Sometimes you read something...

And for some hormonal infused unknown reason, it really gets to you while reading that you are reduced to tears at your desk because it just hits home right at that moment. I'm not saying this happened to me this morning over a hot cup of coffee, but if it did, this would have been the article to do it.

How to Get Flat Abs, Have Amazing Sex and Rule the World in 8 Easy Steps by Kate Bartolotta

Now that you are back, you're probably thinking, "WTH - she's gone bat shit crazy to be crying over this, I mean really."  Stick with me for a moment, I promise I haven't got on the crazy train just yet.  As I somewhat mentioned earlier, I am a hormonal/emotional wreck today.  (I'm about a week and a half out from my monthly gift from mother nature, and according to J - I get goofy. This could explain the partial boarding of the crazy train).

Anyway, this article resonated with me and I wanted to share my favorite parts (without cutting and pasting the entire thing here).

"If you can read this, your life is pretty awesome."

So basic yet something I often take for granted. Truth be told, my life really is pretty awesome, and I really need to start reminding myself of this on the regular.

"Life might bump and bruise us, it may not always go the way we plan and I know I get frustrated with mine, but here's the thing: You are alive."

Yes, yes I am.

"We are all insecure 14 year olds at heart. We're all scared. We all have dreams inside of us that we've tucked away because somewhere along the line we tacked on those ideas about who we are that buried that essential brilliant, childlike sense of wonder ... Let it go. Be who you are beneath the bullshit."

And really, isn't most of it bullshit. 

"Be happy now... we can choose to appreciate what is in our lives instead of being angry or regretful about what we lack. It's a small, significant shift in perspective... We can choose to let the beautiful parts set the tone."

That's the great thing about choice - WE can choose to be one way or another.  I choose sunshine, glitter, (cats) and unicorns.

"Look at the stars... It helps you remember that you and your problems are both infinitesimally small and conversely, that you are a piece of an amazing and vast universe." 

Perspective people, perspective. 

"Tell people that you trust when you need help, or you're depressed -- or you're happy and you want to share it with them... Go all in -- it's worth it."

I can make friends with anyone, really, ask J. He teases me all the time about it everywhere we go.  However, I don't always truly trust/open up, clear away all the bullshit and go all in (mostly because I don't let myself, partly because I don't want my new friend(s) to think I am a stage 5 clinger with major oversharing issues). It is hard for me to ask for help, or just sit and talk about me. 

"Stop with the crazy making... Life is full of obstacles; we don't need to create extra ones."

I create my own drama. I have been trying to be mindful of this and really looking at what I perceive as crazy relative to what really is crazy - and most times, it is my mind blowing things way out of proportion. 

"Learn to apologize. The ability to sincerely apologize -- without ever interjecting the word "but"... It's an important practice."

Sincere apologies don't come easy to me, as most times I am stuck inside myself (I am the universe...) that I don't think I did anything wrong. But real, no bullshit apologies provide a great sense of relief and hopefully a renewed sense of friendship/love that will carry forward to patch up the foundation.

"Practice gratitude. Practice it out loud to the people around you. Practice it silently when you bless your food. Practice it often. Gratitude is the most basic way to connect with that sense of being an integral part of the vastness of the universe..."

Be thankful.  After all, your alive and your life is awesome - gratitude should beam through us every day. 

"Be kind. Kindness costs us nothing and pays exponential dividends. If the biggest thing we do in life is to extend love and kindness to even one other human being, we have changed the world for the better."

Kindness is contagious, so pass it on everyday.  Again, so basic, yet I often find myself caught up in myself and my busy, busy life that even something so basic and easy is overlooked.  We should never be too busy to be kind to one another. 

This post is a reflection on myself.  However, if I was writing for the audience, I might encourage many people that are very close to me to read this, digest it and see how it affects their lives in a way to help them to start making little changes and realizing that we are just a speck of dust in the wind and not the entire universe. We are not the universe, and nothing revolves around us.  We all struggle - but we are the only ones that can take a look at ourselves and start making choices as to how we want to live and act.  

I will always choose rainbows, glitter and unicorns. 
You just might have to remind me of that some days.

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