrom.com.  Woop woop.  Life it good.  It's so funny how good things start to happen when you have a positive mind, or at least you are aware of the good things happening! 

Exercise:
I have NOT been on top of my exercising game this week.  Just another 2 mile walk at lunch for more shopping.

Meditate:
The same as yesterday.  I spent a quick 20 minutes in the evening before bed meditating.  This is not the best time to meditate as it typically puts me to sleep. 

Random Acts of Kindness:
Our regular UPS guy is out on vacation.  His replacement is such a Debbie downer!  He complains left right and center.  In part to make him aware of his Debbie downer ways and in part to fulfill my RAOK for the day I literally killed him with kindness.  "It's so nice to see you again."  "Can I offer you a cold bottle of water."  "I sure hope you have an enjoyable afternoon".  By the time he left our building he actually almost cracked a smile.  It was great! 

 Ok well that's it for today.  I told you it would be a quick one.  I'm off to pass out bed now.  XO

9 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

I'm back with day 9 of 21.  If you're keeping track that means I've been blogging for 10 days straight!  That's gotta be some kind of record.  If you want you can read all about my 21 Day Challenge here.

Three Gratitude's:
1.  While meditating the other day I started to think about Reaction vs. Responses.  Reaction vs. Responses!  I wrote that twice on purpose.  For days now I've been trying to figure out why these words mean so much to me.  It's like I'm meant to discover what's behind them and once I do...  These words will change me.  Change my life.  I feel it in my blood and in every ounce of my body.  These words feel so powerful.  What's ahead scares me but it also excites me too.  I am grateful for whatever is coming. 

2.  I am grateful for medicine.  My drops and pills, they keep me seeing. 

3. I am so so so so so grateful for my brother.  He's coming to visit this weekend with his family and just knowing that I'll see them soon makes my heart happy. 

Today's Journal:
I just love it when two people who are having somewhat shitty days can come together and turn it all around.  Two negatives equal a positive I guess :)  Sometimes all it takes is the company of a friend, a little fresh air and an hour out of the office.  The next thing you know your giggling and carrying on like you haven't a care in the world.  That's magic.   

Exercise:

At lunch I made the 2 mile round trip trek to the mall.  Don't you just love the Lettuce Be Friends tee (under $20!!!)  So much happiness for such a small price.  I also picked up this cute black and white Kate Spade 2016 Agenda. 

After work I got in a bit more exercise and went to the bowling alley where I bowled two rounds.

Meditate:
I'm really enjoying meditating but I didn't indulge like I had in previous days .  I spent a quick 20 minutes in the evening before bed.  Rather I think the meditation put me to bed.  I'm still counting it. 

Random Acts of Kindness:
At the bowling alley I grabbed shoes for some fellow bowlers in our group.  They weren't friends or people I really even associate with.  I was just trying to be nice and do something for someone who I'm sure did not expect it.  

Goodnight my dear sweet friends.  I hope you all had a fantastic day.  Bring on Friday!!!

8 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day eight of twenty one.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here.  And just a side note but these posts reflect the previous day's thoughts and experiences.  I wanted to be sure I gave myself a full day to gather before writing.

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I'm grateful for watermelon.   Chilled not soggy.  Crisp and juicy.  It's the epitome of summer.

2.  I am grateful for the support I received form a committee I serve on.  I was trying like hell not to stress about an upcoming event and they were there to cheer me on and keep me encouraged.  It was just what I needed and so unexpected. 

3. When I first shared with you guys what I've been going through with my eyes so many of you sent messages and left comments about how you never stop to think about your vision and how you take it for granted. 

I know now how you felt after reading my story.

Yesterday, the elevator went down at work and it took more than 6 hours to repair.  Imagine you're an employee in a wheelchair who sits on the second floor.  How do you get down to the ground floor to exit the building or up to the third floor for your meeting. 

I am grateful for my legs.

Today's Journal:
Ugh, I don't want to.  I'm sorry. 

Exercise:
Not a lot going on in this department either.  It was a rough day. 

Meditate:
I excelled here.  I went back outside to meditate in the morning and then found myself back on the couch at night for almost an hour.  Meditating is really working for me.  My mind was in a million places before my evening meditation.  By the time I went to bed it was completely clear.  What an incredible skill (is meditation a skill?)

Random Acts of Kindness:
It almost killed me but I went so far out of my way to be nice to someone who was annoying the shit out of me.  I typically have no room for bs or small talk in my life and this person was dragging on and on desperately seeking conversation.  I went with it. 

Yesterday was not my best day but I definitely gave it my best shot and tried to stay positive and grateful.  Practice makes perfect.  

 

7 Dyas Closer To A Positive Mind

Day seven of twenty one.  Holy cow you guys I'm already a third of the way through my 21 Day Challenge!  This little self help project is going way faster and far better than I could have imagined.  I am so proud of myself for committing to this.

Three Gratitude's:
1.  Today I am grateful for underwear!  I packed my gym bag for Friday's yoga class but opted to walk around Comic Con instead.  Yesterday after yoga I'm in the shower and OH SHIT, I realize I don't have any clean underwear.  On Friday's I go directly home after the gym so I don't pack any.  On Monday's I go to work.  Going to work commando while wearing jeans is not cool my friends. Either is taking a shower and putting on old sweaty underwear.  What would you have done?
2.  I found a kick butt meditation yesterday.  I'm definitely grateful for that.  The intro is really long and a little hoakie but hot damn.  It literally had me in tears, happy tears.  Such powerful words and in 3-D audio which is amazing.  Check it out if you're into that kinda thing, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab71jw25KlM
3.  I am also grateful for the coffee, breakfast and lunch I prepped the night ahead which totally set me up for a successful next day! 

Today's Journal:
Today I took a walk by myself.  Ten minutes of silence.  Ten minutes for me.  It was wonderful.  I am a lot more aware when there's no background noise.  Things seem a lot nicer, brighter, clearer.  I've gotten into this really bad habit of not spending time alone.  Or filling my alone time with "noise".  The gym, who's coming with?  I go to grab a coffee and I surf the web on my phone while I wait.  At home the television is always on.  I mush prefer the silence.  More silence. 

Exercise:
Yoga

Meditate:
My morning meditation was done outside in the sunshine.  I'm going to make that a habit.  Meditating outdoors is so much more enjoyable.  The wind blowing strands of hair across my face.  The sun warming my body, it's bliss.  In the evening I stumbled upon the I AM meditation that I linked above.  I listened to that for a good hour while laying on the couch.  So powerful.

Random Acts of Kindness:
I made an effort to say hello and smile to all the strangers I passed on the street.  Some people seemed genuinely put off by it.  It's sad that we aren't use to strangers saying hello to us.

That's it for today.  It's been a rough one, but you'll hear all about how I tried to focus on the positive despite the negative tomorrow.  Goodnight dear friends.  

6 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day six of twenty one.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here.  And just a side note but these posts reflect the previous day's thoughts and experiences.  I wanted to be sure I gave myself a full day to gather before writing.

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I am so grateful for uber.  Since I've stopped driving I've been using this amazing service a few times a week.  As far as I'm concerned uber is the new Netflix and cab companies are what was once Blockbuster Video.  If you haven't used uber you should definitely give them a try (assuming it's available in your area).  Here are just a few reasons I love and would recommend the service.

-You don't have to worry about some psycho kidnapping you and leaving your body somewhere it will never be found.  Uber is 100% traceable.  Before your driver picks you up you've got their name, picture, the make, model and license plate number of their car. 

-Your payment information is securing stored online so that there is never a need to hand your credit card over to a complete stranger. 

-It's easily half the cost of a cab ride.  Not to mention 100% more pleasant. 

Uber has really been a total game changer in the Kerns household, and not just for me but for Dar too.  My homebody husband has embraced a night out a lot more frequently knowing that we can easily get home from wherever we are without having to stress or break the bank.
 
2. H2O!  I am grateful for water.  The sea, the pool, the water running in my shower.  I love it all.  I spent a lot of time in and around water this past weekend and it was absolutely wonderful.

3. I am grateful to be living childfree.  I love that I have the time and energy to focus on myself.  It's a lifestyle choice I never regret choosing.

Today's Journal:
Dar: "I don't think the raft is made for two people"
Me: "Sure it is, hop on up"
Snuggling in the pool on a raft meant for one is nice.

Exercise:
I kicked butt in this department.  I headed to the gym for some hot yoga and then walked a mile to my favorite juice shop.  Back home Dar and I spent the afternoon swimming and sunbathing in the pool. Bliss, bliss, bliss.

Meditate:
I meditated on my own!  I got to yoga early and took that time to meditate on my mat.  It was such a nice way to start my yoga practice.  I also found a fairly descent guided meditation that I listened to later in the day.  I ended up falling asleep but I'm still counting it :).

Random Acts of Kindness:
I did the dishes.  I know you're probably thinking that's a regular everyday chore and not a RAOK but doing the dishes is a task I despise, hence it's Dar's chore.  I cook heat up food and he does the dishes.  Yesterday to give him a break I did both.  It feels good to pull a bit more of the weight around the house.  He always does so much more than I do, it's a nice change. 

5 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day five of twenty one.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here.  And just a side note but these posts reflect the previous day's thoughts and experiences.  I wanted to be sure I gave myself a full day to gather before writing.

Three Gratitude's:
1.  I am grateful for a text I received from someone special letting me know that they're on their way back to a place that reminds them of me and a meaningful conversation we had.  A conversation that they'll never forget.  Melt my heart why don't you.
2.  I am grateful for the quiet time I spent at home (see today's journal entry for more).
3.  I am grateful for my upcoming trip to Portland with Yoli.  These trips mean so much to me.  Last year we visited San Francisco!  You can read all about it here.  If you guys have any Portland recommendations I'd love to hear them? 

Today's Journal:
Things are quiet in the house.  I can hear the wind blow a few leaves off the magnolia tree in the front yard.  It sounds magical.  The birds are singing a lovely song.  It's not their usual frantic squawking.  Things are peaceful.  The absence of sound in the house is a pleasant change.  Even my mind is quiet.  I am alone with myself for the first time in a long time. 

Exercise:
Swimming in the pool and a walk at the beach.  You know it's a good day when your bathing suit acts as your bra and underwear!  

Meditate:  
Another 30 minutes of guided meditation.  Once in the morning and then again later in the afternoon.  

Random Acts of Kindness:
I put a few bits and pieces in the mail to some unsuspecting friends and family.  I always love getting snail mail but I never take the time to send any myself..  It's nice to handwrite a few notes to some special people letting them know I'm thinking of them.

I hope you're all having a wonderful Sunday morning.  I'll see you again tomorrow for day 6 of 21!  XO

4 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day four of twenty one.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here.  And just a side note but these posts reflect the previous day's thoughts and experiences.  I wanted to be sure I gave myself a full day to gather before writing.

Three Gratitude's:
1.  "Be thankful for what you have, you'll end up having more".  I found an old gratitude journal from a few years back.  I had written this quote on the cover.  Today I am grateful that I never stop trying.  Even if I don't succeed the first time. 
2.  I am grateful for Summer Hours!  At my company that means we work an extra hour Monday through Thursday so that we can leave on Friday's after only 4 hours.  It's such a treat to be out of work by noon.  The weekends always feel so much longer.
3.  It's taken me 6 months to find anything positive about the fact that I am no longer driving.  You can read about that here if you want.  I've finally got something though, see this new positive way of thinking is already working.  Today I am grateful for the extra time D and I get to spend together.  He's been driving me to and from work everyday and that means 40 more minutes together, it's nice :) 

Today's Journal:
Sitting on a curb eating a kielbasa and philly cheese fries in the sunshine.  I don't sit on curbs enough.  I don't eat at food trucks enough.  This feels simple and easy.  This feels like me.

Exercise:
Another day of trolling Comic Con.  This time for 2 hours.  I just couldn't get enough.  I threw in a little cardio aka running after a Storm Trooper so I could get a photo with him.  Oh my gosh I haven't geeked out this hard in maybe ever! 

Meditate:
I slacked on my meditating and only spent 10 minutes listening to another crappy You-Tube guided video.  I'm going to make it my business this weekend to find something that will better serve me.  

Random Acts of Kindness:
In yesterday journal I wrote about the powerful and incredibly positive feelings that evoked while having my hair done.  The person responsible for that greatness was having a rough day so I decided to share how wonderful she had made me feel the day before.  Her eyes got all sparkly and soft.  She felt good about herself knowing that something she had done for someone else had had such a big impact.
In turn I felt great for showing her something wonderful about herself.  It was such an awesome thing to witness.

I hope you're all having a beautiful day.  Thanks for reading.  Until tomorrow! XO

3 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day three of twenty one.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here.  And just a side note but these posts reflect the previous day's thoughts and experiences.  I wanted to be sure I gave myself a full day to gather before writing.

Three Gratitude's:
1. I am grateful to have had my first Comic Con experience.  What a blast!  For some street scene snaps check out my Instagram.  I'll be back out there again today soaking in all of the coolness. 
2. I am grateful for my heart.  While meditating last night I started to think about how it pumps on it's own with no prompting at all.  How it keeps me alive.  It's like breathing.  I mean how often do you stop to think about your heart beating or your breath for that matter.  Your heart just does what it needs to do without any thanks or appreciation.  I'm in aw and I want to thank my heart for all that it does for me.
3. I am grateful for religious freedom.  Comic Con has brought a lot of coolness but it's also brought a lot of crazies.  Men standing on the corners shouting into bullhorns.  "It's time to repent".  I'm sorry but that's exactly the type of thing that turns me off to religion.  Can you imagine living in a country where one particular belief system was forced on everyone?  I can't.  God bless you America. 

Today's Journal:
I feel cherished, taken care of and treasured.  Fingers running through my hair.  For a short while I'm six again and my mom is braiding my hair.  I am completely relaxed.  I am completely at peace.  All is right with the world.

I want my hair braided everyday. 

Exercise:
In lieu of a gym workout I walked the Convention Center for over an hour taking in all the Comic Con sights.  I can go to the gym the other 363 days of the year.

Meditate:
I spent 30 minutes meditating yesterday.  I'm still meditating to crap but it's getting the job done. 

It's hard to find a quiet place with no interruptions at work.  I'll go sit in a conference room but due to the nature of my job people are always looking for me.  I have to actually physically leave the building to get 10 minutes to myself.  Once Comic Con is out of town I'll do my morning meditation  outside.

In the evenings I find myself meditating for longer periods of time.  I look forward to the day that I can meditate on my own, without a guide.  Complete silence while I breath and focus on my body sounds like bliss.  

Random Acts of Kindness:

I don't know if this is going to count but I was completely taken aback by this guys costume.  I just loved it and had to have my picture taken with him.  He was nice enough to oblige even though it meant he lost his group!  The streets were crowded and his crew all had these masks/heads on so his buddies never even knew they were a man down.  I felt super bad that I had separated him from his group so I ran thought the crowd to find his friends and let them know that their guy was suck back in the crowd.  They were finally reunited and all lived happily ever after. 

Anyone know who this character is?  I find him to be somewhat scary but also very cute. 

I'll be back tomorrow with day four.  Thank you guys so much for reading and for your support.  My love to you all.  XO

2 Days Closer To A Positive Mind

Day two of twenty one.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here.

Three Gratitude's:
1. I am grateful to be living in San Diego.  We've come and gone and I know we won't always be here so I really try to enjoy all that this great city has to offer.
2. I am grateful to have finally found a few friends that I really connect with and that I can be myself around.  There was a period of time where I ended several long relationships.  At that point in time it felt like I would never find friends as an adult.  Over time I have and I cherish those relationships. 
3. I am grateful for the amazing fluffy clouded blue sky day we are having.

Today's Journal:
This part of the challenge feels like pulling teeth today.  Yesterday I woke up and BOOM, it was right there in the forefront of my mind.  Today I'm fishing and it feels fake.  My day was perfectly fine it's just that nothing in particular is standing out as exceptional or sharable.   

I've started to write about at least a half a dozen different experiences but none of them feel real so I'm going to leave it at that for today and hope that tomorrow's journal entry goes a bit better.

Exercise:
At lunch I took a 30 minute spin class.  I had planned to follow it up with a 30 minute ultimate upper body class, but my body is still very sore from Tuesday's workout so instead I sat around and stretched.

Meditate:
I kept with my goal and meditated twice during the day.  The first time was a short ten minute sesh right before I went to the gym.  The second was much longer and was done at home on the comfort of my couch.  Still looking for some good guided meditations if you guys know of any?

Random Acts of Kindness: 

I went back to Bottega Americano again today to pick up lunch and grabbed a few of these little cuties (chocolate covered strawberries).  I delivered two of them to some un-expecting folks.  One went to Sandra from my favorite coffee shop.  I of course saved one to enjoy for myself! 

Wishing you all a beautiful day. 

1 Day Closer To A Positive Mind

Day one of twenty one.  Read about my 21 Day Challenge here.

Three Gratitude's:
1. I am grateful for Darren's unconditional love (see today's journal for more).
2. I am grateful for my will.  It's insane.  It's never ending.  You'd think I'd tire of pressing on but I never do.  It's cyclical.  Twice a year things get really bad.  I take a step back, sometimes two steps back.  The backsliding seems damming but I always find myself a few steps ahead of where I was when it's all said and done. It's always painful.  It's always ugly and it's always exhausting.  The growth I see in the aftermath is mind blowing.  It's always worth it.
3. I am grateful for my free to me gym membership.

Today's Journal:
As soon as I woke up I thought of Darren and how grateful I am for his unconditional love.  The night before I was having "issues" and in typical fashion Dar just rolled with it.  I think it's important to let the people we appreciate know how we feel about them so at 5:00AM before either of us was fully awake I said "Hey baby, I have something I need to talk to you about".  He rolled his eyes which completely annoyed me and made me no longer want to tell him how I was feeling.  I'm pretty sure he thought I was going to carry on with the previous nights shenanigans.  Anyways after a few minutes of being pissy I started again and told him how grateful I was that he put up with "all this" (pointing to myself) and still found it in his heart to love me. 

This time he looked at me with kind loving eyes and said he wished I saw myself in a better more positive light because "all this" is wonderful.  I then proceeded to cry because that's what you do when the person you are most grateful for makes you feel the same way. 

Exercise:
At lunch a co-worker and I biked over to the Headquarters at Seaport Village for some power shopping at Kitson and Seaside Papery (I'm obsessed).  The sun had peeked out and it was a glorious ride.

After work I took a more traditional route and went to a 60 minute cross training class with an obscene amount of squats and planks/pushups.  I'm sore today but it feels great.

Meditate:
Despite having practiced meditation in the past I am still a beginner and rely on guided meditation.  If you guys know of any via You-Tube please share, good ones seem quite hard to find.  Anyways, after work, the gym and dinner I laid down on the couch for twenty minutes of breathing and positive affirmations.  Tomorrow I think I'll spread it out so that I'm meditating for 10 minutes at a time, maybe once in the morning and once in the evening. 

Random Acts of Kindness: 
I shared my delicious egg white breakfast panini from Bottega Americano with a co-worker.  It was so good and so satisfying that I wanted her to experience a bit of the pure joy I was experiencing.

I also found myself sending extra loving messages to those I emailed/texted throughout the day.

Wishing you all a beautiful day. 

In Hot Pursuit of Happiness!

For the last few days I've been thinking a lot about happiness. 
 
What it means to be happy. 
 
What makes me happy. 
 
If it's possible to sustain happiness long term. 
 
Am I happy? 
 
I've spent time journaling and I've answered these questions honestly, along with about a dozen others.
 
Here's what I've determined.  There are lots of things in life that make me happy: a good cup of coffee, trying something new or doing something I haven't done since I was a child, meeting Mariah for lunch, snuggling with Darren and Beeps, listening to music, the sunshine, getting a call from my brother, corn dogs! 
 
I smile and I laugh everyday.  
 
Despite having things that make me happy, I am not a happy person.  

Unlike the things that make me happy, my overall happiness has absolutely nothing to do with external influences.  I am not unhappy because of a situation, a struggle, a person, a thing.  I am unhappy because I have a negative mind and if your mind is negative even having all of life's greatest treasures won't make you happy. 
 
I already knew that about myself though.  The part about the negative mind that is.  I've worked on being more positive in the past.  Like most other things that are good for us (exercise is the first thing that comes to mind) it's a habit though and somehow it's a habit I've never been able to make stick. 

This may bore the shit out of you guys but in pursuit of happiness I am going to give Shawn Achor's 21 Day Challenge a go right here on the blog.  Watch Shawn talk about positive thinking here,

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=SHAWN+achor+21+DAYS+TO+HAPPINESS&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=78E0721A898C7A8102AE78E0721A898C7A8102AE

Now here's the drill.  Everyday starting tomorrow and running for the next 21 days (side note: this will get me back in the habit of blogging regularly too!) I will do the following:

1. Share Three Gratitudes: Pause to take note of three new things each day that you are grateful for. Doing so will help your brain start to retrain its pattern of scanning the world, looking not just for the negative inputs but for the positive ones.
2. Journal: Similar to the gratitude practice, but in this case, detail — in writing — one positive experience each day. This will help you find meaning in the activities of the day, rather than just noticing the task itself.
3. Exercise: Exercising for 10 minutes a day not only brings physical benefits, but it also teaches your brain to believe your behavior matters, which then carries (positively) into other activities throughout the day.
4. Meditate: Take just two minutes per day to simply breathe and focus on your breath going in and out. Doing so will train your mind to focus, reduce stress, and help you be more present in this moment.
5. Random Acts of Kindness: This can be something simple, and Shawn suggests writing one positive email to praise or thank someone each day. Not only does it benefit the recipient, but it also increases your feeling of social support.  

Happy or unhappy I think we could all benefit from Shawn's 21 Day Challenge.  Feel free to join in by sharing 3 of the things you are grateful for each day with me.

Lots of love friends.