It's Monday - Get Moving!

This weekend was my sorority's annual Girls Get-a-Way Weekend in Galveston (Oh Galveston) and we soaked up the sun at the beach.  We enjoy the sun, the laughs, the junk food and the booze!  Good Times, Great Friends and Girly Gossip... I love, love spending time with my Sisters!

(Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend)

 

(Toes in the Sand and a Beer in my hand)

 

(If only I was as long and lean as my shadow!)

 

Unfortunately, a fabulous girls weekend also means that I did not get one workout in and for the first time in more than 2 MONTHS I didn't not log my food in MyFitnessPal.  It's hard to log, when your days consisted mostly of frozen margaritas and carrots with Love Dip and your enjoying every minute of it!

The good thing?!  It's Monday and it's time to start again.  Time to get back on track.  Time to get moving.  It's as easy as that!  No one is perfect, we will all fall at some point, but you can always start again.  Don't give up!

I am ready for a new day and ready to get back on track!  Get up and get moving now!  It makes a difference and I'm slowly seeing it every single day.

Have a great week!

Celebrate Good Times... COME ON!

Today is my Bestie's Birthday and I just have to tell you that although she is not a fan of celebrating her birthday, I AM!

I cannot begin to tell you how important she is not only to me, but everyone who loves her. 

Aimee is one of the most loving, giving people I have ever met.  She is incredibly outgoing and she is so freaking HYSTERICAL.  She has never met a stranger and I absolutely love this about her.  Aimee has many friends who all love and adore her, but she still has a way of making you feel like you are the most important out of all of them.  She is an amazing mother, wife and friend.

She has been there through some of my best moments and some of my toughest moments and she has loved me through them all. At times I am not the easiest person to love, but she never lets me know it.

I decided to Google "What Is A Best Friend?" and came across some serious stuff, like: "How to tell your best friend that she is a bad singer?", "What is a good song to play for a best friend forever?", and "What are the qualities of a best friend?"  Boy did it get me thinking...

I have had what I thought were best friends before and I gave these relationships all that I had.  It was not until I met Aimee that I realized the qualities of a TRUE best friend. 

And YES, I keep saying "Best", because if you are lucky enough to have a friend like Aimee then you know it doesn't get any better!

When Nanny was admitted to the Hospital, I walked through the door and saw my Bestie's face.  Who does that?!  Who drops all they are doing and shows up when you least expect it, but when you need them most?!  SHE DID!  This is something that touches me often and something that I will never forget!

When Big D broke his shoulder and collar bone and couldn't work, who helped to get a "meal delivery system" in place?!  SHE DID!  All my Sisters showed up and helped out where they could!

When I lost 3 jobs in 18 months and was in the deepest, darkest place imaginable (I'm obsessed with working), who always lifted me up and encouraged me to keep going?!  SHE DID!  Positive Words mean SO MUCH!

When I need someone to vent to, no matter the subject, who not only listens, but provides valuable feedback?!  SHE DOES!  It's not often that someone asks, "How are you doing?" and REALLY wants to know!

When you go out with a group of people you hardly know, to a Restraurant that also has karaoke and REALLY want to sing Just A Friendly Little Cat, who thinks it's a genius idea and sings along?!  SHE DOES! 

These are a VERY few examples of what Aimee has done for me!  A relationship is a give and take and she reminds me of that often.  I did not realize that I was deserving of a friend who loved me for me and a friend who would be there whenever I needed them (and expected nothing in return), until I met Aimee.  There are many times that I take her loyalty to our friendship for granted, but I never forget how blessed I am to have her friendship.

Aimee, not a birthday of yours goes by that I do not thank God for placing you on this Earth to befriend someone like me.  Thank you for being the friend that I could not imagine my life without and thank you for being the I-Can't-Remember-Life-Without-You friend!

 

Celebrate YOUR day, AC!  I love your guts!

Life is Not a Competition

I want to start this post with saying that I AM a fan of friendly competition.  I enjoy it.  A sports game, a board game, a Spelling Bee... Bring it!  There is NOTHING wrong with a little friendly competition. 

Now... here's something that I've noticed lately.  It has become obvious to me that more and more people are comparing their lives to others.  They see a blog update about something fabulous going on and then get upset that it didn't happen for them.  When did we stop expressing happiness for others?!

  Then there are THOSE posts, we've ALL seen them, the fairytale, fantasyland living Facebook posts.

Do you REALLY think that people are going to share ALL of their ups and downs with you?!  HECK NO!  They want you to see the good, they want to embellish their lives and it's NOT to make it appear to you that things are better than they are, I think it's to make THEMSELVES believe that things aren't really how they are.

Let me say, sharing the downs in life is not as enjoyable as sharing the ups, but it's LIFE and that is what life is!  Full of UPS and DOWNS!  They mold you and make you who you are... BE PROUD OF THEM!

If you are motivated by what others are doing and get discouraged because you are not achieving the same results, traveling the same destinations, building the same house, rocking the same body or driving the same cars, STOP IT RIGHT NOW!  You WILL end up disappointed.  Refocus, because someone will ALWAYS have more and always appear to be better off than you, ALWAYS and let's face it... the things that you have right now in your life are the things that you prayed for at one time.  Enjoy them, because life is to damn short to live miserably!

My Best Friend has been on a workout kick for the last year and let me tell you... She is a BEAST!  Her workouts are tough and she gives them ALL SHE HAS!  I am motivated by her enthusiasm... I am not motivated by her results (even though I am SO FREAKING PROUD) and let me tell you why.  I will not achieve the same results as her, in the same amount of time and I will not get through the workouts she does in one piece and you know what, THAT IS OKAY!  I will give my workouts all that I have and I WILL obtain results if I stay focused.

Life is truly the journey and not the destination.  I'm learning this daily.  Life is NOT a competition... Stop trying to do better than others, stop trying to achieve their results, stop trying to be what they are.  The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.  If you do this, YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED!

Comparing yourself to others will only make you realize your own imperfections and insecurities.  REFOCUS!

Be proud of who you are!  Be proud of your ups AND downs!  Be proud that you are YOU and there is NO ONE else that could EVER compare!

And do you really want to get to the "Finish Line" before everyone else?!  :)

Women – Build Me Up Buttercup

Why do women insist on tearing each other down? Don’t we know how HARD it is to be a woman? Why can’t we encourage each other, build each other up and praise each other?

Is it jealousy?

Is it unhappiness within one’s self?

What is it?

Growing up, the majority of my friends were guys. They were drama free, non-judgemental listeners and I loved it. Every bit of it!

However, I had a best friend in high school who was high-strung (we’ll call her High-Strung Holly) and although she was a great friend who experienced some of the most exciting things in my life with me, she exhausted me. High-Strung Holly is what I like to consider a Spazmatic and would fly off the handle in response to any situation that went awry. One night Big D had a poker party and didn’t contact her boyfriend to play. Big deal, whatevs, move on. YEAH RIGHT! Boy did I hear about it… Over and over and over again and after that… we didn’t talk anymore. Her decision, Not Mine and it was probably better that way.

I stood up for myself and that really seems to throw people for a loop, because I’m normally a go-along-to-get-along-girl. I didn’t need (I don’t need) that drama and did not deserve the lashing from someone who claimed to be my friend. Build each other up, don’t tear each other down!

(This is bologna... BTW)

I read an article recently, which stated that we become like the five people we hang around most. WHAAAT?! REALLY?! Do we?! Does that get you thinking? It definitely got me thinking.

In college I met a girl who I will refer to Negative Nancy. I did not realize how much we become like those that we hang around UNTIL I met Negative Nancy. I would share stories that made me happy, she would find something negative in them and y’all, I begin to think of the negatively too. The stories that she shared were rarely positive, but I enjoyed her company. Little did I know, I began thinking negatively too! After talking with others and MUCH evaluation, I decided (after trying 2 times before) that walking away from the friendship was best. I cannot even begin to explain the overwhelming sense of relief that I had. Positive things WILL happen when you distance yourself from the negative!

Moving on… I began surrounding myself with positive women, who wanted to watch me grow and truly wanted me to succeed and who told me they were proud of me and actually meant it. What a great feeling! There are still times that I have to take a step back and re-evaluate and I am not afraid to make changes if necessary, but I am truly blessed and grateful for the Positive Pattys in my life.

This is not something new… This is something that has been around forever and will continue to be around, but we don’t have to let it affect us. Find common ground. Praise each other. Encourage each other. Tearing each other down hurts ALL women. 

Today, try to encourage the women in your life.  Give them a compliment, bring a smile to their face, because I can PROMISE you that it will bring a smile to your face too!