That Feeling You Get..

Good Afternoon, Readers!

Sometimes, we all get in to a funk.  My funk has been happening for over a month now.  This is not okay.

I have always considered myself an extremely happy person, yet my microscope on my life has been zoomed in so far that I have been unable to focus and look at the big picture.

Until today.

I have been so caught up in the drama, and the details.  And it is exhausting!

I have not sat down, and just been grateful for all of the wonderful things in my life.

My boyfriend, whom is my world.

My friends, whom we have a mutual respect and love for.

My family, for always being there when I need them.

My life.  My life is amazing!

My funk is now over.  Now, it is time to zoom out and stop focusing so much.

I am just grateful!

Mcfly <3

Unhappiness

Good Morning!

My blog post today is something that I have been experiencing recently.  I have had this overwhelming sense of negativity come into my life. 

For whatever reason it has happened, this spiral of thoughts has been keeping me in a stressful state that I know is temporary, but it is still tough to experience.

The thing is, everyone goes through stages where they feel either stuck or overwhelmed.  Heck, I go through these rollercoasters bi-weekly.  However, learning to recognize and understand what is going through your head is essential to raising yourself up from the depths of negativity and back into the positivity.

So, I have compiled three steps you can do if you are feeling stuck in a negativity rut!

Let's start with one, shall we? :)

1.  Recognize.  Take a look at what exactly it is that you are feeling.  What kind of negative emotions are you experiencing?  Is it anger, hurt, anxiety, stress?  Pin point where your emotions are going, and recognize that they are there, and that it is okay to be feeling them!

2.  Embrace.  Embrace the thoughts, let them be.  Just like The Beatles advised.  LET IT BE.  I guarantee after a small amount of time, you will start to clear your head, and begin to focus on smaller positive thoughts.

3.  Move Forward.  This is my favorite step!  Move forward with these smaller positive thoughts.  Once you have recognized and embraced, move forward to the larger positive thoughts.  Move from feeling anxious to feeling slightly more calm.  From anger to contentment.  Whatever thoughts get you there, do them!  I promise, you will start to feel so good.

Here are some of my favorite things to do when I am feeling down:

Read a good book
Take a walk
Listen to the birds
Appreciate a flower
Listen to my favorite songs
Watch a movie
Watch funny youtube videos
Call a friend
Eat peanut butter!

You deserve to feel amazing every day, Enjoy!

Mcfly <3

Pay It Forward

Last night, I gave a homeless man $3.00.

Now, I am typically not the kind of girl to hand out money to someone who is on the street looking for some extra change.

However, Last night was seemingly different.

I was meeting a friend in the city close to where I live, and was waiting out the rain just a few feet away from the metro station I had just came out of.  I had noticed the man standing there as hundreds of people rushed in and out of the station, either ignoring him or shaking their heads at his request for change.

I had witnessed something that was really heart breaking for me.

I watched other human beings disregard another human being, over, and over, and over again.

Not that I was any better, I was standing right next to him and didn't say one word.  However, I knew that I had a few dollars in my wallet, and I knew that giving those dollars away would benefit someone more than keeping them for cab fare or for my dinner that I could easily afford.

So I decided to give him my change.  And I put my shoulder on his, and told him to have a good night.  I couldn't help but notice his shirt was soaked from the rain, and how cold he must have been.

I hope that my spare change could have made a difference in his night.

But, an interesting thing happened as I was heading back home.

I had to take a taxi, because the bus had stopped running after midnight. The taxi driver was incredibly friendly, and we got into a philosophical conversation about happiness and the meaning of life.

And you know what he did?

When he dropped me off, he let me have the cab fare for free.

I begged him not too, that I had money to pay for my ride back.  But he insisted, and I couldn't help but think about how in our lives, looking out for each other is what we are supposed to do.

The kindness that I experienced from the cab driver, and the gratefulness that the man had when I gave him my spare change was what made my day.

So, pay it forward.  It is worth more than just getting home as fast as possible, or worrying about your next promotion.

Until Next Time.

Mcfly <3

Choices.

Good Morning!

Today, I wanted to write a small post about the choices that we make in our lives.

Every situation that we are in, we have a choice on how to think, how to react, and also how to not react.  Our life is filled with these decisions that inevitably shape the future.

However, I am a firm believer in that the situations that we are in are not by chance, but by the choices we have made in the past.

For example, about a year and a half ago, I had just come out of an abusive relationship with an ex boyfriend.  I was trapped in this negative way of thinking, that had sent me down the rabbit hole of self loathing and hatred. 

I had lost 30 pounds, and was sucked into a thought pattern that was not serving me in the slightest.

But, you know what happened?

I realized, that I had a choice.  I could be stuck in this cycle of negativity, or I could pick myself up and understand that I could choose to be positive.  I could choose to be healthy.  I could choose to be present in my every day life and be mindful of my thoughts and emotions.

And a funny thing happened. 

Amazing things started to unfold for me. 

I had started to attract men into my life that were sweet, and kind.  My weight started to level out to a healthier, and sustainable place.  I embarked on an incredible adventure working in Kenya, and I had been accepted into the university of my choice. 

I chose to be positive, and to pinpoint what I wanted in my life.

And it happened.

I know you can too!  I have no doubts that whatever you want, you can choose to go after it. 

Now, on to my daily gratitude list!

1. Myself.  I am so thankful for myself.  For living, for choosing to be positive, and to go after the things that I want in my life.  I believe in myself, with every fiber of my being.  It makes me so happy!

2.  My Dad.  The man has taught me so many things, and tells me that whatever I want to do, I should go after it.  He is my inspiration and I love him dearly.  I am so lucky to have my dad!

3.  Love.  It is so funny, but once I became okay with where I was, and chose to not let anyone dictate my happiness, love becomes affluent in my life.  It is true that once you love yourself, others can love you just the same.

4.  Books.  I love to read, and I love to write.  Reading and writing are so therapeutic to me.  Some of my favorite authors include Paolo Coelho, Elizabeth Gilbert, and J. Maarten Troost (Can you see the travel writing pattern? :P)

5.  Coffee.  I know I write this down almost every time I write a gratitude list.  But man, I do love my coffee. Ha!

Have a fabulous day, and ENJOY!

Mcfly <3