Mean Girl

Now, I am guessing that almost every girl who watched the clip above has said something similar about their own bodies.  In today's society it is normal for women to point out their flaws, compare themselves to others, or even get surgery to "fix" the things they don't like.  However, we don't just criticize our bodies, we also belittle our talents, downplay our intelligence, and lack confidence in ourselves.

 I, like so many others, have fallen under this spell of self deprecation, which is why this week I have chosen to focus on loving and accepting everything about myself.

I will admire my talents. I will embrace my weaknesses.  I will have confidence.  I will know that I am worthy and valuable.  I will not let others dictate what I believe about myself.  I will not be a mean girl.

Week 1 Complete!

I have completed my first week on the Journey to Joy!  This week I worked really hard to stay positive, and I think I did very well!  I'm really proud of myself for looking at the bright side of life and being upbeat.

While consciously thinking about not complaining or being negative, I realized that I have sort of played the "victim" for the past two years.  I used to always have pessimistic thoughts like, "I don't have any friends" or "I never do anything fun," but never doing anything to change those things.  This week I changed those thoughts into "I am going to make friends" and "What fun things will I do today?"

 I have taken back control of my thoughts, my life and ultimately my JOY.

I will continue to stay positive and play "The Glad Game" often while I continue this Journey.

Now on to week 2!

The Bertinator

Today's post is a tribute to my beautiful sister Bertie: the most positive and optimistic person that I know! 

Bertie is married, has 5 children, and LOVES to laugh.  She is a fitness instructor who teaches several bootcamps in the area and has started her own business.  She always has a smile on her face and a prank to play on someone close by. 

No matter what is happening in Bertie's life or how terrible things get, she never let's it bring her down.  She finds a way to stay positive and be grateful for the good things in her life.  Her clients call her the Bertinator because they think she has the super power of helping people lose weight and stay fit.  However, I think the Bertinator's TRUE super power is unwavering optimism!  She inspires me to seek out the bright side of any situation and love where you are in life every day.

So this post is to say thank you to my sister for her example of how to stay positive no matter what life throws at you.  For her shining smile and her happy face.  For her laughter and her JOY for life.

Love you Burlie!

The Blues

Today I had the blues.  I wasn't thinking negative thoughts or complaining about things, but I still just wasn't all smiles.  I was in a funk and wasn't sure how to get out of it.  I played the glad game and looked at the bright side of things, but still felt down in the dumps.

So I decided to get involved in something and make fun plans to look forward to.  I found the website for the Houston Howdy Club, which is an organization for former Texas A&M Students.  They have socials, volunteer, fundraise for scholarships, and play intramural sports!  I started to feel better after putting some events on the calendar where I can meet new people and have a good time.  Then I decided to go to the gym and by the time I got home my blues were completely gone!

I now know two things that bring me Joy.  The first is being social and planning for fun events.  The second is exercise.  Hopefully I can keep this in mind the next time I have the blues!

The Glad Game

One of my favorite movies growing up was Pollyanna.  Pollyanna is an inspiring little girl who taught me how to play "The Glad Game."  One Christmas Pollyanna was hoping to find a beautiful doll in the missionary barrel, but when she looked inside all she found were a pair of crutches.  The disappointment on her face prompted her father to invent a game to find the positive side of any situation.  In this case they should be glad about the crutches because they "didn't need to use them."

This week I am going to focus on being more positive and optimistic.  I want to look at the bright side, find the silver lining, be upbeat, and have a smile on my face as much as possible.  I often tend to complain and point out the negative parts of my life, but no more.  This week I will be playing "The Glad Game" 24/7!  I will change every critical or cynical thought into an uplifting or encouraging one.  I will change every complaint into a praise, and every disappointment into a satisfaction.

I know it is going to be difficult, because, let's be honest, changing bad habits always is, but I have confidence that I can do it!  I will try to check back in most days to report on my progress and update y'all on my Journey to JOY!

The Journey

My life tends to revolve around my family.  I have 2 parents, 5 older sisters, 4 brother-in-laws, and 11 nieces and nephews.  I love each and every one of them dearly.  However, since I first became an aunt at the age of 9 years old, my life has been turned over to diaper changes, swim meets, dance recitals, cheer competitions, 5th grade graduations, pee wee football games, fort building, PBS kids, and most of all babysitting. 

I am also a high school math teacher, which means I have about 160 students each year in my Geometry classes.  Students who need attention and care from a teacher because they don't get it at home. Students who want you to talk with them, and sit with them, and eat lunch with them, and sponsor their club, and tutor them, and mentor them, and love them unconditionally.

I am a 23 year old single female, who dedicates her life to the needs, wants, dreams, and desires of children.

Of course there are moments I get to do things for myself, and of course I enjoy giving to my family and students, but this weekend I realized that somewhere along the way I lost some of myself.  I've lost some of my adventurism, my optimism, my care freeness, my silliness, my passion.  And most important of all, I have lost my JOY for life.

So I am starting this journey.  This Journey to Joy.  I have made a list of things that I want to improve in my life, and each week I will focus on one of these aspects in order to find myself again.  To rediscover what I like and what I don't.  To experience new things I've never tried.  To connect with my inner child.  To be a young adult without a care in the world.  To rekindle old dreams and find new ones.  To figure out what I want.  And to find Joy.